The old adage asserts that ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’. And so it came to pass that what began as an online conversation between two colleagues in the dark days of the pandemic during July 2021, when so many were laid low or cut down by the modern equivalent of the Black Death. Covid left its scar on every town and city in the land. As in the tale by Edgar Allen Poe, no group or class were spared from this macabre dance of death.
This was the context that led to the foundation of SPRING, a forum for academic debate and research, with the mission of reaching out across the globe to all with the shared passion for the complex relationship between sport and politics and its orbit. Since its modest start, SPRING has reached a number of milestones: its official launch took place at a hybrid conference hosted by the Catholic University of Lille in October 2021. We owe a debt of gratitude to Michael Holmes and his colleagues for getting things off the ground: the subsequent development of a series of online webinars during academic year 2022- 23 involving book promotions, lectures and panels across an eclectic range of topics and sports. It was therefore with considerable pride that more than forty members and friends of SPRING gathered under changing autumnal skies to stage the first fully fledged conference at Birkbeck College, the University of London, on October 27th and 28th, 2023. Those little acorns had mushroomed into a maturing oak tree with more than sixty members.
A small ‘Inner Sanctum’ of SPRING members organised all aspects of the conference in a dedicated, though convivial manner. I should mention the following: Our redoubtable host Sean Hamil from Birkbeck, esteemed colleagues Xavier Ginesta and Nahuel Faedo from the University of Vic, the cerebral input from Russell Holden, SPRING Co- Founder, Seán Crosson, our Twitter guru from across the Irish sea in Galway. As Co- Founder of SPRING, I contributed to most aspects of the content and planning of the event, as the conference date rapidly approached.
The theme of the conference was ‘The Politics of Sporting Mega- Events’. For two days at the end of October which seemed to fly by, the delegates and friends of SPRING were treated to a rare spectacle of keynote addresses, panel presentations, a riveting round table, within the positive ambiance of a communal spirit, friendship and lively debate in a truly international context. Some fourteen countries were represented, as were a wide diversity of sports embracing, football, cricket, martial arts, sports policy, gender, diplomacy and governance, encompassing critical debate around mega-events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA Wotld Cup.
Lack of space prohibits the inclusion of every presentation in this review, safe to say that the level of academic and scholarly content was very high, stimulating much provocative and thoughtful discussion. Whilst the eclectic range of presentations were at the beating heart of the conference, the keynote speakers and round table added a touch of gloss and stardust to proceedings. It was our great pleasure to welcome Holger Preuss from the University of Mainz, Dikaia Chatziesftathiou from the Canterbury Christ Church University, and David Conn from ‘The Guardian’ to address the conference.
The central themes of the keynote presentations were the legacy and sustainability of mega- events, although each speaker took a different angle and perspective. We firstly must salute Holger Preuss for his adaptability and versatility in stepping in at the last minute to replace David Goldblatt, who was most unfortunately ill. Holger enthusiastically picked up David’s banner to deliver a detailed explication around the themes of ‘Sustainability politics and the Olympic Games, challenges for the hosting of sports mega- events’, developing the concepts David had in mind with both gusto and his own insights and expertise. Holger’s knowledge and ideas set the template for the conference, and got it off to a compelling start. Our second keynote placed the relationship between Sport and Human Rights at the centre of the conference agenda. Dikaia Chatziefstathiou’s impassioned address sought to redress the imbalance which often marginalises debates around Human Rights at these gatherings by accentuating the significance of ‘Human Rights legacies of Mega- Events’ by focussing on case studies and the role of sport in advancing democracy in respect of fundamental human rights. The following day, David Conn gave us his vast experience as a sports investigative journalist in a forensic analysis of the rise of Manchester City as a global football superpower since 2008. He spoke as a fan, a writer, a journalist and critical observer, explaining in detail the paradoxes and ambivalences at the heart of the winning machine that the club has become. On the one hand lies the glory of its unprecedented success, a fan’s wildest dream; on the other hand, the success being tainted by rule breaking and dirty tricks. All the presentations were followed by lively debate and illuminating discussion, serving as fitting conclusions to such excellent addresses to conference.
