Amidst the concerns over security and potential outbreaks of urban violence in the London Boroughs, LOCOG really need to be more aware of the potential of an Olympic Boycott in 2012. This could represent the biggest boycott in Olympic history since 1984 if the London organisers do not take heed of the concerns of the Indian government regarding the involvement of Dow Corning as a major Games donor.

The problem revolves around a deal concerning the 'Dow Chemical Company and its proposed financing of a £7m wrap around the Olympic stadium. Dow Chemicals purchased Union Carbide the company responsible for the Bhopal Disaster in 1984 which killed and maimed many thousands of individuals in the Central Indian town.

Although the episode was nearly thirty years ago the court cases surrounding the admission of responsibility continued for many years and the issue remains fresh in Indian public opinion and one that the Indian government remain sensitive towards.

If there is a boycott it would be embarrassing for London and would a also impact on the Indian community in the UK. However, there is still time for LOCOG to sense sense and inject some humanity into its financial priorities.

Having just returned from an intensive four days of plenary sessions and panel discussions at the Bi-annual Play the Game Conference (Bringing Changes to the Heart of Sport) at the German Sport University in Cologne, it is heartening to find so many like minded individuals concerned by many of the ills that that riddle international sport. Interestingly these figures straddle academia, sport governing bodies as well as investigative journalists who are seeking more than story, but burn with a desire to clean sport up wherever possible.

In addition to receiving feedback on my own research relating to the decline of the Afro Caribbean cricketer in contemporary English and Welsh cricket it was a privilege to be part of an increasingly rare critical discussion on international sport. Sessions focused on issues of corruption, discrimination, spornification and the sexualisation of sport, lack of transparency within sport governing bodies, doping and the problems associated with the staging of sporting mega-events,' most notably the issue of stadium construction and their respective future usage with Brazil receiving special attention.

Ultimately the delegates managed to secure an agreed position entitled the Cologne Declaration which calls on the International Olympic Committee to drsft a Code of Good Governance in Sport, which if the IOC respond to constructively will start to alter the nature of international sport and its administration. For more detail visit http://www.playthegame.org/news

It is not often that one spends time in the company of a 6ft 8 sporting great, however, last Tuesday afternoon, former Wales Grand Slam wining Rugby captain Michael Owen launched his autobiography in Wales courtesy of In the Zone Sport and Politics Consultancy, at the Waterloo Gardens Teahouse in Cardiff. Having had his illustrious career cut short by injury, Michael has devoted the past couple of years to acquiring both undergraduate and graduate qualifications, launching a rugby coaching career and working as a match commentator and analyst for a wide range of broadcasters.

After reading from his new book, Michael Owen, My Story about the hammer blow of finding out that his career was over, whilst reflecting on how to break this news to his family with its enormous implications, Michael responded to questions from an enthusiastic and rugby knowledgeable audience. However, Michael was not just resented with questions and comments regarding career detail, and the prospects for Wales in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but also with questions relating to the writing of the autobiography, the awareness of the politics of both Welsh and international rugby and the pressure of professionalism on players who maybe return to playing for their clubs/franchise when they may not be match fit.

However, the abiding memory of the event remains the iron will evident in an individual whose desire to play rugby from an early age was realized because of the commitment to training and the desire to harness great potential. Despite losing some of his best playing years, Michael appears to feel no bitterness and is excited about the career prospects open to him as a consequence of what sport has given him and what he has learnt from the vast experience packed in to a short time-span.

With the start of the 2011 Rugby World Cup looming and the group matches involving Wales kicking off this weekend, In the Zone is delighted to welcome Wales rugby legend Michael Owen, on Tuesday September 20th (from 4.30 pm), to Waterloo Gardens Teahouse, Penylan, Cardiff.

Following the success of Henry Olonga and Scyld Berry’s recent visits to Cardiff, In The Zone is delighted to invite you to you listen to and meet Michael Owen. Michael will be launching, and reading from, his autobiography My Story. He will be talking about the state of the game in Wales and how it can and should be moving forward.

During an illustrious career that peaked with the captaincy of the Grand Slam-winning Wales rugby team in 2005, Michael was the 1000th player to be capped by Wales and also had the honour of captaining the British and Irish Lions in 2005. He is now a well-respected coach, working with both rugby clubs and schools, and is often seen providing expert analysis for Sky, ESPN and BBC Wales.

As part of the evolving series of Sport and Politics events In the Zone is hosting, the Q & A session will promote discussion of issues relating to the governance of the game in Wales and at international level, the issue of how to take the game to a wider audience as well how to ensure that the Pacific nations are able to nuture and retain their local talent.

Last week I had the chance to indulge in an activity that many crave,cricket broadcasting. Thanks to Test Match Sofa (the alternative TMS)I had the opportunity to commentate on the first day of the England India Test Match at Lords, after my lunchtime interview on the many links between Politics and International Cricket. This is now available as Podcast number 79 at www.testmatchsofa.com

Test Match Sofa is a unique fan based service which seeks to convey the essence of Test cricket in an entertaining and very enthusiastic fashion that full-time broadcasters often cannot or fear not do. Whilst the commentary proceeds, the interaction with the listeners is constant often resulting in the weaving into proceedings of curios and tales of remarkable cricketing events and possibilities.

As well as being great fun I soon realised that I would rather be the summariser and pundit rather than the commentator as the need to offer a stream of entertaining, perceptive and accurate observations is a skill that very few people have.

I certainly hope to be back some time and maybe the other TMS might offer me a gig.

With the Tour de France now entering the critical mountain phase one important story has slipped under the radar despite its importance and role in rehabilitating a sport that has been severely tarnished by numerous scandals in recent years. At 30, Yohann Gene the Guadeloupian member of the Europcar team is the first black cyclist to take part in the Tour de France. A professional racer since 2005, Gene is described by other cyclists as a model teammate and vital to support the leaders.

Cycling has long been a sport with a homogenous culture which at last is being shattered by both Gene and a group of riders with great potential from the West Indies and Ethiopia who have the ability to compete in the major European events with just need a little more fitness and tactical training. For many associated with the sport of cycling it is hoped that the achievements of Gene can be mirrored in other sports that are still bound by “whiteness” and their failure to reach out beyond their regular constituency of participants, coaches, managers and most critically of all administrators whose perception and world-view of sport sadly remains very narrow.

I am delighted that I have been selected to speak at the bi-annual Play the Game Conference which in 2011 promises to be the biggest and most global in the history of the organisation with more than 100 contributors examining how to bring change to the heart of sport.

Five days densely packed with lectures, workshops, debates and networking are waiting to be consumed by expectedly 400 sports officials, journalists, academics, athletes, students and other stakeholders when Play the Game holds its 7th international conference at the German Sport University Cologne in early October.



“Our aim is not only to keep people busy for the week with issues that matters a lot to them. The recent turmoil in FIFA has shown once again that we need to take the debate about how international sport is governed one step further,” says Jens Sejer Andersen, International Director of Play the Game. To highlight this ambition Play the Game has decided to name the last day of the conference Change in sport day and target the day’s two plenary sessions at creating a set of ideas and guidelines for improving governance in sport.

The conference gathers a number of high-profile international sports leaders and experts that who will be able to lay out evidence, provide inspiration and shape the debates towards a new approach to the understanding, openness, operation and value of international sport.

For my part I will be focusing on the issue of ethnic minority representation in British sport with particular reference on how to reignite Afro-Caribbean interest in cricket. As a consequence it is hoped that a new generation of Afro-Caribbean players can emerge as has been, and continues to be the case with the South Asian community during the past decade despite similar economic pressures felt in both communities.

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) having concluded with the most consistent team over its four year existence the Chennai Super Kings emphatically defeating the Bangalore Royal Challengers, the British media has once again displayed remarkable disinterest (with the notable exception of Simon Hughes) in the tournament, despite the coverage on ITV 4.

Despite some misgivings about the quality of some of the cricket played the event provided compelling viewing for those keen to follow cricket on television particularly those averse to signing up to SKY.

Even though a mere handful of English players were contracted to IPL franchises the event is worthy of more attention as the 20/20 format remains popular across the test playing nations, with more tournaments evolving. So what lies behind this disinterest?

