- Victoria University Australia, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Department Memberadd
- Social Identity, Identity (Culture), Amateurism and Professionalism in Sport, Amateurism, Urban History, History, and 30 morePhilosophy, Class, History of leisure, Contested cultural values, Comparative History, Sociology of Sport, Gramsci, Philosophy of amateurism, Sports History, Cultural History, Popular Culture, Cultural Heritage, Regional competitiveness, History of Cricket, Amateur Regulations, Social History, 20th Century, Community History, Social & cultural, Cricket and National Identity, Flora Doris Cup, Gentleman Amateur, Regional Cricket, Interwar Britain, Urbanisation, Suburbanisation, Suburban Studies, Suburban History, Cultural change, and Cultural Analysisedit
- My profile picture, for those of you wondering which one I am, is me (on the left!) with Neil Harvey MBE who was, in ... moreMy profile picture, for those of you wondering which one I am, is me (on the left!) with Neil Harvey MBE who was, in 1948, one of Don Bradman's 'Invincibles'.
As you may have guessed, my PhD investigated the historical, sociological and cultural machinations of cricket. I am especially interested in the philosophical origins of amateurism, how amateurism was used as a means of class distinction, and the development of class-based regional identities.
My post-doctoral research has investigated (amongst other things) the links between class, the suburbanisation process, social relations and cultural change.
I have just completed my first book 'Different Class: the untold story of English cricket' (Repeater Books, 2022).edit
Emerging from the ‘history from below’ movement, sport history was marginalised for decades by those working within more traditional historical fields (and institutions). Although a degree of ignorance still exists, sport history has now... more
Emerging from the ‘history from below’ movement, sport history was marginalised for decades by those working within more traditional historical fields (and institutions). Although a degree of ignorance still exists, sport history has now acquired a level of credibility through the dedicated work of professional historians. And yet, as this authority has been established, changes to UK higher education funding (the removal of direct state funding, the Research Excellence Framework, and tuition fees) and academic publishing (open access) have the potential to damage, or even end, sports research. This book examines sport history from a variety of perspectives. Do mainstream historians need to engage, or ‘play’, with sports historians? Has the postmodernist ‘cultural turn’ in sports history been helpful to the sub-discipline? How can the teaching of sports studies be more innovative and inspiring? How can oral history and sport history be utilised in the study of other branches of historical interest. Although changes are required in dealing with the current political reality of UK higher education, sport history still has a great deal to offer students, future employers and the public alike. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport.
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Sociology of Sport, Humanities, Sports History, and 14 moreOral history, Cricket, Rugby, Rugby League, Social History, HIstory of Sport, History of Cricket, University, Sport history, Research Excellence Framework, Humanities and Social Sciences, Historical Studies, Oral History, and D
Debates relating to academic precarity may have developed considerably since this, previously unpublished, article was written in 2015, but the points made by the authors remain predictably relevant. Although both authors were given an... more
Debates relating to academic precarity may have developed considerably since this, previously unpublished, article was written in 2015, but the points made by the authors remain predictably relevant. Although both authors were given an opportunity to air their views individually in the International Journal of the History of Sport the following year, the article is presented here as evidence of the failure of institutions (and historians of sport) to fully recognise and deal with an issue that looks likely (if that were possible) to deteriorate further in a post-Covid, post-Brexit United Kingdom.
Sadly, if not doing a postgraduate degree 'for its own sake', one must increasingly question the wisdom of taking on the onerous and stressful task of a PhD in this country.
Sadly, if not doing a postgraduate degree 'for its own sake', one must increasingly question the wisdom of taking on the onerous and stressful task of a PhD in this country.
Research Interests:
Mental illness is rapidly becoming the health issue of our time, but footballers who suffer from this condition are seldom afforded public sympathy. This article examines the causes of mental illness and how those who govern the game have... more
Mental illness is rapidly becoming the health issue of our time, but footballers who suffer from this condition are seldom afforded public sympathy. This article examines the causes of mental illness and how those who govern the game have dealt with the issue.
It suggests that they (the FA, the Premier League and the Football League) have simply paid 'lip service' to the issue and players have had to rely on ex-colleagues, charities and their Trade Unions to take it seriously. It also reveals how modern employment practices in wider society increasingly replicate the precariousness experienced by footballers for generations.
It suggests that they (the FA, the Premier League and the Football League) have simply paid 'lip service' to the issue and players have had to rely on ex-colleagues, charities and their Trade Unions to take it seriously. It also reveals how modern employment practices in wider society increasingly replicate the precariousness experienced by footballers for generations.
