ABSTRACT
Football, as a topic, tends to polarise people. Some are happy to talk about it all day every day, while others are profoundly bored as soon as the second syllable is uttered. This topic may take a whole lesson or may not; it just depends on the reaction from the pupils. This chapter guides pupils to reflect on two aspects of football, as they affect their lives in school. Breaktime football; this can be a wonderful way to spend free time but it can also be a time when pupils fail to organise themselves well – they can end up falling out and getting angry. The professional game; the influence the professional game can have on pupils can be corrosive of good moral values. When guiding this topic it is important to challenge stereotypes, especially the idea that boys enjoy, play and follow football more than girls.
