Engaged in the Community: The Influence of Football Clubs on shaping Political Identities and Local Policymaking in the case of Edinburgh

Football is a global phenomenon that enjoys enormous popularity and has substantial reach into all parts of society. Despite the important social and often political role football plays in societies, football clubs usually remain distanced from an open political engagement. This distancing is arguably reflected in political science as well; the study of the political role and functions of football clubs remains a relatively niche topic, mainly focused on the politics of fan communities rather than football clubs themselves. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap. It investigates to what extent football clubs act as policymakers and political entities in the communities and neighbourhoods in which they are embedded. In particular, the focus in this respect will be on Edinburgh's two major professional football clubs: Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian. While both clubs are known to have an intense rivalry, political overtones in it play a very limited role, particularly when compared to the Old Firm in Glasgow between Celtic and Rangers. By conducting a series of semi-structured interviews with fan groups, local politicians, councillors, and community councils in Edinburgh, we seek an insight into the activities of Hibs and Hearts and their role in shaping their neighbourhoods and communities, particularly when it comes to local policymaking and identity-building. Our findings so far indicate three crucial aspects of the local work of both clubs. First, interviews indicate a broad consensus that football clubs' engagement with local political institutions is seen as apolitical. Second, the potential reason for this consensus relates to the rather indirect involvement of both clubs in the local community and political engagement; instead, the interviews identified club-affiliated organisations as critical actors for both clubs' social and political work. Third, where both clubs engage with political actors, it is either through semi-formal or even informal ties and mainly involve third-sector organisations rather than traditional political institutions, such as parties, and local or national authority bodies.