Regeneration Through Sport

Regeneration Through Sport traces the historical development of modern sport in Spain between the 1890s and 1920, with a particular emphasis on soccer. Four of the six chapters deal with sports in general while soccer is the focus of the final two and the conclusion. During this period, the country underwent a series of dramatic changes in politics, economics, society, and culture. The author sees the rise of sports as a key part of this transformational era. McFarland contends that, unlike in many other areas, sport became a successful example of modernization in Spain. He argues that there were multiple reasons for this achievement and rejects previous theories that it was largely because of a desire to emulate the cultural prestige and economic power of Great Britain. Instead, he asserts that it was the “chameleon-like ability to replicate existing identities” (9) that mattered most in a country that contained multiple fracture points centered on region, class, and politics. Sports like soccer also helped create new identities in response to changes triggered by industrialization and urbanization. McFarland demonstrates that although the precise nature of these transformations was specific to Spain, the challenges they posed were like those faced by other nations. Such an acknowledgment is an important corrective to traditional views of Spain's fundamental difference from other historical trajectories and helps integrate the country's past into broader international, especially European, experiences. The way the author shows how Spanish writers engaged with theories and ideas on physical fitness and sport from around the world is one of the book's great strengths.The author also contends that “sport's apolitical nature” (8) allowed for its acceptance by groups and individuals on the Left and the Right. While not generally linked to specific political creeds, sport was clearly infused with certain ideological positions, such as notions of modernity and cosmopolitanism. As the author shows, sport generally appealed to the most progressive parts of Spanish society, including educational reformers, and the growing middle classes. Such groups were far from radical but nevertheless represented a challenge to traditional sources of power. The author meticulously chronicles the groups and individuals who embraced modern sports. Some discussion of those who criticized and resisted these changes would have improved the book.Chapters 5 and 6 provide a detailed account of soccer's dramatic growth in Spain with an emphasis on some of the most well-known clubs, including Athletic Bilbao, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid. McFarland carefully evaluates the sometimes-mythic stories of team origins and employs a variety of evidence to distinguish between fact and fiction. He also traces the maturation of the sport in the 1910s and the appearance of many characteristics that are familiar to us today. Such elements include large crowds attending matches in modern stadiums with differential ticket pricing, visits from foreign clubs, and the idolization of star players. The author also notes how a dedicated sporting press, the emergence of professionalized referees, and a national administration helped to grow the game.Overall, McFarland has produced an important book that should appeal to a variety of audiences. The introduction includes a brief summation of current historiography on Spanish sport, while the first chapter functions in some ways as a primer on the general history of the period. Readers who follow the scholarship on sport history may find the discussion of Spanish language works helpful and those without a deep knowledge of Spain's political and economic development will be able to better understand the broader context of the changes he is analyzing. Some of the material has been previously published as journal articles, but the text has been considerably revised and expanded so readers familiar with those works will still find it of use. A few minor problems do little to detract from the study's overall value. The extensive listing of contemporary Spanish athletic triumphs in the introduction seems a bit redundant, and perhaps the author could have made the point with a few select examples. The text is thoughtfully structured and well written, but there are some copyediting issues

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