Is Sport (Football) a Unifying Force or a Vehicle to Further Separation? The Case of Cyprus

Abstract

In recent years studies have shown that sport can serve as a means towards conflict resolution. Since the time of British colonialism in the 1950s, and after its 1960 independence, Cyprus has experienced conflict between its two main communities – the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. The de facto division of the island in 1974 caused community isolation of the Turkish Cypriots who, for political reasons, have been excluded from participating in international sports competitions. This situation is more visible in football (soccer), the most popular sport on the island. In the last two years the two sides have been trying – so far unsuccessfully – to reinstate the Turkish Cypriots as members of the Official Cyprus Football Federation. This paper gives a background on what has preceded these attempts and discusses whether football is a means of reuniting the two communities, or whether it is used as a vehicle to further separation.

Notes

[1] Waddington, Sport Health and Drugs, 5.

[2] Houlihan, ‘Politics and Sports’, 214.

[3] Sugden and Bairner, ‘Sport in Divided Societies’, 3–4.

[4] United Nations General Assembly, 54th Session, 1999.

[5] Chalip et al. in Comité Permanent du Patrimoine Candien.

[6] McPherson, ‘Socialization Theory and Research’, 286–7.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Coakley, ‘Socialization and Youth Sports’, 50–84.

[9] Ibid.; Watson, ‘Games, Socialization and Parental Values’.

[10] Coakley, Sports in Society, 10,11.

[11] Waddington, Sport Health and Drugs, 5.

[12] Joseph, ‘Could European Integration Bring Peace to the Eastern Mediterranean?’, 253–5.

[13] Broome, Building Bridges across the Green Line, 6–8.

[14]The History of Cypriot Football, 1932–1962, 14.

[15] ‘Will Football Finally Unite Us?’Politis (Sunday), 4 Jan. 2009, 14.

[16] ‘GSP and CFA’, Neon Ethnos, 9 Oct. 1955, 4.

[17] ‘Football Results’, Eleftheria, 10 June 1955, 1.

[18] ‘No Greek – Turkish Football Matches’, Cyprus Mail, 23 Oct. 1955, 6.

[19] ‘Turkish Soccer Clubs Drop Out’, Times of Cyprus, 2 Nov. 1955, 6.

[20] Straus and Corbin, Basics of Qualitative Research, 14–15.

[21] Silverman, Interpreting Qualitative Data, 10.

[22] Straus and Corbin, Basics of Qualitative Research

[23] Breakewell, Interviewing – Problems in Practice.

[24] Ibid., 64.

[25] Pellemans, Récherche Qualitative en marketing; Patton, Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods, 28, both quoted in Couvelaere and Richelieu. ‘Brand Strategy in Professional Sports’.

[26] Lofland and Lofland, Analyzing Social Settings, 28.

[27] Cyprus Sports Organization, Figures and Trends in Cyprus Sport.

[28] Ibid.

[29] Kartakoullis et al., ‘Cyprus: A Football Crazy Nation?’.

[30] Cyprus Football Association, Cyprus Football Association Statistics.

[31] Kartakoullis et al., ‘Cyprus: A Football Crazy Nation?’.

[32] Cyprus Football Association, Provisional Agreement for Football in Cyprus.

[33] Giddens, Sociology, 213.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Houlihan, ‘Politics and Sports’, 216.

[36] Merkel, ‘The Politics of Sport Diplomacy’.