Journalism and Media Research at Huddersfield

Hugely Successful Sport and Oral History Conference

The highly successful Sport and Oral History conference held at the University in April, attracted delegates from across the globe, including Australia, the United States, Holland and Ireland. Organised by the University’s Centre for Oral History Research, the conference lasted over two days and brought together some of the leading sports oral historians.

In his welcoming address, the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan, paid respect to the work done by the oral history unit. And in his keynote speech Dr Rob Perks, Secretary of the Oral History Society, also made mention of the work of the unit and urged more universities to consider oral histories in the area of sport.

The conference was enhanced by a fine collection of sporting memorabilia, much of it from the Rugby Football League archive which is housed at the University and there were also programmes and other memorabilia from Olympic Games as far back as 1912. But the centre of attraction had to go to the magnificent Yorkshire Challenge Cup which was especially loaned to the University for the conference by the Huddersfield Giants.

Among the many delegates, Professor Pellom McDaniels from the University of Missouri, a former NFL defensive linebacker with the Kansas City Chief and Atlanta Falcons, talked about his recordings of the American Negro Baseball Leagues. Greg Mallory from Australia delivered a fascinating paper on rugby league in Brisbane while Professor Tony Collins from Leeds Metropolitan University talked about rites of passage and violence in rugby league. Rob Light from the University’s Up and Under project contributed a paper on rugby league and its communities and there were also papers on boxing, football, Gaelic sports and cricket.

Steve Kelly, Director of the Centre for Oral History Research at the University, said that ‘the event was so successful that there are already moves to repeat it on an annual basis or at least every two years. Hopefully we can make Huddersfield the permanent venue although there are some thoughts about holding the next conference in Kansas City!’

Listen to some of the Speakers

Keynote speech Listen to clip

Dr Robert Perks, Secretary of the Oral History Society and Visiting Professor in Oral History, University of Huddersfield.

Session One Listen to clip
RL in the Community

Professor Tony Collins, Leeds Metropolitan University
Dr Rob Light, University of Huddersfield – ‘Ordinary Working Men’: Professional Rugby League Players and Full Time Employment Outside the Game’
Chairperson: Stephen Kelly

Session Two Listen to clip
The Sporting City

Stephen Kelly, University of Huddersfield – ‘Tales of the Kop’
Ray Physick – ‘Boxing on Merseyside’
Chairperson: Dr Rob Light

Session Three Listen to clip
Sport and ethnic identity

Dr Dan Burdsey, University of Brighton – ‘Lahore, Luton, Lord’s: Oral Histories of British Asian Professional Cricketers’
Professor Pellom McDaniels, University of Missouri-Kansas City - 'Like They Invented the Gam'": Black Baseball Players Oral Histories as Windows to Understanding the Importance of the Game to Manhood and Citizenship Claims
Chairperson: Dr Pete Davies

Session Four Listen to clip
Sport and the Celtic Fringe

Prof. Mike Wilson, University of Glamorgan –The ‘Talenders’ Heritage of Welsh Cricket Oral History Project
Arlene Crampsie, Boston College, Ireland – ‘Gaelic Athletic Association Oral History Project’
Chairperson: Dr Pete Davies

Session Five Listen to clip
Rugby League and Regional and National identity

Dr Greg Mallory, Griffith University – ‘Brisbane Rugby League’
Chairperson: Stephen Kelly

Session Six Listen to clip
Rugby League ‘Down Under’

Dr Charles Little, London Metropolitan Business School - The Other South Sydney Stories: Pub Stories, Scuttlebutt and the Culture of Sydney Rugby League
Simon Foster – ‘The 1946 ‘‘Indomitables’’ Great Britain Rugby League tour to Australia’
Chairperson: Professor Tony Collins

These presentations and the archive recordings they include are copyrighted and should not be reproduced without permission from the copyright holder.