Research Interests: Football (soccer), Mental Health, Trade unionism, Public Health Policy, Sociology of Mental Health & Illness, and 12 moreSoccer, Precarity, Public Health, Mental Illness, Football, Trade unions, Football Culture, Stigma and Discrimination of Mental Illness, Sociology of Football, Precarious work, Zero Hours Contracts, and Gig Economy
The concept of the gentleman amateur was, and remains, an important aspect of upper and middle-class Victorian and Edwardian male identity. Although he remains a significant literary presence, the form and length of time the gentleman... more
The concept of the gentleman amateur was, and remains, an important aspect of upper and middle-class Victorian and Edwardian male identity. Although he remains a significant literary presence, the form and length of time the gentleman amateur remained a cultural influence in society is contested.
This article examines one realm of this social constructs influence - sport - in terms of the social and philosophical origins of these titles, what they meant in practice and the repercussions their use had on class cultures, British (English) sporting values and success. It proposes that the gentleman amateur - despite the long-term damage inflicted by such men - remains a major philosophical, ideological and physical influence upon British sport today.
This article examines one realm of this social constructs influence - sport - in terms of the social and philosophical origins of these titles, what they meant in practice and the repercussions their use had on class cultures, British (English) sporting values and success. It proposes that the gentleman amateur - despite the long-term damage inflicted by such men - remains a major philosophical, ideological and physical influence upon British sport today.
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Philosophy, and 35 moreAesthetics, Classics, Media Studies, Cultural Sociology, Plato, Literature, Professionalism, Sociolinguistics, Social sciences and values, Identity (Culture), Class, Culture, Chivalry (Chivalry), National Identity, Cricket, Rugby, Olympics and Olympism, Social History, Competition, Classical philology, Sporting Art, Athletics, Social Class, White Privilege, Philosophy of amateurism, Rowing, Sport, Literary studies, Gambling, Chivalric literature, Association Rules, Classical and Contemporary Social Theory, Amateurism and Professionalism in Sport, Public Schools, and Sporting Nationality
Trying to gain an advantage over your opponent is as old as sport itself. But what’s considered fair and unfair is often up for debate. Today we tend to think of doping as the utmost assault on fair play. But sporting authorities of... more
Trying to gain an advantage over your opponent is as old as sport itself. But what’s considered fair and unfair is often up for debate.
Today we tend to think of doping as the utmost assault on fair play. But sporting authorities of the past – who had no qualms about enforcing lifetime bans for other infractions – might have actually found our current angst over doping puzzling. At the same time, sports fans today would likely be confused by 19th-century efforts to exclude the poor from participating with the claim that it was the only way to ensure a level playing field.
It goes to show that as time passes, so do notions of what is fair.
Today we tend to think of doping as the utmost assault on fair play. But sporting authorities of the past – who had no qualms about enforcing lifetime bans for other infractions – might have actually found our current angst over doping puzzling. At the same time, sports fans today would likely be confused by 19th-century efforts to exclude the poor from participating with the claim that it was the only way to ensure a level playing field.
It goes to show that as time passes, so do notions of what is fair.
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Invited by Professor Wray Vamplew to contribute a short essay to a special edition of the International Journal of the History of Sport: ‘Aspiration and Reflection: sport historians on sport history’ (forthcoming June 2018), these are my... more
Invited by Professor Wray Vamplew to contribute a short essay to a special edition of the International Journal of the History of Sport: ‘Aspiration and Reflection: sport historians on sport history’ (forthcoming June 2018), these are my thoughts on the relationship between sport history, the so-called historical 'mainstream' and the (soon to be) multiple generations of sports researchers it has produced.
I argue that the discipline of sport history is in mortal danger if it continually eschews opportunities to engage with the mainstream and, more pressingly, repeatedly commits infanticide. The economic realities of the Research Excellence Framework in the UK notwithstanding, perhaps some of the money directed towards the parenting of new generations of researchers ought to be invested in their older siblings instead?
I argue that the discipline of sport history is in mortal danger if it continually eschews opportunities to engage with the mainstream and, more pressingly, repeatedly commits infanticide. The economic realities of the Research Excellence Framework in the UK notwithstanding, perhaps some of the money directed towards the parenting of new generations of researchers ought to be invested in their older siblings instead?
