Athletics Flashcards
Who revived the Cotswolds Games, when and where
What and who did it attract (pop rec)
Robert Dover
In Dover in Glouchtshire
1604
Attracted huge crowds to watch contests of leaping, shin-kicking, wrestling, coursing and jousting -attracted both upper and lower class participation
When did the Dover Games survive till and why did they stop (pop rec)
Mid-nineteenth century when rowdy Black Country facilities arrived by train and caused havoc resulting in the events’ suspension
Explain about the Much Wenlock Olympian games (pop rec)
They emerged from a rural sports festival
They were revived by Dr Penny Brookes in 1850 when they became a highly respected rival to athletic development at Oxford and Cambridge universities
What was Dr Penny Brookes keen to do (pop rec)
Brookes was keen to add pure form of athletics to traditional events, so along with 20-a-side football matches, an old women’s race for a pound of tea, a blindfold wheelbarrow race and chasing a corned pig, there were more refined running, jumping and throwing events
What is the most obvious ancestor to modern athletics (pop rec)
Pedestrianism
Who was gambling a key feature for (pop rec)
Those accustomed to poverty and hardship, winning could mean the difference between starvation
Who is the great athlete from pedestrianism (pop rec)
Deerfoot
Who did Deerfoot attract with he visited England and he did he inspire (pop rec)
The American Indian attracted huge crowds and along with other Victorian professionals, he helped to inspire early amateur athletes
What were the largest bets for (pop rec)
One-main challenges against the clock/calendar and novelty races
Explain ‘tickery was commonplace’ (pop rec)
Tickery was commonplace, with speedy amateurs entering races using false names, professionals impersonating unknown amateurs, and a lot of match-fixing, while riots amongst the crowds brought the sport into dispute
Explain Robert Barclay Allardice (pop rec)
Scottish land owner
Attracted a crowd of over 10,000 in 1809 when he walked 1,000 miles in 1,000 hour (equivalent to a month without a night’s sleep)
When was the first purpose-built tracks built and when did most major cities have facilities (rat rec)
Late 1830’s
By 1850
What did carefully measured tracks lead to (rat rec)
More stringent timekeeping and the beginning of record keeping, so that by mid-century up to 25,000 people would watch and wager on a single man
What did the lower class take to as a source of income (rat rec)
Running
Even though the winnings were small by pre-Victorian standards
Explain ‘exploitation was rife’ (rat rec)
‘Roping’ (holding back in order to lose)
‘Running to the book’ (disguising form to keep handicap)
‘Ringing in’ (promoters conspired to size handicap unfairly)
What did the steady urbanisation of England lead to (rat rec)
First to the end of rural fairs and then the professional athletes becoming established in the big industrial cities
What does AAA stand for and when was it established (rat rec)
Amateur Athletics Association
1880
What was the AAA responsible for (rat rec)
Opening up the sport to all levels of society without compromising its upright image
What did the AAA withdraw (rat rec)
The exclusion clause was withdrawn and a professional became someone who ran for money rather than someone of the lower class
Explain the exclusion clause (rat rec)
Ex-university gentlemen amateurs who wanted to compete against one another without having to mix with professionals formed the Amateur Athletics Club (AAC) in 1866
Explain about the AAC (rat rec)
They were desperate to dissociate from respectable modern athletes from the old corrupted professional form and so adopted the exclusion clause, which was already used by the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA) -it was a device by upper class administrations to exclude manual workers from spots associations
What the 18th century public school boys do after the holidays (public schools)
Took the sports of their local village wakes and fairs back to school
Why did public school boys play sports (public schools)
Played for fun and to relive boredom of early 19th century school life
Why could fox hunting not be adopted and what was the alternative (public schools)
There were no stabling or kennels at school
Instead it was adopted to ‘hare and hounds’ where the ‘hare’ would run ahead and drop a ‘sent’ (paper) for the ‘hounds’ to follow
Why did headmasters initially against the idea of ‘hare and hounds’ (public schools)
Annoyed the neighbouring farmers, led to truancy, gave the school a bad name, boys often used their textbook
What is required to prepare for a severe ‘here and hounds match’ (public schools)
Long runs
Steady exercise
Careful diet
Early hours of bed-time
Stage one of public schools
Informal running and exporting the countryside, hare and hounds linked to trespass
Stage two of public schools
Trespass restricted/banned, hare and hounds and steeple chase continued more formally
Stage three of public schools
Steeple chase and cross country running, annual sports day as major sporting and social occasion
Explain about Exeter Collage, Oxford (public schools)
More refined form of athletics came to public schools from here in 1850 -a group of undergraduates, disappointed by their poor riding in traditional steeple chase, ran in a ‘foot grid’ across country, and also staged an Autumn meeting
Such events would lead to betting
The idea was soon copied, and by the 1870’s athletic sports days became a major social occasion and a symbol of a new modern age
Usually the impact here was from the uni’s back to schools rather than the other way round
School sports days represented an era of technical advancement, more friendly social relationships between boys and masters, and a developing interest in skilfulness over brute force -also a useful day for headmasters to proudly display his school and to tout for financial support
Sports days were highly organised with elaborate ribboned programmes, press coverage, large numbers of spectators and often a military band
Athletics today
Jogging/running in cheap, simple, accessible, with participation levels relatively high
Popular and a health-enhancing pastime despite risk of injury from over-use
Increasing popularity of triathlon events
Successful events: London Marathon, Great North Run, Race for Life
Barriers to participation today
Many events are specialised and linked with risks -specialist training and equipment required
Many young people get poached by team games
Not considered a lifetime sport
Indoor facilities are selective and mainly restrictive
Factors developing athletics today
Technological developments such as titanium for javelins
Playground athletics with a teacher pack for schools showing how athletics can be done safely without specialist equipment
Adequate media coverage to promote role models and make a difference
Passion of individual teachers and club manages
Lottery funding and prize money has meant that the elite can now be career athletes
