Bob Stewart – författare

Australians have invested an enormous amount of emotional and physical capital in their sporting systems and structures. While Australian sport has many times been dissected from a historical and cultural perspective, there is little detailed analysis of sport's relationship with government.The book focuses on sport policy, and examines the ways in which government has affected the development of Australian sport since 1919. The text identifies the political, economic and cultural context in which policies were set, and examines critical policy shifts. The book also provides a strong theoretical foundation by first discussing the underlying principles of policy formulation, and second, the rationale for government intervention in national sport. It includes a number of sport policy case studies, with particular attention to the following topics:- Elite and Community sport development- Trends in participation and sport fan preferences- Problems in attracting young people to sport participation- Improving the management systems of sporting bodies- Government policy on sport broadcasting- Tools for evaluating sport policyProviding a unique blend of theory, history and practice, this text provides an essential foundation for sport policy analysis and will be read by students of sport studies and sport management as well as professionals with an interest in sport development.

Australians have invested an enormous amount of emotional and physical capital in their sporting systems and structures. While Australian sport has many times been dissected from a historical and cultural perspective, there is little detailed analysis of sport's relationship with government.The book focuses on sport policy, and examines the ways in which government has affected the development of Australian sport since 1919. The text identifies the political, economic and cultural context in which policies were set, and examines critical policy shifts. The book also provides a strong theoretical foundation by first discussing the underlying principles of policy formulation, and second, the rationale for government intervention in national sport. It includes a number of sport policy case studies, with particular attention to the following topics:- Elite and Community sport development- Trends in participation and sport fan preferences- Problems in attracting young people to sport participation- Improving the management systems of sporting bodies- Government policy on sport broadcasting- Tools for evaluating sport policyProviding a unique blend of theory, history and practice, this text provides an essential foundation for sport policy analysis and will be read by students of sport studies and sport management as well as professionals with an interest in sport development.

Drug free sport is an unattainable aspiration. In this critical, paradigm-shifting reappraisal of contemporary drug policy in sport, Bob Stewart and Aaron Smith argue that drug use in sport is an inexorable consequence of the nature, structure and culture of sport itself. By de-mythologising and de-moralising the assumptions that prop up current drug management controls, and re-emphasising the importance of the long-term well being and civil rights of the athlete, they offer a powerful argument for creating a legitimate space for drug use in sport. The book offers a broad ranging overview of the social and commercial pressures impelling drug use, and maps the full historical and social extent of the problem. With policy analysis at the centre of the discussion, the book explores the complete range of social, management, policy, scientific, technological and health issues around drugs in sport, highlighting the irresolvable tension between the zero-tolerance model as advanced by WADA and the harm-reduction approach adopted by drug education and treatment agencies. While there are no simple solutions, as long as drugs use is endemic in wider society the authors argue that a more nuanced and progressive approach is required in order to safeguard and protect the health, social liberty and best interests of athletes and sports people, as well as the value of sport itself.

Sport Funding and Finance provides a complete introduction to the macro-level and micro-level aspects of sport finance. It describes the evolution of sport from a kitchen-table operation into the sophisticated, boardroom-driven global financial industry that it is today. It uses the professional sports leagues of the US and Europe as an international benchmark, and explains why the financial context is so important for all managers working in sport. The book also provides a step-by-step introduction to the principles and practice of effective financial management, providing the reader with a complete set of professional tools and skills for use in the sport industry.Now in a fully revised and updated new edition, the book develops the reader’s understanding by first explaining basic concepts in finance and accounting before progressing to more complex issues and ideas. It covers every key topic in financial management, including:Planning and strategyBudgetingFinancial projectionsFundraisingPricingCostingFeasibility studiesEconomic impact analysisRatio analysisEvery chapter includes a blend of theory, contextual material and real-world data and case studies from around the world, clearly linking principles to practice, as well as review questions and problem-solving exercises to test the reader’s understanding. Sport Funding and Finance is the perfect foundation text for any degree-level course in sport finance, and an invaluable reference for any sport management professional looking to deepen their understanding of funding and finance.

Sport Funding and Finance provides a complete introduction to the macro-level and micro-level aspects of sport finance. It describes the evolution of sport from a kitchen-table operation into the sophisticated, boardroom-driven global financial industry that it is today. It uses the professional sports leagues of the US and Europe as an international benchmark, and explains why the financial context is so important for all managers working in sport. The book also provides a step-by-step introduction to the principles and practice of effective financial management, providing the reader with a complete set of professional tools and skills for use in the sport industry.Now in a fully revised and updated new edition, the book develops the reader’s understanding by first explaining basic concepts in finance and accounting before progressing to more complex issues and ideas. It covers every key topic in financial management, including:Planning and strategyBudgetingFinancial projectionsFundraisingPricingCostingFeasibility studiesEconomic impact analysisRatio analysisEvery chapter includes a blend of theory, contextual material and real-world data and case studies from around the world, clearly linking principles to practice, as well as review questions and problem-solving exercises to test the reader’s understanding. Sport Funding and Finance is the perfect foundation text for any degree-level course in sport finance, and an invaluable reference for any sport management professional looking to deepen their understanding of funding and finance.

