Functions of Sports Clubs in European Societies

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Siegfried Nagel, Karsten Elmose-Østerlund, Bjarne Ibsen, Jeroen Scheerder

   Pages 1-7

3. Conceptual Framework and Research Design

   • Siegfried Nagel, Karsten Elmose-Østerlund, Bjarne Ibsen, Jeroen Scheerder

   Pages 9-33

4. Belgium/Flanders: The Evolution of Flemish Sports Clubs as the Cornerstone of Society from Past to Present to Future

   • Joris Corthouts, Bart Verschueren, Elien Claes, Jeroen Scheerder

   Pages 35-64

5. Denmark: High Participation at the Expense of Democratic and Social Engagement?

   • Karsten Elmose-Østerlund, Bjarne Ibsen

   Pages 65-91

6. England: A Long Tradition, Adapting to Changing Circumstances

   • Geoff Nichols, Matthew James

   Pages 93-120

7. Germany: Sports Clubs as Important Players of Civil Society

   • Svenja Feiler, Christoph Breuer

   Pages 121-149

8. Hungary: Potentials for Civil Initiatives in Sports

   • Szilvia Perényi

   Pages 151-182

9. Netherlands: Sports Clubs at the Heart of Society and Sports Policy

   • Jan-Willem van der Roest, Resie Hoeijmakers, Remco Hoekman

   Pages 183-209

10. Norway: The Ambiguity of Sports Clubs and Nonsports Social Functions

    • Ørnulf Seippel

    Pages 211-234

11. Poland: Small Local Sports Clubs with High Social Engagement

    • Monika Piątkowska, Sylwia Gocłowska

    Pages 235-261

12. Spain: Conviviality, Social Relationships and Democracy at the Basis of Spanish Sports Clubs’ Culture

    • Ramon Llopis-Goig, María P. García-Alcober

    Pages 263-287

13. Switzerland: Autonomous Sports Clubs as Contributors to Public Welfare

    • Siegfried Nagel, Pascal Stegmann, Rahel Bürgi, Markus Lamprecht

    Pages 289-313

14. Exploring Pan-European Similarities and Differences in Club-Organised Sports: A Cross-National and Cross-Temporal Comparison

    • Jeroen Scheerder, Kobe Helsen, Karsten Elmose-Østerlund, Siegfried Nagel

    Pages 315-343

15. The Contribution of Sports Clubs to Public Welfare in European Societies. A Cross-National Comparative Perspective

    • Karsten Elmose-Østerlund, Bjarne Ibsen, Siegfried Nagel, Jeroen Scheerder

    Pages 345-385

This book takes a closer look at the societal functions of sports clubs by using the broad range of empirical data of a comparative study. There is a limited amount of up-to-date knowledge on the functions of sports clubs and their potential to promote public health, social cohesion and democratic participation through volunteering and thus contribute to public welfare in European societies. Most of the existing studies are country-specific and therefore do not allow for making comparisons from a cross-national perspective. In light of this, the project ‘Social Inclusion and Volunteering in Sports Clubs in Europe’ (SIVSCE) collected, analysed and discussed comparable data and knowledge across ten European countries and disseminated this knowledge to politicians, sports professionals and sports volunteers in Europe.

The SIVSCE project contains comparative data of clubs as well as of members in selected sports clubs. In each country chapter, the comparative data from the SIVSCE project is put together in a coherent way. Particularly, the data of the member survey give in-depth information about the fulfillment of the different functions of sports clubs (e.g. extension of democratic participation, social integration). Providing in-depth data related to policy issues, structure and management of clubs and individual member surveys, this book will be useful for students―particularly those in sports management programmes―as well as researchers and practitioners in social science and economics.

• Sport Sociology
• sporting clubs
• Cross-national study
• Sports Management
• Political Science
• Social Science

• Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

  Siegfried Nagel

• Centre for Sports, Health and Civil Society, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

  Karsten Elmose-Østerlund, Bjarne Ibsen

• Policy in Sports & Physical Activity Research Group, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

  Jeroen Scheerder

Siegfried Nagel is a full Professor at the University of Bern and Director of the Institute of Sport Science. His main fields of interest are sport organisation research, particularly in sports clubs and federations, as well as sports participation research.


Karsten Elmose-Østerlund is Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. He conducts research on participation and integration in sport and physical activity with a particular focus on voluntary sports clubs.


Bjarne Ibsen is Full Professor at the University of Southern Denmark and leader of Centre for Sports, Health and Civil Society. His main research interest is studies of civil society, the collaboration between voluntary organizations and the public sector, the development of associations, sports politics and participation in sports and other physical activities.


Jeroen Scheerder is Professor of sport policy and sport sociology in theDepartment of Movement Sciences at KU Leuven and head of the Policy in Sports & Physical Activity Research Group. He is promotor-coordinator of the Flemish Policy Research Centre on Sports and was President of EASS (2014-2016).

Policies and ethics