On one level the lack of involvement of domestic players is sufficient to switch off the interest of some media outlets, however, more significant is the arrogance evident in many quarters of the English media regarding the value and importance of IPL in terms of the skills acquired by players whilst participating with some of the worlds finest players and learning new skills from senior coaches. It has certainly done no harm to either Eoin Morgan or Paul Collingwood.

Anyone taking a serious interest in IPL 4 will also have been struck by the fact that the most successful players in the tournament have been those most proficient at the 4 and 5 day game, as opposed to those players more inclined to travel the globe in search of the next franchise deal.

The English Counties(and Glamorgan) are keen to sign some of the stars of IPL (finances permitting), however and the domestic 20/20 competition has much to learn from the Indian model particularly if wishes to retain public support with football still dominant on the back-pages.

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to listen and talk to one of my favourite writers on cricket. Sir Hilary Beckles was one of volume the contributors able to attend the launch at De Montfort University of the Cambridge Companion to Cricket edited by Jeffrey Hill and Anthony Bateman The text which effectively combines both academic and journalistic essays which despite its slightly misleading title covers a range of issues using a truly international team of expert contributors to reflect on the increasing globalisation of the game.

Sir Hilary spoke in considerable detail about the detachment of West Indies cricket from the nationalist scaffold, commenting at length that “in the post Lara era the anti colonial, dream of building a legitimate, sovereign West Indian nation as a supportive environment for the West Indies team has eluded political leadership.'' This reality Beckles attributes to a combination of opportunism and mis-management, however, he listed ten issues in total that need addressing before a realistic West Indies revival is possible, presuming that the smallest cricket nation (based on population) can ever to recapture some of its early glory. Having been privy to such cultural investment in cricket, it would be a loss to the world game if some of the remedies he outlines do not receive the support from the wider West Indian community in the Caribbean and beyond.Ironically, these comments coincided with the release of Fire in Babylon a new cricket documentary available on general release that tells the story of the West Indies' twenty year domination of world cricket

The launch also included contributions from the volume editors, Professor Richard Holt (The Hero in Sport), Dr.Prashant Kadambi (Writing about Asian Cricket) Derek Barnard (Cricket Society) and Karen MacWhirter (Cambridge University Press).

The volume is a rewarding read but would have benefited from the inclusion of sections on the ICC Associate Countries particularly in light of the mission to spread the game more globally. On a more overtly political level the crisis in Zimbabwean cricket has suprisingly been overlooked. However, the critical omission is that the gender issue has been completely overlooked, and to truly understand the importance of cricket to contemporary society the game must not be perceived as exclusively a game for men.

Peter Oborne the political journalist and keen cricket follower recently remarked that the game can be neatly compartmentalised and isolated from the disturbing and sometimes sordid reality of everyday life. Scyld Berry the departing editor of Wisden Almanack subscribed to the latter in his presentation and the extensive question and answer session at the second In the Zone Sport and Politics Evening held at the Waterloo Gardens Tea House, Cardiff.

The Sunday Telegraphcricket correspondent was addressing the theme From Match-Fixing to the Ashes:The Politics of Cricket. In a grand tour of international cricket in which he drew on his recent experiences covering the Ashes in Australia and attending the knock-out stages of the World Cup, Scyld made a dramatic plea for improved administration of international cricket. At the heart of his concerns was the need for the involvement of former players in the international administration of the game, particularly in view of the growing commercialisation of the sport, and the failure on the part of many of the administrators involved to think beyond the bottom line driven by the next potentially lucrative deal with the broadcasters. The likely consequence of too many meaningless matches particularly in the one day format) will be overkill, growing spectator disinterest coupled with player burn-out.Scyld spoke warmly of the running of the game in New Zealand since 1994, suggesting that this could be useful model to follow at both national and international level

More worryingly were Scyld Berry’s remarks concerning match fixing. He spoke at considerable length on this theme, suggesting that much remains uncovered as a consequence of the limited terms of references for a number of the inquiries that have been conducted and the fact that too many vested interests in the game fear the impact of what may be revealed about their activities if further details were exposed by the media.

With regard to Pakistan’s valuable contribution to the international game, Scyld called for the establishment of a stadium complex in a safe environment which could house the players during international matches thus reducing the security fears that visiting teams understandably possess. This could use the model created at the Mohalii stadium in northern India and would help to sustain domestic interest in the game and build on the remarkable success of the national side in the recent World Cup despite the manifold difficulties that the national side has had to contend with.

In concluding Scyld spoke of his pleasure of awarding Player of the Year awards and adding to Wisden’s Hall of Fame, though this year in choosing four rather than five players to bestow this honour upon, he was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of his editorship.

Despite being in Cardiff as the Maynards returned to the SWALEC Stadium he did not tread into the murky waters of Glamorgan cricket.

Now established as part of the Sport and Politics landscape, the 5th Annual Political Studies Association Sport and Politics Specialist Annual Conference took place last Friday (March 18th) at the University of Birmingham hosted by the Department of Politics and International Studies.

The event had three keynote speakers, Professor John Horne (University of Central Lancashire), Margaret Talbot (President, International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education) and Dr. David Kirk (University of Bedfordshire) These contributions were supplemented three panel sessions exploring, Sport Policy under Pressure, Physical Education and Youth Sport Policy and the Impact of Austerity on Sport.

In choosing these themes for the day, the proceedings directly confronted the manifold problems experienced by Sport in England and Wales a climate of severe recession. In considering the difficulties that exist around leisure not being a mandatory responsibility of local government many of the contributors focused on the knock-on impact of lack of funding with respect to sport participation levels, the over emphasis on elite sport and the difficulties that pervade the development of school sport and its future planning and development.

Although the tone of much of the day was highly critical of the coalition government, delegates were rallied into responding through co-ordinated community action to the injustices of current policy thinking, notably by Mike Collins (University of Gloucestershire) and Mike Silk (University of Bath) who were highly critical of the concept of the Big Society and its relevance to sport and national cohesion.

For further detail please visit www.sportpolitics.net

As the dust begins to settle after the announcement by Surrey and England cricketer Steven Davies that he is gay, the time has come for a range of sports particularly those dominating national sporting life to consider why it remains such a rarity for a playing athlete to publicly declare his sexuality.

Although it was right that Davies’s declaration received substantial media coverage at the start of last week, concerns need to be expressed about how the The Daily Telegraph covered the story milking it for an element of sensationalism. Although media attention has been essentially positive, the fear is that the level of exposure is likely to deter other sportspeople from making similar declarations. It is here that the professional sporting bodies and associations need to step in to advise players and athletes, whilst the fans, supporters and growing army of pundits need to be educated so that they display more sensitivity to those considering taking this brave public step.

As the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup slowly warms up, the place of the 50 over game on the ICC’s cricket agenda is once again subject to scrutiny. For many observers this is due to the over long nature of the current tournament and a format designed to ensure that the test playing nations are not knocked out in the early stages, as was the case in 2007.

However, the real reason for doubting the future of the 50 over game is the growing strength of the Twenty20 format and the way in which this has consolidated India’s control over global cricket. Although questions may be raised about the nature of the business model used by the BCCI to consolidate and extend the game, India remains the biggest market for cricket both domestically and internationally and is now the chief broker in the sport

These concerns were central to a very interesting one-day cricket seminar Twenty20 and the Future of Cricket organized by Professor Chris Rumford of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway College, University of London. Proceedings were kicked off by the Indian cricket specialist Amit Gupta United States Air Force College) who contextualized the growing size and influence of Twenty20 both in terms of the upcoming IPL 4 and the efforts made by Cricket Australia to launch their own version The Big Bash.

Working from the premise shared by all contributors including members of the Roundtable (cricket journalist Huw Richards Cricinfo editor Andrew McGlashan and the founder of broadcaster Test Match Sofa Daniel Northcott) that Test Match Cricket and Twenty20 cricket can run side by side, the new format contributes a range of new skills which can be transplanted to the test arena. However, the place of the less exciting 50 over game has to be questioned with the best players playing ever more cricket around the globe and lacking the recovery time needed to ensure peak performance.

Two papers focusing on the domestic game (England and Wales) by Steve Wagg (Leeds Metropolitan University) and Adrian Pritchard (University of Coventry) demonstrated the difficulties of domestic cricket finance, and the need for Twenty20 to ensure that the game draws in a new younger audience receptive to notions of modernization. Whereas Steve Wagg focused on the travails of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Adrian Pritchard drew a broader canvas in seeking to explore the financial realities of all first class counties and their reliance on the EWCB for subventions in order to ensure financial survival.

