Sport, History, and Heritage

Sport is an integral part of British culture and an important aspect of modern life. Although its importance has been recognised by academic historians, sport has yet to be fully appreciated in the growing and related fields of heritage and museum studies. Sport and heritage have operated as seemingly separate spheres, yet together they can convey powerful messages; convergence between them is seen in the rise and popularity of sports museums, the collecting of sporting art and memorabilia, and popular concern over the demise of historic sports buildings and sport-related sites. These places, exhibitions and activities help to shape our understanding of sport, history and the past. The essays in this volume explore sports history as manifested in academic enquiry, museum exhibitions and heritage sites. They deal among other things with the public representation of sport and its significance; its impact on public spheres; the direction of sports heritage studies and their aims; the role of museums in public history; and place, memory and meaning in the historic sports landscape. Contributors: Jeffrey Hill, Jed Smith, Anthony Bateman, Ray Physick, Neil Skinner, Matthew Taylor, Tim O'Sullivan, Kevin Moore, Max Dunbar, Santiago De Pablo, John K. Walton, Wray Vamplew, Honor Godfrey, Jason Wood, Andrea Titterington, Stephen Done, Mike McGuinness, David Storey, Daphne Bolz, Jean Williams, Richard Holt Jeffrey Hill is Emeritus Professor of Historical and Cultural Studies, De Montfort University, Leicester; Kevin Moore is Director, National Football Museum, Manchester; Jason Wood is Director, Heritage Consultancy Services.