KICK START (2006) 

The 2006 Political Studies Association annual conference marked the inauguration of the Sport and Politics specialist group with two stimulating panels chaired by group convenors Dr. Russell Holden and Paul Gilchrist. The first session was devoted to the British perspective and meanings of the politics of sport. Marc Keech presented a paper on the government and governance of sport, a paper on protest and collective action in canoeing was delivered by Paul Gilchrist and Neil Ravenscroft and Alan Tomlinson presented a paper on critical theory and sport. All presenters were from the University of Brighton.
The second panel, consisting of Wyn Grant (University of Warwick), Dean Allen (Ulster University) and Russell Holden (University of Wales Institute, Cardiff), took an international approach on the international political economy of sport, sport and reconciliation, and the England-Zimbabwe cricket crisis, 2001-2005.

2007

On the back of these two successful panels it was agreed that more panels would be staged at the PSA annual conference in 2007, at the University of Bath, and that a conference be staged in early 2007. The inaugural conference of the group was held at the University of Wales residential centre, Gregynog, Powys on Febraury 23-25 2007. A range of papers were heard on diverse areas that discussed the 'currency' of sport. We were joined by cricketer Robert Croft and cricket journalist Matthew Engel who entertained us with anecdotes on the Saturday night. For a fuller report click here.

The group hosted a panel at the PSA's annual conference at the University of Bath in 2007. This included papers from David Ranc (Cambridge University) 'Local politics, identity and football in Paris', Michael Holmes (Liverpool Hope University) 'Mercenaries or nationalists? National identity and the Republic of Ireland football team' and Wyn Grant (University of Warwick) 'Two tiers of representation and policy: the EU and the future of football' and Russell Holden (University of Wales Institute Cardiff) 'Never forget the Welsh - exploring the myths and realities of the Welsh contribution to the 2005 Ashes victory'.

A special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal Sport in Society is to appear in mid-2009 with contributions from the Group's inaugural conference. The provisional title is: 'The politics of sport: community, mobility and identity'. This is to be edited by the convenors, Russell Holden and Paul Gilchrist, and features papers from established and emergent figures in the field of sport politics.

2008

The group held its 2nd annual conference on 15 February 2008 at Liverpool Hope University. This was attended by 30 delegates and included established and emergent academics and doctoral researchers. For a full report on the conference click here.

The group sponsored a panel at the PSA annual conference, Swansea University, 1 April 2008. This featured papers from Dr Mick Green (Loughborough) 'Governing under advanced liberalism: sport policy and the social investment state'; Prof Barrie Houlihan (Loughborough) who looked at the questions of mechanisms of policy internationalisation in relation to elite development systems; and Dr Jonathan Grix (Birmingham) 'Towards an understanding of the demise of athletics in the UK: a case study of men's distance running'.

The group co-sponsored the 'Popular culture and (world) politics' workshop at the University of Bristol, 11-12 September 2008.

2009

The group held its 3rd annual conference on the governence and regulation of sport at Birkbeck College, London, 20-21 February. Full report available here. This was our biggest annual conference to date with 120 delegates, representatives from parliament, national governing bodies and sports administrators. Former England test cricketer Ed Smith gave the annual after-dinner talk.

The group sponsored a panel at the PSA annual conference in Manchester in April on the governance and regulation of sport. Papers included: Prof Barrie Houlihan (Loughborough) 'Modernisation and sport: the reform of sport', Dr Russell Holden (In the Zone), 'New Labour and the celebration of sporting achievement', and Dr Michael Silk (Bath) 'The biggest loser: the discursive construction of fatness'.

Since its inception the group has made links with a number of organisations including the Leisure Studies Association, British Society of Sport History and the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). Discussions are being conducted with other PSA specialist groups and with the British Sociological Association Sociology of Sport Study Group regarding the possibility of running joint events. Our membership database includes over 150 academics and contacts with practitioners and journalists are being constantly made. We look forward to further activity.