Perhaps most striking, and concerning of all is the impact of Twenty20 on cricketing ambition as it increasingly evident that some players are happy to sacrifice exposure in the Test Match arena in favour of travelling the world to appear in a range of domestic Twenty20 competitions. As Chris Rumford maintains, this trend has brought about the emergence of the Portfolio Player who is driven more by the potential riches on offer. It could also lead to earlier retirements from national sides as individuals seek to maximize cash returns before retiring. The acid test will come in the next 5 years as Twenty20 continues to expand whilst the 5 day Test Match needs to respond with innovations such as Day/Night Test schedules. It would also be useful if recently retired former international players begun to get involved in the administration of the game as they may be able to convince those with more distant first hand cricket experience of the need to face the new realities of globalised sport and the commodification of cricket.

Have just returned from a very interesting few days in Austria where I attended and participated in the 3rd Kufstein Winter School 2011 run by FH University of Applied Sciences, Kufstein, Tyrol with the support of the Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports and the Province of Tyrol.

Running under the theme of Sports, Culture and Event management with particular reference to Winter Resorts, the five day programme offered international students, a range of expert lectures, seminars, tourism visits and cultural activities. The issues covered ranged from modern sports marketing to the role of heroes and legends, the links between art and tourism and performance branding.

Although each day had a clear theme for proceedings, it soon became evident that environmental issues were to the fore as a challenge to policy makers in their search to effectively manage and promote winter sport in the context of consumer demand, competitive pressures and the need to ensure that the environment was not damaged any further be it in the Alpine regions or Scotland.

For my part, the key message that I conveyed in my lecture: Sport and Politics, turning on the Heat in Sub Zero Conditions, was that winter sports need to be perceived and understood in the political context that summer sports and summer Olympics have been for many years. In seeking to explain why this is the case my presentation also focused on the bidding procedures for Winter Games (2014 and 2018) and how the IOC seeks to consolidate and advance the limited progress it has been made in consolidating environmentalism as a key policy plank of its operations.

Everyone involved in the planning and delivery of the event should be congratulated for their efforts in creating such a stimulating event. Furthermore, for those of you not familiar with the University of Applied SciencesWinter Schools are supplemented by an equally interesting Summer School which this year will focus on Creating Cultural Leadership – New Strategies for Cultural Projects in Global Cities and Regions.

Political Studies Association Sport and Politics Group

5th Annual Conference March 18, 2011

Sport under Pressure: The Sustainability of Sport in times of Austerity.

The Political Studies Association Sport and Politics Group which I co-founded with my colleague Paul Gilchrist (University of Brighton), is staging its annual conference in collaboration with the Department of Sport Pedagogy at the University of Birmingham on Friday 18 March 2011.

In keeping with the current climate of cuts 

sport in the UK is experiencing unprecedented political and economic change. The recent Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) by the (new) Coalition Government has led to a shift in policy emphasis and a reduction in funding for a range of agencies involved in the delivery of sport and physical education. This one-day conference offers practitioners and academics the opportunity to share and discuss major concerns regarding current policy, funding and structural changes for sport, short- and longer-term priorities, and potential solutions to the longer-term sustainability of sport beyond 2012-13. Indeed, part of the rationale for this conference is to offer opportunities to network across organisational boundaries and develop new ideas for research collaboration.


The recent government policy decision on school sport funding is indicative of the continuing politicisation of sport policy in times of austerity. The conference will focus on sport’s sustainability beyond 2012, for example, what are the key challenges facing sport over the next 5 years? What strategies will National Governing Bodies adopt in order to deal with potential funding reductions post 2012-13? How will schools manage the demise of school sport partnerships? What role will County Sport Partnerships play in this new era? What are the implications for Local Authorities and their delivery of sport? What will be the role of volunteers and coaching in servicing the needs of sport?



Abstracts for papers of no more than 250 words should be sent to Jonathan Grix (j.grix@bham.ac.uk ) or Lesley Phillpots (L.a.phillpots@bham.ac.uk ).

With the recriminations well underway following England’s unsuccessful and much hyped bid to host the 2018 FIFA Football World Cup, the FIFA Executive would be well advised to read More Than Just A Game, Football v Apartheid by Chuck Korr and Marvin Close.

Although FIFA claims to act in the best interests of world football, the story told by Korr and Close celebrates bravery and heroism, two virtues that sport (and football in particular), can provide in its power to unite people in the fight to overcome adversity. Yet, those at the helm of FIFA have lost sight of these virtues merely viewing the game as a commodified product, whilst many involved in the voting procedures that determine the hosting of the World Cup venue have benefited substantially from FIFA’s dubious commercial activities and the denial of transparency concerning its operations.

Those critical of the role of the media in supposedly undermining the English bid also need to reflect on their conduct since the transmission of the Panorama documentary. Elements of the British media are not guilty of unpatriotic behaviour as some may suggest, in reality they have played a key role in seeking to expose the enormous irregularities of one of the most powerful governing bodies in contemporary sport. The critics would also benefit from reading the aforementioned text.

The first In the Zone Sport and Politics evenings at the Waterloo Gardens Tea Room with Henry Olonga as guest speaker was a resounding success.

In a week that has witnessed further revelations about the problems of cricket in Pakistan, former Zimbabwe Test Cricketer Henry Olonga spoke with immense passion about the betrayal of his country by Robert Mugabe a self-confessed cricket fanatic.

Promoting his book Blood, Sweat and Treason, a chronicle of his early life, cricketing career, and subsequent life in England following the Black Armband Protest, Henry read two exerts from his book, took questions for forty five minutes on a broad range of subjects and concluded the evening with a treat, a rendition of one verse of You Raise Me Up.

Reading his work with immense passion, Henry recounted the episodes when the initial discussions took place between himself, co-protestor Andy Flower and businessman Nigel Huff regarding how best to demonstrate displeasure with the behaviour of the Mugabe regime responsible for widespread poverty, hunger, human rights abuses and severe repression. In choosing not to embrace the option of a team boycott, as it would be too difficult to get the agreement of all players, Henry detailed the move towards the Black Armband Protest.

The second reading focused on the drama of the day the protest was conducted, paying particular attention to the statement released to the media after the coin toss at the start of the group match against Namibia and the reaction of his colleagues, and team management. Too often in the coverage and subsequent analysis of the protest, attention to the detail of the statement drafted by David Coltart (now Zimbabwe Minister for Sport) is overlooked, yet it is this statement that reveals the humanity and sensitivity of Henry Olonga and Andy Flower who made a brave stand.

Henry is one of that exclusive breed, a sportsperson living outside the bubble, willing to speak his mind on matters that he believes to be important. Having taken the greatest of risks he is now telling his story, educating many on the excesses of the Mugabe era and building a new life as an educator, missionary, artist, singer and video maker. As a speaker he received the ultimate complement of not being able to meet the demands for his book. from an audience consisting of both cricket lovers and political activists. As I write, copies of the book are winging their way to expectant readers.

On Wednesday November 17th at 6.30 pm at the Waterloo Gardens Tea House, Penylan Cardiff, former Zimbabwean Test cricketer and leading opponent of the Mugabe regime, Henry Olonga, will be in conversation with Dr. Russell Holden, Director of In the Zone Sport and Politics Consultancy. Henry will be promoting his just-published autobiography, Blood, Sweat and Treason, longlisted for the 2010 William Hill Sport Book of the Year Ward.

This event marks the first in a series of events to be staged by In the Zone in which a range of speakers will be talking about their involvement and links with sport and how these impact on local, national and international politics. Henry Olonga is an ideal opening guest as his experiences and bravery which he recounts in his page-turner of a volume, demonstrates how politicians can abuse sport for their own ends at the cost of the people they are supposed to be representing.

For further information please contact Russell Holden at russell@inthezoneonline.co.uk

As a follower of many sports, the amount of time and media space devoted to the wrangling concerning the future of Liverpool FC and the subsequent deal (whereby one set of American owners has been replaced by another) has surely passed beyond the acceptable. Having consumed acres of newspaper print and listened to the BBC Radio 4 6 O’clock news on Friday evening, where the Liverpool story was the lead item, gives the impression that Liverpool FC is a national treasure. It is a famous football club with proud traditions, an important element in the life of the city of Liverpool, but to invest it with more significance is unwise. On the day that Malcolm Allison a former leading English football coach and manager has passed away, surely we need to find some perspective and humour as before too long we will be overwhelmed with the details of Manchester United’s struggle to compete at the elite level of world football.

