Naha, S. (2014) Of magic and mania: reflections on the fan following of Brazilian football and Pelé in Calcutta. Soccer and Society, 15(5), pp. 804-821. (doi: 10.1080/14660970.2014.912021)
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Abstract
Why do Indians celebrate Brazilian football? Is it because Indians do not have local stars to root for? Why does it have to be Brazil? Why was a generation of football fans in Calcutta in awe of an exotic South American footballer called Pelé? This essay responds to these conundrums by analysing transnational football fandom from perspectives of cultural diffusion and image-making. It situates circulation of culture in a historical study of the impact of Brazilian football, with particular emphasis on Pelé, as borne out by fan culture in India. It examines if the similarities between India and Brazil in the global meridian of development had any bearing on football fandom. Next, it studies particularly how Pelé’s visit to Calcutta in 1977 was registered by the overlapping categories of fans, politicians and journalists. By doing so, it offers a model of understanding moral/cultural networks of transnational fandom in terms of hero/icon/legend worship.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Naha, Dr Souvik |
| Authors: | Naha, S. |
| College/School: | College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Economic and Social History |
| Journal Name: | Soccer and Society |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
| ISSN: | 1466-0970 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1743-9590 |
| Published Online: | 16 May 2014 |
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