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, Sociology of Sport, City and Suburban Integration, and 20 moreSocial Sciences, Cultural Heritage, Higher Education, Popular Culture, Suburban Studies, Urban History, Sports History, Career Guidance, Urban Studies, History of Universities, Qualitative Research, Kinesiology, Precarity, Employment, Suburban History, Suburbanization, History of Cricket, Precariat, Career Development, and Suburbanisation
Having, like the rest of the country, adopted league competition during the 1880s this meritocratic format was increasingly prohibited within amateur cricket in the South-east of England after 1918. Anti-league sentiment, which had first... more
Having, like the rest of the country, adopted league competition during the 1880s this meritocratic format was increasingly prohibited within amateur cricket in the South-east of England after 1918. Anti-league sentiment, which had first emerged among the middle-class cricket elites of London, spread throughout an ever-wider radius of London, thanks to a well-connected and influential organisation called the Club Cricket Conference.
This article argues that an examination of the adoption and proliferation of this anti-competitive, and distinctly ‘middle class’, cricket culture in Surrey, provides new insight into the pace and nature of the county’s suburbanisation, and the complexities of suburban life.
This is a pre-publication copy of an article published in Urban History, Vol. 44 (1), 2017.
This article argues that an examination of the adoption and proliferation of this anti-competitive, and distinctly ‘middle class’, cricket culture in Surrey, provides new insight into the pace and nature of the county’s suburbanisation, and the complexities of suburban life.
This is a pre-publication copy of an article published in Urban History, Vol. 44 (1), 2017.
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The Victorian town or city is not only acknowledged as the archetypal middle-class environment, it is also regarded as the principal site for the development, commercialisation and popularisation of modern sport. Although the towns and... more
The Victorian town or city is not only acknowledged as the archetypal middle-class environment, it is also regarded as the principal site for the development, commercialisation and popularisation of modern sport. Although the towns and cities of the Midlands and the North of England dominate the historiography of sport and urban research, both overlook the 'suburban' South, as it exists beyond London, and they remain 'detached' in contextual terms.
In light of recent debates relating to sport history and its relationship to the wider historical discipline, this paper aims to untie these discrete historical sub-fields. It will propose that a long-term analysis of changes in the social structure, cultural meaning/purpose of cricket in Surrey may contribute towards a more nuanced assessment of 'suburban' life and, indeed, the 'suburbanisation' process itself.
In light of recent debates relating to sport history and its relationship to the wider historical discipline, this paper aims to untie these discrete historical sub-fields. It will propose that a long-term analysis of changes in the social structure, cultural meaning/purpose of cricket in Surrey may contribute towards a more nuanced assessment of 'suburban' life and, indeed, the 'suburbanisation' process itself.
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As the late Victorian and Edwardian upper classes' power declined, some of the sporting elites were determined to maintain their social and cultural hegemony. Within amateur club cricket, this was to be maintained by the Club Cricket... more
As the late Victorian and Edwardian upper classes' power declined, some of the sporting elites were determined to maintain their social and cultural hegemony. Within amateur club cricket, this was to be maintained by the Club Cricket Conference (CCC), the aims of which were to ‘control and safeguard amateur cricket along strictly non-competitive lines’. Although largely reactionary, the CCC, due in no small part to its social origins, exerted a disproportionate influence over amateur club cricket in the South of England – especially with regard to the aggressive suppression of leagues. Although the historiography suggests that the CCC were very successful in this endeavour, leagues and cups existed throughout the South from the early 1880s. The historical oversight of what became a predominantly working-class mode of cricket, and the games cultural meaning, reflects the social origins and influence of the CCC's elite founders (and many historians) over the game and its image.
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Cricket in the North and South of England, has historically been attributed or imagined in diametrically opposite and stereotyped terms Namely a competitive professional North and a genteel amateur South. This paper will examine the... more
Cricket in the North and South of England, has historically been attributed or imagined in diametrically opposite and stereotyped terms Namely a competitive professional North and a genteel amateur South. This paper will examine the invention of these regionalised narratives, identify sources, and question the extent to which these opposing identities exist.
Research Interests: Cultural History, Cultural Studies, Sociology of Sport, Cultural Geography, Social Geography, and 15 moreRegional competitiveness, Popular Culture, Sports History, Identity (Culture), Cricket, Cultural Memory, Pierre Bourdieu, Fan Cultures, Social History, Social Class, Bourdieu, Regional identity, Yorkshire, Benedict Anderson, and Surrey
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The concept of the gentleman amateur was, and remains, an important aspect of upper and middle-class Victorian and Edwardian male identity, and so closely linked were these titles, that a latter day commentator stated: “The old theory of... more
The concept of the gentleman amateur was, and remains, an important aspect of upper and middle-class Victorian and Edwardian male identity, and so closely linked were these titles, that a latter day commentator stated: “The old theory of an amateur was that he was a gentleman and the two were simply convertible terms”. But what were the philosophical origins of these titles and what did each half of this construct represent and mean in practise?
