Hope and Glory

Rugby League in Thatcher's Britain

Anthony Broxton

$59.95

Hardback

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English

Pitch Publishing Ltd
07 August 2023

Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Social & cultural history; Rugby League

Hope and Glory recreates the extraordinary era of Thatcherite Britain with the dramatic tension of a novel, revealing it as a critical moment in rugby league history when despite losing everything, anything seemed possible. Rugby league should never have survived Thatcher's Britain. As the sport of the working class, the expectation was that rugby league would suffer the same fate as the textile mills, factories and coal mines that once surrounded it. Having declined in the 1970s, the sport appeared to be at the point of no return in 1982, when the Australian team destroyed any remaining illusions of 'British exceptionalism'. But as it often does, rugby league found a way to turn itself around. From the pit villages which fought industrial decline to the players who ushered in the new professional era, the 1980s was the decade when rugby league finally came of age. By the 1990s, there was an optimism that it could even replace football as the global game for the 21st century.

By: Anthony Broxton
Imprint: Pitch Publishing Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 160mm,
ISBN: 9781801504553
ISBN 10: 1801504555
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 07 August 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Anthony Broxton is a writer and historian best known for his work on the Labour Party. As the editor of the Tides of History project, he has written regularly for national publications such as The Times, The I, Tribune and The Critic, and has also appeared on television as a political commentator. In recent years, he has emerged as a prominent rugby league historian, charting the impact of the sport in British culture and working-class life.

Reviews for Hope and Glory: Rugby League in Thatcher's Britain

"""A terrific read, Immense work and research has clearly gone into this fantastic account."" -- Adrian Durham * TalkSPORT * ""Hope and Glory perfectly captures an era of immense change, opportunity and upheaval. A must-read not only for rugby league fans but for those interested in politics, history and marketing."" -- John Davidson * The i newspaper * ""Across 352 absorbing pages, Anthony Broxton has deftly written a 'must have' book on the subject, contrasting Conservative fortunes (in government/in the country at large) with that of the top rugby league teams. The working man’s game, unlike the mining industry, has survived intact, and in Hope and Glory Broxton seamlessly succeeds at the coal face of the sport, despite the unemployment, strikes and a killer on the loose, The Yorkshire Ripper. Rating: 10/10."" -- Mark Watkins * Dare Radio * ""A timely book... Broxton is a superb and sympathetic chronicler of how this happened."" -- Patrick Kidd * The Times * ""Brilliant, illumintive. Hope and Glory is a literary triumph for rugby league chronicling the sport's rise in defiance of industrial decay."" -- Chris Irvine * Former rugby league correspondent at The Times * ""Rugby league's working class heritage is intertwined with the events of the 1970s and 1980s, from punk rock to rebellion and riots. Hope and Glory is a riveting account of how sport must change and adapt to survive in times of social upheaval."" -- Steve Brady * League Express * ""Fascinating...If (Labour) are looking for advice perhaps they could read this book."" -- Patrick Maguire * Times Radio * ""A great time for this book to come out...a generation scarred by Thatcherism living to see the glory days come back."" -- Paul Mason * Author of Postcapitalism * ""Gripping account of rugby league’s improbable resurgence in the face of industrial collapse in Thatcher’s Britain. A book that is not just for rugby league fans."" -- Brian Groom * Author of Northerners *"