DePauw University Extended Studies Winter Term 2020: 

Northern England: Industrial Roots of Soccer

Profs. Pedar Foss, Nipun Chopra, Tom Ball

Itinerary & Syllabus

mobile no. in USA: 317.701.6131; mobile no in Britain: +39 349.686.2559 (Italian no.)

Guide: Stuart McIntyre, Tel. +44 7985.461556

THERE IS SIGNIFICANT WALKING and EXERCISE IN THIS CLASS!!

BRING YOUR DEPAUW STUDENT I.D.!

 

Itinerary

 

ON-CAMPUS:

– Day 1 (Mon, Jan. 6), DePauw:

9:00-10:30 (PCCM Watson Forum): History of Britain: Ice Age to Victoria [presentation].

10:30-12:00 (PCCM Watson Forum): Early Development of Football, origins to today (Kicking & Screaming documentary; Inverting the Pyramid) [presentation]

13:30-14:15: (PCCM Watson Forum): Logistics and packing check

15:45-17:45 (Reavis or Indoor Facility): soccer training;

Purchase and download the 3-day MOBILE YORK PASS onto your phone (don’t lose it; it’s your ticket for entry into sites and museums).

– Day 2 (Tues, Jan. 7), DePauw: 

9:30-11:00 (Indoor Facility): soccer training; choose 2 team captains for each team

12:30-14:00 (PCCM Watson Forum): Football in its social context I:

– WW I crippled the British Aristocracy; ca. 723,000 killed overall: The Aristocracy: Never The Same Again, 2:20-4:40 BBC Documentary

– WW II began the demise of the British Empire; ca. 254,000 killed overall: May Blitz (1941): The Seven Days that Rocked Liverpool, 8:13-17:49 BBC Documentary

– Labor crisis and migration: after the war, Britain was about 1.3 million short of working men. “Under the British Nationality Act of 1948, imperial subjects and Commonwealth citizens were entitled to the same rights as anyone born in Britain, including the right to live in the UK.” (The Economist, 24 Aug. 2017)

– Post-war industry continued strong for about 20 years: When Coal Was King, 2:46-13:20 BBC Documentary

– But from the late 1960s to early 80s, de-industrialization and de-colonization had begun to transform the economy and demographics of northern England; identities and senses of worth were challenged, changed, and sometimes viciously affirmed. Under conditions of economic crisis, conservative politicians like Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher used immigration as a wedge issue to turn working-class voters against each other.

– In the Information Age, northern cities are variably caught between a hard but often idealized past, and an unsettled, unconfident future. Where is the North-South divide? Consider:

2019:

14:30-15:30 (PCCM Watson Forum): Football in its social context II: Women’s Football

15:30-17:00 (PCCM Watson Forum): Football in its social context III (divide into these discussion groups):

1. The Class of ’92: Manchester Utd’s brilliant generation. What did you learn about how top footballers train, work and fight to get a first-team chance?
2. Hillsborough: The Death of Liverpool fans. Why has it been so difficult for survivors of the disaster to get justice?
3. This is Football, Ep. 1: Liverpool fans in Rwanda. Why has the Premier League resonated so strongly globally? What does it offer?
4. The Damned United: Brian Clough’s managerial disaster at Leeds Utd. What matters most as a manager–tactical brilliance or communication and motivation?

OFF-CAMPUS:

– Day 3 (Wed, Jan. 8): GREENCASTLE-MANCHESTER (at 11:00 a.m. from Union Building with luggage) bus transfer from DePauw to Chicago-O’Hare, with http://www.317limousines.com/

– Fly from Chicago to Manchester: Lufthansa 431 dpt. at 4:10, ORD-FRA, arr. 07:30; Lufthansa 942 dpt. at 11:10, FRA-MAN, arr. 11:55.

 

– Day 4 (Thur, Jan. 9): YORK

11:55: Arrival at Manchester airport; through immigration, luggage, and customs; meet Premier International Tours rep. at Arrivals; load bus; transfer by [bus, 2 hr., 15 min] to Novotel York Centre for check-in: Fishergate, York YO10 4FD; Tel. +44 1904 611660

After check-in, map and walking orientation to historic York:

Fishergate Bar: part of a 13^th-c. wall-walk: http://www.yorkwalls.org.uk/?page_id=3690

Walk from Clifford’s Tower through York Shambles to York Minster; then find your way back.