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Cricket literature, and that of English society generally, has attributed almost diametrically opposite regional identities to the counties, players and supporters of Yorkshire and Surrey County Cricket Clubs. This essay aims to reveal... more
Cricket literature, and that of English society generally, has attributed almost diametrically opposite regional identities to the counties, players and supporters of Yorkshire and Surrey County Cricket Clubs. This essay aims to reveal the causal factors in the development of these identities, establish the extent to which they are ‘real’ or ‘imagined’ and discover if the stereotypes presented have any contemporary relevance.
The essay utilizes a survey of 400 supporters to establish the different regional meanings for cricket and to test the perceived identities or stereotypes of the two counties. A comparative analysis of the historical development and control of cricket in each county, literary representations and wider social contexts are then used to establish the various reasons for differences in the regional meaning of cricket.
The essay concludes that regional differences in the development and control of the game, its image and presentation have been critical to the development of these cricket identities and cricket's meaning or function for contemporary supporters – particularly in Yorkshire. It goes on to suggest that certain myths have been advocated by social scientists and that a more ‘orally historical’ approach may help in the explanation of identities previously thought to represent either ‘commonality’ or indeed ‘difference’.
The essay utilizes a survey of 400 supporters to establish the different regional meanings for cricket and to test the perceived identities or stereotypes of the two counties. A comparative analysis of the historical development and control of cricket in each county, literary representations and wider social contexts are then used to establish the various reasons for differences in the regional meaning of cricket.
The essay concludes that regional differences in the development and control of the game, its image and presentation have been critical to the development of these cricket identities and cricket's meaning or function for contemporary supporters – particularly in Yorkshire. It goes on to suggest that certain myths have been advocated by social scientists and that a more ‘orally historical’ approach may help in the explanation of identities previously thought to represent either ‘commonality’ or indeed ‘difference’.
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In telling the story of cricket from the grassroots up, Different Class demonstrates how the 'quintessentially English' game has done more to divide, rather than unite, the English.
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Sociology of Sport, and 15 moreSocial Sciences, Popular Culture, Literary Criticism, Identity (Culture), Cricket, Culture Wars, Social History, Regional Studies, Hegemony, HIstory of Sport, Sport, Sports, Regional identity, Media and identity, and Cultural Hegemony
Chapter in Ed Smith and Phil Walker (Eds), 'The Show Must Go On: A Century of Club Cricket in the South of England' (All Out Cricket, 2015).
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Emerging from the ‘history from below’ movement, sport history was marginalised for decades by those working within more traditional historical fields (and institutions). Although a degree of ignorance still exists, sport history has now... more
Emerging from the ‘history from below’ movement, sport history was marginalised for decades by those working within more traditional historical fields (and institutions). Although a degree of ignorance still exists, sport history has now acquired a level of credibility through the dedicated work of professional historians. And yet, as this authority has been established, changes to UK higher education funding (the removal of direct state funding, the Research Excellence Framework, and tuition fees) and academic publishing (open access) have the potential to damage, or even end, sports research. This book examines sport history from a variety of perspectives. Do mainstream historians need to engage, or ‘play’, with sports historians? Has the postmodernist ‘cultural turn’ in sports history been helpful to the sub-discipline? How can the teaching of sports studies be more innovative and inspiring? How can oral history and sport history be utilised in the study of other branches of historical interest. Although changes are required in dealing with the current political reality of UK higher education, sport history still has a great deal to offer students, future employers and the public alike. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport.
Research Interests:
Born of the Mining Industry Act of 1920, the Miners' Welfare Fund (MWF) continues, under the charitable auspices of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation, to provide an extensive array of welfare for employees in the coal mining... more
Born of the Mining Industry Act of 1920, the Miners' Welfare Fund (MWF) continues, under the charitable auspices of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation, to provide an extensive array of welfare for employees in the coal mining industry, former employees, the wives/widows of such individuals and their children.
This this paper is no more than an introduction to the origins and creation of the MWF, its operation, and the various aspects of ‘welfare’ it supported. The main focus is upon sport, but it also highlights the opportunities the MWF provides historians in relation to health, health & safety, education, the arts and how David cameron's notion of the 'Big Society' has been successfully carried out in the past.
This this paper is no more than an introduction to the origins and creation of the MWF, its operation, and the various aspects of ‘welfare’ it supported. The main focus is upon sport, but it also highlights the opportunities the MWF provides historians in relation to health, health & safety, education, the arts and how David cameron's notion of the 'Big Society' has been successfully carried out in the past.
