20th Century Britain

Question 1

Background

During the twentieth century, there was a continuation of the pace of change set by the industrial revolution. Many developments took place in the UK, this included: (5)

Answer 1

• Massive development of scientific and technological innovation
• Many societies became hugely rich, but wealth was still unequally shared
• Considerable growth of cities (urbanisation)
• Advancement in communications technology
• More time for leisure and sport, as less time was spent at work.

Question 2

Social class

The pub?(4)

Answer 2

The pub:

• It was the centre of sporting activity for working class men.
• In the early part of the twentieth century, most sporting activity still took part in a drinking environment.
• Working class men and women had less free time for sport than the upper and middle classes.
• Gambling was still an essential part to sport (snooker & darts)

The upper and middle classes would have put up the money whilst lower classes would have been the performers

Question 3

Cricket and Golf Clubs

Answer 3

In cricket:

• the middle class batted
• working classes would field, bowl and wash the kit

In golf clubs:

• Women not allowed into most golf clubs
• When females were allowed in, they were restricted on where they could go

Question 4

By 1900’s fields of play…

For example…

During this time…

Answer 4

• By 1900’s fields of play were enclosed and boundaries made more formal. Games were timetabled and there were written rules of conduct.

For example: in football and rugby this included the wearing of numbers on the backs of their shirts.

• During this time, spectatorism emerged; which assisted in the clubs being able to pay players because it had become something that people would watch as well as play.

Question 5

Professional football players (5)

Wage cap?
John Charles?
End of 20th Century?
Spectators?
Paying?
Football through WW1?

How do you think football could have benefited the troops involved in the wars?

How did the post war depression affect football?

Answer 5

• In 1948 professional players were restricted to £8 per week
• In 1957 John Charles became the first British footballer to transfer into the Italian league for a fee of £65000
• By the end of the 20th Century wages had reached £50000 per week, and transfer fees in excess of £25 million
• The expansion of professional sports was financed by spectators
• Paying to watch games was due to the working conditions of men being improved and them having Saturday afternoons off
• Football continued to be played during World War I, which had a negative impact on the reputation of professional sport; particularly amongst the middle classes who saw the events as being too common and too associated with gambling.

How do you think football could have benefited the troops involved in the wars?

It aided the morale of the troops, it allowed them to have an activity which could assist them in forgetting the terror of war; even if it was for a short time.

How do you think the post war depression affected football?

Unemployment rocketed in parts of Britain, which led to professional sport such as football suffering. Some clubs in the hardest hit regions went bankrupt.

Question 6

Gender (4 key facts)

Participation?
Crowds?
Women?
Working class women?

Answer 6

• Participation of women in physical recreation dropped dramatically in 1900 because of having to take so many male jobs due to WWs
• Crowds at professional matches were male dominated
• Only a few women would spectate and these would mainly be middle-class
• Working class women were excluded from professional sport by the constraints of time and money

Question 7

Law and Order

Spectators?
Sports?

2 Other Changes?

Answer 7

• Spectators had to pay to watch the sport which they thought would assist in controlling the actions of the spectators and making it more respectable.
• Cruel sports continued to decline, unless they were for gentry eg. fox hunting

Other changes also included:

• Gloves were to be worn in boxing and the contest needed to have no biting or kicking.
• Fixed number of players per side in most team sports.

Question 8

Education

Background?

3 Types of schools (5,3,2)

Answer 8

• The Education Act of 1944 (Butler Act) stated that all local education should continue the spiritual, mental and physical developments of the community
• The concept of physical developments within the act, was a crucial component of the emergence of modern day sport in ALL schools.

Prior to 1965 there were 3 types of schools in the state education system:

Grammar schools:

  - Academic education for those aged 11-19
  - Pupils would sit the 11+ exam,
  - They were selective, and had the most academically gifted children
  - Most would enter university from these schools
  - It was essentially a middle class institution

Secondary modern schools:

 - Students would attend a 4 year course leading to the ‘School leaving Certificate’
 - Syllabus usually included: English, plus one other language, geography, history, maths, science, domestic science and physical exercise
 - At the end of 4 years pupils could leave and gain employment OR stay on for another year and complete the General Certificate of Education which became the Certificate of Secondary Education in 1963

Secondary Technical schools:

- Less popular alternative to Secondary modern
- At the age of 12/13 you could go to this type of school

Question 9

Availability of time, money and space

Men would…?

It also meant that new opportunities arose: (3)

Answer 9

• Men would play and watch sport and this was due to the fact that over the twentieth century there was a gradual increase in leisure time and money.

It also meant that new opportunities arose:

• Water polo in the public baths
• Pigeon races
• Quoits in fields behind pubs

Question 10

Transport (2)

Answer 10

• Electrical Trains & cars
• Lead to Growth in international matches