LAUNDRY IN YORK: WALMGATE BAR LAUNDERETTE (9 min from hotel)

19:00: Dinner at Novotel York Centre; discuss the day

 

 

– Day 5 (Fri, Jan. 10): YORK

08:30: Breakfast;

10:00: training session at York Sport Village, 3G turf [30 min. via #66 or 66A bus from the Barbican to University of York Campus East Interchange];

Lunch (on your own);

Afternoon: visit York (suggest: Roman Bath; Merchant Adventurers’ Hall; York Minster)

19:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day

– Day 6 (Sat, Jan. 11): YORK

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning/Afternoon: visit York (suggest: Barley Hall, Yorkshire Museum, National Railway Museum)

Lunch (on your own);

15:00: Optional National League North (6^th-Div.) match: York City FC v AFC Telford, at Bootham Crescent Stadium, a 30-min. walk from the hotel (£10-12 for students);

19:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day

– Day 7 (Sun, Jan. 12): YORK-CHESTERFIELD (SHEFFIELD)

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning: visit York

11:30: Board bus to Chesterfield (lunch on your own in the vicinity upon arrival)

14:00: SHU v AVA women (FA Women’s Championship), Proact Stadium

16:15: Board bus back to York

19:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day.

 

– Day 8 (Mon, Jan. 13): YORK

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning: visit York (suggest: Jorvik Viking Centre, Clifford’s Tower, York Castle Museum)

Lunch (on your own);

14:30: DPU men vs. York St. John University I2I Academy (2) (second team); venue: Haxby Road Complex, 3G turf [Academy videos]

17:00: Q&A dinner with Jonathan Wilson, journalist, author and founder of The Blizzard football-literary journal: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk, and Rory Smith, chief soccer correspondent at the New York Times.

19:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day.

– Day 9 (Tues, Jan. 14): LIVERPOOL, via LEEDS

08:30: Breakfast;

09:30: bus transfer to Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds [free], ca. 40 min. journey

12:00: walk to Leeds city center (15 min.) for lunch and shopping; Victoria Quarter (1904) and Trinity Leeds (2013) below:

15:00: Afternoon: ca. 2 hr. transfer from Leeds, past Elland Road, to Mercure Liverpool Atlantic Tower Hotel, for check-in: Chapel St., Liverpool L3 9AG; Tel: +44 +44 871 376 9025

Map orientation to Liverpool; walk down to the waterfront

LAUNDRY IN LIVERPOOL: PRIMA LAUNDERETTE (5 min from hotel)

19:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day

 

– Day 10 (Wed, Jan. 15): LIVERPOOL

08:15: Breakfast;

09:30: Take bus (#17 or 26 from Lord Street)/walk to Anfield (30 min.)

10:30: Tour of Anfield, home of Liverpool FC; recent article on planned expansion of the stadium, in the Guardian.

Lunch (on your own in Anfield area);

Walk back (1 hr. downhill) to Liverpool city center afterward, panoramic view of city and sights along the way

Afternoon: rest or explore Liverpool

17:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day; prep. for matches

20:00 pm: DPU women vs. Chorley FC women (National League Div. 1 North; 4th tier); venue: JMO Sports Park Skelmersdale, 3G turf [video: Chorley FC women’s reserves v. Leeds Utd women U13, Dec. 3, 2019]

21:00 pm: DPU men vs. Chorley FC U23 men (first team: National League, 5th tier); venue:  JMO Sports Park Skelmersdale, 3G turf [video: Chorley FC U21 men v. RIASA Leeds, Jul. 12, 2019]

 

– Day 11 (Thur, Jan. 16): LIVERPOOL

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning: visit Liverpool (suggest: International Slavery Museum and Merseyside Maritime Museum)

Lunch (on your own);

Afternoon: visit Liverpool (suggest: Museum of Liverpool)

19:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day

 

– Day 12 (Fri, Jan. 17): LIVERPOOL

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning: (suggest: The Beatles Story and the Cavern Club)

Lunch (on your own);

Afternoon: visit Liverpool (suggest: the Tate Liverpool; Walker Art Gallery)

19:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day

 

– Day 13 (Sat, Jan. 18): LIVERPOOL

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning: (suggest: Liverpool Cathedral and Tower)

Lunch (on your own);

13:00 depart for Manchester friendlies. University teams last played on 11 Dec., and resume their season 29 Jan.

