Wray Vamplew is Global Professorial Fellow in the Academy of Sport at the University of Edinburgh and Emeritus Professor of Sports History at the University of Stirling.
... Sophie Couchman, as befits someone studying for a doctorate in Asian Studies, examines the ho... more ... Sophie Couchman, as befits someone studying for a doctorate in Asian Studies, examines the how, when and why of Chinese participation in cycling in Australia. Fiona Kinsey places female cyclists into their cultural and political environment. ...
Healey herself offers a succinct statement as to what her book is about; it: discusses the right... more Healey herself offers a succinct statement as to what her book is about; it: discusses the rights and liabilities of those involved in sport, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. It explains the areas of commercial law that are relevant to sporting organisations and ...
American economic historians will be well aware that their British counterparts have lagged behin... more American economic historians will be well aware that their British counterparts have lagged behind in making economic studies of railway development. In this small (and relatively expensive) volume Dr. Aldcroft has attempted to redress the balance with an historical analysis of the economic problems of Britain's railways. It is therefore unfortunate that such a potentially useful work should be marred by several defects. In the first place, little original research has been undertaken: a factor made more serious by the frequent uncritical acceptance of the work of others; the Economist of 1919 was scarcely an impartial commentator on the efficiency of government-controlled enterprises. Feinstein on investment is no doubt more reliable, but surely the figures obtained by B. R. Mitchell in his study of original railway accounts should also have been utilized. If they had been consulted, then the statement that railway investment "fell off sharply" (2) in the 1870's might have been avoided.
This paper argues that by the nature of their training, economists and economic historians offer ... more This paper argues that by the nature of their training, economists and economic historians offer a different form of sports history from that of social and cultural historians. They bring a special set of tools to the study of sports history in their use of theories, models and theoretical concepts; taxonomies and typologies; and numbers. Yet, unlike economic historians, economists often have no real sense of history and are unaware of the source material and its pitfalls and unappreciative of its temporal context. Basically they do not do historical research but actually economics research and prefer to look at relatively modern periods with its time series. This could have implications for the future of the subject. However, behavioural economists are now challenging the standard economic approach that behaviour is driven by a conscious cost-benefit approach, and arguing that it is influenced by emotional, cultural or other factors. This too could have implications for sports history.
International Journal of the History of Sport, 2022
By the application of new definitions of commercialisation and
entrepreneurship, it is argued th... more By the application of new definitions of commercialisation and
entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Ancient Greece and
Rome was associated with significant levels of commercial activity.
This included regular organised events, large-capacity sports stadiums, professional athletes with trainers and free agency, sports
tourism, and gambling on sport. Those providing sport and
sport-associated products ranged from petty businessmen, who
sold food, drink and accommodation to sports tourists, to the
state provision of mass-spectacle sporting events. Although much
of the sport provision was not profit-oriented, those who funded
games, chariot-racing and gladiatorial combat in the hope of securing prestige and political influence can still be considered sports
entrepreneurs as they acted a change agents on the supply side
of sport.
International Journal of the History of Sport, 2023
By utilising revised definitions of commercialism, sports products
and entrepreneurship, it is ar... more By utilising revised definitions of commercialism, sports products and entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Europe has had a long association with commerce, one dating back to Antiquity. It is shown that this relationship involving spectator products, player products, professional participants and associated economic activity such as gambling, construction and sports tourism continued through Medieval times, the Renaissance and into the Enlightenment (and beyond). A discussion considers the chronology of commercialism in sport, the role of capitalism and how sport commercialisation relates to Guttmann’s theory of modernisation in sport
Professional sportspeople have different career structures and working lives from most other work... more Professional sportspeople have different career structures and working lives from most other workers as can be seen in the discussion here of recruitment, mobility, earnings, contracts, retirement and collective bargaining. Recruitment in US elite sport is via a reverse-order draft in which players have little choice of their employing club. Nor have most professionals any right to change their employers, though the coming of free agency has allowed them (with the use of agents) to negotiate contracts with clubs of their own choosing. Contracts detail pay structure and length of tenure, both of which have implications for the incentivisation of effort. Earnings are determined by a combination of the demand for labour of a certain type or quality, the available supply of such labour, and the productivity of that labour when at work. Payment by results dominates remuneration in individual sports, but in team sports it is a matter of valuing the team’s output and then assessing the contribution to this of the individual player. Insecurity is the hallmark of a career in professional sport and players’ associations have assisted by bargaining collectively on working conditions, pension benefits, insurance, and grievance procedures.
