Mud, Sweat and Beers

A Cultural History of Sport and Alcohol

By: Tony Collins, Wray Vamplew

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Paperback | 1 September 2010 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
160 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.6 x 1.2

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Short-listed for the North American Society for Sport History Book Award 2003

Alcohol is never far from sporting events. Although popular thinking on the effects of drinking has changed considerably over time, throughout history sport and alcohol have been intimately linked. The Victorians, for example, believed that beer helped to build stamina, whereas today any serious athlete must abstain from the demon drink.

Yet despite current prohibitions and the widespread acceptance of alcohols deleterious effects, the uneasy alliance of sport with alcohol remains culturally entrenched. It is common for sporting celebrities to struggle with alcoholism, and teams are often encouraged to bond by drinking together. Indeed, many of today's major sporting sponsors are breweries and manufacturers of alcoholic drinks. From hooliganism to commerce, from advertising and sponsorship to health and fitness, if there is one thing that brings athletes, fans and financial backers together it must be beer.

This cultural history of drinking and sport examines the roles masculinity, class and regional identity play in alcohol consumption at a broad range of matches, races, courses and competitions. Offering a fresh perspective on the culture and commerce of sporting events, this book will be essential reading for cultural historians, anthropologists and sociologists, and anyone interested in sport.

Industry Reviews

"An intriguing look at the problematic relationship sport has with alcohol." --The Bookseller

"Packed with informative and entertaining detail [and] written with exemplary clarity." --The Guardian Weekend

"Unputdownably fascinating [and] original, not to say intoxicating." --The Guardian Sport Section

"Tony Collins and Wray Vamplew have left no stone unturned, nor glass undrained, in their researches . . . A thoughtful and thought-provoking book." --Programme Monthly and Football Collectable

"The chronological range of the book is impressive . . . Equally laudable is the author's ability to use a vast array of archival sources, from sporting records, brewary accounts, government reports and social commentary, to contextualize the sport-alcohol relationship within awide range of political, social and economic histories . . . In Mud Sweat and Beers, an approach is found that champions the study of a sporting theme, but which cannot be ignored by historians of any aspect of British life." --Journal of Contemporary history

"This study is recommended for all students and scholars of the history and culture of sports." --Choice

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