Submitted by Iona C. Hine on Fri, 10/01/2025 - 14:26
As propagators of imaginative collaborations, the Cambridge Interfaith team are always curious to hear about new cross-sector conversations. We are therefore delighted to hear about the latest project from Dr Joseph Powell, a British Academy Research Fellow and active member of the Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum.
Partnering with local football club Cambridge United FC, Joseph is curating a series of conversations informed by his interest in how faith and football interact. Footnotes: The writing of football series launches later this month, sponsored by the Faculty of Divinity.
Faith in football?
Joseph explains:
“For the past three years I've been exploring the intersections between faith and football as it is lived out by those who work in the game. Doing so has made me fascinated by how the writing around football in all of its myriad forms functions.
“Now, with the kind support of the Divinity Faculty, Footnotes: The Writing of Football seminar series shines a light on the writing behind the beautiful game. Four speakers across non-fiction, journalism and academia are coming to the city to think out loud alongside our audiences. The series represents a collaboration between the University with Cambridge United FC, as town and gown come together to consider how these forms engaged with by so many of us so often operate.”
From a dissection of the niche linguistic quirks that exist only in football, to anthropological observations of football fans. From writing on football’s role as a nation building tool, to writing up interviews with footballers themselves, each event will take attendees deep into their respective world, with audiences invited to engage in discussion and questions at the close.
All events are entirely free and open to all.
Featuring Divinity research
In February, Joseph Webster, Professor of the Anthropology of Religion in the Faculty, will offer an examination of interactions between faith and football in Scotland. Drawing on his experience conducting ethnographic fieldwork amongst Protestant communities north of the border, Professor Webster will also reflect on his role as an expert witness to the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee giving evidence in support of repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012.
Those who cannot make this event may enjoy the detailed account of Webster’s impact on Scottish Football prepared by the central comms team in 2022 (via cam.ac.uk).
Kick off with The Athletic’s Adam Hurrey
First up on Friday 24 January at 6pm, we welcome Adam Hurrey, writer and editor at The Athletic, author of two definitive books on the language of football and host of the acclaimed Football Cliches podcast. Adam will join us to discuss the complexities of football writing in an era of oversaturation, the likes of which we have never been privy to and will be joined by Cambridge United CEO Alex Tunbridge.
The event will be held at Lecture Theatre A (Arts School) Pembroke Street.
Book a free space at Adam Hurrey’s talk (via Eventbrite.com).
Footnotes is presented with kind financial support from the Faculty of Divinity.
Featured image: Corner of a football pitch, original photograph by Lorenzo Cafaro licensed for Creative Commons reuse (CC0) and published at negativespace.co.