Mark Doidge
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markdoidge.bsky.social
Mark Doidge
@markdoidge.bsky.social
Sociologist at Loughborough researching sport, environmental sustainability, antiracism & refugees. Member @fanseurope, trustee @britsoci
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One of the hardest things to do in academia is to try new skills and make yourself uncomfortable. We tried new creative methodologies with football fans and, for me at least, fear of looking stupid was a big thing.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Some of the most powerful and well-paid people in the world don't understand a lesson that every schoolchild knows: if you surrender to bullies, they will only bully you more
November 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
This is why the focus on growth for growth’s sake is the logic of cancer. We should always ask ‘growth for whom?’ and ‘growth from what?’
November 10, 2025 at 8:43 AM
The BBC is a metaphor for the Labour Party. And they’ve both ended up destroying themselves
Gary Lineker: "This is the mistake the BBC makes. The BBC tries to appease the people that hate the BBC, rather than worrying about the people that love the BBC."
November 10, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Gary Lineker: "This is the mistake the BBC makes. The BBC tries to appease the people that hate the BBC, rather than worrying about the people that love the BBC."
April 22, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
"Universities teach us to ask questions without tidy answers. They train us to look for truths we didn’t know existed and to challenge assumptions we didn’t realise we held. At their best, they remind us that intellect isn’t about having opinions, it’s about earning them."
November 10, 2025 at 7:38 AM
The West is being divided by internal conflicts, fuelled on social media, by nationalists who supposedly love their country but are weakening it. All this benefits is Russia and China. And our politicians have no ideas to challenge this far-right sewage online.
November 10, 2025 at 8:25 AM
If only Labour had a massive majority to stop foreign money influencing British politics.
And if we think it’s bad now, imagine what it could look like, say, two months from a U.K. general election?

Could imagine huge sums in US far right cash flooding in, much of what would only be declared after the election (our electoral rules really are a jape)
Be clear, the American far right are coming for British democracy.
November 10, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Fifa showing FIFPro the finger by creating yet another of those pretend forums filled with "legends", bypassing the trade union which represents 65,000 professional players worldwide. FIFPro could bring the house of Gianni down if it put its mind to it. It won't.
November 9, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Since we’re in the mood for strict accuracy in broadcast news, worth noting that a rival channel had a pundit - unchallenged - say asylum seekers in hotels committed 44% of sexual offences in one county, seemingly because she cannot understand basic maths.
A national newspaper journalist went on a British TV channel to claim police stats showed asylum-seekers committed 44% of sex crimes in Dorset.

This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.

Except... it's bollocks.
November 9, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Rather than global cooperation on preventing people seeking asylum, there needs to be global cooperation on ensuring they can do so safely if we are to avoid further tragic loss of life. There's no question Rohinga Muslims need asylum. It's a question of how they get it.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Dozens missing after migrant boat sinks near Malaysia-Thailand border
Malaysian authorities are looking for more survivors after the vessel capsized near the resort of Langkawi.
www.bbc.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
The “Christmas getting cancelled” stories get earlier every year
It blows my mind that there are real people who see a post like this and actually believe the whole “Christmas is being cancelled by Muslims” BS 🙄

Let’s have a quick look at what’s happening to Sheffield so you can put your Express reading uncle’s mind at ease!😆

1/15
🧵
November 9, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Trevor Philips, "What is the implication of the white poppy?"

Zack Polanski, "The white poppy began after WWI, mainly from women's groups, who talked about peace and antifascism"

"So on the same day we remember the fallen, it's also about looking to the future and saying, we want a world of peace"
November 9, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Art, music, sport, and universities are Britain’s strengths. So it makes sense for universities to pushed into financial difficulties by government policies whilst art, music and sport are continually underfunded 🙄
If you are feeling down about the state of Britain this has some cheery material about our strengths as seen from overseas including arts & culture, music, sport, universities and skills/talent
economist.com/britain/2025...
Brand Britain has bounced back
Despite all the gloom at home, the country’s reputation is surprisingly bright
economist.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Six people died from tampered Tylenol and the company pulled 30 million bottles off the market. ChatGPT is accused of urging seven people towards suicide, and OpenAI just assures us they’re still working out the kinks. Billions in investment, zero accountability.
OpenAI faces 7 lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide, delusions
OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues.
apnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Many academics & university staff are having their lives changed by redundancy because Labour policy is the same as the Tories: expect international students to subsidise home students whilst making it harder for international students to stay here. But sure, it’s the messaging, not the policies 🙄
November 9, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
L'Uomo in Bici (The Man on a Bike)
Naples, 1953

📷Piergiorgio Branzi
November 7, 2025 at 10:07 PM
The neoliberal aversion to planning and just relying on the reactionary logic of the market means that the West, including the UK, totally unprepared for the future
I've been talking about this on here for a while. We just assume it will always rain enough, so the management of water in the UK is totally disastrous. Now, after a relatively few dry months, we are approaching a calamity. We have done it to ourselves. Yet again. We are a deeply unserious country.
England facing drastic measures due to extreme drought next year
Government and water companies are devising emergency plans for worst water shortage in decades
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
But, but, billionaires will leave the world class art galleries, opera, sport, music, restaurants, and social connections if you make them pay a penny more in tax.
Bad news for the right wing extremist 'London has fallen' crowd...

London just named Best City in the World for 2026 - making it 11 consecutive years it has had that accolade, including every year that Sadiq Khan has been Mayor.

Will that cheer up the saddos?
November 8, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
This would be a more convincing argument if Keir Starmer had not himself made a whole series of promises which he then declared completely undeliverable as soon as he became leader www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Greens’ ‘undeliverable’ promises will let voters down, says Labour minister
Exclusive: Darren Jones says Labour has to convince young people it is ‘modern party of the future’
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
My latest @theguardian.com: As a genuine soccer fan & generational political talent, freshly elected NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani might be able to achieve the unthinkable: force the FIFA behemoth to share its lucre by targeting its tax exemptions & extreme privilege www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Zohran Mamdani has upended US politics. Now he should take on Fifa | Jules Boykoff
New York’s mayor-elect has taken on powerful institutions. With the World Cup taking place in his city, he should challenge Fifa next
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
Completely beyond why people try to defend Labour record on treatment of asylum seekers. They are awful.
They have done terrible things the Tories never even thought of, like denying any refugee who came here through irregular means from EVER becoming a citizen & ENDING FAMILY REUNIFICATION. demons.
November 7, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
The judgment was Limbuela v Home Secretary, 20 years ago this week as it happens

We should have had a birthday party
When Labour were previously in power they legislated to make asylum seekers homeless and destitute if they didn’t claim asylum immediately, an effort in which they were eventually defeated in the courts. The only surprise is that anyone believed this wing of the party would behave any differently
Completely beyond why people try to defend Labour record on treatment of asylum seekers. They are awful.
They have done terrible things the Tories never even thought of, like denying any refugee who came here through irregular means from EVER becoming a citizen & ENDING FAMILY REUNIFICATION. demons.
November 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
What's fascinating is the way his behaviour is reported as if it's not unhinged. This isn't normal and it's 100% against the interests of his citizens, and he makes no secret of this either. It's fueled by hate, not politics

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
How Trump could hamper Zohran Mamdani's New York agenda
Trump has taken a number of actions against Democratic-led cities that experts say could slow Mamdani's goals.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Reposted by Mark Doidge
22 authors in a new OA peer-reviewed article in Soc of Sport Journal:

Israel is committing *athleticide* in Gaza, "an indispensable component of the overall genocidal campaign enforced by the Israeli settler colonial regime and bankrolled by the US."

journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...
November 7, 2025 at 3:15 PM