IJHS Volume 34, 2017 – Issue 17-18: Soccer and Society in Modern Asia

IJHS 2017 Special: Soccer and Society in Modern Asia

Introduction
Soccer and Society in Modern Asia
Fan Hong & Zheng Guohua

Soccer, with the reputation of being ‘the first sport’, is arguably the most influential sport in the world. Soccer is also a social activity and art worth watching, discussing, and playing. The richness, diversity, and complexity of soccer culture attracts a global audience.
The twenty-first century saw rapid development of Asian economies and the rise of Asian nations in global affairs. Trade, exchange, and cooperation within Asia and beyond have never been so intense. Modernization, commercialization, and globalization have facilitated communication and cooperation between Asian and Western countries. Asia plays an increasingly important role in global economics and politics. Concurrently, Asia has also become increasingly involved in international sport. On the one hand, many Asian countries have become major players in elite sport. On the other hand, the growing consumer market has facilitated the development of substantial sport industry in Asia, creating a new growth engine for world economy.
As one of the most popular modern sports, soccer is developing rapidly in Asia. The level of performance is improving and the market is expanding. Although a variety of comments on soccer seem to be full of controversy, no one denies the important place of soccer in Asian sport and Asian society. The development of soccer in Asian countries in the past century reflects the transformation of Asian society in the great tide of commercialization and globalization that has transformed the modern world.
This collection aims at understanding how soccer played its part in the development of Asian society in the context of current international political and economic dynamics. It covers a wide range of topics, including: the history of soccer in Asia; mass participation in soccer; the professionalization and commercialization of soccer; government policy toward soccer development; recent cases of gambling and/or corruption around professional soccer leagues; and the economic and cultural impact of soccer, especially the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, on Asian countries.
The collection of essays springs from an international conference held in Shanghai University of Sport, China, 21–23 October 2016. The theme of the conference was ‘Soccer and Society in Modern Asia’. It was a result of close collaboration between The International Journal of the History of Sport and Shanghai University of Sport. We wish to thank the School of Sports Leisure and Arts of Shanghai University of Sport for its organizational and financial support for the conference.
Creating the English Premier Football League: A Brief Economic History with Some Possible Lessons for Asian Soccer
Wray Vamplew

Israel–Malaysia Relations and the Place of Football
Guy Podoler

Marketization Impact on the Relationships Between Supporters and Football Clubs
Yiyong Liang

Grassroots Football Development in Japan
Masahiro Sugiyama, Selina Khoo & Rob Hess

Football Museums: History, Identity, and Connection
Jing Yang

When Will China Win the World Cup? A Study of China’s Youth Football Development
Guangxin Tan

Understanding China’s School Football Fever in the Post-Beijing Olympic Era, 2009–2016: Policy and Practice
Liu Li

China’s ‘G-7 Revolution’ in Soccer
Enqing Tian

Deviations from China’s School Football Policies during the Implementation Process: Signs, Causes, and Countermeasures
Chengwei Yang & Yan Tang

The Regulation of Chinese Professional Football: Review and Prospects
Hui Liu

The Evolution and Cultural Characteristics of Korean Professional Soccer
Kyoungho Park & Gwang Ok

The HMS Malaya Cup Football League, 1921–1941: Towards the Institutionalization of Football in British Malaya
Lim Peng Han & Mohd Salleh Aman