Being at the heart of the latter stages of the Ryder Cup without physically being present at the Celtic Manor Resort was a rather unusual experience.

As one of the guest contributors (studio-based) to Monday’s BBC Radio Wales lunchtime “phone-in” which was considering whether the staging of the Ryder Cup had been a success for Wales, was a slightly surreal experience as my observations on matters relating to the legacy of the event were interrupted by regular cheers and groans from both the crowds and BBC golf reporters, as either a European or an American player fluffed, or produced a magical stroke.

Although used to live Radio, the programme was challenging as the producer (in the studio) and presenter (at Celtic Manor) had to marry public gut reaction primarily concerned with the issues of weather, the timing of the event and costs to the Welsh economy, whilst juggling with more co reflective perspectives offered by the contributors ranging from First Minister Carwyn Jones to my myself as Sport Politics consultant, senior American golf journalists and a local publican. Suprisingly, no comment was made about the willingness of all British fans becoming European for four days.

Fortunately I had the opportunity to wrap up the discussion before the play entered its most thrilling sequence and this enabled me to remark that the event was a success as a sporting spectacle, but in terms of making a judgment on both its impact on Welsh golf, and the commercial gains, it is far too early to say. Far from being a wasted opportunity to raise the international profile of Wales, the only substantial downside remains that many. particularly those not inclined towards golf are unable to see a tangible benefit for their own community such as much needed investment in infrastructure.

With the Ryder Cup taking an enforced yet unexpected break due to heavy rain there is time to reflect on an event which is meriting more attention than it may deserve.

For Wales it marks yet another stage in the desire to ensure that the nation is known and respected as a successful host of major sporting events. With the competition now likely to stretch into an extra day the capacity of the Celtic Manor and its surrounding environs to cope will be seriously tested. However, tournament organisers will be delighted with Thursday’s Guardian editorial praising the delights of the Usk Valley, as this is likely encourage future visitors to the facility, which may yet be more important to the Celtic Manor resort and the quality of golf on display in the next seventy two hours.

The legacy for Wales from this sporting mega-event is as yet unknown, however, for the competition the capacity for those involved to over extend its importance appears to have no limits. The national and international media are happy to endorse the hype surrounding the players and their partners, the choice and order of pairings, as well as the motivational techniques being used to ensure that the players perform to their full ability when there is no prize money involved. Yet what is also needed is a level of good humour and human contact which always help to ensure and maintain the vital link between the public, their favourite sports, and their sporting icons who often act as role-models.

Just returned from BBC Broadcasting House Llandaff Cardiff, having contributed to the Radio Wales news and current programme Good Morning Wales. This provided a good opportunity to contextualise some of the reaction to the problems with the organisation and planning of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The past few days have seen the print media, radio and television competing with each other in generating panic amongst sportspeople and the wider public about the conditions for the competitors once they set foot in India. Even allowing for the genuine difficulties that do exist, there has been little effort to reflect on the wider issues for the competitors, the Indian nation, and the enormous question of allocating the hosting of mega sports events, be they multi or single sport.

Athletes have been swamped by the anxiety driven media, yet the work of sport governing bodies and coaches has helped some athletes to ally fears that they and their family members have acquired. Other competitors (including serious medal prospects)have withdrawn for health and safety reasons however,this may simply be a cover for either pressure applied by commercial sponsors or the lack of willingness to put up with basic, yet adequate living conditions in the athletes village. Fears over the physical state of sporting arenas and the question of security have also factored in these decisions.

For India the past ten days have been very difficult. Although it is not as sport conscious a nation as many of the nation-states it is hosting, the damage done to a thrusting economy with aspirations of big power status will take a long time to repair. However, the White Commonwealth should not be patronizing in its attitude towards both the Indian government and its sport authorities. It needs to remember that the India was for many years locked into the Soviet sphere during the Cold War era, and therefore the bureaucratic ways that hamper swift decision-making take more than twenty years to fully evaporate and remain a staple fact of Indian national life.

As regards the doling out of major sporting events by international governing bodies, surely some newer mechanism needs to be found, particularly as the present system is mired in political ambition, with politicians essentially abusing sport for their own ends rather than the needs of their citizens. The next few years will see Brazil, Russia and possibly Qatar using sport for these ends with either or both the IOC or FIFA being fully compliant. As far as the Commonwealth Games is concerned it is right that Asia is hosting the event and India can organize major sporting contests involving individuals from a range of countries, witness the success of the recent IPL cricket tournaments.

Whilst sitting in the Spar Stand at the SWALEC Stadium yesterday with Pakistan and England supporters chatting happily with each other as the first 20/20 contest unfolded, it was easier than anticipated to forget the controvercies that have dominated international cricket over the past seven days.

There was a flatness in the crowd of approx 10,500 though no evidence of hostility towards the players. When Kamran Akmal’s name was uttered over the public address system when the teams were announced a silence was evident, yet this soon gave way to cheers of appreciation within the ranks of the Pakistani fans for the returnees Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akthar.

Although the News of the World revealed more information concerning allegations of both spot and match fixing, the crowd appeared resolute in its desire to watch international cricket realising that nothing has been proven against the players named and that for many spectators, this was probably the last time they were going to watch any live cricket in the flesh until next spring.Sadly, the game was only a contest for a few overs with Pakistan choosing to rather strangely rearrange their batting order, with their big bitters disadvantaged. This decision added to the slightly surreal atmosphere that engulfed the stadium.

Having had some reservations about attending, the game demonstrated to me the need to ensure that Pakistan are not isolated in national cricket though their reputation is tarnished and the likelihood of Pakistani players being recruited into the domestic game for the 2011 season is remote.

With the season rapidly concluding there is time to review the problems in both the domestic and international game and these need to be addressed prior to the forthcoming Ashes contest.

The sad and dismaying news concerning alleged spot fixing and possible match fixing in international cricket casts a shadow over both domestic and international cricket.

For the second time during the UK domestic season, players from Pakistan are central to police investigations. Ironically, the first of these cases involves a player (Danish Kaneria) axed from the current Pakistan squad a month ago who, alongside an Essex county colleague, is alleged to have been involved in spot fixing in a domestic English limited overs game. Spot fixing is likewise one of the accusations being levelled against the Pakistan players, notably its strike bowlers Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif.

The implications of the charges levelled, if proven, are massive both for international cricket and Pakistan cricket. Although many UK domestic fans will feel sad for Stuart Broad and Jonathan Trott regarding the integrity of their astonishing eighth wicket record partnership in the Fourth Test Match of the just-completed series between England and Pakistan, the real concerns should be for the future integrity of the game and the degree to which players’ naivety and greed will further be exposed by those offering riches to players willing to please their often dubious paymasters.

Pakistan is not the only country to have had players embroiled in betting controversies before, but the depth and longevity of doubt concerning Pakistan players is greater than that of any current Test-playing nations, despite a major inquiry into earlier allegations concerning the activities of star players including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar under Chief Justice Qayyam. For a cricketing nation deprived of international cricket within its own borders, these latest charges are a hammer blow to the national game that provides a unifying force and distraction to domestic hardship exacerbated by the ongoing floods. With cricket having surpassed both polo and hockey as the nation’s favourite sport, the possibility of up to seven players of the current national side, including the national captain and its star player (Mohammed Amir), being implicated in a scam will set the game back many years.

Furthermore, the England and Wales Cricket Board is now less likely to wish to host Pakistan Test Matches as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) continues to seek an alternative venue to the United Arab Emirates, which also has a history of cricketing events being scarred by match fixing. If the charges are proven and players duly punished, Pakistan’s ability to compete with the leading Test playing nations will be undermined and the national side will, by default, enter a second tier of Test cricket where it will have to compete with cricketing nations such as the West Indies and Zimbabwe, who possess weak, and in the latter’s case, a governing body just starting to overcome the worst excesses of the corrupt Mugabe regime.

