Called 'the greatest game of all' by its supporters but often overlooked by the cultural mainstream, no sport is more identified with England's northern working class than rugby league.

This book traces the story of the sport from the Northern Union of the 1900s to the formation of the Super League in the 1990s, through war, depression, boom and deindustrialisation, into a new economic and social age.

Using a range of previously unexplored archival sources, this extremely readable and deeply researched book considers the impact of two world wars, the significance of the...

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 alcohol's deleterious effects, the uneasy alliance of sport with alcohol remains culturally entrenched....

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 alcohol's deleterious effects, the uneasy alliance of sport with alcohol remains culturally entrenched....