Welcome to the webpage of Martin Johnes, Professor of Modern History at Swansea University.
I specialise in the histories of modern Wales and British popular culture. I’ve published various books and articles that look at Welsh identity, politics, popular sports, obscure sports, national identity, disasters and local government. At the heart of my research are questions of identity. I am interested in how people think of who they are and their place in their world.
Many of these articles can be downloaded from my academia.edu profile. A full list of my academic publications can be found here.
I am regular contributor to the media on issues of Welsh history, politics and identity. Links to and a list of my journalism and presenting can be found here.
Blog entries can be searched via the tags on the right. Recent posts are below.
Christmas Day Football
Christmas football was originally rooted in a wider tradition of communal entertainments on the 25th. While for the Victorian middle class, Christmas was a festival of the home, for the workers, who lived in cramped, overcrowded housing, getting out was often more important. Football, pantomimes, informal gatherings, community rituals and traditions all provided people with…
One syllable: Splott
This essay was first published in the programme for the National Theatre’s 2023 production of Romeo and Julie by Gary Owen. The most memorable thing about the Cardiff district of Splott is its name. Even in Cardiff, it’s sometimes the subject of some mirth. Outside the city, it can draw derision and act as another…
A brief history of Welsh football through the 1970s Admiral Shirt
Image credit: The Welsh Football Collection, Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives. This cotton Wales football shirt was worn by Nick Deacy of PSV Eindhoven in an under 21s international match against Scotland in 1977. The two nations had been competing against each other since 1876, making it the second oldest international fixture in world…
Martin Johnes 