Psychologist logo

It's coming home…

A football-themed trawl of the archives to mark England's World Cup progress.

10 July 2018

Update: This collection was originally posted in 2018 as the men's England football team prepared for their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years. We looked back on some of our past material considering the mental side of the game (plus some external links).

After the World Cup, we spoke to England team sports psychologist Dr Pippa Grange about how the tournament had panned out.

As England Women progressed in the 2019 World Cup finals, Psychology was clearly still playing a central part, and we'd still love to hear from Gemma! 

And of course we would love to hear about the Psychology set up with the Wales and Scotland teams for Euro 2020 too…

'We have a responsibility to go beyond sport'
We chat with Peter Olusoga and Hugh Gilmore about their podcast, 80 Percent Mental

The underdog effect
Ciaran O'Keeffe on the appeal, and how it changes

Football with refugees, asylum seekers and victims of torture

Ted Lasso review: Super Ted's 'circle of we'

Penalty shootouts – it's not a lottery!
Tim Callen offers five pieces of evidence-based advice. [Editor's note: I'm convinced this will now be changing, as players favour the wait-until-the-keeper-makes-a-move-before-rolling-it-the-other-side approach. Keepers barely seem to dive anymore!]

Leicester's lesson in leadership
A leader is not 'the special one', but 'the one who makes us special', argue S. Alexander Haslam and Stephen D. Reicher. I wonder if Gareth Southgate took note? Haslam has tweeted: 'A lack of shared social identity was bringing the big teams in the World Cup down. But in Gareth Southgate you see someone who really understands the importance of creating, representing, advancing and embedding social identity.'

Smarter thinking in sport
Martin James Turner describes his use of rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) with athletes. Turner also wrote for The Conversation recently about this England team and pressure.

New voices: Brains in their feet?
David Horrocks

The Secret Footballer's Guide to… Psychology
Our editor reviews the new book from an anonymous former Premiership player; and we have an exclusive extract. Plus a review and extract from a follow up.

‘Hooliganism’ at Euro 2016: the social psychology of the ‘English Disease’
Professor Clifford Stott considers what has actually happened out in France, and lessons to be learned.

Changing the game for teenage footballers
In an online exclusive, football coach and visiting fellow at the University of Bristol Dr Perry Walters takes an evidence-based approach to understanding and improving young players.

When winners need help
Derek Larkin and colleagues consider mental health in elite sport.

Faster, higher, stronger!
On the eve of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, Christian Jarrett dived into the psychology of competition

One on One with Sandy Wolfson
Including Alan Shearer pic!

Find much more on football on our Research Digest blog, including what the impact of an England defeat might be on your work performance the following day, and what your choice of favourite footballer says about you.

Beyond our sites, there's an interesting piece on the work of England sports psychologist Dr Pippa Grange; a piece on overall behaviour at the World Cup from Keele University's Chris Stiff (who also writes for The Conversation on why people suddenly get into football for the World Cup); the research of Dr Gavin Sullivan on collective emotion; and an article from Wired on how the team set out to 'own the process' when facing the dreaded penalty shoot out! For generally intelligent writing on football and the World Cup, you could do a lot worse than The Guardian's Barney Ronay

Seen any more good writing about the psychology behind football performances? Tweet us @psychmag and we'll add them here!