Theme 4 c 1 - The growth in spectator sports from the 1920s Flashcards
Give three examples of horse racing events that could be seen for free
Epsom, Aintree and Derby
How many spectators were attracted to horse racing events like Epsom, Aintree and Derby
Between 200,000 and 500,000
Throughout the years 1920s-30s how many people a year attended professional football matches?
22 million people a year
What happened to support of Rugby outside Yorkshire and Lancashire?
Closed due to low attendance and the only matches with over 50,000 spectators were held after the economic crisis.
Declined ticket sales and cheaper ticket made it difficult to survive financially.
After football what was the next largest spectator sport during the interwar period?
Greyhound racing
Where was the largest Greyhound racing track in the country?
1927 - White City Stadium
On average how many spectators would come to a Greyhound race at Walthamstow Stadium?
100,000
How many people paid to see the Ryder Cup in 1933?
50,000 (golf)
What did a mass sporting event do for the people?
Added to spectators qualify of life by providing entertainment at an affordable price.
However, most audiences were men and so these sports had little impact on women.
Year - BBC broadcasted live football matches
1936
Who was concerned when the BBC started to broadcast live football matches?
Where they right to be concerned?
the Football Association (FA) - Believing people would simply listen from home and not attend matched.
This, however, didn’t help and radio broadcasts actually strengthened and increased mass participation in football as it developed its audience to a national spectator sport.
Give an example of a charity football event during the war?
May 1943 - 55,000 attended a football match in Chelsea raising £8,000 for naval welfare charities.
What happened that delayed a Cricket match between the RAF and Army in July 1944?
Played in Lords - a V1 bomb landed nearby
What happened in September 1944 for international football?
Britain played France and Belgium in their capital cities after their liberation. Winning 5-0 and 3-0 respectively.
Allegedly the terraces had to be swept for mines before play.
What was the nations favourite game after the war?
Country cricket - Later perceived as a sport for the upper and middle classes.
Give a stat of how popular Cricket was in 1948 compared to the Olympics
1948 Ashes test between England and Australia attracted as many spectators as the London Olympics that year.
How did the number of cricket matches change between 1955-1965?
1955 - 3,473 matches
1965 - 2,268 matches
Which minority groups were most passionate about cricket during the 1960s?
West Indian and Asian Immigrants
Which large sporting events were televised to increase support for British teams?
Football world cup, Olympics and commonwealth games
During the 1966 World Cup final how many people watched England?
32 million
Year - England won the World cup
1966 - defeating West Germany
What did the government create to help athletes compete internationally?
Sports Council of Great Britain - 1972
Year - Sports Council of Great Britain
1972
What did the Sports Council of Great Britain aim to do?
Promote sport both among elite athletes and the public as a whole with the moto ‘sport for all’.
In 1948 how many tickets were sold for Football League matches?
41 million - This dropped by 30 million over the next two decades
What are some reasons for ticket declines after 1948?
- Previously an escape from post-war austerity.
- As living standards increase football had to compete for attention.
- Also the growth in teh availability of sport on television.
- Growth in violent clashes between supporters
