This book examines the complex transformation of British sport in the second half of the twentieth century. Focusing on the key role of the media as a driving force for change, it also provides a fascinating account of the wider social and cultural history of post-war British sport.

Richard Holt is the author of several books and articles on the history of sport including Sport and Society in Modern France (1981) and Sport and the British (1989). He also edited Sport and the Working Class in Modern Britain (1991).

Tony Mason is the author of numerous works on modern sports including Association Football and English Society (1980) and Passion of the People: football in South America (1995). He also edited Sport in Britain: a social history (1989).

Richard Holt and Tony Mason are members of the International Centre for Sports History and Culture, De Montfort University, Leicester.