Lisa Jenkel on The Discourse and Depiction regarding Jewish Athletes and Jewish Sports in the English Press, 1890-1945

Lisa Jenkel on The Discourse and Depiction regarding Jewish Athletes and Jewish Sports in the English Press, 1890-1945

“For centuries the Jewish race in Britain has absorbed British culture ... But not all connect Jews with any marked leanings towards our own national amateur sports and pastimes” [Leeds Mercury, 1926, “The Jew as Amateur Sportsmen”] Statements like these can be found manifold in English newspapers during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. While Anglo-Jewry grew significantly during these decades, so did the press reporting – in general as well as regarding coverage of Jewish athletes and sports. Articles about “the Jew” in sports can be found in mainstream newspapers like the Daily Mail, local publications such as the Leeds Mercury, far-right propaganda papers by the British Union of Fascists and, on the opposite pole of the discursive spectrum, the Jewish Chronicle. At the heart of this societal discourse was the notion of the “unsportive Jew”, rhetorically creating an outgroup in a society that closely interconnected values and norms with sports. The discourse and its social impact were complex. With some rare exceptions, the depiction of Jewish athletes and sports in mainstream newspapers was seldom openly hostile or derogatory. These underlying notions were covered behind an apparent civility. However, a close analysis reveals a net of interwoven narratives, racialisations and stereotypes about Jews that diachronically evolved over decades and were transferred onto the realm of sports with its physical as well as cultural connotations. The discourse was by no means solely focused on physicality and physical activity but was strongly impacted by the normative nature ascribed to English sports. This is not surprising since sport was considered inherently “British” based on the norms and values associated with it. The continuous discursive depiction of Jews as an outgroup in a social realm that had distinctly nationalised connotations, abetted the perception of Jews as an outgroup beyond sports and placed them outside the “imagined community” of English (sports) society. Lisa Jenkel is a PhD student at the University of Basel in Switzerland and a curator at the FC St. Pauli-Museum in Hamburg, Germany. Her research is located at the intersection of sports history with Jewish and Women’s studies. Employing discourse analytical methods, she examines the cultural and societal influence sport had on these groups and vice versa. Lisa has recently finished her thesis on Anglo-Jewish sports history, the content of which will be presented in this seminar. Thia podcast is a British Society of Sports History (BSSH) production from the UK's leading society for the history of sport.. You can find the podcast on all social media & major podcast platforms here [https://linktr.ee/sportinhistorypodcast]. Likewise, Click through to the BSSH website for further information on our events and to find out how to join the British Society of Sport History: https://www.sportinhistory.org/ [https://www.sportinhistory.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Alan Hester on 'Tiny Keeper: Steve Death, Record Breaker, Shy Genius and Maverick'

Join us for our latest episode as Max Portman interviews Alan Hester, lifelong Reading fan and founder and namesake of Alan Hester Associates about his book 'Tiny Keeper: Steve Death, Record Breaker, Shy Genius and Maverick', published by Pitch Publishing in March 2025. Tiny Keeper, a labour of love about a boyhood idol based on interviews with other heroes, is his first sports book and tracks the life of Steve Death, who played 471 games for Reading over 13 years and is still regularly voted as the best goalkeeper in Reading's long history. In just shy of an hour, Alan & Max discuss how Steve's diminutive stature of only 5 foot Seven (and a half) prevented him from playing at the top level of English football despite his exceptional ability, his displeasure at conformity and with authority and how a man with no ego endeared him to a town in Berkshire who still fondly remembers him almost 45 years after last played for the Royals. A must-listen for any football and sports fans who grew up in the 1970s, loves classic football and who love maverick players who make us fall in love with the "beautiful game". Alan Hester is an internationally published author of books on leadership, success and confidence, including Management Starts With You (2017) and Get Out Of Your Own Way (2018). His books have been translated into Chinese, Arabic and Greek and sold by Hachette in the USA. Thia podcast is a British Society of Sports History (BSSH) production from the UK's leading society for the history of sport.. You can find the podcast on all social media & major podcast platforms here [https://linktr.ee/sportinhistorypodcast]. Likewise, Click through to the BSSH website for further information on our events and to find out how to join the British Society of Sport History: https://www.sportinhistory.org/ [https://www.sportinhistory.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

