Promoting the German navy in the British Empire:the Central League for German Navy Clubs Abroad 1898-1918

German unification in 1871 not only changed the political, economic and geographical landscape of the country, it also had a significant impact on those Germans who found themselves living outside, or migrating across, the borders of the newly founded Empire. It also focuses on the activities of the Central League in Britain and its Empire. For comparative reasons, some areas outside the Empire also included. Within Britain, five local branches can be identified during the period 1898 to 1914: London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Edinburgh-Leith. For London, membership numbers obtained, but judging by annual contributions this branch appears strongest in Britain. The article has shown that researching the activities of the Central League in Britain and its Empire can add valuable insights to the mechanics of transnational ethnic network creation, as well as to the nature of potentially frictional contact zones between German migrants and British colonial rule.

Professional football in apartheid South Africa:leisure, consumption and identity in the national football league, 1959-1977

A growing body of academic and popular literature considers the history of South African football. These and existing publications pay little or no attention to the emergence of white professional football in apartheid South Africa. The National Football League (NFL) challenged the amateur game and introduced professional football to the country. During its 17-year existence, the NFL grew each season with large attendances until its demise in 1977. In addition, the NFL imported a range of international players, invited foreign teams and actively engaged in the political debates in South African sport at the time. The NFL was instrumental in popularising the game across the country for all South Africans. The NFL became the most popular sports entertainment of choice for South Africans during this period. Finally, the NFL actively engaged in a campaign of destroying rival non-racial anti-apartheid leagues while simultaneously co-opting less progressive organisations. © 2013 Taylor and Francis.

Kim Mincica (who made the team) at little league tryouts

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Little league tryouts

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Little league baseball tryouts

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Little league baseball tryouts

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Little league baseball tryouts

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Little league tryouts

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Little league baseball tryouts (Kim Minicica, hitting with Naomi Johnson catching)

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Older woman model at Art Students League

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Jewish Defense League (JDL)

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Italian-American Civil Rights League booth at the Fiesta of Maria S.S. della Grazie on Mulberry Street

General note: Title provided by Freda Leinwand.

Italian-American Civil Rights League sign at the Fiesta of Maria S.S. della Grazie on Mulberry Street

Inscriptions: Verso: [stamped] Photograph by Freda Leinwand. [463 West Street, Studio 229G, New York, NY 10014].

The Dynamics of Quadropoly: League Position in English Football between 1888 and 2010

The paper explores competitive balance in top tier English league football from its inception in 1888. It examines the extent to which finishing in the top four positions in successive seasons is the preserve of a small number of clubs. Using a range of statistical measures, the analysis shows that the current high levels of competitive imbalance are not new phenomena. The overall pattern approximates a ‘U curve’: current patterns parallel those in the 1890s. In the early years of English league football, differences in resources between clubs soon became apparent. Clubs from the larger conurbations generated consistently larger revenues than their counterparts in the smaller industrial towns. This was primarily the result of the larger crowds that they could attract to their home games. This enabled them to entice the best players to their clubs away from their smaller rivals. The introduction of the maximum wage in 1901 and the transfer system helped to stem these increasing inequalities between clubs. This coincided with a massive wave of new stadia construction which enabled all the clubs to compete on an increasingly level playing field. These conjunctural changes to English football before 1915 produced the era of relatively competitive football during the inter-war years. This continued until the abolition of the maximum wage in 1961. Since that time, competitive balance has reversed and become increasingly restricted. English top-tier football has re-entered an era of extreme competitive imbalance.