15:00 pm: DPU men vs. University of Manchester Men’s 1 (BUCS; British Universities and Colleges Sport, currently 4th place in Northern Tier 1); venue: Armitage Sports Centre, 3G turf [video: U. Manchester men’s 1st team vs. Liverpool John Moores, March 9, 2016]

17:00 pm: DPU women vs. University of Manchester Women’s 1 (BUCS; British Universities and Colleges Sport, currently 3rd place in Northern Tier 2); venue: Armitage Sports Centre, 3G turf

20:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day

 

– Day 14 (Sun, Jan. 19): LIVERPOOL – MANCHESTER

08:30: Breakfast

11:00: Hotel check-out

11:30: Bus transfer to Burnley

14:00: BUR v LEI, Turf Moor, Premier League match

16:30: bus transfer to Manchester, ca. 1 hr. to Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, for check-in: Portland St, Manchester M1 4PH; Tel. +44 161 751 1412

Map orientation to Manchester.

LAUNDRY IN MANCHESTER: THE LAUNDRY MAN APP (book online; clean/dry/fold by the kilogram; collect from and deliver to hotel)

20:00: Dinner at hotel; discuss the day

 

– Day 15 (Mon, Jan. 20): MANCHESTER

08:30: Breakfast;

09:30: Take bus (#255 or 256 from Picadilly Gardens)/walk to Old Trafford (30 min.)

10:30: Tour of Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. See this recent article on the stadium by Jamie Jackson of the Guardian.

Lunch (on your own);

Return to Manchester city center via bus (#255 or 256 to Picadilly Gardens)/walk (30 min.)

Afternoon: visit National Football Museum [free; 15-min. walk from hotel]

19:00: Dinner at hotel

 

– Day 16 (Tues, Jan. 21): MANCHESTER

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning: visit Manchester (suggest: Science + Industry Museum)

Lunch (on your own);

Afternoon: visit Manchester (suggest: The People’s History Museum)

13:00: Q&A with Wayne S. Barton, Manchester United historian and writer: https://waynebartonbooks.com.

19:00: Dinner at hotel

– Day 17 (Wed, Jan. 22): MANCHESTER

08:30: Breakfast;

Morning: visit Manchester (suggest: John Rylands Library, Albert Square, and Manchester Town Hall)

Early Lunch (on your own);

Transport to matches: University teams last played on 11 Dec., and resume their season 29 Jan.

13:00 pm: DPU women vs. Edge Hill University Women’s 1 (BUCS; British Universities and Colleges Sport, currently 1st place in Northern Tier 2); venue: Edge Hill Sport, Ormskirk; grass

15:00 pm: DPU men vs. Edge Hill University Men’s 1 (BUCS; British Universities and Colleges Sport, currently 5th place in Northern Tier 2); venue: Edge Hill Sport, Ormskirk; 3G turf

20:00: Dinner at hotel

– Day 18 (Thur, Jan 23): MANCHESTER-GREENCASTLE

05:30: breakfast

06:00: Bus transfer to airport;

Fly from Manchester to Chicago: SwissAir 391 dpt. at 8:40, MAN-ZRH, arr. 11:40; SwissAir 008 dpt. at 1:20, ZRH-ORD, arr. 16:25.

Bus transfer from Chicago O’Hare Airport to DePauw, with www.317limousines.com

 

Syllabus

The modern sport of soccer (association football) began to be codified in England on 26 Oct. 1863 at the Freemasons Arms pub in London, a branch of a broad spectrum of folk football played for centuries in villages and schools. After reviewing the sweep of British history, this course focuses on the social and agonistic development of the game during the 19^th and 20^th centuries within the context of the maturation of the British industrial revolution, colonization, globalization, and neoliberal capitalism. Northern teams of factory workers, run by increasingly wealthy middle-class owners, helped modify the rules set by aristocratic Public Schools, and established a professional league in 1888 (those sides have since won 2/3 of all English titles). We make four stops in northern England: York (Roman, Viking, and Medieval periods), Leeds (terminus of the canal that linked Yorkshire and Lancashire mills to River Mersey ports), Manchester (world’s first industrial city), and Liverpool (main western port). We visit museums and venues devoted to archaeology, art, culture, history, trade, transportation, industry, slavery, and, of course, soccer. We ask and constantly reconsider three questions: How did the game arise?     Who gets to play?     Who owns the game?

 

REQUIRED READINGS AND VIEWINGS:

Required textbooks:

1. Jonathan Wilson, Inverting the Pyramid (rev ed., 2013); available on Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks (audiobook);

Focus on Chs 1-3, 6-8, 10-11, 17, and 20-21;

This is THE book on the history of soccer tactics, and we will be chatting with Mr. Wilson in York on Mon, 13 January, so you must read his book in preparation; he’s one of the top writers about the game in the world. Use Prof. Chopra’s study outline to guide your reading and discussion of this work.

