ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with the discussion of the racialised position of the members of Insaka FC, both young players and adult coaches of African background, and their strategies to counter episodes of racism and discrimination. In this context, the coaches’ discourse on ‘discipline’ and its implementation is foregrounded. Following the death of their friend and former teammate, questions of ‘racism’ emerged as a central concern for coaches and players of African background. Drawing on the definitions of ‘informal anti-racism’ and ‘resistance through sport’, the chapter endeavours to analyse some significant events that enable a deeper understanding of manifestations of racism in youth and grassroots football. The final part of the chapter reconnects to questions of cultural and national belonging, drawing attention to the question of national football teams, their composition and how they discursively re-define the very meaning of national affiliation, thereby emphasising ‘transcultural’ forms of identification. This discussion is stimulated by the case of Noe Baba, a teenager of Cameroon background named captain of the Republic of Ireland Under-15.