Written specifically for students of both sports science and physical education, this text is a r... more Written specifically for students of both sports science and physical education, this text is a reference guide to the disciplines, themes, topics and concerns current in contemporary sport. Entries on such diverse subjects as professionalism, history, exercise physiology and education offer an up-to-date perspective on the changing face of sport science.
... Sophie Couchman, as befits someone studying for a doctorate in Asian Studies, examines the ho... more ... Sophie Couchman, as befits someone studying for a doctorate in Asian Studies, examines the how, when and why of Chinese participation in cycling in Australia. Fiona Kinsey places female cyclists into their cultural and political environment. ...
Healey herself offers a succinct statement as to what her book is about; it: discusses the right... more Healey herself offers a succinct statement as to what her book is about; it: discusses the rights and liabilities of those involved in sport, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. It explains the areas of commercial law that are relevant to sporting organisations and ...
American economic historians will be well aware that their British counterparts have lagged behin... more American economic historians will be well aware that their British counterparts have lagged behind in making economic studies of railway development. In this small (and relatively expensive) volume Dr. Aldcroft has attempted to redress the balance with an historical analysis of the economic problems of Britain's railways. It is therefore unfortunate that such a potentially useful work should be marred by several defects. In the first place, little original research has been undertaken: a factor made more serious by the frequent uncritical acceptance of the work of others; the Economist of 1919 was scarcely an impartial commentator on the efficiency of government-controlled enterprises. Feinstein on investment is no doubt more reliable, but surely the figures obtained by B. R. Mitchell in his study of original railway accounts should also have been utilized. If they had been consulted, then the statement that railway investment "fell off sharply" (2) in the 1870's might have been avoided.
This paper argues that by the nature of their training, economists and economic historians offer ... more This paper argues that by the nature of their training, economists and economic historians offer a different form of sports history from that of social and cultural historians. They bring a special set of tools to the study of sports history in their use of theories, models and theoretical concepts; taxonomies and typologies; and numbers. Yet, unlike economic historians, economists often have no real sense of history and are unaware of the source material and its pitfalls and unappreciative of its temporal context. Basically they do not do historical research but actually economics research and prefer to look at relatively modern periods with its time series. This could have implications for the future of the subject. However, behavioural economists are now challenging the standard economic approach that behaviour is driven by a conscious cost-benefit approach, and arguing that it is influenced by emotional, cultural or other factors. This too could have implications for sports history.
International Journal of the History of Sport, 2022
By the application of new definitions of commercialisation and
entrepreneurship, it is argued th... more By the application of new definitions of commercialisation and
entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Ancient Greece and
Rome was associated with significant levels of commercial activity.
This included regular organised events, large-capacity sports stadiums, professional athletes with trainers and free agency, sports
tourism, and gambling on sport. Those providing sport and
sport-associated products ranged from petty businessmen, who
sold food, drink and accommodation to sports tourists, to the
state provision of mass-spectacle sporting events. Although much
of the sport provision was not profit-oriented, those who funded
games, chariot-racing and gladiatorial combat in the hope of securing prestige and political influence can still be considered sports
entrepreneurs as they acted a change agents on the supply side
of sport.