The Round Table, which concluded proceedings on the Friday evening brought together Paul Brickell from the London Legacy Development Corporation, Adria Alsina from the University of Vic and Holger Preuss, still fresh and vibrant after his keynote address, examining London 2012, Barcelona 1992, and looking ahead to Paris 2024 in ‘Discussing Olympic Legacies’ .The debate raised many interesting points around contested notions of legacy: Paul gave a positive overview of the many non- sporting benefits stemming from London 2012. He spoke both as a Londoner and as a policy expert; Adria looked back at Barcelona 1992, when issues around Olympic legacy became prominent for the first time. I cannot pass without mentioning his role as ‘Piano Man’ during the conference. His impromptu rendition of ‘Hurricane’ was especially memorable. Holger cast his critical eye towards Paris and what we might expect in terms of legacy from the event. Despite the long day and the shadows of darkness creeping over London, an informed debate with lots of good questions and comments from delegates ensued.
Many highlights emerged from the panel presentations across the two days. Simon Whitmore from Routledge kindly provided a prize of £200 in books to be awarded to the best presentation; we split this into £100 for the best student/ early career academic and £100 for the best established academic. Simon also left a range of books from the Routledge portfolio to be distributed amongst delegates. We remain indebted to him for his continued support of SPRING. After some deliberation we decided to give the student/ early career award to Sonoro from the Ministry of Youth and Sport in the Republic of Indonesia. The delegates from Indonesia were a breath of fresh air at the conference, engaging, inspiring and captivating. They had to overcome many bureaucratic hurdles, not to mention jetlag, to get to London. They were great ambassadors for sport in their country. Sonoro delivered a wonderful talk on Sports Policy; he was charismatic and charming, promoting Indonesia as a special place to visit. He richly deserves this accolade. We gave the second award to Tim Elcombe from the Wilfred Lourier University, Canada for his bravura performance articulating ‘A Complex View of (Mega) Sport and Politics ‘with a dynamic presentation supported by a set of lucid illustrations. Tim explained the complex mosaic of the Sport and Politics matrix so clearly and well. Honourable mentions should go to Gokhan Bozkurt from the University of Porto for his entertaining critique of Turkish football, and to Allister Webb for his two insightful presentations on Cricket. I was also able to indulge my passion for Bob Dylan to show that he even includes sport in his extensive repertoire. If you check the playlist I left with my presentation, you will discover what I have always known, that ‘Nobody sings Dylan like Dylan’.
As delegates were homeward bound, dodging the drizzle and the showers on a Saturday afternoon, I reflected on how these days at Birkbeck had started on a damp Thursday evening when Sean, Xavi and me shared a pre- conference meal at the ‘Live Goddess’ Greek restaurant close to the literary heart of the Bloomsbury set, with the ghosts of Woolf, Maynard Keynes and the others whispering in the sad cafes. Talk and chatter turned seamlessly to the next steps for SPRING, and the possible venue for the next conference, encouraged by the resounding success of these October days at Birkbeck. As the passing seasons turn to the icy blasts of winter, we can often be cynical about the toxic mix of Sport and Politics; the crude manipulation of sport by politicians to further their own narrow objectives, or criticise the indulgent excesses of sporting celebrities and their seduction by fame and fortune. What struck me is that beneath the cynicism we sometimes share is that the idealism and passion for sport shone through at the conference. From Raymond Boyle’s enthusiasm for Formula One, to Gokhan’s love of Turkish football, despite its many faults, to Xavi’s Catalan convictions through his passion for FC Barcelona, in the end we are all fans, devotees and supporters of our sports and teams, with our heroes and villains, immortal in the fires of time, rising above the cynicism and greed to live in our hearts and memories. This is the true legacy of SPRING at Birkbeck 2023.
Jim O’Brien, Barcelona, November 2023
