ABSTRACT
This chapter draws a set of theoretical sensitivities provided by non-representational theory to describe how atmospheres have been experienced and managed within English football cultures. This chapter argues that the management of atmosphere has been central to the radical transformation of English football. The chapter therefore describes the processes through which atmosphere, an immaterial but potent force, came to be known within English football cultures as a 'real' force that contributed to the undesirable conduct of football supporters, even with supporters who had no history or intention to cause disorder. In other words, atmosphere became an entity that threatened social order. This overhaul of police practices, alongside the spatial transformation of stadia are central components to an assemblage of practices that, thanks to the known role of atmosphere in producing disorder and violence, have sought to manage and control atmosphere within the English Premier League era.
