Playing together: towards a theory of the British sports club in history

Abstract

This article brings together theories and extant analysis to assist in a better understanding of the theoretical complexities of establishing, organising, operating, and sustaining the sports club. It explores theoretical perspectives on the origins of the club; various levels of associativity; capital formation particularly that involving social capital; conviviality; the life cycle of the club; and aspects of third sector theory, the economics of the firm and invention and innovation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. For a discussion of the quagmire that definitions of the sports club can lead us into, see Vamplew 2013, 1570–1573.

2. See also Szymanski, (2008b, 57–64).

3. For a synthesis of Bordieau’s views, see DeLuca 2013, 343–4.

4. In the later nineteenth century angling clubs were generally located in public houses. By 1900 few northern pubs were without an affiliated angling club and London’s 620 clubs were almost all pub-based. The landlords offered rooms for moderate rents as the clubs provided regular custom and temperate behaviour (Lowerson 1989, 19).

5. In their study of female involvement in club administration, White and Kay (2006) have suggested that newer clubs were more innovative in this regard.

6. Only when lottery funds and government grants have been sought have clubs been forced to come to terms with the real world.