Post industrial revolution

Post industrial Britain

• Urbanisation = growth of cities, which meant lack of free, open space  

• Middle class developed = factory owners  

• Physically demanding factory work with long, low paid hours  

• Railway developed rapidly  

• Women still experiencing inequality, but fighting against it  

• Public school for upper/middle class males. Late 19th century state education introduced 

What was the industrial revolution? 

• A period of major technological and social change  

• From 1850-1900 

Sport in Post-Industrial Britain: 

• Clearer distinction between work and leisure time  

• Growing sport opportunities for lower classes - upper class still had more access 

• Notion of 'professionalism' grew 

• Sports became 'codified' - mostly occurred in Public schools 

• Codified = introduction of rules and regulations 

• State education = PE = more participation in sports  

• Factory owners discouraged mob games, but encouraged codified sports - they needed a healthy workforce 

Amateur  

Taking part for the love of the game, ad for no monetary reward. Traditional 'gentlemanly approach'. 

Professional 

Taking part to be paid. Made winning more important and increased competitiveness.

Class

• Middle class formed and were sent to public schools to copy the upper class 

• The first rugby teams were rooted in middle class values 

• professional players were considered inferior to gentlemen amateurs in terms of social class 

• Amateurs had better roles e.g. batting in cricket and used separate entrances and changing rooms 

• Working class got weekends off so sought sporting entertainment 

• Professionalism was frowned upon as payment would lead to corruption and destruction of moral Christian values 

 

Gender

• During mid 1800s women of all classes were dependent on men 

• In 1870 society began to change and allowed women in schools 

• PE was made compulsory in 1873 

• Cricket, hockey and lax were taught at girls schools 

• Osterberg founded the first women's PE college in London 

• Male dominated society refused to take women's sport seriously until well into 1900s 

Law and order

• Football crowds were rowdy and patriarchal 

• Veiled professionalism began as being paid was frowned upon 

• Teams broke away from Rugby Football union and formed the Northern Union 

• Players suspected of appearing in Northern Union would receive a lifetime ban from RFU 

Transport

• The spread of railways allowed the possibility of reliable and convenient travel. Fixtures between schools began. 

 

Cost/money

• Professionals are able to earn money but are inferior to "amateurs" 

• Players on rugby teams had to ask for compensatory payment of missing out on Saturday morning wages due to missing it to play games, they were denied. 

• Many clubs could not sustain financial outlay and disbanded 

Education

• Education act - more people attended school  

• As literacy rate improved, the working classes began to understand written rules and read news items about their teams 

• Girls also went to school in 1870s, which increased the population with an education 

• Factories owned football teams - employees played on the team 

Time

• Working class gained rights and the weekend was created. This caused the working classes to seek sporting entertainment 

• Public schools increased the amount of time they were spending on sport and increased its popularity