Abstract

During their time in government, New Labour sought to modernise and professionalise public services and this included the voluntary sector in sport. This paper explores to what extent grassroots football within Hampshire has changed in response to the modernisation process. Grassroots football has traditionally been dependent on the time and efforts of volunteers, contributing to an amateur-voluntary culture. Six semi-structured interviews, with members of the grassroots voluntary workforce, suggest that more needs to be done in diversifying the local workforce. Moreover, modernisation through technology and the FA Charter Standard Programme have benefitted local football and have generally been well received. However, there is a tension between the amateur-voluntary traditions of grassroots football; and the modernised, professionalised, inclusive society which New Labour developed through their modernisation agenda. Thus, this research demonstrates that modernisation is not a time limited process, rather an ongoing process which continues beyond New Labour’s time in office.

摘要

在执政期间，新工党寻求公共服务的现代化和专业化，其中包括体育志愿部门。本文探讨了汉普郡的草根足球在多大程度上为响应现代化进程而发生了变化。传统上，草根足球依赖于志愿者的时间和努力，从而形成了一种业余志愿文化。与基层志愿劳动力成员进行的六次半结构化访谈表明，在实现当地劳动力多元化方面还需要做更多工作。此外，科技现代化和英足总宪章标准计划也让当地足球受益，并普遍受到欢迎。然而，草根足球的业余自愿传统之间存在紧张关系；以及现代化、专业化、新工党通过其现代化议程发展起来的包容性社会。因此，这项研究表明，现代化不是一个有时间限制的过程，而是一个持续的过程，持续到新工党的任期之后。