ABSTRACT
In 1988–89 I was Visiting Professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, attached to the School of Human Kinetics replacing Rick Gruneau, who had shifted ‘up the hill’ to Simon Fraser University. Rick and I met, along with Alan Ingham, at a 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games conference. Rick and Alan were the two leading new critical sports sociologists, so the Brisbane days and subsequent ones elsewhere were highly stimulating. Rick now works mainly on media and, sadly, the hugely talented but troubled Alan is no longer with us – their work influenced me profoundly.
