Fast Football and Philosophy

Season 2 Finale: What Have the Mighty Magyars Ever Done For Us?

That's folks, the end of season 2. I know, I know, you're sad. But fear not! We'll be back bigger and better than ever before in time for season 3. For now, satiate your appetite for all things FFP with this episode loosely based on reward and punishment, promotions and relegations, the Greek God Bacchus, Jack's need for therapy, and, of course, the Mighty Magyars and their legacy. We hope you enjoy it! Just like Financial Fair Play, we here at FFP have designed this podcast to be educational. Whether it works is a different matter entirely.

No Pyro No Party: Football's Ultras - a Force for Good?

Intriguingly, 'ultra' comes from the Latin 'ultrā', meaning 'to go beyond'. In this episode, Jack and I discuss football's ultras, from Partick Thistle through to Milan to ask the question: what is it that they do? Jack invokes some ancient and modern philosophy to tell us why the 'ultra' phenomenon is so ingratiated into football's psyche. Can singing that Huddersfield Town fans shag dogs really provide a much-needed sense of belonging? Can you really have a party if there's no flares? Will Jack stop flip flopping on the verisimilitude of Irish bars abroad? Find out in this week's episode, our second season's penultimate! Just like Financial Fair Play, we here at FFP have designed this podcast to be educational. Whether it works is a different matter entirely.  Sound Effect by: https://pixabay.com/users/alexis_gaming_cam-50011695/M - Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/users/alexis_gaming_cam-50011695/]

Football: The Greatest Story Ever Told?

Football just might be the greatest story ever told. However, inhis famous novel Nausea Jean-Paul  Sartre warns us of astark decision we have to make, 'We have to choose: live or tell!' His character Roquentin (admittedly a bit of a miserable bastard) says we impose a narrative on our lives which without them are chaotic, raw and meaningless. But if we are honest we should have the cojones to live truthfully, no narrative just raw chaos!   League football was set up in England in 1888 bringing ithierarchies, an order, and an endgame to football. In other words a narrative. Now the beautiful game has been organised into the greatest story with histories, myths, legends and dramas. It also has a point, which makes it non-existentialist. But was Wham! right? Should we 'choose life' or go with the stories? At FFP we're asking a question that is at the heart of the organised chaos that we call football.   Just like Financial Fair Play, we here at FFP have designed this podcast to be educational. Whether it works is a different matter entirely.

Religion and Football: Rangers and Celtic

Sorry we 're late everyone! In this reactive episode, Jack and I discuss the religiosity of football: just how religious is it? From Jack being a football heretic and actually being a rugby man (unbelievable, I know - you should write in and tell him) to discussing the Church of Maradona in Argentina, we go on a sprawling discussion of religion, politics and football. What do you think? Can we keep politics out of football? Religion out of it? Are they one and the same thing? Give us your thoughts through email (fastfootballandphilosophy@gmail.com), or DM us on Instagram. You could even comment on Spotify - lots of you already have and we love you for it. Just like Financial Fair Play, we here at FFP have designed this podcast to be educational. Whether it works is a different matter entirely.

World Cup Special: Who Should Players Declare For?

In this week's episode Jack and I hit upon a controversial topic: national service. No, we're not advocating for conscription, but the way we think about who players should play for is often like that. So what if you're English: why can't you play for Ireland if your granny hails from the Emerald Isle? Why can't France hoover up all of the best African talent? See, it is controversial, isn't it? We believe philosophy might make this problem a little easier to understand. 'Imagined Communities' is a fantastic book that details how somebody might perceive themselves and, most importantly, where they fit in. We all participate in various (sub)cultures, don't we? You might be a Swiftie, or you might play that really niche game your partner doesn't understand. It might just be that you're so weird and out there that you support Portsmouth. Either way, your imagined communities are what shapes you. It doesn't matter if you're from some Hebridean Island and you support a great club like Southampton, because we can still reminisce about the glory of Graziano Pelle's hair together anyway (yes, you should Google it). What do you think? Should where you're from dictate who you play for? Or is it more important where you feel most at home? Let us know in the comments, on Instagram, or Youtube! Just like Financial Fair Play, we here at FFP have designed this podcast to be educational. Whether it works is a different matter entirely.  Music: Reverie, Pt. IV by Lucjo https://soundcloud.com/lucjomusic License: Creative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://audiolibrary.com.co/lucjo/reverie-pt-iv Music promoted by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/V_qX3gv0XHA