Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The evolution of sport policy since 1945: Kevin Jefferys
February 2012
When did government sport policy get off the mark in Britain? In a talk at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, historian Kevin Jefferys of Plymouth University revealed it was as late as 1966, when Harold Wilson held the football World Cup aloft and became the first Prime Minister to tap into the electoral significance of sport. Professor Jefferys explored the contrasts between London's 1948 'austerity Olympics', when the government had little role in funding or organising the games, and its extensive involvement in preparing for London 2012.
Read the presentation [pdf, 101kb]