Sports

1. (and its origins in Spain & Catalonia)
Ses 09
Sports and Society
Xavier Carmaniu Mainadé

2. Characterics of modern sport
 Started in England in 18th – 19th century.
 Sport is an activity with rules that players have to know
and follow.
 It’s a competitive activity.
 Sports are structured in clubs and organizations.
 Majority of sports come from ancient and traditional
activities (entertainment games).
 After the UK, sports expanded to Europe.

3. Timeline of 19th century in Spain
 Politically unestable century (a lot of military coups)
 1808-1814: Napoleon War.
 1814-1833: Fernando VII (absolutism).
 1833-1868: Isabel II (stability).
 1868-1874: Sexenio Democrático (progressive era).
 1873: 1st Republic (just 11 months, 4 presidents).
 1875: “Restauración” (Restoration of the monarchy)
(Alfonso XII).

4. A way of life
 In spanish also the word
was sport” (no “deporte”).
 Not just a practice  it was
a way of life.
 Sport was associated with:
 modernity.
 High cultural level.
 Technical innovations.
Cyclist (1890)

5. Reasons for the expansion of sport
 Industrialization  cities + middle-class (burgeoisie).
 Liberal politics (new political ideas).
 International comercial relationships.
 Foreigners + natives with modern interests = burgeoisie
 Domestic Expansion: from exclusive minority to the
majority.
 Sport gave the possibility to jump social classes.

7. The bourgeoisie: the key to
the process
 Social class linked with
industrialization.
 They were the elite not
the aristocrats.
 Economic power.
 High cultural level.
 New ways to spend free
time in the cities.

8. The city: the necessary space
 Sport can only happen with human participation.
 Demographical growth and urban modernisation (city
walls taken down).
 New ways to spend time in urban spaces
(entertainment culture).
 Physical activity is seen as a life style for modern
countries.
 Main cities: Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao.
 Smaller cities as well (after).

9. Barcelona, city walls & Cerdà

10. What sports were practiced?
 Gyms appeared first. Two
types:
 Groups of people created a
gym.
 Private businesses that
charged for its services.
 They were a high class
space used for
socializing.
 Also used to promote
health.

11.  Before 1914, there were 60 different sport associations.
 The 5 most popular sports in this time were:
 Soccer (the most popular).
 Cycling.
 Tennis.
 Nautic sports.
 Hiking.

15. The first steps
Ad from a newspaper
Cádiz, 1868
The “Dandy Horse”.
1850s
Wood structure + metallic
wheels.
22 kgs. (48,5 pounds)
Without pedals.
Velocity: 13kms/ h. (8
miles /h.)
Penny Farthing models

16. Cycling
 RIDING A BIKE HAD A LOT OF
MEANINGS:
 Social Distinction (they were expensive
machines).
 It paid attention to modern interests
(bike was the last modern invention).
 First bike just for sport, but also used as a
form of transport (It’s the same as
motorbikes, cars and planes).
 Cycling was the first sport that appeared on
the streets: this allowed sports to be viewed
on the streets.

17. “safety bicycle”
 1885, John Kemp Sartley.
 The 2 wheels were the
same size.
 Chain on the back wheel.
 Sartley didn’t patent the
invention, so it became
popular.
 1888 John Dunlop
invented tires.

18.  1885: Sociedad
Velocipédica de Madrid.
 1887 similar clubs in
Barcelona, Lleida, Oviedo
and Vigo.
 1890 "El Ciclista", first
sport magazine in
Barcelona.
 6 ciclyng clubs existed in
Madrid by in 1896.

20.  Evolution begin in 1859
from a mix of different
traditional sports.
 1872 the first tennis club
in England was founded.
 1877 Wimbledon started.
 1888 Universal Exhibit of
Barcelona organized
friendly matches.

21. Intellectuals & tennis
 1900-1930 a lot of catalan intellectuals played tennis:
 Pau (Pablo) Casals, musician.
 Josep Carner, poet.
 J. V. Foix, poet.
 Pompeu Fabra, linguistics (author of catalan grammar).
 Before 1939 (civil war) the catalan culture was modern
and european (and sport was very popular).

22. Pompeu Fabra
 b. 1868 – d. 1945.
 Father of modern catalan
grammar.
 1932 Dictionary of
Catalan.
 Died in the exile
(escaping Franco’s
Dictatorship).

23. Poetry and tennis
JOSEP CARNER
 b. 1884 – d. 1970
 Poet.
 Translated the best
english authors:
Shakespeare, Dickens.
 Nickname: ”The prince
of catalan poets”.
 He died in exile.

24. Joc del tennis / Juego del tennis
Anaves damunt l'herba de la prada
i volava el teu braç adolescent,
i pel filat de la raqueta alçada
travessava la llum del sol ponent.
La pau dominical tan desesmada
i ta faç d'angeleta i el rabent
joc seriós m'encisen la diada.
D'un rector reformat, pàl·lidament,
et veia filla; entorn del presbiteri
collies roses; contes de misteri
amaves i blancatge i els infants.
Jo, oficial, de Singapur venia.
Alt vermellenc, et feia cortesia ...
Carros de fenc passaven odorants.
Por la hierba del prado caminabas, y
volaba tu brazo adolescentei y por la
red de la raqueta alzada se filtraba la
luz del sol poniente.
La paz dominical, desanimada, tu
rostro angelical y aquel veloz y serio
juego todo lo embrujaban.
Te veía, borrosa, hija de un párroco
reformado. Cogías rosas cerca del
presbiterio y te gustaban loscuentos
de misterio, el blanco de las paredes
y los niños.
Yo, oficial, de Singapur volvía. Alto,
ruborizado, te saludaba ... Pasaban
olorosos carros de heno.

25. Pau Casals
 b. 1876 - d. 1973
 Musician, composer.
 The best celloist of XXth
century.
 He died in exile (Puerto
Rico)  he gave money to
other spanish and catalans
exiled.
 ONU gave him the gold
medal (1971).
 The best popular song was
“The song of birds”.

26. Pau Casals
playing tenis

27. Playing in the White House (1961)

28. United Nations (1971)
http://youtu.be/CMWZEjERlwQ

29. Catalonia & sport:
evolved from two processes
1. Evolution from:
a)Traditional military
disciplines : fencing,
equestrianism, shooting.
 From the military quarters
to clubs or gyms.
b)Popular sports: racket ball,
boxing (entertainment,
betting).
2. Influence from english
sports (thanks to
relationship with
foreigners).

30. Territorial expansion
Sport came by way of industrial, comercial and coastal areas :
• Girona:
• Figueres & cycling
• Very close to French border.
• 1891 Sport Figuerense.
• Palamós & soccer
• 1898 the first club with only native people was founded.
• South Area
• Tarragona: harbor.
• Reus: very comercial city.
• Central Area
• Barcelona: harbor, arrival point for foreigners.
• Industrial cities (textile sector): Sabadell, Terrassa, Mataró.
• (Professional industrial workers from other countries worked
and enjoyed free time there).

32. The first years of sport in Barcelona
Reasons:
 There was a demand for
urban entertainment.
 1860 gymnastics and
acrobatics were trendy.
 1870s was trendy to go
swimming in the sea.
 1883 Racetrack in Can Tunis
(it was a place for the
bourgeoisie = Liceu (opera
house).
 Pool tables in popular cafes.

33. Universal Exhibit 1888

34. From 1920s…
 Popularity of sports
grew.
 Professionalism (soccer).
 Sport started to provide
economic benefits.
 The sport press
appeared.