Dr Tom Gibbons has been Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Sports Studies at Teesside since 2007. Tom previously worked as a researcher at Teesside (2004-2005) and St Martin's College, Lancaster (2005-2007).

Tom's main areas of research and teaching expertise are the sociology and history of sport. He was awarded his PhD on the relationship between English national habitus and football fandom at Teesside in 2013 and from this published his first monograph titled English National Identity and Football Fan Culture: Who are ya? (Ashgate, 2014). Tom has since co-edited (with Dr Kevin Dixon) a book titled The Impact of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Diminishing Contrasts, Increasing Varieties (Palgrave, 2015) as well as another co-edited text with Dr Dominic Malcolm (Loughborough University) titled Sport and English National Identity in a 'Disunited' Kingdom (Routledge, 2017). Tom has also published in a range of international peer reviewed journals and has chapters in edited texts on topics including: national identity, globalisation and sport; disability and sport; Christianity and sport; various sporting subcultures; and, digital technologies and sport. Tom became a Christian during his PhD studies and is currently involved in developing a Christian Sociology of Sport. This led to him editing (with Stuart Braye) a special edition of the Routledge journal Sport in Society on the topic of 'Christianity and Social Scientific Perspectives on Sport' in 2017, later published as a book in 2019. Tom is currently leading a research project aiming to enhance the inclusion of disabled children and young people in Physical Education in England.

Tom is Co-Lead for the University's Resilient and Secure Societies Grand Challenge Theme.

Tom's research interests are in the sociology, theology and history of sport subject areas and revolve around: Christianity; English/British national identity; globalisation and European integration; fandom; media; violence/hooliganism; disability; football; endurance sport (particularly running and cycling); and, qualitative methods (particularly those using new technologies).

Dr Gibbons currently welcomes applications from potential PhD candidates in any aspect of the sociology, theology and/or history of sport.

Tom is a member of the British Sociological Association (BSA) Sport Study Group.

Tom has collaborated with academics from HE institutions across the UK, Europe and New Zealand on a variety of research projects which have led to both books and journal articles.

Tom is currently programme leader for BA (hons) Sport Sports Development. He is also link tutor for some of the sport-related foundation degree programmes delivered at the university's partner colleges.

Tom is also the convener of the 'Sociology of Sport Research Group' which aims to provide a supportive environment to encourage, challenge and inspire students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) to further their research journeys into the exciting world of the sociology of sport.