More than a Game? Exploring Sport's Role in Refugee and Asylum-Seeker Settlement in Glasgow, Scotland

Up until recently, refugees and asylum-seekers, and even more so, the relationship between sport and settlement, has generally been written out of discussions surrounding sport for development (SFD). This study seeks to fill some of this lacuna through a critical analysis of a grassroots, community football club for male refugees and asylum-seekers - United Glasgow FC (UGFC). Drawing on fieldwork carried out in Glasgow, Scotland from May August 2017, this thesis aims to explore the notion that sport can facilitate refugee and asylum-seeker well-being throughout the settlement process. Through a qualitative analysis of the experiences of both volunteers and players involved with the club, this research suggest that sport can hold great potential for the facilitation of refugees and asylum-seeker well-being; however, the extent to which well-being is facilitated relies heavily on the conditions of the sport program itself and the local context.