iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Great to join @footballheritage.bsky.social to chat about the history of football club ownership Give it a listen! 👇

Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

10/10 I conclude that FIFAs defining characteristic is not the coexistence of law and discretion Many organisations have that What makes FIFA distinctive is the constitutionalisation of discretion itself Its prerogative sphere has become one of the mechanisms through which that order is maintained.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

9/10 This creates a legitimacy dilemma. FIFA derives authority from its rule-bound constitutional order. But its effectiveness often depends on powers that cannot be justified by legal rules alone. The organisation relies simultaneously on legality and necessity.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

8/10 One of the article's more provocative claims concerns CAS. Rather than simply constraining FIFA's discretionary powers, CAS may also help legalise and stabilise them. In other words, law can validate prerogative authority as well as limit it.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

7/10 Normalisation committees are perhaps the clearest example. FIFA temporarily replaces elected football administrators with appointed officials while claiming to restore constitutional order. Governance is suspended in order to preserve governance. A distinctly dual-state dynamic.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

6/10 My argument is that football autonomy functions as FIFA's central constitutional value. It is both: 📖 A legal principle and ⚖️ A justification for intervention The more autonomy is treated as paramount, the greater FIFA's ability to exercise discretion in its defence.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

5/10 The key question becomes: Who decides when normal rules are insufficient? This is where Fraenkel becomes useful. The issue is not whether rules exist. The issue is who has authority to determine when exceptional measures are necessary.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

4/10 Yet some of FIFA's most significant powers are deeply discretionary. Think: ⚽ Suspension of member associations ⚽ Determining what constitutes "government interference" ⚽ Appointment of normalisation committees ⚽ Emergency responses to governance crises

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

3/10 FIFA is often presented as one of the most legalised organisations in global governance. ✅ Statutes ✅ Disciplinary rules ✅ Ethics regulations ✅ Judicial bodies ✅ CAS review On paper, it looks like a highly constitutionalised system.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

2/10 Fraenkel's core insight was that power is not always exercised through either rules or discretion. Sometimes they coexist A normative sphere provides legality and predictability A prerogative sphere allows exceptional intervention when higher institutional interests are perceived to be at stake

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

🧵1/10 Can FIFA be understood through Ernst Fraenkel's concept of the Dual State? In a new article, I argue that FIFA has evolved into a form of transnational dual state, combining a sophisticated legal order with a sphere of discretionary authority. open.substack.com/pub/markonei...

open.substack.com

FIFA and the Emergence of a Transnational Dual State: A Fraenkelian Analysis

Introduction

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

9/ I'd love to hear your views. Has social media fundamentally changed football fandom? And does the Individual deserve a place alongside Supporters, Followers, Fans and Flâneurs? 📖 Read the full article here: markoneill468207.substack.com/p/are-player... ⚽️👇

markoneill468207.substack.com

Are Players the New Clubs? Football Fandom and the Rise of the Individual

Few works in the sociology of football have been as influential as Richard Giulianotti’s Supporters, Followers, Fans, and Flâneurs: A Taxonomy of Spectator Identities in Football (2002)[1]. Writing at...

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

8/ The article explores: ✅ Giulianotti's original taxonomy ✅ The impact of globalization ✅ Digital fandom and social media ✅ Player-centred fandom ✅ The case for recognising the "Individual" as a fifth category of football supporter

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

7/ This raises an interesting question: If supporters increasingly identify with players and personalities rather than clubs, what happens to club identity? Are clubs becoming communities... ...or platforms for personal brands?

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

6/ Social media has helped make this possible. Fans can now build direct relationships with players, influencers and creators through: 📱 Instagram 🎥 YouTube 🎙️ Podcasts 🎵 TikTok The person can become more important than the institution.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

5/ This is where I distinguish the Individual from Giulianotti's Flâneur. The Flâneur is: ➡️ Mobility without attachment The Individual is: ➡️ Attachment without institutional permanence That's an important difference.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

4/ Think of supporters who have followed: ⚽️ Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United → Real Madrid → Juventus → Al Nassr ⚽️ Lionel Messi from Barcelona → PSG → Inter Miami Their loyalty remains constant. The object of that loyalty changes.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

3/ In a new article, I revisit Giulianotti's taxonomy and explore whether a fifth spectator identity has emerged: 👉 The Individual A fan whose primary loyalty is directed towards a person, rather than a club.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

2/ Football today looks very different from football in 2002. Social media, player brands, influencers, podcasts, YouTube channels and global digital communities have transformed how supporters engage with the game. The club is no longer always the centre of fandom.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

1/ ⚽️ Has social media created a new type of football fan? For more than 20 years, Richard Giulianotti's taxonomy of Supporters, Followers, Fans and Flâneurs has been one of the most influential frameworks in football sociology. But does it still explain modern football fandom?

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Reposted by Mark O'Neill

The FootPol Podcast @footpolpodcast.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

New episode out today. Football didn’t break—it got optimised. Hook fans, lock them in, squeeze everything out. That’s enshittification, now the game’s operating model. Roy Keane saw it. Arsenal illustrated it. @moneill94.bsky.social explains it. www.buzzsprout.com/2253650/epis...

