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Paul Widdop

Senior Lecturer in Sport Business, Manchester Metropolitan University
My research focuses on the consumption and production of sport. Underlying these academic fields my substantive research area is in the importance of place and networks. For the former I am interested in the contexts and mechanisms that make place a key driver in the formation and maintenance of sporting lifestyles and consumption behaviours. For networks my approach is to understand consumption from a analytical sociology position, using predominantly a social network analysis methodology to explore relational and interactional dynamics. Place and networks are fundamental to understanding how consumption and production operates in modern societies, between the macro and micro aspects of society.

Furthermore, I have a specific research interest in the production elements of the football industry or football worlds (adapted from Howard Becker Artworlds concept). In particular my research explores the collective activity in this world, focusing on conventions, networks and resources.

I have a strong background in theoretical and applied statistics (MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics from University of Manchester) and I completed my PhD research in the Institute for Social Change/Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research (University of Manchester). In addition, I have a extensive knowledge of the theory and methodology of Social Network Analysis.

Currently I am editor of GeoSport a platform showcasing research on the geopolitical economy of sport. I am also a global fellow of The University of Edinburgh's Academy of Sport. In addition, I am reviews editor for the Journal of Consumer Culture and active member of the Mitchell Centre of Social Network Analysis (University of Manchester).

Champions League final 2025: a battle for glory against a backdrop of money and fashion

May 30, 2025 12:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Sports

The 2025 mens Champions League final will end in triumph for either Paris Saint-Germain or Inter Milan. And whichever side wins, Uefa will no doubt claim that the tournaments new format, involving more teams, more games...

Champions League final 2024: the romantic ideal of fan ownership meets the corporate reality of modern football

Jun 03, 2024 11:07 am UTC| Business Sports

The 2024 Uefa Champions League final could be described as the perfect match for football purists, with fan-owned Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund, where supporters have a majority ownership stake. Unlike last years...

Afcon 2023: Africa’s diaspora footballers are boosting the continent’s game – but they are also creating challenges

Jan 30, 2024 07:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Sports

The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is approaching its conclusion in Ivory Coast and speculation is rife about which team will be the ultimate winner. It could be one of the continents footballing heavyweights such as...

Champions League final 2021 – a game of two sides powered by gas and oil

May 28, 2021 11:10 am UTC| Sports Business

On the night of the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final, Chelsea and Manchester City will battle it out for European glory. Only one of the two English teams will walk away with the trophy but despite the rivalry on the...

Economy

Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes

Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Friday as the U.S. dollar rebounded modestly from a near four-year low, following comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would announce his nominee for the next...

Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S.

Canada recorded a sharp increase in its monthly international trade deficit in November as merchandise exports fell significantly, highlighting ongoing challenges tied to trade diversification and U.S. tariff uncertainty....

U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster

The Trump administration has eased select sanctions on Venezuelas oil industry, signaling a major policy shift aimed at encouraging U.S. investment following the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this...

Oil Prices Surge Toward Biggest Monthly Gains in Years Amid Middle East Tensions

Oil prices are heading for their largest monthly gains in years as escalating Middle East tensions fuel concerns over potential supply disruptions, particularly involving Iran, one of the worlds largest OPEC producers....

Indonesia Stocks Face Fragile Sentiment After MSCI Warning and Market Rout

Indonesia stocks are set for a cautious start as investor sentiment remains fragile following a sharp market selloff triggered by concerns raised by MSCI. The Jakarta Composite Index suffered its steepest two-day decline...

Politics

Panama Supreme Court Voids CK Hutchison Port Concessions, Raising Geopolitical and Trade Concerns

Panamas Supreme Court has ruled unconstitutional the port concession contracts held by Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings (HK:0001), effectively voiding its rights to operate two of...

Trump Threatens Aircraft Tariffs as U.S.-Canada Jet Certification Dispute Escalates

U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified trade tensions with Canada by announcing the decertification of Bombardier Global Express business jets and threatening steep new tariffs on Canadian-made aircraft. In a...

Trump Warns UK and Canada Against Deepening Business Ties With China

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to the United Kingdom and Canada over expanding business cooperation with China, describing such moves as very dangerous during a recent public appearance. His...

Faith Leaders Arrested on Capitol Hill During Protest Against Trump Immigration Policies and ICE Funding

Dozens of faith leaders were arrested on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., after staging a protest against President Donald Trumps immigration policies and calling for funding restrictions on U.S. Immigration and Customs...

Democrats Question Intelligence Chief’s Role in FBI Georgia Election Raid

Top Democrats on the U.S. Senate and House intelligence committees are demanding answers after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during a recent FBI raid on an election facility in Georgia, an...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Apple Faces Margin Pressure as Memory Chip Prices Surge Amid AI Boom

Apple is beginning to feel the strain from rapidly rising memory chip prices, a challenge that is expected to intensify in the current quarter as the global semiconductor market pivots toward artificial intelligence...

Apple Earnings Beat Expectations as iPhone Sales Surge to Four-Year High

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) delivered a strong fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings report, comfortably beating Wall Street expectations on both profit and revenue, driven by its strongest iPhone sales growth in more than four...

OpenAI Reportedly Eyes Late-2026 IPO Amid Rising Competition and Massive Funding Needs

OpenAI is reportedly accelerating preparations for a potential initial public offering (IPO), with plans to go public by the fourth quarter of 2026, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the...

Sandisk Stock Soars After Blowout Earnings and AI-Driven Outlook

Sandisk shares surged more than 15% in after-hours trading on Thursday after the data storage and memory solutions company delivered a fiscal second-quarter earnings report that significantly exceeded Wall Street...

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Explores Merger Options With Tesla or xAI, Reports Say

Elon Musks SpaceX is reportedly exploring potential merger and consolidation options with Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) or artificial intelligence startup xAI, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the...