English Sport, Class Divides

The great social class war that divided English society appears, more or less, to be a thing of the past. If you’re bright and eager enough you can go far in any field you excel. Except in one, the sports field.

We are divided from an early age depending on what school you go to.

From my own experience, growing up on a council estate in 1970s Liverpool, if you passed the 11 plus, grammar school it was. A school set in the leafy suburbs. Very nice I'm sure, but you see these schools didn't allow football. Rugby Union and cricket was their game, football was for Secondary Modern Comps, so footy it was for me. Now I really enjoy watching Rugby and cricket and bitterly regret never having the opportunity at school to try these sports.

The city of Lverpool has a long and proud history of providing this country with hundreds, if not thousands, of great footballers and boxers. How many great cricketers, rugby or tennis players have come from these parts? For that matter how many have come from any of our great industrial cities?

As we watch England's cricket, rugby and tennis players humiliated this summer isn't it glaringly obvious our class prejudice still exists on our schools playing fields. The British Empire was said to have been won on the playing fields of Eton .If British sport is to rule the world it has to be won on inner cities comprehensive playing fields.