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Reposted by Mark O'Neill

Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 22/06/2026

Our new episode is out! And it's a timely one, given that we're into the World Cup where we've already seen empty seats as a result of the excessive pricing. So it's just as well that we had @moneill94.bsky.social come and explain to us why this points to football's "enshittification." Do listen!

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

13/ Bottom line: This isn’t just football controversy. It’s a clear example of how modern sports governance enforces integrity through codified rules — and meaningful deterrence.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

12/ Wider takeaways: • Post‑2019 rules are being robustly enforced • Integrity breaches = serious sporting consequences • Early admissions can reduce flexibility on appeal

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

11/ That’s crucial. Admissions shift the battleground from “did it happen?” ➡️ to “was the punishment justified?”

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

10/ Any appeal is now likely confined to: • Proportionality of sanction • Procedural fairness NOT whether the misconduct occurred.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

9/ Legally, the key twist: 👉 Southampton admitted the breaches This significantly limits appeal options.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

8/ Outcome: • ❌ Expulsion from the play-offs • 🔁 Middlesbrough reinstated • ➖ Points deduction for next season One of the strongest integrity sanctions seen in the EFL.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

7/ This conduct goes to the core of Regulation 127: Preventing clubs from gaining a competitive advantage via unauthorised surveillance during the critical pre‑match window.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

6/ The case widened further. Southampton also admitted additional breaches involving: • Oxford United (Dec 2025) • Ipswich Town (Apr 2026) This was not an isolated incident.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

5/ Fast forward to 2026. This time, Southampton weren’t operating in a grey area. They were found to have covertly filmed Middlesbrough’s training session ahead of a play-off match.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

4/ Back then, Leeds (under Bielsa) were punished only under the broad “good faith” rule. Result: £200,000 fine. Lesson for regulators: principles alone aren’t enough — you need precise rules.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

3/ Regulation 127 is relatively new. It was introduced in 2019 after the original Leeds United “Spygate” scandal exposed a regulatory gap: There was no explicit rule banning pre‑match training surveillance.

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

2/ At the heart of the case were breaches of two key EFL Regulations: • Reg 3.4 – duty to act with utmost good faith • Reg 127 – prohibition on observing opponent training within 72 hours of a match

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

1/ The EFL Championship play-offs have been rocked by “Spygate 2.0”. Southampton FC have been expelled from the play-offs, with Middlesbrough reinstated to face Hull City in the final. A major integrity case in modern English football. ⚖️

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Check out my new post! A comparative analysis of football club ownership regulation in Japan vs England — investor suitability, financial integrity and policy goals compared through the lens of regulatory capitalism open.substack.com/pub/markonei...

open.substack.com

A Comparative Analysis of Football Club Ownership Regulation in Japan and England

A view through the lens of regulatory capitalism

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Think it all stems from when he gave Ali Dia a contract....

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Check out my latest SubStack on the 50+1 Rule that operates in Germany and Sweden, and how its fundamental cultural values operate in a polar opposite way to the English free market model of ownership markoneill468207.substack.com/p/the-501-ru... open.substack.com/pub/markonei...

open.substack.com

The 50+1 Rule in German and Swedish Football: A Comparative Analysis with England’s Ownership Model

An analysis of the clash of football and ownership cultures

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Hi Simon, apologies yes this was an oversight on my part - I copied and pasted a list of countries from the US State Dept website (how ironic!) and missed the fact that USA wasn't on the list! 🤦‍♂️ Will get them added, but if they can use the next closest instead for now?

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Thanks Shona! Much appreciated! 👍

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Thank you! 🙏 Great to meet you yesterday at the Fair Game conference yesterday as well 👍

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

If you are a football fan, then please take 5 mins to complete my survey through the link below app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/westminste... Please also share with others so we can get as many responses as possible Thank you!

app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

@tariqpanja.bsky.social Hi would be great if you could share with your network please? As part of my PhD into football club ownership regulation and how it aligns with the fan perception of ownership, I am asking football fans of all types what they think makes a good football owner. 👇👇👇👇👇

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

If you are a football fan, then please take 5 mins to complete my survey through the link below app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/westminster/… Please also share with others so we can get as many responses as possible Thank you!

app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

@philippeauclair.bsky.social Hi would be great if you could share with your network please? As part of my PhD into football club ownership regulation and how it aligns with the fan perception of ownership, I am asking football fans of all types what they think makes a good football owner. 👇👇👇👇👇

app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk

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Mark O'Neill @moneill94.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

so, if you are a football fan, then please take 5 mins to complete my survey through the link below app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/westminste... Please also share with others so we can get as many responses as possible Thank you!

app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk

Fan Survey - Ownership Competence

Online surveys is a powerful, easy to use tool for creating online surveys. Run by Jisc, online surveys is used by over 300 different organisations in the UK...

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