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MCC's U-turn over Eton-Harrow is symptomatic of a sport that has always been run along class lines
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Duncan Stone reveals how the governing body of English cricket-like the country as a whole-can no longer promote a selective view of its history
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Social Sciences, and 15 moreRace and Racism, Historiography, Sports History, Race and Ethnicity, Literature and Society, Cultural Identity, Cricket, Racism, Philosophy of Sport, Social History, Hegemony, Social Class, History of Cricket, Methodology and Review of Related Literature, and Cultural Hegemony
Only Australia, it seems, could have produced Shane Warne. A man of the people who became "a citizen of the world", Warne was a 'bogun' as Merv Hughes called him during his beautifully poised memorial service at the Melbourne Cricket... more
Only Australia, it seems, could have produced Shane Warne. A man of the people who became "a citizen of the world", Warne was a 'bogun' as Merv Hughes called him during his beautifully poised memorial service at the Melbourne Cricket Ground: The People's Ground. Cricket, in Australia at least, is a people's game and I couldn't help wondering, as I wiped tears from my eyes (yet again), if the world would ever have had the pleasure and privilege of witnessing Warne's unnatural abilities and endlessly generous spirit had he been born in England?
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Although Azeem Rafiq is one of many Black or South Asian cricketers to suffer racial abuse within first-class (professional) cricket, he, more than any other perhaps, deserves a medal as his fortitude, and refusal to accept a significant... more
Although Azeem Rafiq is one of many Black or South Asian cricketers to suffer racial abuse within first-class (professional) cricket, he, more than any other perhaps, deserves a medal as his fortitude, and refusal to accept a significant pay-off, looks as if it may well instigate real change.
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Although Project Big Picture - the attempted 'land grab' by Liverpool and Manchester United football clubs - upset many as it threatened to create what the government's Department for Culture Media and Sport called a closed shop at the... more
Although Project Big Picture - the attempted 'land grab' by Liverpool and Manchester United football clubs - upset many as it threatened to create what the government's Department for Culture Media and Sport called a closed shop at the top of the game.
However, it also involved the abolition of the League (Carabao) Cup and the Community Shield. A proposal that demonstrates how ignorant many involved in football are of the game's history and the role cup competition and, indeed, 'fair competition' played in establishing the sport as the 'national game'.
However, it also involved the abolition of the League (Carabao) Cup and the Community Shield. A proposal that demonstrates how ignorant many involved in football are of the game's history and the role cup competition and, indeed, 'fair competition' played in establishing the sport as the 'national game'.
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Research Interests: Cultural History, Sociology of Sport, Media and Cultural Studies, Journalism, Social Sciences, and 12 moreFootball (soccer), Sports History, Modern British History, Media, Football, Sport, Sports, Murdoch, Media Impact and Effects and Usages, Tabloid Journalism, Anti-intelectualismo, and Trumpianism
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Following the terrorist atrocities in Paris on the 13th November 2015 I quickly resolved to attend the European Championships as planned (many thanks Matt and Pierre). I realise there is an element of risk in doing so but, rather than... more
Following the terrorist atrocities in Paris on the 13th November 2015 I quickly resolved to attend the European Championships as planned (many thanks Matt and Pierre). I realise there is an element of risk in doing so but, rather than superimposing a tricolour over my Facebook picture, I thought this was a tangible method of demonstrating both my solidarity with the French people and my disdain towards the terrorists and their misguided agendas. For the last three months however, the French people have been facing up to another foe-their own government and the multinationals behind the TTIP Agreement. Proposed changes to the maximum working week of 35 hours have grabbed the headlines, but other changes, that make it easier for larger employers to make workers redundant for instance, are included. It is for the French to resolve but, just days before the tournament kicks off, it is clear that large protests and threatened strikes by railway workers and airline pilots have the potential to effect some of those attending the Tournament.
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A month-long spectacle of football and a tournament that showcased Russia at its best, the 2018 FIFA World Cup has already been hailed as a (perhaps unexpected) success both on and off the pitch. The anticipated “World Cup of Shame”... more
A month-long spectacle of football and a tournament that showcased Russia at its best, the 2018 FIFA World Cup has already been hailed as a (perhaps unexpected) success both on and off the pitch. The anticipated “World Cup of Shame” failed to manifest. But what can historians learn from it?
http://socialhistory.org.uk/shs_exchange/russia-2018/
http://socialhistory.org.uk/shs_exchange/russia-2018/
