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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 Stocks Mixed as Korean Chipmakers Rally

Asian stocks traded mixed on Tuesday as strong gains in South Korean semiconductor shares boosted the regions technology sector, while rising oil prices, higher U.S. Treasury yields and expectations for tighter monetary...

Canada Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Goods Take Effect

Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of U.S. goods early Tuesday, escalating its trade dispute with the United States after negotiations between the two countries collapsed last month. Prime Minister...

Iran Threatens Gulf Energy Assets as U.S. Tensions Escalate

Iran warned Monday that it would retaliate against further U.S. attacks, threatening American oil and gas interests across the Gulf as renewed hostilities raise concerns over global energy supplies and shipping through the...

US Stock Futures Mixed as Fed Rate Hike Bets Rise

U.S. stock futures traded mixed Tuesday as Wall Street returned from the Labor Day holiday, with investors weighing stronger employment data, rising oil prices and growing expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise...

China Exports Surge 25% in August as Trade Surplus Hits $119 Billion

Chinas exports posted another strong increase in August, while imports exceeded market expectations, highlighting resilient trade activity despite signs of weakness in the worlds second-largest economy. Official customs...

Politics

Trump Threatens Bombardier U.S. Sales Ban

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier from selling planes in the United States unless the company expands its manufacturing operations in the country, escalating tensions...

Australia Plans New Rules Giving Users Control Over Social Media Feeds

Australia has proposed new social media regulations that would give users greater control over the content appearing in their feeds, expanding the governments efforts to strengthen online safety and regulate major...

Cuba Says No US Talks as Blockade Costs Hit $8.1 Billion

Cubas foreign minister said Monday that no negotiations with the United States are currently taking place and there are no plans for future talks, as Havana blamed Washingtons decades-old trade embargo for more than $8...

Bolivia Military Barracks Explosion Kills Nine

Bolivian authorities confirmed on Monday that the death toll from an explosion at a military barracks in Viacha has risen to nine, while rescue teams continue searching for people still missing after the deadly blast. The...

Iran Threatens US With ‘Economic Warfare’ as Gulf Tensions Rise

Iran threatened the United States with economic warfare on Tuesday and claimed it had launched an advanced ballistic missile toward U.S. warships, raising concerns about another escalation in the six-month conflict. The...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Anthropic Drops $6 Billion Decart AI Acquisition Talks

Anthropic has reportedly abandoned plans to acquire artificial intelligence startup Decart AI after exploring a potential transaction valued at roughly $6 billion, according to Bloomberg News. The maker of the Claude AI...

Huawei Launches Mate XT2 Foldable Phone in China

Huawei unveiled its latest flagship foldable smartphone, the Mate XT2, on Monday as the Chinese technology giant looks to maintain its dominance in the countrys premium smartphone market amid growing competition from Apple...

Nvidia CEO Says AGI Has Arrived With OpenAI GPT-6 Astra

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang has declared that artificial general intelligence, or AGI, has arrived, pointing to OpenAIs newly launched GPT-6 Astra as a major milestone in the accelerating development of...

SpaceX Turbine Push Unlikely to Threaten Howmet, Bernstein Says

SpaceXs plan to manufacture industrial gas turbine blades and vanes is unlikely to significantly threaten Howmet Aerospace, according to Bernstein analysts, who see recent weakness in Howmet shares as a potential buying...

Anthropic IPO Marketing Expected to Start in Mid-October

Anthropic is expected to begin marketing its initial public offering in mid-October at the earliest, as the artificial intelligence company adjusts the timeline for what could become one of the largest IPOs in history. The...