Dialogue features in football articles over a period of fifty years

In this diachronic study of dialogic features in football, articles from three different sports events have been focused: The World Cups 1958, 1974 and the Euro Cup 2004. This period of almost 50 years distinguishes itself as a time period when new channels for communication have emerged: television, Internet, computer-mediated communication. This has made it possible to bridge the gulf between the communicators. Dialogue features such as questions, directives, addressing the readers with you (second person singular) and using an inclusive we are numerous in the football articles studied. The articles show an increasing tendency to address the readers with you in the articles from Euro 2004. Moreover, the sports writers refer to given responses from readers in the articles from 2004.