SPORTS ANALYSIS
Independent think tank for sport John Goodbody reports on
I
t’s odd that just when this coun- try is on the brink of such a momentous decade of staging in- ternational events and when
public money has never before been invested so lavishly in sport – that there is no organisation suggesting, let alone charting, long-term future policy in British sport. Enter Andy Reed. It was one of the
disappointments of the 2010 election that Reed lost his seat in the House of Commons, where he had sat for 13 years as the Labour MP for Loughbor- ough. Irrespective of which political party you supported, British sport has certainly been weakened over the last year by the absence of someone who had made such an understated impact. He has been personal private secretary to Kate Hoey, the former Sports Minis- ter. He developed Supporters Direct in football. He chaired East Midlands Sport, the campaigning voice in the region, between 2000 and 2003 and was being widely regarded as a possible future Minister for Sport himself. Such capable figures are needed in Parliament. Well now he’s back. Reed is already on
the board of the Special Olympics and also the Amateur Swimming Association, a sport where a detailed knowledge of grassroots issues is particularly important since so many people participate in the activity for recreation and health reasons. In addition, he is the chairman-elect of the Sport and Recreation Alliance (SRA), the one year-old name for what was the Central Council of Physical Recreation, which embraces all the national gov- erning bodies (see p.14). Such positions should aid him in his latest enterprise, an independent think tank for British sport. He says: ”Everyone seems to think
that it’s a good idea. I have got a bit of time now and I am determined to make it happen.” He accepts that universities, such as Loughborough and Sheffield
Issue 2 2011 © cybertrek 2011
The aim is to have a long-term look at British sport, whereas most past reports have concentrated on the immediate future
Hallam, have produced valuable reports in the past (and will almost certainly do so again), but by their very nature they are restricted. The membership of the think tank would be more far-reaching including, as well as academics, indi- viduals from the commercial and high performance sectors. Current competi- tors are notorious for not being readily available (despite their suitability and initial eagerness) but recently-retired leading sportsmen and women could well be valuable assets. It is expected that there would be a high profile presi- dent and a part-time director and work would initially be web-based. “The think tank has to be indepen-
dent, particularly of the government, let alone of UK Sport, Sport England and even the British Olympic Association, which unlike the two quangoes is not reliant on tax-payers’ money.” Reed accepts that there have been
several useful independent reports on sports policy in the past, such as Raising the Bar by two former Sports Minis- ters, Colin Moynihan and Kate Hoey, in addition to several by government
departments. However, these have been done on an ‘ad hoc’ basis. The point of the work of the think tank is to have a continuous and sustained look at sports policy as it evolves in the future, exam- ining different areas as they develop. Reports would be decided by sport
itself and certain aspects could be high- lighted through lectures. Practically, the SRA would be able to add some logistical support and Reed is confident that initial funding of up to £50,000 can be found and that the venture can be started by the autumn. The aim is to have a long- term look at British sport rather than the present or the immediate future. The proposed think tank will succeed if
it tackles issues that really matter to sport and can really influence policy in the fu- ture. Detailed research, together with vigorous lobbying of successive govern- ments, are the keys to its effectiveness. It’s a project that British sport needs and it’s up to British sport to ensure that it gets the support it deserves. ●
John Goodbody has covered 1 2 successive Olympic Games for the Sunday Times Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 7
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