Scoring for Britain

"In the early decades of the twentieth century, the growing politicisation of sport in other countries encouraged British governments to view sport as an instrument of policy supportive of British interests in the wider world."--Jacket. "This book considers the nature and development of linkages between international football and politics between 1900 and 1939, and also provides a history of international football in Britain. It discusses Britain's influence over the development of football as a world game, British footballers as international stars, and the extra-sporting significance of fixtures such as England v. Germany (1935 and 1938). Finally, it illuminates the long-standing sporting debates as to whether professionals representing their country play for themselves rather than for their nation, whether international sport serves as a force for co-operation or conflict, and whether sporting performances affect a nation's prestige."--Jacket.