International Journal of the History of Sport, 2023
By utilising revised definitions of commercialism, sports products
and entrepreneurship, it is ar... more By utilising revised definitions of commercialism, sports products and entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Europe has had a long association with commerce, one dating back to Antiquity. It is shown that this relationship involving spectator products, player products, professional participants and associated economic activity such as gambling, construction and sports tourism continued through Medieval times, the Renaissance and into the Enlightenment (and beyond). A discussion considers the chronology of commercialism in sport, the role of capitalism and how sport commercialisation relates to Guttmann’s theory of modernisation in sport
Professional sportspeople have different career structures and working lives from most other work... more Professional sportspeople have different career structures and working lives from most other workers as can be seen in the discussion here of recruitment, mobility, earnings, contracts, retirement and collective bargaining. Recruitment in US elite sport is via a reverse-order draft in which players have little choice of their employing club. Nor have most professionals any right to change their employers, though the coming of free agency has allowed them (with the use of agents) to negotiate contracts with clubs of their own choosing. Contracts detail pay structure and length of tenure, both of which have implications for the incentivisation of effort. Earnings are determined by a combination of the demand for labour of a certain type or quality, the available supply of such labour, and the productivity of that labour when at work. Payment by results dominates remuneration in individual sports, but in team sports it is a matter of valuing the team’s output and then assessing the contribution to this of the individual player. Insecurity is the hallmark of a career in professional sport and players’ associations have assisted by bargaining collectively on working conditions, pension benefits, insurance, and grievance procedures.
Written specifically for students of both sports science and physical education, this text is a r... more Written specifically for students of both sports science and physical education, this text is a reference guide to the disciplines, themes, topics and concerns current in contemporary sport. Entries on such diverse subjects as professionalism, history, exercise physiology and education offer an up-to-date perspective on the changing face of sport science.
PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE The Pitt Building, Trumpington St... more PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS The Edinburgh Building. Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 West 20lh Sired, New York NY ...
Delving into the history of gambling and corruption in intercollegiate sports, Cheating the Sprea... more Delving into the history of gambling and corruption in intercollegiate sports, Cheating the Spread recounts all of the major gambling scandals in college football and basketball. Digging through court records, newspapers, government documents, and university archives and conducting private interviews, Albert J. Figone finds that game rigging has been pervasive and nationwide throughout most of the sports' history. The insidious practice has spread to implicate not only bookies and unscrupulous gamblers but also college administrators, athletic organizers, coaches, fellow students, and the athletes themselves. Naming the players, coaches, gamblers, and go-betweens involved, Figone discusses numerous college basketball and football games reported to have been fixed and describes the various methods used to gain unfair advantage, inside information, or undue profit. His survey of college football includes early years of gambling on games between established schools such as Yale, Princeton, and Harvard; Notre Dame's All-American halfback and skilled gambler George Gipp; and the 1962 allegations of insider information between Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and former Georgia coach James Wallace "Wally" Butts; and many other recent incidents. Notable events in basketball include the 1951 scandal involving City College of New York and six other schools throughout the East Coast and the Midwest; the 1961 point-shaving incident that put a permanent end to the Dixie Classic tournament; the 1978 scheme in which underworld figures recruited and bribed several Boston College players to ensure a favorable point spread; the 1994-95 Northwestern scandal in which players bet against their own team; and other recent examples of compromised gameplay and gambling.
Sport serves many purposes, a few of which are considered in this chapter. Politicians worldwide ... more Sport serves many purposes, a few of which are considered in this chapter. Politicians worldwide see sporting success at the elite level as validating their ideologies and hence governments often invest heavily in an attempt to win Olympic medals. Economists have measured whether this will also make the population happier, using life satisfaction surveys. However, hosting mega events seems to have more positive impact than medal success, though it is transitory. At grassroots level sports funding can be justified in that participants are healthier and happier than non-participants. Many sports clubs have adopted corporate social responsibility policies as they have become aware that enhanced non-sporting reputations can expand their sporting customer base. However, there has been a broad failure to evaluate the output of programmes. Advocates of Sport for Development and Peace see sport as a merit good which ought to be consumed but suffers from a shortfall in demand because of the poverty of potential consumers. Hence it is provided free of charge, especially for children, in the hope that it will assist recipients to improve their life chances. As with corporate social responsibility, there is a failure to adequately assess its impact with emphasis placed on measuring inputs rather than outcomes.
