Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The Rationalisation of Athletics
- PRE-INDUSTRIAL FESTIVAL
- Community Event
- Cotswold Games
- Much Wenlock Games
- Prizes
- Smock Races
- Wakes
- Religious
- Paganism
- Christianity
- Church
- Disapproval
- PEDESTRIANISM
- Footmen
- Gentry - patrons
- Festival
- Spectators
- Wagering
- Corruption
- Challenge Rules
- Local
- Became associated with other sports
i.e. Prize Fighting and Horse Racing
- PUBLIC SCHOOL ATHLETICS
- Low status
- Hare & Hounds
- Steeplechase
- Sports Days
- Inter-House Competition
- Transport
- Inter-School Fixtures
- INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
- End of rural festivals
- 1850 - Purpose built facilities (some allowed
for up to 25,000)
- Athletics as an URBAN FESTIVAL
- Wagering
- CHEATING - running was a source of income for some lower class and the athletics circuit was based on a handicap system i.e. depending on
your size and results, you were handicapped. This led to cheating and exploitation was rife:
- ROPING - holding back in order to lose.
- RUNNING TO THE BOOK - disguising ones form to get a generous handicap.
- RINGIN IN - promotes conspiring to size the handicapping unfairly.
- PROFESSIONALS - lower / working class
athletes could become paid professionals
- AMATEURISM - the middle classes didn't believe in professional
status and so remained amateur in their athletics
- The amateur status of middle class athletics led to some problems
- 1880 AAA (Amateur Athletics Association)
was formed by 3 ex-university students
(still the NGB today)
- 1922 Women's AAA formed - i.,e. the AAA may have
removed the EXCLUSION CLAUSE, but they didn't have a
female wing until 42 years later
- 1886 AAC (Amateur Athletics Club) was formed
- The 'EXCLUSION CLAUSE' was included
- 'No mechanic, artisan or labourer will be permitted to be a
member of our club' i.e. no one who worked with their hands
was allowed to be part of the AAC.
- The AAA gradually removed the EXCLUSION
CLAUSE later and athletics to be opened up to
ALL people