‘The whole week comes down to the team sheet’: a footballer’s view of insecure work

Roderick, M.; Schumacker, J.

Abstract

This ‘On the front line’ article focuses on the work and employment situation for an insecure, individualized sports worker whose main job task is fundamentally and publically collaborative. The narrative offers a realistic and nuanced understanding of the material conditions of work for a journeyman footballer and defies sociological ideas associated with attachment and identification to work, which are frequently and implicitly connected to this profession. So while physical and skilful dimensions are commonly foregrounded, the testimony of (now retired) professional footballer James Schumacker lays bare not only the uncertainties and instability of this job, but also specifically the constant tension between securing fixed-term employment and being selected for first team games: making the ‘team sheet’.

Citation

Roderick, M., & Schumacker, J. (2017). ‘The whole week comes down to the team sheet’: a footballer’s view of insecure work. Work, Employment and Society, 31(1), 166-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017016672792

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 31, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Dec 5, 2016
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Feb 10, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 13, 2017
• Journal: Work, Employment and Society
• Print ISSN: 0950-0170
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-8722
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 166-174
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017016672792
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1386566