For Pakistan, one of the chief issues to address is the independence of its governing board, the PCB. If it is freed from remorseless political pressure and the petty politicking that has dragged it down for so many years, confidence, continuity and trust could be re-established in a body that can play a major role in rehabilitating both domestic cricket and the tarnished reputation of the national side. This means that politicians need to distance themselves from the sport and learn not to exploit it for largely their own short-term gain.

With sport often guilty of taking itself too seriously it is cheering to see the comedic side of sport featuring at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival. Amidst the approximately 2,000 shows are two based around cricket. Mushy Ate my Credit Card subtitled Crickets Answer to Fever Pitch by Mark Brailsford and Anyone For Fibber? written and performed by Miles Jupp. Although very different in nature, content and audience appeal both reflect the deep love held for the game by the shows creators and will probably help to engage new people with a sport that has always generated interest in Scotland. Here’s hoping that English and Welsh venues will give these shows the airing they deserve.

The presence of Merlene Ottey competing at the European Championships at the age of 50 representing Slovenia is truly remarkable. Not only is she still able to participate in top level sport like Martina Navratilova and Tom Watson, but she appears to have no desire to end her career. Although deep down there may be a fear regarding how to fill her time once her athletics career concludes, her attitude to sport is refreshing though one fears for hr if she competes at the 2011 World Championships. However, in a week that has witnessed the intensification of the countdown to the London Olympics, it warms the heart that in the commercialization and globalization of sport there remains space for the strong character who wishes to manage their sporting life on their own terms, rather than those dictated by the needs of the bottom line.

The festival of football is over and the anticipated sense of flatness generated by the media void is not as striking as anticipated. Is this due to the distaste lingering after Holland’s rough house approach in Sunday’s final or simply that the excitement that the competition used to generate is no longer evident due to the surfeit of top class football served to us on an almost weekly basis.

The joy gleaned from discovering new talents is minimal and though we often look back to previous competitions with rose tinted spectacles, this World Cup was surely driven more by the needs of FIFA than the host nation, even allowing for the sense of unity the competition provided first for South Africa and in the latter stages via the display of African solidarity evident for Ghana.

With the continued packaging of football as soap opera, the past four weeks provided an ideal opportunity for the new government to determine how and where funding for sport will continue within the dictates of paying for the London Olympics. After only two months in office, substantial cuts have already been made many of which will impact most on impoverished communities. Yet, public attention is already switching to the looming football season rather than focusing on the longer-term strategic issues that will impact on the future of British sport.

Although the South African government can allow itself to bask a little longer in the reflected glory of delivering a well organized sporting mega-event, serious questions will have to be addressed concerning the impact of the tournament and the costs of it for the millions still living in squalor. Although the economies and two nations differ radically, the respective governments have similar decisions to take regarding the finance of sport, yet they must not always be led by headline grabbing ideas which are geared to promoting the Feel Good factor whilst serving as a vital political distractions.

Have just returned from Institute Sport Parks and Leisure (ISPAL) 2010 National Conference entitled “Leading into a New Era”. An enjoyable day yet one that left me with a number of serious concerns.

The day set out to address three key concerns. In the first instance the focus was on securing better services for less and in so doing promoting the concept of partnership working to new levels of effectiveness and dynamism. A third identified theme for consideration was rising to the challenge of delivering an effective Olympic legacy.

Each of these issues was of course prefaced by discussion of the severe financial constraints faced and the lack of evident clear thinking as yet from the Coalition Government on its thinking regarding sport and leisure policy. This was demonstrated in the weakest session of the gathering, when DCMS representative Paul Bolt spoke in woolly terms about the future funding of leisure, the new freedoms granted to local authorities through the reduction of Big Government and the over reliance on the lottery for funding purposes..

I was struck throughout the day by the evident openness of Local Authority representatives to new thinking and the willingness to engage with their local communities regarding new demands, however, with the new funding climate the situation does call for more radical and imaginative ideas in order to sustain public backing, support increasing participation levels as well as the battle against the growing sedantry life-style of many UK citizens.

My other abiding reflection on the proceedings concerns the issue of Olympic Legacy which appears to be ever more London based. Though it would be foolish to see a modern Olympics as little more than a City Olympics, too much of the focus on long-term legacy is based on the South East and most notably projects in the Lea Valley. Those in the North and West are understandably aggrieved with this.

Yesterday marked the start of four weeks of football, during which time it will be become nigh-on impossible to avoid the cheers for Bafana Bafana (the South African team). The British public will become swamped by references to Serbian Sweepers, Nigerian Playmakers and Argentinian Hatchetmen. As the stereotypes go into overdrive, and the airwaves and print media are clogged by presenters and pundits, the cross of St. George has become ubiquitous.

The emblem is festooned from houses, offices, garages and pubs - all part of the corporate drive to believe that the England team is better than it actually is - whilst supermarkets and brewers cash in on the spectator viewing bonanza. The Nationwide Building Society is even temping us in with a four-year Football Bond which pays 0.5% bonus if England win the tournament.

For the Welsh football fan, both male and female, without a national team to support and unable to make a connection, however tenuous, with any player beyond British shores, the choices are threefold: to support any team (ideally, a second favourite side) other than England; to champion the cause of England; or, more radically, to switch off from football until the new season in favour of following or participating in a real summer sport. However, this is not a new dilemma for the Welsh fan, as the last time Wales participated in the World Cup Finals was in 1958, when the tournament was not the showpiece for the world’s most lucrative past-time that it has now become.

Whereas in recent competitions it was possible for Wales to lay claim to the former Liverpool striker Michael Owen, support for England this time will be rationalised by some Welsh football supporters in the same fashion as when they are happy to have Welsh cricketers representing England and Rugby Union players turning out for the British and Irish Lions. With no other Home Nation involved and the Republic of Ireland denied their potential qualification by the Hand of Henry, it becomes more likely that many in Wales will support Fabio Capello’s team.

For others, it will be too much to stomach, as both national and cultural identity will be undermined by lending support to England. In 2002 when England reached the Quarter Finals of the World Cup, earning a tie against Brazil, it was a very common sight to see Brazilian football shirts being worn on the streets of Cardiff on the day of the game. Had the opposition been France or Croatia, it is doubtful that the shirts would have been in such demand, though England’s opponents would still have been cheered vociferously by some.

The third option is to switch off from football and to devote time to those sports that are increasingly squeezed by the schedule of football and the lure of its riches. Wales has a healthy tradition of rugby players and spectators devoting their attention in the summer months to cricket, whilst the possibility of becoming immersed as a spectator or participant in athletics, golf and even Wales’ distinctive brand of baseball is enticing. In 2010 this draw is greater than normal as Wales prepares for the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games. Furthermore, the Welsh summer offers a raft of annual sporting events around the country such as baseball, powerboat racing, show jumping and speedway which occur outside the glare of the media.

As the roar of the vuvuzela (the raucous horn favoured by South African fans) becomes part of the soundtrack of many of our lives for the next month, Welsh football fans should start to think about the next qualifying tournament. This will provide an opportunity to take on arch rivals England and they may be better advised to focus their energies on these ties, even if they have struck lucky with the Football Bond.

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Listening to the Radio 4 Today Programme yesterday morning I stumbled on an interesting discussion exploring the routes of sporting success between journalist and formet Olympian Matthew Syed and Jonathan Edwards another of the UK's recent Olympic Champions.

The former was providing an overview of his new book Bounce in which he explains how sporting success is not simply attributable to talent but the quality and quantity of training and practice. Though difficuult to dispute and very well written, I do wonder whether this latest text adds anything to the growing range of strong academic and journalistic writing on sport that seeks to show how explanations of success in sport can be transferred to other areas of everyday life, using the framework of competition as the key explanatory tool. It strikes me that the notions of self-belief and religious inspiration need to be considered more, though these are difficult concepts to evaluate.

For anyone curious to read more about the importance and intrigue and value of sport and what we can learn from it I suggest looking at the recent work of the former England and Middlesex cricketer Ed Smith.

Having enjoyed the electoral coverage of The Guardian's Anna Kessel and Marina Hyde on the connection between Sport and Politics,yet again an election campaign (allbeit one week old) has lacked any serious discussion concerning the future of British Sport and its role in contemporary society.

For a growing aspect of national life and popular culture it is extraordinary that neither the main political parties nor the media appear intertested in generating a seious debate on a policy area that encroaches on the key government responsibilities of health, education, crime, and social cohesion. This is all the more remarkable in the context of the build up to the London Olympics and the start of the British Golden Decade of Sport.

