| Popis: |
Modern sport, though not wholly a British invention, very largely is so. It is one of Britain’s most important gifts to the modern world. But it is also representative of a whole social system, and sport in Britain has always been intimately connected to British social and political life. It is a powerful marker, of which the ‘amateur tradition’ and apparent class exclusiveness are the two most obvious marks. I argue, however, that Britain did not differ much from other comparable countries, except that its class exclusiveness was exaggerated, partly because it was more openly expressed and less obviously concealed. I also argue that the amateur spirit was an attempt by men to preserve the notion of ‘play’ as against the sporting ‘system’ which they themselves had created. |
