Sporting heritage: what value does it hold?

Cummings, Lorna (2025) Sporting heritage: what value does it hold? MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Sport has been at the heart of popular culture in Glasgow for over a century. Our relationship with sport as a player or a spectator has the power to stir the heart and mind; it has the power to evoke memories that are often infused with sound, sight, smell and taste; it has the power to unite us. The city’s integral relationship with sport was demonstrated recently when it agreed to host the Commonwealth Games 2026 after Victoria, Australia withdrew due to rising costs. Yet, for an activity that plays such a dominant part of our lives sporting heritage is an area that is just starting to gain interest and further research in the heritage and archaeology sector. The case studies that follow will explore the value of sporting heritage to the citizens of Glasgow. It will investigate the demanding campaign taken by the people of Govanhill when their sporting heritage was under threat; the Edwardian Baths which was the only social and leisure facility in the area was considered too expensive to keep open by the council. Govanhill Baths opened in 1917 became a vital part of the community’s public health system as it was not only a place where working-class people could access washing facilities but also a hub for public swimming and leisure activities. The struggle to preserve their historical sporting structure ensued for over twenty years and is now a symbol of the community’s strong identity and cohesion. The second case study will explore the historical sporting hub of Glasgow Green and the West Boathouse which is located on the banks of the River Clyde within the park. The Green is one of Glasgow’s oldest and most notable spaces regarding sporting heritage and is inherent to the development of many sporting clubs such as football, golf and rowing. Built in 1905, the Edwardian West Boathouse housed the Clyde and Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Clubs, which have both greatly contributed to Glasgow’s legacy in rowing. However, by 2015 the building faced significant structural problems and was in a perilous condition. The significant renovation and upgrade of the building ensured the continuation of rowing on the Clyde as an important social and competitive sport. Additionally, the extensive community engagement programme which ran in conjunction with the restoration encouraged a new audience to re-engage with the river and celebrate the east end of the city’s rich sporting culture and heritage. The final case study follows the rise of skateboarding which was initially an alternative sport in the 1970s and 80s and gained traction as a countercultural movement. Kelvingrove 1978 skatepark played a vital role in this youth subculture as it was a unique space for young skaters to challenge the conventional ideas of sport and recreation through creativity, expression and identity. The skatepark was covered over by 1982, at a time when boarding had taken a dip in popularity however preliminary archaeological investigations are enabling a better understanding of Glasgow’s post-industrial transition. This research will demonstrate the potential for further archaeological exploration of the site to appreciate the creation of new communities and cultural identities in the urban landscape and how public spaces evolved to meet these new societal trends.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology; G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities
• Supervisor's Name: Brophy, Dr. Kenny
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85622
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 26 Nov 2025 16:10
• Last Modified: 26 Nov 2025 16:12
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85622
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85622