In attempting to explain this failing, two explanations can be offered. Within the desire to remain ever poulist in approach the tendancy is to focus on football and the Labour Party are encouraging Supporters Trusts to buy shares in their favourite team. More important however, is the persistent failure to fully understand the significance of sport within national life and how it can act as a vehicle for encouraging and instigating critical policy development.

Delighted to have had my proposal for a paper accepted by the Cricket Research Centre at the University of Huddersfield for their 2011 Conference entitled Cricket and The Community.

My presentation will be focusing on the declining number of Afro-Caribbean cricketers participating in the County Championship. However, the thrust of my argument is that the death-knell of the Afro-Caribbean cricketer is an excesive claim in view of the range of initiatives currently underway in the inner cities, at local club level and within the first class-counties. All of these have been given a further impetus by the recent selection of Michael Carberry for the the England national side.

I was delighted to take part in the Winter Term Seminar Porgramme of the Sport and Leisure History Seminar series.

The programme attracts a range of sports historians. political scientists, sociologists and journalists who run seminars on their chosen specialisms.

The session provided me with an ideal opportunity to generate reaction to my forthcoming article in the spoecial edition of Sport and Society (which I am co-editing with my colleague Paul Gilchrist) on the Politics of Sport with special reference to the themes of Identity, Community and Mobility.

My preentation covered two of the aforementioned themes and considered how the new political dynamics of Post Devolution Wales has utilised sport as a vehicle for reshaping national identity and promoting Wales as a major sporting venue.

The session was lively and thought provoking and generated discussion on Welsh sporting history, the use of sport as a tool for economic regeneration and the dilemma of where to place sporting loyalty as a stateless-nation.

For more information on this valuable series contact sporthistory@hotmail.co.uk

Very much enjoyed the 4th Political Studies Association Sport and Politics Conference which I co-conveened with my colleague Dr. Paul Gilchrist (University of Brighton) at Leeds Metropolitan University.

In the fine tradition of this event the range of delegates was diverse representing a number of disciplines. The delegates represented a blend of individuals new to the Group and some of the original attendees from our first event in February 2007.

The subject range of discussion was wide and the programme revolved around the contributions of two key note speakers Dr.Ian Macdonald (University of Brighton) and Professor Richard Giulianotti (University of Durham). The focus of these sessions was to consider the use of Sport Documentary as a means of critquing sport in order to generate intervention, whilst the second session considered the challenges to sports scholars in an age when the study of sport has become transdisciplinary.

The remainder of the day focused on sessions examining Sport and Transnationalism, Policy Intervention, Prejudice and Diversity, Priorities and Beneficiaries in Sport Policy and Rethinking Football and Society

More infomation on the proceedings is available at www.sportpolitics.net. Should you be interested in attending or hosting an event in 2011 please contact me. For further information on the group please visit our website

Twnty years on from the last England Cricket Rebel Tour to South Africa, it is interesting to read the reflections of those involved that are willing to speak about this sad episode.

What is striking is that few are willing to embrace the view that the tour was unwise and lacked moral justification. However, even more disturbing is the view held by some notably Chris Cowdrey (a former England Captain) that the rebel tourists directly contributed to the release of Nelson Mandela and the subsequent move towards democratic elections. I am delighted that Wisden Cricket Monthly has given this issue considerable coverage as well as an opportunity to inform its readers of the failure of many to understand the politics of the anti-aparthied struggle and the critical role that sport played in this campaign. For more information please visit www.thewisdencricketer.com/blog

I am delighted to have been asked to become an Associate Judge for the newly established Courbertin Olympic Awards organized jointly by the International Pierre de Courbetin Committee and the Institute of Business Ethics.

This initiative encourages students to write critical essays considering the impact and relevance of Olympic ideals on the spheres of sport and business.

For further information please visit www.coubertin-awards.org.uk/

The commercialization of cricket has continued this week with the latest IPL auction in Mumbai. However,the new signings have not captured the public imagination as those in previous years.

What has become evident is that established Test players are increasingly thinking about the length of their international careers and how these may be threatened by burn-out even though the financial incentives for signing up to IPL are extraordinary. In the case of players representing England their monetary value as players is diminished because the packed international schedule reduces thier availability and to a lesser degree this applies also to potential Australian recruits. Yet when the details of the auction are scrutinized the three major outlays were for players either unproven at international level (Kieron Pollard and Kemar Roach) or as in the case of Shane Bond, a fast bowler recently retired from international cricket who is beset by injury.

The message that this conveys is that the best players may not be drawn towards the Tournament and that besides watching their own heroes, the sub-conintenatal crowds and sponsors may begin to lose interest. However,even if this does happen IPL will have had an enduring impact on international cricket, with the consolidation of 20/20, the arrival of floodlit Tests and the overall quickening of the pace of scoring. I am sure that a recently deceased Australian business tycoon is chortling in his grave knowing that theses developments are merely building blocks on the foundations he laid in his own cricket revolution.

Last Friday’s dreadful attack on the Togolese football team in Kabinda yet again demonstrated how sport can be exploited for political purposes by those with little interest in the game that they have chosen to target. For this reason alone, it was correct that the British media devoted so much time and space to the story.

However, had the individuals involved not had any connection to the United Kingdom and more particularly to top Premier League teams, it seems very doubtful that the event would have received so much attention.

The African Cup of Nations has existed since 1957 yet it is only during the past decade that the domestic media has picked this event up. Co-incidentally, it is during this time that a clutch of top and prodigiously talented African footballers have chosen either to ply their trade in the Premier League and Coca Cola Championship, or have been picked up by scouts and agents as precious talents in the hope that they will blossom like many of those players spotted by Arsenal football club.

To have had the iconic Emmanuel Adebayor as a central figure in the horrific bus attack meant that the story had a natural focus, yet there have been other instances when innocent lives have been lost or permanently scarred as a result of sport being manipulated for political ends. In cases such as the Dirty War in Argentina preceding the 1978 World Cup, the media’s attention was minimal. The fact that Scotland was the only Home country to qualify for the finals may well have contributed to this malaise

2010 promises to be another interesting year in which politics and sport will interact in both positive and negative respects.

Although it is an Olympic Year with the Winter Games looming in Vancouver, it is unlikely to catch the protestors eye in the way that the Beijing Games did. However, civil rights groups are right to raise issues concerning infringements on civil liberties in the war against international terror.

More significant in terms of the politics of sport is the likely end to the international career of Makhaya Ntini’s career South Africa’s premier black cricketer in the modern era. His omission from the South African side at Cape Town was not taken lightly, however, it is hoped that in this non quota era of South African selection black cricketers will be selected and help to maintain the link between the country’s majority community and one of its most popular sports in the land, This is particularly important in the year that football will dominate South African sport and culture as never before.

The FIFA World Cup has managed to avoid potential powder kegs through the twin processes of qualification rounds and the tournament draw. However, it will be interesting to observe the reaction given to the footballers from the pariah state of North Korea when they play their group matches and how the dictatorial regime exploits the event for its own political capital

With respect to matters of sporting-power politics the new ICC President taking office in July will be Sharad Pawar. He is likely to push for the ICC Head Quarters to be moved from Dubal to India thus confirming the dominance of the sub continental hold on cricket. This is certain to ruffle many feathers in the game, more especially amongst the white cricketing nations.

On the domestic front pressures from the spiralling costs of London 2012 may result in political resignations though much will depend on the outcome of the looming General Election. In Wales it is hoped that politicians will recognise the opportunities granted through the hosting of the Ryder Cup. in raising the profile of the country. This should energise both sport in Wales and its role in helping to engender economic growth, strengthen identity, promote national cohesion as well as boosting “the feel-good factor.”

I have just finished my first term of teaching at Southampton Solent University contributing to their undergraduate programme in Sports Writing.

This block of teaching has passed been very enjoyable with my student groups very receptive to the module delivered on Sport Policy. What has been particularly rewarding has been the student desire to engage in the wider discussion of the critical role played by sport in contemporary post industrial society. Pleasingly, this has generated reflection, discussion and reading beyond the realms of football which too often dominates sporting debate and controversy.

