Globalization and Football Fandom: Banal Cosmopolitanism in Postcolonial Hong Kong

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Chun Wing Lee (Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Globalization and Football Fandom

Banal Cosmopolitanism in Postcolonial Hong Kong

Chun Wing Lee (Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

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English

Routledge
14 November 2025

Regional studies; Society & culture: general; Sociology: sport & leisure; Football (Soccer, Association football)

Series: Critical Research in Football

This book uses the case of football fandom in Hong Kong to shine new light on the globalization of sport and culture, and on the intersection of culture and society in a postcolonial territory. Based on in-depth interviews, textual analysis, and survey data, the book explores the lived experience of football fans in Hong Kong.

Using the theoretical framework of ‘banal cosmopolitanism,’ the book explains how elite men’s football from Europe, particularly the English Premier League, became extremely popular in the city when live TV broadcasts became more frequent in the 1990s. It argues that although football fandom in Hong Kong has been hugely transformed by globalization, how it has changed has to be understood in local context. The book also reveals how Hong Kong’s colonial legacy is manifested in the English Premier League’s popularity in the city and in the rapid decline of professional men’s football in Hong Kong, which tells an important story about the relationship between sport, culture, and globalization in the early 21st century.

This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology or culture of sport, football, globalization, or the history, culture or politics of Asia.

By: Chun Wing Lee (Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 400g
ISBN: 9781032941899
ISBN 10: 1032941898
Series: Critical Research in Football
Pages: 124
Publication Date: 14 November 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction 2. Football Fandom Before Banal Cosmopolitanism 3. When British Teams Visited Hong Kong Before Banal Cosmopolitanism 4. Becoming Football Fans in the Banal Cosmopolitan Era 5. Fan Practices in the Banal Cosmopolitan Era 6. How about the Local Game? 7. Conclusion

Chun Wing Lee is a lecturer in the Division of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Design, College of Professional and Continuing Education at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.