 2. Gwendolyn Oxham, Under the Lights and In The Dark: Untold Stories of Women’s Soccer (2017), available on Amazon Kindle and Google Books.

Required Documentaries:
1) Kicking & Screaming (1995, directed by Jean-Claude Bragard and narrated by James Bolam). This series has interviews with many of the major figures in ‘British’ soccer from the 20^th century, as well as lots of archival footage, and explores not just tactical developments, but social, cultural, and economic changes. Episodes 1, 3, 4 are available on this Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBkN-n-g16XzTEkbtCeeJP4eoePJA7Ig9

1. A Very British Invention
2. The Golden Age
3. The Route to ’66 [warning: contains some racist words]
4. From Serfs to Superstars [warning: contains brief nudity]
5. For Club and Country
6. Whose Game Is It Anyway?

 

2) Tony Harrison’s ‘V’. This is a poem that shocked Britain when it was broadcast as a performance on Channel 4 in 1987, because of prolific profanity, racist words, and class politics anger. It is essential to frame this work before you listen to/read it.
a) first, go to this playlist:  Tony Harrison’s V.
b) start with the short Radio 4 documentary: https://youtu.be/oW49WJ0F2HM. Understand that in the poem, the poet (Harrison) is having a dialogue with a skin(head), who turns out to be himself as a young man. In this way, he interrogates, challenges, and exposes his own life as multiple contradictions in its social, gender, ethnic, and historical tensions. It is a highly complex and problematic work of poetry, and it is meant to be so. In order to understand the massive historical convulsions of 20th-c. northern Industrial England, and especially Leeds, it is important to be exposed to this difficult and disturbing material. It also captures something about Leeds, and specifically Leeds United, and how football (soccer) distills its supporters’ fears, frustrations, and hopes. People disagree about this poem, and that’s why it endures. You cannot really visit northern England and Leeds, in the context of this class, without knowing this poem.
c) then, listen to the poem itself; it is meant to be heard: https://youtu.be/7if44iVP3_I. You will hear two competing accents: Harrison’s educated adult classicizing poetic register, and his youthful local Leeds dialect. Those two voices will clash and sometimes bend and blend into each other. You may hear things that are very upsetting to you. Listen to all of it and consider what the poet is trying to do. If you are interested in the 1987 documentary, it is linked within the same playlist.
d) finally, e-mail me and I can send you a pdf copy of the poem. Reading is different from listening. This will also let me know that you’ve completed the first steps. Think about this poem in terms of the ongoing discussions we have at DePauw about privilege, power, and diversity. We want to visit northern England not as naïve tourists, but as visitors aware of problems, cognizant of conflicts, attuned to deep and painful tensions.

3) Sunderland ’Til I Die (Netflix, 8 episodes): https://www.netflix.com/title/80207046

4) Watch at least 2 of these:
1) The Class of ’92 (about Manchester United): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3311384/
2) Hillsborough (about Liverpool): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5698100/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
3) This is Football (Episode 1, ‘Redemption,’ about Liverpool and Rwanda): https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07TCRJZ6V/
4) The Damned United (Leeds United): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226271/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

 

Recommended but not required: A History of Britain (15 episodes, esp. episodes 8 -15):
http://www.infocobuild.com/books-and-films/social-science/HistoryOfBritain-SimonSchama/episode-01.html — a breezy and fascinating walk through millennia of British history.

 

 

FORUM POSTS (above):

Make 3 posts each for YORK, LIVERPOOL, and MANCHESTER (and 1 for LEEDS), focusing on a building, object, quote, landscape, historical event, person, or idea that you have encountered. Look for something unique; don’t settle for the obvious. Each post must include a photo and ca. 125-150 words of thoughtful commentary / questions. Be specific, and pay attention to detail. The photo must be your own, and it should make you look more carefully, as the writing makes you think more profoundly. Explain why you found your item intriguing. Use what you are learning from the required reading and viewings! Be clear, with correct spelling and proper grammar. Each set of posts must be completed by the time you leave that city. You must use your own words. Standards of academic integrity apply to your work.

 

GRADING:

35%: Active soccer participation in training, games, lectures, discussions, and as a match teammate and spectator. The men’s team will be coached by Tom Ball, and assisted by Jack Herbst; the women’s team will be coached by Nipun Chopra, and assisted by Jakob Foss.

35%: Active cultural participation (questions, answers, etc.) at site and museum visits, on buses, dinners, etc.;

30%: Forum Posts.

