| From the mid-19 th century to the early 20 th century,the amateurism and professionalism controversy broke out in British sports.With the 1883 FA Cup final as the boundary,it can be divided into two stages.The first stage(1848-1883)started with the birth of Cambridge Rules in 1848.During this period,amateurism was widely recognized by the social elites under the promotion of public-school leaders.Upper-class sports lovers were proud of “amateurism”and regarded sports as elegant entertainment.Under the guidance of amateurism,a variety of obscure and strong discriminatory rules were formulated to isolate ordinary people from the playground,and the interpretation of sports was monopolized by amateur gentlemen.The second phase(1883-1914)ended with the return of the Amateur Football Association to the FA.Since Blackburn Rovers,a professional team,won the Football Association Challenge Cup in 1883,the amateur gentleman’s dominance has been challenged,the conflict between the two sides has been heated,and many sports have been forced to split in the face of this historical turn.By the end of 1990 s,professionalism gradually integrated the sports world.Although the amateur Football Association was set up in 1907,amateurism was on its way out and the professional sports operation model had become an irresistible historical trend.A review of the history of the amateurism and professionalism controversy shows the close relationship between sport and various fields of British society.First of all,sports lovers from all levels of British society have deeply participated in the historical process of modern sports to get rid of pre-modern characteristics,to civilization and to the public.In the mid-19 th century,sports have become an integral part of modern British society,and any movement in other fields will be transmitted to the sports world.In addition,sports lovers participate in the complex and diversified social background.That makes the dispute more complex than just a sporting issue.Secondly,this debate is not only the manifestation and motivation of the intensified class hedge,but also the hedge between tradition and change in the process of the transformation of British cultural model.On the one hand,the conservative forces,continuously impacted by political reform and emerging economic industries,choose to use amateurism sports to divide class and obstruct innovation.Such behavior is inconsistent with the development of The Times and popular demands.Therefore,the counterattack of the professionals has the significance of promoting sports democracy and safeguarding the achievements of reform.On the other hand,“amateurism” and “professionalism” are cultural symbols deeply affected by regional,class,personal emotion and other factors,reflecting the different values of different interest groups and different understandings of sports culture.Third,in addition to the above background,the contradiction between amateurism and professionalism presents a new aspect.In the history of charity sports,professional sports have undermined the amateurs’ attempts to build a philanthropic sports environment.When Left-wing ideology meets workers’ sports,the two sides shake hands.Although the amateurism and professionalism controversy are not very noticeable in the history,but this conflict hidden in the field of sports reflects the historical trend of Britain from the traditional to the modern. |
PDF Full Text Request