The other rewarding element of the past term has been the interaction with those students particularly enthused by their dissertation topics. These have included the challenges to the modern day football writer (could their be another Hunter Davies?), the commercialisation of domestic cricket, and the future of British basketball.

Amidst the furore surrounding Thierry Henry’s admission regarding his handling of the ball in the recent France and Eire World Cup play-off and the light reprimand given to both Diego Maradona and Sir Alex Ferguson regarding their public outbursts, it is warming to read about Monty Panesar’s generous farewell gift to his former employees Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.

In donating £10,000 he has shown his gratitude to the county that helped him to develop into international class bowler whilst also acknowledging that his former employer can no longer afford to retain his services with his EWCB Central Contract having been withdrawn. Panesar's gesture represents a code of conduct that both administrators of and players in sport may wish to reflect on and encourage.

This softer and more humane face of sport was also evident at the Second Nehru Lecture organised by the Wales India Centre which I recently attended at the National Museum of Wales. As part of the growing commercial and cultural links between Wales and India the event also witnessed the handing of the Queen's Batton to Rhodri Morgan, First Minister in Wales. The Batton, the Commonwealth equivalent of the Olympic Torch was presented by 400 metre hurdler Rhys Williams and concluded a four day tour of Wales prior to is departure for Ireland.

It is surely these two events that deserve some of the media space devoted to Henry, as this one incident alone did not deprive Ireland of its chance of World Cup glory.

Amidst the furore surrounding Thierry Henry’s admission regarding his handling of the ball in the recent France and Eire World Cup play-off and the light reprimand given to both Diego Maradona and Sir Alex Ferguson regarding their public outbursts, it is warming to read about Monty Panesar’s generous farewell gift to his former employees Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.

In donating £10,000 he has shown his gratitude to the county that helped him to develop into international class bowler whilst also acknowledging that his former employer can no longer afford to retain his services with his EWCB Central Contract having been withdrawn. Panesar's gesture represents a code of conduct that both administrators of and players in sport may wish to reflect on and encourage.

This softer and more humane face of sport was also evident at the Second Nehru Lecture organised by the Wales India Centre which I recently attended at the National Museum of Wales. As part of the growing commercial and cultural links between Wales and India the event also witnessed the handing of the Queen's Batton to Rhodri Morgan, First Minister in Wales. The Batton, the Commonwealth equivalent of the Olympic Torch was presented by 400 metre hurdler Rhys Williams and concluded a four day tour of Wales prior to is departure for Ireland.

It is surely these two events that deserve some of the media space devoted to Henry, as this one incident alone did not deprive Ireland of its chance of World Cup glory.

Took part in an interesting Radio Wales three way discussion on the importance of sport psychology as part of the build up to major sporting events.

Olympic Gold Medallist Darren Campbell and sport psychologist and Mental Performance Coach Andy Barton and I were assessing the place of mind games in the build up to international contests against the backdrop of Warren Gatland’s claim that the All Blacks had lost their sense of aura and the build-up to the David Haye bout.

Darren Campbell revealed the role that mind games played in the build up to the some of his major sprint events,most notably in events involving the American sprinter Maurice Greene who was keen exponent of external aggression in his efforts to upset fellow athletes in the moments prior to races, Both myself and Andy Barton suggested that the use of the ‘wind-up” be it loud, and short-term, such as sledging or quieter, and deliberate, is merely ritualistic. To be effective, either approach has to be married to skill, such as the process of “mental disintegration" practiced by the Australian cricket side during their recent period of dominance in both the Test Match and One Day format.

Furthermore, the value of sport pscychology is difficult to assess because it remains one of a number of tools that the coach, mentor and captain of a team have at their disposal as a means of asserting superiority. However, on recent evidence it would be difficult to deny the value and impact of Jeremy Snape’s advice and guidance to both the South African cricket team and to the Rajasthan Royals in their victory in the first IPL Tournament.

November's Observer Sport Monthly neats distills the growing language of sporting immorality which increasingly features in the comments of some participants, coaches, pundits and sport administrators.

With nine Premier League players sent off last weekend and the Autumn Rugby internationals about to begin, the next few weeks will undoubtedly see the media littered with the language of excuses for actions that tread the thin line between the acceptable and unacceptable in professional sport.

Contemporary sport may be facing new manifestations of gamesmanship, yet the underlying causes of the uglyness on display can be attributed to the heady cocktail of gross commercialization, winner takes all mentality and the impatient fan, further stoked further by rampant testosterone. The real worry however, is that many of those engaged in the acts of dishonesty quickly gain iconic status and become role models for a new generation of sportsmen/women.their supporters and those keen to imitate their actions in the play ground as well as on the playing field

With the concerns mounting regarding the preparedness of New Delhi for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Cardiff has chosen to announce its desire to put in a bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Working in conjunction with the Council’s in Swansea and Newport means, according to senior Council sources, would mean that the event could be staged without significant expenditure on infrastructure.

This ambitious plan based on the belief that the Commonwealth Games could come to the United Kingdom for the third time in twenty years represents another stage in the emergence of Cardiff and Wales as a major global sporting venue. During the last ten years the City of Cardiff has hosted the IRB Rugby World Cup, the first Ashes Test on non English soil and countless domestic football finals whilst Wembley was built rebuilt, In 2010 the staging of the Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor (Newport) will further boost the sporting reputation and organizational capacity of Wales.

However, at a time of ambivalence towards the 2012 Olympics coupled with the lack of perceived Welsh benefit when compared with the budgetary constraints faced as a consequence of funding 2012, championing a bid to maximize Cardiff’s commercial and sporting potential is a high risk strategy when a period of consolidation is probably wiser as the new SWALEC and City of Cardiff Stadia are very much in their infancy

I have just returned from my second visit to Liverpool in eighteen months. Again the stay was enjoyable, but all too brief.

The reason for travelling to Merseyside was to participate in the Annual Irish Political Studies Association (PSA) Annual Conference which for the first time was being staged out of Ireland. The Conference was very friendly and well organized event with around 100 delegates.

On the basis of the interest in Sport and Politics, more especially issues of Identity, Nationalism and the Peace Process I was asked to participate in the first Sport and Politics Panel organised by PSA Ireland. The session went well and my paper on The Welsh Ashes Test of 2009 dovetailed neatly with contributions from colleagues, Dr.David Hassan (University of Ulster) and Dr.David Storey (University of Worcester). On the basis of the interest and discossion generated, PSA Ireland plans to establish a permanent specialist group focusing on the study of Sport and Politics.

I am delighted to have had my seminar proposal accepted for inclusion in the Sports History and Leisure Seminar Programme for 2010.

This vzried programme which receives contributions from leading Sports Historians in the UK covers a broad range of themes from Creating a History of Sport in Europe to Competing against Segregation.

My slot scheduled for Monday March 15th is entitled - The Role of Sport as a Political Device in Post Devolution Wales. The event will taken place at 5.15 at the home of the Institute of Historical Research London

It was great to see and hear the vigour of one of football's gentlemen - Lawrie McMenemy a couple of days ago. In his own inimitable style mixing humour with self depreciation, he spoke with real passion as he launched the Football Research Centre set up in his name at Southampton Solent University.

Whilst recognizing the scale and challenges presented by the football industry and the need for professional training for those involved in football club administration, Lawrie McMenemy also paid tribute to the era in which the desire for instant success by football club chairman enabled him and his north eastern contemporaries Sir Bobby Robson (Ipswich) and Brian Clough (Nottingham Forest) achieve success through ethos and player development as opposed to raiding the transfer market in the hope of securing immediate glory.

It would be good to see and hear more of Lawrie as he still has much to give not just to football, but other sports and The Special Olympics a cause which is particularly close to his heart.

A busy week is rapidly unfolding. Tomorrow I am off to Southampton to finalize my teaching committments for the next academic year at Southampton Solent University. I am very much looking forward to teaching on the BA Sports Writing programme and undertaking dissertation supervision. I will be conmtributing to modules examining Modern Sport Policy and Sport and the Media

I will also be attending the launch of the Lawrie McMenemy Centre for Football Research. This Centre which will be capitalizing on the extensive football research expertise already in place at Southampton Solent and will combine its research brief with academic and professional courses for those interested in the world football industry. Amongst those attending the launch will be the UK Sports Minister as well as representaatives of the FA, Premier League and the League Managers Association.