David Searle on the University Boat Race

Join us for the latest episode of the Sport in History Podcast as Max Portman talks to David Searle, former executive director of the University Boat race between Oxford & Cambridge which is due to take place this weekend in London for it's 171st edition this year. In a in-depth interview, David reveals with much honesty how he got into rowing, the impact it has had on his life from a young age and how much the sport means to him both personally and professionally. Max and David discuss a multitude of various subjects regarding the boat race, including its history, David's involvement in the running of the race and other aspects such as the cost, the technicalities of the race and much, much more! Join this pair as they go out onto the waters of podcasting and learn plenty about a famous race that has global recognition from someone who ran it for over 10 years!! Thia podcast is a British Society of Sports History (BSSH) production from the UK's leading society for the history of sport.. You can find the podcast on all social media & major podcast platforms here [https://linktr.ee/sportinhistorypodcast]. Likewise, Click through to the BSSH website for further information on our events and to find out how to join the British Society of Sport History: https://www.sportinhistory.org/ [https://www.sportinhistory.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Formula 1 rivalry: F1 and the Media with Michael Beddoes, Raymond Boyle & Richard Haynes

Join us for a special edition of the Sports and Leisure History Seminar Series at Silverstone Museum as we host a discussion on the book Streaming the Formula 1 Rivalry: Sport and the Media in the Platform Age by Professors Raymond Boyle, Professor of Communications at the University of Glasgow and Richard Haynes, Professor of Media Sport in the Division of Communications, Media and Culture. The discussion was chaired by Michael Beddoes, motorsport historian, lecturer in Filmmaking at Birmingham City University and producer for Al Murray and James Holland’s YouTube channel WW2 Headquarters. This talk wouldn't have been made possible if not for funding from the Institution of Historical Research's Seminar@ fund. For this, we give a HUGE thank you to the IHR. This event coincided with the beginning of the 2026 Formula 1 Season and the release of the 8th season of the Netflix show Drive to survive, the hit series that has become integral to expanding Formula 1’s reach to a broader audience in recent years, and a key part of what the book discusses in detail throughout. The talk is split in two halves. The first half is Richard and then Raymond giving brief talks on the book and their area of expertise, followed by the second half discussion with Mike on the book, F1, media and of course, Drive to Survive! A must listen for all those interested in sports and entertainment media, Formula 1, motorsport and the relationship between sports and media in this social media age!! Thia podcast is a British Society of Sports History (BSSH) production from the UK's leading society for the history of sport.. You can find the podcast on all social media & major podcast platforms here [https://linktr.ee/sportinhistorypodcast]. Likewise, Click through to the BSSH website for further information on our events and to find out how to join the British Society of Sport History: https://www.sportinhistory.org/ [https://www.sportinhistory.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Dreams and Songs to Sing: A People's History of Liverpool FC from Shankly to Klopp with Alan McDougall

Join us on our latest episode as Max Portman interviews Alan McDougall, Lifelong Liverpool fan and Professor of History from the University of Guelph in Canada for his book Dreams and Songs to Sing: A People's History of Liverpool FC from Shankly to Klopp, published in September 2025 by Cambridge University Press. Dreams and Songs to Sing is a unique people's history of the triumphs and tragedies of one of the biggest teams in sport. From Shankly to Klopp, Alan McDougall takes us on a global tour of Liverpool FC's history, viewed through the eyes of the people who've been there all along: the supporters. Written as a labour of love about Alan's beloved Liverpool, Max & Alan chat for a full 90 minutes, plus a full half of extra time about all things Liverpool over its history from its late 19th-century origins, the power of Billy Liddell in the 1950s and how Bill Shankly built an empire that was succesful for 30 years and is still felt today across world football. Highlights from this episode include plenty of social history talking about the club, its supporters and the city of Liverpool as well as the thriving music scene of Liverpool that contains critically acclaimed bands such as the Beatles and the Real Thing, plus Alan showing off his rapping skills when asked about the Anfield Rap. Well worth a listen for all lovers of Liverpool, football and historians of community and Britain. Thia podcast is a British Society of Sports History (BSSH) production from the UK's leading society for the history of sport.. You can find the podcast on all social media & major podcast platforms here [https://linktr.ee/sportinhistorypodcast]. Likewise, Click through to the BSSH website for further information on our events and to find out how to join the British Society of Sport History: https://www.sportinhistory.org/ [https://www.sportinhistory.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.