Einleitung

This article will argue that appraisals of the differing forms of regional and local identity remain a prerequisite for any study of sport in Britain. This is particularly the case within less visible sports, such as swimming, that clearly exhibited deep regional, social and class divisions. The purpose of this article is to draw on evidence from the sport of swimming to demonstrate that the north/south and amateur/professional divides were complex, interwoven issues that cannot be considered separately. In particular it will examine the regional conflicts that surrounded the formation of a national governing body for swimming from the 1860s that ultimately led to the devolution of power to regional associations. More specifically it will question whether the ideology of amateurism, and the notion that the 'north' was professional and the 'south' amateur, were concepts that were reflected consistently within the individualistic sport of swimming, which unlike the major team sports was not overburdened with commercial considerations or class ideologies. Ultimately the article will conclude whether consideration of a north/south divide aids understanding of the development of swimming. Aus der Einleitung