Neil Rankin

Neil Rankin

Project Manager at Beyond Sport
MSc Sport Policy, Management and International Development at University of Edinburgh
Twitter: @NeilRankin_

Location London, UK

Activity

  • Many clubs are now targeting older fans through walking football. Have a look at the European Football Development Network to learn more about their approach to improving health through football: www.efdn.org

  • Neil Rankin replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]

    Thanks for your many contributions so far Jill. Throughout the course we will use different methods to present information, hopefully giving a cross-section of data based on a variety of collection methods.

  • Some excellent choices so far. Undoubtedly this is subjective, and there can be no sure fire decision. Though from the responses it seems that a mixture of skill/technique and context help to define peoples decisions. An interesting debate to start the course, keep the responses coming.

  • Do you think in general there has been a decrease in this aspect of the Old Firm rivalry? As an outsider, but still in Scotland, I feel that over the past, say, 15 years, the religious aspect in the build up to these games seems to have declined. While this is still a fierce rivalry, and there is still a lot of work to do with fan behaviour, is the end of...

  • Neil Rankin made a comment

    I think a great football club has its foundations in success on the pitch. This leads to a greater reputation among fans of other clubs domestically and internationally. Building great teams is a characteristic of great clubs, they don't just rely on one or two players. It adds to the stature if there is a local rivalry as this creates higher profile...

  • This was a fascinating video. It seems to me that what Basaglia was saying was that not every patient should be treated the same. These asylums look like prisons and so committal to these places may have felt like a sentence to the individual. Did Basaglia lead the way for modern forms of therapy and treatment?

  • This is evidence of the widening gap between both clubs and nations. While Celtic continue to dominate domestically they have failed to make any mark in European competition in a number of years. Without qualifying for the champions League and the lack of TV revenue, compared to English clubs, they fall further behind on the international stage because they...

  • I think football has a global reach, in that as a sport it has a presence in every continent, but that is not a declaration of its popularity as there are many countries where it is a provincial sport, or it has no presence at all. For many of the clubs discussed in the rich list chapter this is a positive thing, as it opens up new markets and fan bases....

  • Money can definitely buy success, look at recent examples of Chelsea and Manchester City in the EPL who have had significant investment and as a result have become more successful. Prolonged success is evident as well when you look at clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid, who dominate Spanish football both in terms of finances and footballing success.
    In...

  • Football is such a popular tool in sport for development because of it's global popularity. Are there any other sports that have a truly global reach?

    As we have seen in previous week's, sport for change programmes require more than just sport participation. These programmes require a dedicated core of people who are willing to offer additional support,...

  • Neil Rankin made a comment

    Football, and sport in general, is a great tool for governments and organisations to engage with people; but does it have any real impact on global inequalities; does football itself stop wars and spread peace?

    A slight digression from football, it was great to watch the Olympic opening ceremony last week and to see so many nations represented, particularly...

  • In terms of the Men's World Cup, Germany, Italy and Brazil stand out as the superpowers of world football. I think for these nations football is a big part of their national identity and there is a cultural significance. For Brazil in particular football can be a way for young men to escape poverty, many of the top Brazilian players over the years have come...

  • Linking in to previous chapters, Ajax can be considered a great club because of their history of success on the biggest stage and their tradition of developing young talent that has broken through to the Dutch national side.

    In modern football however, developing young talent is not the priority of the biggest clubs. Although Barcelona have a number of...

  • It's an interesting debate. Hearts and Hibs, the two professional clubs in Edinburgh, both operate community programs that are successful in their own right. Partnerships could create greater awareness of what Spartans are doing and there would undoubtedly be financial benefits. However, an important part of Spartans approach is it's historical place in the...

  • It is interesting to read comments on China and the USA, I think they both have the resources to become more successful in women's and men's football. However, have the recent European Championships provided a glimpse of the future of international tournaments? Wales and Iceland showed that you don't have to have a squad full of world class players to be...

  • There already exists a number of international tournaments for professional players: 2016 - European Championships, Copa America; 2015 - Asian Cup, African Cup of Nations; 2014/18 - World Cup; and in the women's game (see chapter 1.9) there was the 2015 World Cup in Canada, and qualifying is at an advanced stage for the European Championships in the...

  • There are many different attributes to what can constitute a great goal, and because football is such a passionate sport we all associate different meanings to different goals. For me the place of the goal is important in understanding the pressure that a player can be under, and to be able to use certain skills and techniques in the most important games where...

  • Why do you think the British public have become disengaged in the EU Ref campaign? Especially considering the opposite occurred during Scotland's Indy Ref.

  • Football is massively impacted by the external economic conditions. In Scotland, the standard of the game has decreased dramatically since the global financial crisis of 2008, due to the depleted finances of clubs and the governing body. Not only have one of the biggest clubs (Rangers FC) been liquidated and forced to start again from the bottom tier, but a...