 

Here are the grading rubrics for the course:

PARTICIPATION:

‘C’ range: The student meets basic requirements. This student is usually prepared and participates once in a while but not regularly. This student’s contributions relate to the texts, visits and lectures offer a few insightful ideas, but do not facilitate discussion. Failure to fulfill satisfactorily any of these criteria results in a grade below a ‘C’.

‘B’ range: This student participates consistently. This student is well prepared and contributes regularly by sharing thoughts and questions that show insight and a familiarity with the material. This student refers to materials from lectures and readings, and shows interest in other students’ contributions.

‘A’ range: This student is fully engaged and highly motivated. This student is well prepared, having read and thought carefully about the issues raised on the trip. This student’s ideas and questions are substantive (either constructive or critical); they stimulate class discussions. This student listens and responds to the contributions of other students.

Attendance: for every class period/trip day or required meeting missed, without prior dispensation, the final grade is lowered by a full grade.

Behavior: You are representing DePauw University, its academics and its athletics. Here is what we expect (the 9 commandments):

1. You will be on-time for meetings, gatherings, and departures. Don’t make everyone wait.
2. You will communicate immediately if you encounter a serious problem, emergency, or delay.
3. You will be respectful of local history, culture, and people.
4. You will show respect for professors, coaches, fellow students, referees, and opposing teams.
5. You will put away mobile devices when tour leaders are addressing you.
6. You will not use illegal substances nor abuse alcohol.
7. On your own time, you will travel around in groups of at least three.
8. You will not be boorishly loud in streets or hotels.
9. You will observe a nightly curfew of midnight.

If you cannot meet these standards of behavior (e.g., being too inebriated to make a scheduled departure time or meal), the tour leaders reserve the right to send you home and fail you for the course.

 

FORUM POSTS:

‘D’ range: Largely filler; repeats readings or conversation without adding anything new; questions offered are too vague and broad to be actionable; limited demonstration of how the readings, lectures, experiences, or discussion have been digested and contemplated. No reference to specific sources or specific evidence; relies principally on negative evidence, opinion or speculation; rampant assumptions; prefers simple or easy answers and rhetorical questions. Failure to fulfill satisfactorily any of these criteria results in a grade below a ‘D’.

‘C’ range: Offers occasional thoughtful questions or insightful commentary; limited evidence for deep reading or consideration; adds little to discussion; sometimes moves discussion or ideas forward; tends toward assumptions, simplifications and generalizations; infrequent citation of specific evidence. Follows the crowd; does the work, tries to stay ‘safe’, but little else; inconsistent and rushed.

‘B’ range: Shows completion and integration of readings and experiences; often offers thoughtful questions or insightful commentary; often cites specific supporting evidence or examples. Moves discussion forward but does not take it to a new level; assumptions and bias are not absent, but neither are they great obstacles. Tends to follow along, but sometimes sparks new tacks or brings in additional evidence. Interested in the issues, but not intellectually dedicated to them.

‘A’ range: Careful, thoughtful questions, insightful comments, and consistent citation of specific supporting evidence or examples. Takes what has been said, and then advances discussion or ideas to a new level, or begins a new thread of consideration with clear, focused questions that avoid assumption and limit bias. Not content with easy answers. Complex understanding and use of readings and evidence are springboards to self-motivated investigation of essential problems. Often searches for additional evidence beyond what’s required. Constantly demonstrates deep concern for issues and evidence.

 

Paraphrases, quotations, or reference to someone else’s work or ideas MUST BE CITED. Refer your reader to the original evidence for what you say. Know what ‘plagiarism’ means, and avoid it! See the Student Handbook for the rules and procedures governing Academic Integrity at DePauw.

 

 

 

Fees (per student):

Fixed Cost = $4500.00 

Unfixed Cost = $342.75

 

Tour Leaders:

Pedar Foss, Professor of Classical Studies, has led three soccer-related travel courses: to Holland and Germany (2011), and Italy (2015, -17). He also has been a USSF referee since 2008 and an E-licensed coach since 2011, and has written for the soccer literary journal The Blizzard. Nipun Chopra (’06), Professor of Biology, is a neuroscientist who studies the microRNA mechanics implicated in traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. He is also a well-known soccer journalist who has written for Four Four Two, World Soccer Talk, Soc Takes, etc. Tom Ball, Professor of Kinesiology, has a long-standing interest in the game; he has led students on a soccer-related Winter Term in Spain, and coached soccer both at Greencastle High School and at the Bloomington Cutters club team.