Played In London

Played in London reveals the history and heritage of sport in London and takes the reader right up to and beyond the 2012 Olympics. The book covers a vast range of sports from rowing to rugby, archery to athletics, billiards to boxing and much more. It is beautifully illustrated with archive and contemporary photography, maps and manuscripts.From its first century Roman amphitheatre to the 21st century Olympic Stadium at Stratford, London has always been a city of spectacles and sporting fever. In the 12th century crowds would gather at Smithfield to watch horse racing and ball games. In Tudor times they flocked to the tiltyards of Whitehall and Westminster to enjoy jousting, while in the 17th century the Stuarts were keen exponents of a game with the familiar name of Pall Mall.But it is not only to archaeology, manuscripts or maps that we must turn to trace Londons sporting heritage. At Hampton Court the worlds oldest covered tennis court, completed in 1625, remains in daily use. Every July on the Thames there takes place the worlds oldest rowing race, initiated in 1715, while the crack of leather on willow may still be heard at the Artillery Ground in Finsbury, where cricket has been played since the 1720s.From more recent times Wembley, Wimbledon, Twickenham, Lords and the Oval are known around the world. As the first city to have hosted three Olympic Games, London has also led the way in the development of athletics, boxing and gymnastics and, in the 20th century, of greyhound and speedway racing, and even of darts, once a fairground favourite, now contested in front of massive crowds at one of the capitals latest coliseums, the O2 Arena at Greenwich.Profusely illustrated with detailed maps and in-depth research, Played in London is the most ambitious offering yet from the acclaimed Played in Britain series. Capital sport guaranteed. About the AuthorSimon Inglis has written and contributed to numerous books on the history, architecture and heritage of sport. He is editor of the Played in Britain series.ContentsHistorical overview of sport in LondonSporting clusters; the River Thames, the Brent Valley and Wembley, Westway,  the Lea Valley, Catford and Beckenham and the Dulwich EstateBuilding types / sportscapes; stadiums and grounds, private sports clubs, company sports grounds and indoor arenasIndividual sports; archery, athletics, billiards and snooker, bowls, boxing, cricket, cycling, fives, football, golf. greyhound racing and speedway, gymnastics, horse racing, ice sports, lawn tennis, real tennis and racquets, rugby, skittles and swimmingExtent: 328ppIllustrations: 350 illustrations​Publication Date: 15th March 2014

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