The evolution of the football jersey - An institutional perspective

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Date
2021-05-04
Authors
Butler, David
Butler, Robert
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Cambridge University Press
Published Version
10.1017/S1744137421000278
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Abstract
This paper explores the interaction of informal constraints on human behaviour by examining the evolution of English football jerseys. The jersey provides an excellent setting to demonstrate how informal constraints emerge from formal rules and shape human behaviour. Customs, approved norms and habits are all observed in this setting. The commercialisation of football in recent decades has resulted in these informal constraints, in many cases dating back over a century, co-existing with branding, goodwill and identity effects. Combined, these motivate clubs to maintain the status quo. As a result, club colours have remained remarkably resilient within a frequently changing landscape.
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Keywords
Custom , Football , Habit , Identity , Jersey
Citation
Butler, D. and Butler, R. (2021) 'The evolution of the football jersey - An institutional perspective', Journal of Institutional Economics. doi: 10.1017/S1744137421000278
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https://hdl.handle.net/10468/11295
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Economics - Journal Articles
Copyright
© 2021, the Authors. Published by Cambridge University Press. This article is made available under the CC BY 4.0 licence