Despite a lack of supporting empirical evidence, the belief that sport participation can be used to address a wide range of social problems remains popular. In this study we explored ways in which the social-integration value of sport participation was constructed by participants in an Amsterdam soccer tournament created to enhance integration. We used a critical discourse analytical perspective to analyze survey, interview, and ethnographic data. We found that the construction of the socially integrative values of this event created a space in which participants could construct its effects to reflect their own interests. The resulting practices seemed to do little to challenge problematic dominant discourses and social relations.

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Anti-racist interventions and projects in soccer culture have seen the object of their concern change dramatically over the past 30 years. In the beginning of the struggle against racism in soccer, the focus was almost exclusively on the violent behavior of hooligan minorities and the presence of fascist political ideologies. Since then, studies looking more closely at racism in fan and club cultures have shown that racist expressions in soccer culture are too heterogeneous to be conceptualized as caused by the moral defects in the minds of subgroups of soccer fans (Back et al., 2001;Burdsey, 2004a;Garland and Rowe, 2001;King, 2004). Nowadays the problem of racism is increasingly regarded as an intrinsic aspect of contemporary soccer cultures. To effectively eradicate racism, soccer culture as a whole will need to be transformed (Back et al., 2001;Garland and Rowe, 2001). As a result, anti-racist interventions and projects are faced with a profound challenge. It is no longer sufficient to single out racist 'hooligan' groups of fans that openly subscribe to racist ideologies. Instead, a plethora of racialized relations and processes in soccer culture now need to be addressed as well. For instance, the under-representation of certain ethnic minorities in the stands and the clubs (e.g. Asians in Britain; see Burdsey, 2004b), traditional club cultures that alienate members from other ethnic groups (Duyvendak and Veldboer, 2006) and the ethnicity of club directorates are now also seen as expressions of racialized inequality and abuse in soccer culture (Garland and Rowe, 2001).Mere increases in security measures during matches, or the prohibition of certain shouts and curses at football grounds are therefore no longer considered sufficient to address the problem at its root. Participation of fans, players and club staff members at the local level are now seen as crucial elements

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