ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an account of the historical context for sport development and the foundations of the discipline that have led to the current evolution of the landscape in the UK. The chapter follows a timeline for sport development policy and practice between 1960 and 2020 across the four home nations. It first considers the case of policy in England and then looks at variations and differences in the paths taken in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The chapter provides students with a case study of how a historical analysis of sport development policy and practice may help further explore definitions and ideas.
