Dr Edward Hall

Assistant Professor

Department: Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation

I am an Assistant Professor of the Sociology of Sport in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation at Northumbria University. Currently, I am programme leader of the MSc Sport Performance and Analysis and manage a group of doctoral researchers with a central socio-pedagogical investigative agenda.

In my time at Northumbria, I have led a REF2021 Impact Case Study, been department co-lead of Knowledge Exchange, Lead on Employability as well as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, chaired our successful Athena Swan Charter Award, and acted as Interim Research Theme Lead.

Externally, I am a board member for the Cluster for Research into Coaching (CRiC), chair-elect for the 6th International Coaching Conference 2024, and a member of the World Rugby Science Network and the International Society of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (QRSE). I am an external programme examiner at Stirling University and the University of Limerick, and have held similar roles at Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of the West of Scotland. I have been an independent panel member for the Periodic Programme Review of Sport Science Cluster degree programmes at Liverpool John Moores University, a consulting advisor for programme development and validation to the University of the West of Scotland, and an invited panel member of the UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) independent review by the Sport & Recreation Alliance. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

My research, supervision and education work is driven by a fascination with the relational, (micro)political and emotional complexities of sports work. I critically explore how networks of social relations influence the thoughts, feelings and (inter)actions of sport professionals, and how sense is made of experiences, relationships and the self. My aim as an ethnographer and sport sociologist is to critically examine in-situ the opportunities and challenges associated with professional practice in order to inform and beneficially impact workforce development to the benefit of those leading, working and participating in sport and exercise.

I have published in the discipline’s leading peer-reviewed journals and books, been invited presenter at numerous international conferences, symposia, and industry events, and examined PhD and Professional Doctorate candidates both in and beyond the sports field. Within sport specifically, my clients include governing bodies, elite professional sport teams and some of the world’s leading coaches and coach educators. Recent examples include mentoring work with The Premier League, coach education design for Athletics Canada, and policy advice and research-informed coach education for Newcastle Falcons, as well as invited contributions to the UKCC L4 across multiple sports. Through this body of knowledge exchange and consultancy, I have forged novel connections between theory and practice to transform the practice of thousands of coaches, teachers and coach developers, which has benefitted tens of thousands of athletes in sports around the globe.

Campus Address

Northumbria University, City Campus
Northumberland Building
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST

Email Edward

@EdwardTHall

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

I am fascinated by the relational, (micro)political and emotional complexities of sports work. These comprise the very social fabric that makes sport and sport coaching a central thread in the lives of millions globally. My research explores how networks of social relations influence the thoughts, feelings and (inter)actions of sport professionals, and how sense is made of experiences, relationships and the self. My aim as an ethnographer and sport sociologist is to critically examine in-situ the opportunities and challenges associated with professional practice in order to inform and beneficially impact workforce development to the benefit of those leading, working and participating in sport and exercise.

I am fortunate to supervise an amazing group of PhD candidates and Masters students whose sociological research examines professional practice, social interactions and embodied identities across a diverse range of sport settings.

I am open to enquiries about supervision at MSc and PhD levels.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Affect and emotions in sports work: A research agenda, Avner, Z., Hall, E., Potrac, P. 3 Jul 2023, In: Sport in Society
Coaching in the shadows: critically examining the unintended (non)influence of pedagogical practice, Nichol, A., Potrac, P., Hayes, P., Boocock, E., Vickery, W., Morgan, C., Hall, E. 4 Jul 2023, In: Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy
Actors, interactions, ties, and networks: the ‘doing’ of talent identification and development work in elite youth football academies, Thomas, R., Hall, E., Nelson, L., Potrac, P. 4 Jul 2022, In: Soccer and Society
Developing Politically Astute Football Coaches: An Evolving Framework for Coach Learning and Coaching Research, Potrac, P., Hall, E., McCutcheon, M., Morgan, C., Kelly, S., Horgan, P., Edwards, C., Corsby, C., Nichol, A. 10 Jun 2022, Coach Education in Football, London, Taylor & Francis
Fear, Anger, and Loneliness: Emotional Pain and Referee Attrition in English Grassroots Football, Potrac, P., Hall, E., Nichol, A. 1 Sep 2022, In: Sociology of Sport Journal
Sport, Emotion, and Engagement, Potrac, P., Gearity, B., Nichol, A., Hall, E. 2022, The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Society, Oxford, Oxford University Press
Athletes as ‘sites of normative intersectionality’: Critically exploring the ontology of influence in sport coaching., Nichol, A., Hayes, P., Vickery, W., Boocock, E., Potrac, P., Hall, E. 1 Sep 2021, In: Sociology of Sport Journal
Beat the Game: A Foucauldian Exploration of Coaching Differently in an Elite Rugby Academy, Avner, Z., Denison, J., Jones, L., Boocock, E., Hall, E. 24 Jul 2021, In: Sport, Education and Society
Coaching Profession: Acting as a Coach, Potrac, P., Gearity, B., Nichol, A., Morgan, C., Hall, E. 19 Mar 2021, Coaching for Human Development and Performance in Sports, Cham, Springer
Doing hybrid management work in elite sport: The case of a head coach in top-level Rugby Union, Hall, E., Gray, S., Martindale, A., Sproule, J., Kelly, J., Potrac, P. 15 Mar 2021, In: Sport Management Review

PGR Supervision

Liviu Cristea Chasing the big time: navigating emotions, identity and relations in the precarious context of sports work. Start Date: 01/10/2021
Mark Clarkson The Construction and Performance of Identities and Selves in Endurance Running: A Relational Perspective Start Date: 01/03/2019
Mark Bertram Why do coaches structure practice the ways they do? Examining coaching practice design through a relational and dramaturgical lens. Start Date: 16/08/2018

Qualifications

Sport PhD June 05 2015
Sport MSc September 01 2008
Fellow (FHEA) Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2017

Northumbria Open Days

Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.

Research at Northumbria

Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.