Why Does England Dominate Sport?

Why does England dominate sport? It's a question that has puzzled scientists and historians since the
invention of both sport and England by Alfred the Great in the ninth century. From feats of athletic
greatness such as Roger Bannister's four minute mile, to England's incredible performance in proper
sports, it is unquestionable that England does dominate. One journalist at the 2012 Olympics noted
that England dominates in all sports that are played sitting down (cycling, rowing and so forth). This
is hardly surprising, given that England invented the chair, but our sporting excellence transcends
this. From rugby to rowing, from tennis to taekwondo, from cheese rolling to darts, players from that
sceptred isle are ascendant. The only exceptions are sports, like football, where corrupt elites and
violent gangs dominate play, leaving no room for English sportsmanship.

But why is it that England always wins? It's a thought that's crossed all our minds. Perhaps it
occurred to you when watching Andy Murray triumphantly claim yet another Wimbledon final, or
when you delight at a particularly spicy goal by Bobby Moore in the recent World Cup final. Whenever
it occurred, the answers seem to escape us.

One possibility is that sporting prowess is inherent in the British genes. Perhaps the courage,
determination and heroism that flew through the veins of W.G. Grace flows through us all? Maybe the
same iconic roars in his proverbial ears that shouted at him "Hit that damned ball for six Gracey" can
be heard in all our heads, if we bother to listen? A short trip to the local Weatherspoons will surely
prove you wrong, as there is nothing sportsmanlike in the regular brawls that take place down at the
Coach and Horses at 11pm sharp every Friday night. Nor is there clearly any sporting determination
in the minds of the waiting staff to bring me my drinks in good time. What's more, waves of
immigration since the 1960s have undoubtedly strengthened our sporting credentials. So clearly, the
idea of sporting genetic essentialism is incorrect and, dare I say it, utterly prejudicial.

Perhaps our sporting success comes from a particularly strong management structure: we seek out
talent, train it relentlessly, and develop it to its full potential better than any other country. This is
also incorrect, because we, in fact, don't have any good coaches.

No, in fact, sport is in our national psyche. Sport is indelibly etches into the English cultural heritage,
rom Two Gentlemen of Verona, to Champagne Supernova, from Taggart, to Grand Theft Auto. This
more than makes up for our terrible coaching or lack of national talent compared to, say, New
Zealand. The idea permeates England, like the mighty waters of the blessed Thames, that every child
is a sportsman. Each young boy or girl in our schools is ‘embiggened’ by the cultural unit in our
discourse that determination, courage and heroism can be shown only on the sports pitch.

Clausewitz once said 'War is the extension of politics by other means'. Well, being something of a
scholar myself, albeit a 20th century one, I say: 'Sport is the extension of politics by other means'.
And that, I think, sums up my point nicely.