Ownership is a nebulous concept that can be interpreted in several ways. This chapter will briefl... more Ownership is a nebulous concept that can be interpreted in several ways. This chapter will briefly explore the historical background to some of these viewpoints as well as providing an overview of sports development into which a discussion of sports ownership might fit.
The Economics of the Industrial Revolution Edited Joel Mokyr ... The Economics of the Industrial ... more The Economics of the Industrial Revolution Edited Joel Mokyr ... The Economics of the Industrial Revolution This On. PK7C-L86-8QN8 ... The Economics of the Industrial Revolution Edited by JOEL MOKYR Northwestern University Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
In Britain's history, work and leisure have always been yoked together. Until the Reformation... more In Britain's history, work and leisure have always been yoked together. Until the Reformation, the working year was peppered with Saint's days and ancient pre-Christian festivals. No puritan ethic of godly work could dent the British addiction to pleasure, and even when the Industrial Revolution broke the old cycle, workers created their own festivals. Employers and moralists came to accept the need for leisure, but they preferred the chaotic, often anarchic quality of traditional pastimes which were closely linked to drunkenness and immorality. Organized sport provided spectacle, discipline and orderly participation, a perfect means of controlling men's leisure time as industrial society dominated their working hours. The control of women was achieved by other less subtle means. What began as a means of control became a source of true pleasure and delight for working men: a liberation from daily life, replete with heroes and passionate loyalties. Dennis Brailsford traces the rise and transformation of organized sport, its impact upon social patterns and gender roles, and suggests that today sport is recreating some of the social ills it was first designed to cure more than a century ago.
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Papers by Wray Vamplew
entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Ancient Greece and
Rome was associated with significant levels of commercial activity.
This included regular organised events, large-capacity sports stadiums, professional athletes with trainers and free agency, sports
tourism, and gambling on sport. Those providing sport and
sport-associated products ranged from petty businessmen, who
sold food, drink and accommodation to sports tourists, to the
state provision of mass-spectacle sporting events. Although much
of the sport provision was not profit-oriented, those who funded
games, chariot-racing and gladiatorial combat in the hope of securing prestige and political influence can still be considered sports
entrepreneurs as they acted a change agents on the supply side
of sport.
and entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Europe has had
a long association with commerce, one dating back to Antiquity.
It is shown that this relationship involving spectator products,
player products, professional participants and associated economic
activity such as gambling, construction and sports tourism continued through Medieval times, the Renaissance and into the
Enlightenment (and beyond). A discussion considers the chronology of commercialism in sport, the role of capitalism and how
sport commercialisation relates to Guttmann’s theory of modernisation in sport
entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Ancient Greece and
Rome was associated with significant levels of commercial activity.
This included regular organised events, large-capacity sports stadiums, professional athletes with trainers and free agency, sports
tourism, and gambling on sport. Those providing sport and
sport-associated products ranged from petty businessmen, who
sold food, drink and accommodation to sports tourists, to the
state provision of mass-spectacle sporting events. Although much
of the sport provision was not profit-oriented, those who funded
games, chariot-racing and gladiatorial combat in the hope of securing prestige and political influence can still be considered sports
entrepreneurs as they acted a change agents on the supply side
of sport.
and entrepreneurship, it is argued that sport in Europe has had
a long association with commerce, one dating back to Antiquity.
It is shown that this relationship involving spectator products,
player products, professional participants and associated economic
activity such as gambling, construction and sports tourism continued through Medieval times, the Renaissance and into the
Enlightenment (and beyond). A discussion considers the chronology of commercialism in sport, the role of capitalism and how
sport commercialisation relates to Guttmann’s theory of modernisation in sport