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Naul, R. and Hardman, K. (2002) Sport and Physical Education in Germany, London and New York: Routledge. Riordan, J. ) (1981) Sport Under Communism, 2nd edn, London: Hurst. Smith, W. D. (1974) Stretching Their bodies: The History of PE, Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ’ Polley (1988: 45) Traditionally, the search for talent in the UK has been rather a ‘hit or miss’ affair. The ethical division between amateurism and professionalism that has dominated sport during the past two centuries has also seen attempts to rationalise the search for talent treated with much suspicion and beset with difficulty.

REVIEW QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4 5 What was the role of the AIS when it was established in 1981? What were the reasons that led to the formation of the AIS? What role does the Australian government play in that country’s elite sports system? How has the AIS developed to give a nationwide programme of elite sport? What support does the AIS offer elite Australian sportsmen and women? Texts referred to in this chapter Adair, D. and Vamplew, W. (1997) Sport in Australian History, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Houlihan and White conclude with the suggestion that it was John Major who finally put the myth of the inspired British amateur to rest and showed that even the British government had grown to understand that success in international sport matters – and costs! Unfortunately for John Major, this was to be one of his last acts as prime minister before New Labour swept to victory in the 1997 General Election. New Prime Minister Tony Blair adopted most of the Conservative polices on sport, although he renamed both the department responsible for sport and the fledgling academy to give them both a degree of ‘Labour ownership’.