Tired and happy back home from the annual #BSSH2025 conference in #Belfast with great memories of fascinating lectures and good talks with other sports history specialists.
Image: the Leeds Mercury, September, 1920, 12.
@bssh.bsky.social
@dagenhaminvince.bsky.social
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I had such an amazing time presenting at #BSSH2025 this week - my first ever academic conference. I’m so grateful for all the kind comments and feedback on my work, and even more grateful to be walking away with some wonderful new friends!
Thank you so much to @physcstudy.bsky.social for hosting us in Belfast. #BSSH2025 has, as always, been a brilliant few days - stimulating and fun.
See you all next year, BSSH-ers ❤️
Quote from Trish McKelvey: “I am going to South Africa foremost to play cricket.”
And Greg Ryan discussed the 1972 New Zealand women’s cricket tour to South Africa, which is a fascinating example of how women’s sport was NOT an anti-racist panacea during apartheid. We need more work like this! #BSSH2025
Newspaper images of some of Julia Andrew’s female gymnastics troupe doinf PT exercises.
And last but not least at #BSSH2025, a panel on women, identity and sporting politics.
@researchdogsbody.bsky.social presented a carefully pieced-together biography of Julia Andrew, one of the earliest women’s sports coaches in the UK. Andrew coached the English team at the 1921 Women's Olympiad.
20 July 1990 England versus Ireland Womens Cricket European Cup match at Kirby Moxloe, Leicestershire. Photo by Tony Henshaw.
For me, it was especially fascinating to hear @emmyailish.bsky.social's argument about the divided skirt in hockey as a material reflection of tensions about women’s bodies & athletic identities.
Lots of crossover with cricket, which was of course played in skirts until the 1990s! #BSSH2025
The panelists.
Enjoyed the panel on Representations in Sport featuring Emmy Sale, Sophie Noble and Sofia Mayer Piriz. #BSSH2025
Impressive unpacking by Sofia Mayer Piriz of the creation of racist imagery of 'R*dmen' marking sports teams & identity in University of Guelph yearbook #BSSH2025
View of Belfast docks.
Game of Thrones stained glass window.
View across Belfast docks.
The last day of #BSSH2025 started for me with a glorious run along the Maritime Mile.
Powerpoint slide which has a photo of Raf in the Media Centre at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023. The text reads: "Critiques of the sports press conference: Adversarial framework; Male spaces; Power imbalances."
Really enjoyed presenting on The History and Future of the Sports Press Conference today at #BSSH2025
Are they still useful in a social media age? Who are they for? What power imbalances are at work? We had a great discussion afterwards too!
Steve Bolton in front of a slide which reads: “Doing Public History”. Dated 22 August 2025.
Earlier, I had the pleasure of chairing Steve Bolton’s keynote, “Doing Public History”. I shed a tear watching this wonderful film about his Granny, the footballer Lizzy Ashcroft. #BSSH2025
You can watch it here: castelliandco.com/projects/gra...
Delving into the ever intriguing world of sport fiction - Atlanta Tsiaoukkas is unpacking Dorothea Moore's early 20th century fiction for girls #BSSH2025
Conor next to a slide showing key merger concepts: leadership, financial context, external drivers and gender equality.
“One Association for all Gaelic Games and built on the principle of Equality” - Mary McAleese, 27 October 2022.
This paper from Conor Meyler at #BSSH2025 was right up my alley!
Conor showed how mergers between male & female sporting organisations ALWAYS seem to lead to underrepesentation of women in governance.
A very live issue because the 3 Gaelic games associations in Ireland are considering a merger...
The speakers - Stuart, Hayley and Kevin.
I’ve just chaired a fab session on Irish sport, with papers on the history of ladies Gaelic football (Hayley Kilgallon), mountaineering (Kevin Higgins), and Lady Florence Dixie (Stuart Gibbs).
Interesting theme of the tensions between “recreation” and professionalism present in all 3. #BSSH2025
Here at #BSSH2025 we have @playingpasts.bsky.social contributor Filip Walenta presenting his talk -
𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 (𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟗)
Read Filip's PlayngPasts articles here 👉 www.playingpasts.co.uk/author/fwale...
Conor Heffernan stood at the front of a lecture theatre in front of a slide which says “Welcome British Society of Sport History”.
BSSH banner sign with registration desk in the background.
Getting started @bssh.bsky.social #BSSH2025 - welcomed by @physcstudy.bsky.social 👋
It’s so wonderful to be back amongst this community of scholars again!
Raf, Katie & Hayley stood in a classroom in front of a “Welcome British Society of Sports History” sign.
Really enjoyed being part of a panel on Writing Books for the Academic and Popular Press with Katie Holmes and Hayley Kilgallon to kickstart #BSSH2025
Great discussion especially about the difference between academic & trade publishing and how to choose!
