‘The whole week comes down to the team sheet’: a footballer’s view of insecure work

Roderick, M.; Schumacker, J.

doi:10.1177/0950017016672792

‘The whole week comes down to the team sheet’: a footballer’s view of insecure work

Roderick, M.; Schumacker, J.

Authors

Professor Martin Roderick m.j.roderick@durham.ac.uk
Professor

J. Schumacker

Abstract

This ‘On the front line’ article focuses on the work and employment situation for an insecure, individualized sports worker whose main job task is fundamentally and publically collaborative. The narrative offers a realistic and nuanced understanding of the material conditions of work for a journeyman footballer and defies sociological ideas associated with attachment and identification to work, which are frequently and implicitly connected to this profession. So while physical and skilful dimensions are commonly foregrounded, the testimony of (now retired) professional footballer James Schumacker lays bare not only the uncertainties and instability of this job, but also specifically the constant tension between securing fixed-term employment and being selected for first team games: making the ‘team sheet’.

Citation

Roderick, M., & Schumacker, J. (2017). ‘The whole week comes down to the team sheet’: a footballer’s view of insecure work. Work, Employment and Society, 31(1), 166-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017016672792

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Aug 31, 2016
Online Publication Date	Dec 5, 2016
Publication Date	Feb 1, 2017
Deposit Date	Feb 10, 2017
Publicly Available Date	Feb 13, 2017
Journal	Work, Employment and Society
Print ISSN	0950-0170
Electronic ISSN	1469-8722
Publisher	SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	31
Issue	1
Pages	166-174
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017016672792

Files

Accepted Journal Article (269 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
Roderick, M. and Schumacker, J. (2017) '‘The whole week comes down to the team sheet’ : a footballer’s view of insecure work.', Work, employment and society., 31 (1). pp. 166-174. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.