Sports and competition

A national passion Rugby Rounder

The social The cheese chasers of

Animals in sport
importance of sport Brockworth

Cricket Other sports The ashes

Football Gambling The end of amateur ethos

 Sport and competition
 Many popular sports around the world were first played in Britain, and their
modern rules were often first codified there.
 During the Victorian era, British public schools believed competitive games
had psychological benefits and promoted the concept of "fair play."
 The modern approach to sports in Britain has changed from the amateur
ethos of the past.
 Modern professional players emphasize a professional attitude and doing
their job well.
 The public school attitude towards sports and the importance of participation
have had a lasting influence on the nature and role of sports in Britain today.
 Giant killer: The British love the concept of "the underdog" in sports.
 A national passion
 Sport plays a significant role in people's lives in Britain.
 British schools allocate more time to organized sports compared to most other
European countries.
 Millions of people in Britain participate in sports at least once a week.
 British newspapers, regardless of their type, dedicate several pages to sports coverage.
 Even leisure activities have dedicated participants and national championships in
Britain.
 In the 1980s and 1990s, there was an effort to downplay competitive elements in
schools because of their potential negative impacts, but the British appetite for
competition remained strong.
 Competition is prevalent in various aspects of British life.
 Light entertainment TV programs often incorporate competitive elements
the country's fascination with competition.
 The social importance of sport
 Participation in sport is legally recognized in Britain and local authorities have a duty to
provide and maintain playing fields and facilities, often at low or no cost.
 Spectator sport is a matter of official public concern.
 The traditions associated with sporting events can be as important as the actual sporting
contest itself.
 The popularity of certain British sporting events is not solely based on the standard of
British sport but rather on the historical significance and prestige associated with the
events.
 Famous sporting venues in Britain are considered the spiritual homes of their respective
sports.
 British sporting events and venues have become an export, attracting international
viewership and the aspirations of athletes worldwide.
 Cricket
 Cricket is not the national sport of Britain.
 Interest in cricket in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland is largely limited to the
middle classes.
 The majority of the population in England does not understand the rules of
cricket.
 The Britain often think of the associations and symbolism cricket carries.
 'First-class' cricket teams in England are named after counties rather than towns,
emphasizing the connection to rural areas.
 The comparatively low attendance at top-class matches does not accurately reflect
the level of interest in cricket in the country.
 Many people in the country are passionate about cricket and spend significant
time for it.
 Commentators in cricket are well-loved figures, and the death of a famous
 Football
 The full official name of 'soccer' is Association Football.
 In Britain, 'football' (soccer) is the dominant sport.
 Traditionally, Football in Britain mainly attracts the working class.
 In the last two decades of the 20th century, it started to attract wider interest and
discussion.
 It appears to have reduced the problem of hooliganism in football matches.
 Attendance at British club matches had been falling until the mid-1990s due to old,
uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous stadiums resulting in the disappearance of
standing areas.
 Attendance at football matches started rising again in the new century, the proportion of
women spectators has increased, although they still represent a minority.
 The increasing popularity of football matches as status symbols and rising ticket prices
have made them expensive and potentially inaccessible for many genuine fans.
 Rugby
 There are two versions of a fast and aggressive ball game: rugby union and rugby league.
 Rugby union is the older of the two versions and was enthusiastically adopted by most of
Britain's public schools in the 19th century.
 Rugby league split from rugby union at the end of the 19th century and found its traditional
home among the working class of the north of England.
 Rugby league’s origins have led to it being seen as a working-class sport, while rugby union
was associated with the middle classes.
 Rugby union remained amateur for most of the 20th century but has recently been successful
in broadening its appeal and attracting a wider audience, becoming less exclusively middle
class in character.
 Rugby union has gained more popularity worldwide than rugby league.
 The old class antagonisms between followers of rugby union and rugby league have faded.
 Rugby matches have rarely seen crowd trouble.
 Animals in sport

 The traditional favorite sports of the British upper class are hunting, shooting, and
fishing.
 Fox hunting is the most widespread form of hunting in Britain, although it has become
illegal.
 Shooting is mostly confined to the higher social classes.
 Fishing is a popular sport among all social classes (competitive fishing-"angling“).
 Horse racing (racing) - "sport of kings“, is a well-established sport in Britain including
flat-racing and national hunt racing.
 Horse racing is associated with gambling and is a popular attraction for many people.
 Greyhound racing ("poor man's racing”): the dogs chase a mechanical hare around a
racetrack, is still popular but declining.
 Other sports

 Team games are more popular than individual sports.

 Some sports have comparatively smaller followings in Britain.
 Individual sports that involve socializing tend to be more popular.
 The London Marathon and Great North Run generate enthusiasm in
athletics (“fun runners”) who participate in costumes and raise
money for charity.
 Boxing is an exception to the preference for team sports -
opportunity for gambling. However, boxing's popularity is declining.
 Motor sport is becoming more popular in Britain.
 Gambling
 Gambling is widespread throughout all social classes in Britain and is
considered a basic aspect of sport.
 Horse racing is a central activity for gambling.
 The national lottery is the most popular form of gambling in Britain.
 Bingo stereotypically associated with middle-aged working-class
women who value the social aspect of the game.
 Some sections of British society, particularly Nonconformist religious
groups, disapprove of gambling.
 The opposition to gambling influenced the abandonment of plans to
allow Las Vegas-style "super-casinos" in Britain in 2005.
 The British did not have a national lottery until 1995, likely due to
concerns about gambling.
 British bookmakers are willing to offer odds on a wide range of
topics, including weather predictions and personal bets.
 Rounders

 The sport is similar to baseball but played with a soft ball.

 It has a long history in England and is commonly played at village fetes,
involving people of all ages and genders.
 It is sometimes seen as not a "real" sport.
 It is easier to organize compared to traditional sports like cricket and
rugby  popular in state schools in Britain.
 Boys and girls can play together, making it inclusive and promoting
gender equality in sports.
 The cheese chasers of Brockworth

 Cheese rolling: Annual event at Cooper's Hill near Brockworth in

Gloucestershire.
 Attract thousands of people.
 Foolhardy: Description of the participants taking an active part.
 Injuries: Cuts, bruises, sprained ankles, dislocations, fractures.
 2006: Wet conditions led to sliding instead of tumbling, resulting in
fewer injuries (25 people needed treatment, two taken to the hospital)
 The end of the amateur ethos
 Much of British sport originated as an amateur pastime, with participants not being
paid for taking part.
 In the mid-20th century, there was resistance to the growing professionalism in many
sports, as people believed it would spoil the sporting spirit.
 In the 1970s, "first-class" cricket became fully professional.
 Rugby union became openly professional in 1995, marking a significant change in
attitudes towards professionalism in sports.
 British preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games in London reflected a shift in
attitude.
 The British Olympic Association has set "medals targets" for the London Games and
has strategies to achieve them.
 The British Olympic Association actively advertises globally to identify individuals
who might be eligible to compete for Great Britain.
 The ashes

• Sporting contests involving British teams have a

traditional prize attached to them which gives them
a special significance.
• The idea of the Ashes is so well-known that it is
often applied to contests between England and
Australia in any sport.
• The ashes burn is made of terracotta and stands
only 15cm tall.