On Friday I start my adult education teaching for the University of Newport with my programme on Sporting Identity. The course will combine an examination of the importance of sport to Welsh national identity alongside the role of sport as a unifying and dividing force in a range of societies around the globe.

It will be enjoyable to combine teaching at undergraduate and adult level as each student cohort will bring its own unique contribution to discussion, the exchange of ideas and the presentation of oral and written work.

The UK School Games will be taking place in Wales between September 3rd and 6th with events hosted by Cardiff (European City of Sport 2009), Newport and Swansea. This multi-sport event for the UK's elite young athletes, including disabled athletes funded by the National Lottery and the Welsh Assembly Government has received virtually no national media coverage, despite the amount of time and space being devoted to the problems associated with London 2012.

Although it would be wrong to place pressure at this point on potential medal hopefuls,the lack of interest in this event is astonishing. Dare I mention once again the dominance of football in the press and on television, the lack of "celebrity appeal" or is it something to do with the fact that the event is not taking place in the south east of England. Which ever of these explanations is the more valid, for those involved the experience will prepare the participants for major athletics events as the Games environment will incorporate opening and closing ceremonies as well as an athletes village.

England’s suprising victory over Australia following the trauma of the Headingley Test and the mixed batting performance of the first day was a notable triumph. Not only did this mark the second successive home series victory over Australia, but it also produced a display of modesty by the victorious captain, team members and coach in an era of sporting hyperbole and swagger.This victory bodes well both for England’s future, but it reveals an important reality check that recognises that the team are along way from being a serious challenger for the mantle of best international test match side as determined by the ICC.

In its wisdom it appears that the EWCB is ready to jettison the 50 over Friends Provident Competition. This is the domestic tournament that helps to prepare England players for 50 over international cricket, a major element of the global cricket calendar culminating in the World Cup staged on a four-year cycle and is a form of cricket where England has failed to excel since 1992. In dropping this competition from the domestic season the prospects of an improvement are remote. While the England team attempts to restore itself for the forthcoming Ashes decider, the EWCB appears keen to re-invent some form of 40 over competition on a Sunday afternoon, an idea they dismissed in 2008. This misconceived idea reveals the EWCB as prone to shooting itself in the foot. It is now time for the governing body of cricket in England and Wales to recover some authority, as it is only a matter of months since they severed all links with Allan Stanford.

Sorry to say - I like the idea of 40 overs on a Sunday. They were happy times.

Andy Weltch, Weltch Media

I have just been invited by the Irish Political Studies Association to contribute to a special Sport and Politics Panel at their 2009 Annual Conference, which for the first time is being held outside of Ireland.

My focus will be on the Cardiff Ashes Test and how this event projected Wales and whether the event was distinctively Welsh in its presentation and character. The other papers will be exploring issues of national identity in the context of selection for national sides, the realities of football in Northern Ireland and the finances of the football League of Ireland. The Conference will be held at Liverpool Hope University from October 9th to 11th.'

During the past week I have been sowing the seeds for some exciting courses, which I shall be teaching in 2009 and 2010. The Community University of the Valleys in conjunction with the University of Newport offers adult education courses throughout the valleys of south eastern Wales and I shall be undertaking some pioneering work exploring the increasing role of Sport in the evolving identity of post-industrial Wales, during a period in which Wales is hosting an increasing number of high profile sporting events.

For further information and details on enrolment for these free ground-breaking courses please get in touch.

The heroics of Collingwood, Anderson and Panasar last Sunday carried England to a memorable draw in the first Ashes Test. However, the overall England performance did not match the quality of Cardiff’s efforts on its debut as test venue.

Those sceptical of the SWALEC Stadium’s ability to host such a prestigious game have had to eat humble pie. The prospect of a test match against Sri Lanka in 2011 is already wetting the appetite of may of the spectators from all parts of Wales and the south west of England who were delighted to see Test cricket without having to travel to Birmingham or London.

The next time that international cricket comes to Cardiff in 2010 more attention needs to be devoted to the “Welshness” of the venue as the home team is England and Wales and the governing body for cricket is the England and Wales Cricket Board. However, for many the ”W’ remains silent.

These instances in which threats to human rights have been to the fore has been rather overlooked in the debate about World Anti Doping Agency and its “Whereabouts Policy”. This was one of the key themes at the second in a series of Economic and Social Research Council Seminar focusing on anti-doping policy which. I recently attended at Swansea University. Although it would be unwise to argue against the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in its efforts to clean up sport through its anti-doping programme, there are major ethical considerations that need to be addressed regarding its application and the responsibilities of athletes. This is not a debate about the power of sporting federations (notably FIFA) and their wish to block WADA objectives, but about privacy, the work-space and the commercialization of elite sports.

Speaking recently at the monthly Temple Club gathering at the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, to an audience of academics, public servants and students, I was pleased to see that there was total acceptance of the overlap between politics and sport. The audience was quick to seize on the recent examples of the Iranian footballers wearing green armbands during the Confederations Cup in South Africa as a symbol of their displeasure with the outcome of the Iran’s Presidential election and the chutzpah of Robert Mugabe offering training camp facilities to Brazil, Nigeria and Britain as part of their 2010 FIFA World Cup preparation, utilizing sport as a tool for gaining credibility.

My lecture, entitled Sport, Politics and Conflict from Mexico City to Lahore, explored the positive and negative links between sport and politics using the 1968 Mexico Olympics and the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan earlier in 2009 as reference points. Whilst looking back over the past forty years I highlighted the 1972 Olympics, the 1978 FIFA World Cup, the exclusion of South Africa from international sport and the troubled relationship between the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union as instances of where sport and politics clashed. At the national level I also made reference to how the Welsh Assembly Government has used sport as a policy device for promoting improved health, economic regeneration, social justice and tourism.

Have just returned from an interesting day during which I acted as a workshop convenor for the Sports Council for Wales.

Raising Our Game – The Regional Approach was a one day conference directed at local authorities and Welsh sporting governing bodies examining the challenges of trying to increase participation in sport and leisure during a time of economic down-turn and looming budget cuts.

My own session entitled Advocacy - Why Bother? focused on the links between sport and politics and how the case for increased practical and financial support for leisure and sport is best presented to elected representatives. Although emphasis was on the role of AM’s, I also gave advice on how to lobby civil servants, MP’s MEP's and local councillors.

The most pleasing element of the workshops was the acceptance that sport and politics are interconnected and that sport is integral to promoting well-being, social cohesion, economic development and the feel-good factor.

I have just returned from Play the Game 2009, the sixth world communication conference on Sport and Society in Coventry.

For five days, the 300 delegates from 31 countries - including investigative journalists, academics, sports administrators, former sportsmen and even a former Mafia Mobster - shared experiences and ideas for the future development of sport and its role in society. Much of the discussion concerned corruption, match-fixing and the continuing struggle against doping in sport.

With much of the discussion taking place within the inspiring setting of Coventry Cathedral, delegates were stirred into reflecting in considerable depth on the problems of many sporting bodies as well as the potential role of sport in promoting health, economic regeneration, peace and international prestige.

I particularly relished the opportunity of presenting my thoughts on sport and national identity on a panel with colleagues from Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica and Kosovo which was chaired by the Chairperson of Play the Game, a Danish national.

Hello and welcome to In the Zone Blog the first of my regular blogposts on matters relating to Sport and Politics issues from around the world.

I will be regularly up-dating you on my activities as well as my responses to a range of themes concerning not just the popular and most glamorous and predominantly male sports, which receive the majority of media attention

The blog will identify major sporting events in advance and will offer you a range of links to issues as they develop. In addition to focusing on activities close to home, such as the first Ashes Test in Wales and the Ryder Cup the blog will comment on developments around the world

I would welcome your thoughts and comments and I look forward to hearing from you.

Please let me know how I could contribute to any events and initiatives you are planning.

COMMENTS

Great web-site! A really interesting time in sports/politics at the moment. Can Portsmouth really be bought by the brother of the new owner of Man City? What is Shumawatra's role in it all? Did anyone else find it wonderfully ironic to see the fantastic Indian fans outnumber the English fans at the home of cricket? Just how *can* Real afford 80 million for a player, and pay him 12 million quid a year? We need answers!

Tim Wharton, Kings College London

The website and blog look very interesting.

Karianne Bax, University of Wales Institute