Athletics

Question 1

Who revived the Cotswolds Games, when and where

What and who did it attract (pop rec)

Answer 1

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

Question 2

When did the Dover Games survive till and why did they stop (pop rec)

Answer 2

Mid-nineteenth century when rowdy Black Country facilities arrived by train and caused havoc resulting in the events’ suspension

Question 3

Explain about the Much Wenlock Olympian games (pop rec)

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What was Dr Penny Brookes keen to do (pop rec)

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is the most obvious ancestor to modern athletics (pop rec)

Answer 5

Pedestrianism

Question 6

Who was gambling a key feature for (pop rec)

Answer 6

Those accustomed to poverty and hardship, winning could mean the difference between starvation

Question 7

Who is the great athlete from pedestrianism (pop rec)

Answer 7

Deerfoot

Question 8

Who did Deerfoot attract with he visited England and he did he inspire (pop rec)

Answer 8

The American Indian attracted huge crowds and along with other Victorian professionals, he helped to inspire early amateur athletes

Question 9

What were the largest bets for (pop rec)

Answer 9

One-main challenges against the clock/calendar and novelty races

Question 10

Explain ‘tickery was commonplace’ (pop rec)

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Explain Robert Barclay Allardice (pop rec)

Answer 11

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)

Question 12

When was the first purpose-built tracks built and when did most major cities have facilities (rat rec)

Answer 12

Late 1830’s

By 1850

Question 13

What did carefully measured tracks lead to (rat rec)

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What did the lower class take to as a source of income (rat rec)

Answer 14

Running

Even though the winnings were small by pre-Victorian standards

Question 15

Explain ‘exploitation was rife’ (rat rec)

Answer 15

‘Roping’ (holding back in order to lose)
‘Running to the book’ (disguising form to keep handicap)
‘Ringing in’ (promoters conspired to size handicap unfairly)

Question 16

What did the steady urbanisation of England lead to (rat rec)

Answer 16

First to the end of rural fairs and then the professional athletes becoming established in the big industrial cities

Question 17

What does AAA stand for and when was it established (rat rec)

Answer 17

Amateur Athletics Association

1880

Question 18

What was the AAA responsible for (rat rec)

Answer 18

Opening up the sport to all levels of society without compromising its upright image

Question 19

What did the AAA withdraw (rat rec)

Answer 19

The exclusion clause was withdrawn and a professional became someone who ran for money rather than someone of the lower class

Question 20

Explain the exclusion clause (rat rec)

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Explain about the AAC (rat rec)

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What the 18th century public school boys do after the holidays (public schools)

Answer 22

Took the sports of their local village wakes and fairs back to school

Question 23

Why did public school boys play sports (public schools)

Answer 23

Played for fun and to relive boredom of early 19th century school life

Question 24

Why could fox hunting not be adopted and what was the alternative (public schools)

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Why did headmasters initially against the idea of ‘hare and hounds’ (public schools)

Answer 25

Annoyed the neighbouring farmers, led to truancy, gave the school a bad name, boys often used their textbook

Question 26

What is required to prepare for a severe ‘here and hounds match’ (public schools)

Answer 26

Long runs
Steady exercise
Careful diet
Early hours of bed-time

Question 27

Stage one of public schools

Answer 27

Informal running and exporting the countryside, hare and hounds linked to trespass

Question 28

Stage two of public schools

Answer 28

Trespass restricted/banned, hare and hounds and steeple chase continued more formally

Question 29

Stage three of public schools

Answer 29

Steeple chase and cross country running, annual sports day as major sporting and social occasion

Question 30

Explain about Exeter Collage, Oxford (public schools)

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Athletics today

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Barriers to participation today

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Factors developing athletics today

Answer 33

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