Australians are intensely proud of their sporting traditions, and have always had a passion for football in its various forms: Australian football, rugby league, rugby union and soccer. But how does a nation of only 21 million people sustain the viability of four football codes at the professional level? This book provides a detailed analysis of each code's commercial evolution, including a discussion of the ways in which major incidents and turning points impacted on clubs, players and fans. It not only highlights what and when things happened but also provides a conceptual framework that locates the incidents and turning points within a specific context, and breaks down their progress into discrete periods, culminating in predictions about their future progress.

This concise and thought-provoking book examines the myths and realities surrounding the value of sport. It asks a fundamental question: what is it about sport that leads to grand claims about its supposed capacity to do so many good things for society?Examining the evidence from sport around the world, at all levels, the book challenges the commonly held, uncritical assumptions about the value of sport. It looks closely at the claims that sport is likely to improve physical and mental health and social cohesion or that there are demonstrable economic benefits to local communities and positive legacy effects from international sporting events and elite athletic successes. Adopting a value-adding perspective, the book argues that governments and policy-makers must strip away the myths, be more critical in their thinking, and recognise the counter-argument that sport is also associated with negative effects, whether that’s the opportunity costs of allocating public funds to sport or the social harms for which sport can be responsible, such as drug use, violence, misogyny, racism, injury, or abuse. The book presents a broad-based framework for assessing the value of sport that focuses on citizen well-being, where a mix of collaborative public and self-organised regulation is used to help sport avoid becoming an infamous case study in market failure.Presenting fresh thinking on an important topic, this book is essential reading for anybody working in sport policy, sport governance, sport management, or wider public policy spaces.

This concise and thought-provoking book examines the myths and realities surrounding the value of sport. It asks a fundamental question: what is it about sport that leads to grand claims about its supposed capacity to do so many good things for society?Examining the evidence from sport around the world, at all levels, the book challenges the commonly held, uncritical assumptions about the value of sport. It looks closely at the claims that sport is likely to improve physical and mental health and social cohesion or that there are demonstrable economic benefits to local communities and positive legacy effects from international sporting events and elite athletic successes. Adopting a value-adding perspective, the book argues that governments and policy-makers must strip away the myths, be more critical in their thinking, and recognise the counter-argument that sport is also associated with negative effects, whether that’s the opportunity costs of allocating public funds to sport or the social harms for which sport can be responsible, such as drug use, violence, misogyny, racism, injury, or abuse. The book presents a broad-based framework for assessing the value of sport that focuses on citizen well-being, where a mix of collaborative public and self-organised regulation is used to help sport avoid becoming an infamous case study in market failure.Presenting fresh thinking on an important topic, this book is essential reading for anybody working in sport policy, sport governance, sport management, or wider public policy spaces.

In the pursuit of more muscle, enhanced strength, sustained endurance and idealised physiques, an increasing number of elite athletes, recreational sport enthusiasts and body-conscious gym-users are turning to performance and image enhancing drugs and substances (PIEDS). In many instances, such use occurs with little regard for the health, social and economic consequences. This book presents a nuanced, evidence-based examination of PIEDS. It provides a classification of PIEDS types, physical impacts, rates of use, user profiles, legal and sporting status, and remedial program interventions, covering both elite and recreational use. It offers the perfect guide to assist students, government policy makers and sport managers in understanding the complex issues surrounding PIEDS consumption.

In the pursuit of more muscle, enhanced strength, sustained endurance and idealised physiques, an increasing number of elite athletes, recreational sport enthusiasts and body-conscious gym-users are turning to performance and image enhancing drugs and substances (PIEDS). In many instances, such use occurs with little regard for the health, social and economic consequences. This book presents a nuanced, evidence-based examination of PIEDS. It provides a classification of PIEDS types, physical impacts, rates of use, user profiles, legal and sporting status, and remedial program interventions, covering both elite and recreational use. It offers the perfect guide to assist students, government policy makers and sport managers in understanding the complex issues surrounding PIEDS consumption.

Drug free sport is an unattainable aspiration. In this critical, paradigm-shifting reappraisal of contemporary drug policy in sport, Bob Stewart and Aaron Smith argue that drug use in sport is an inexorable consequence of the nature, structure and culture of sport itself. By de-mythologising and de-moralising the assumptions that prop up current drug management controls, and re-emphasising the importance of the long-term well-being and civil rights of the athlete, they offer a powerful argument for creating a legitimate space for drug use in sport. The book offers a broad ranging overview of the social and commercial pressures impelling drug use, and maps the full historical and social extent of the problem. With policy analysis at the centre of the discussion, the book explores the complete range of social, management, policy, scientific, technological and health issues around drugs in sport, highlighting the irresolvable tension between the zero-tolerance model as advanced by WADA and the harm-reduction approach adopted by drug education and treatment agencies. While there are no simple solutions, as long as drugs use is endemic in wider society the authors argue that a more nuanced and progressive approach is required in order to safeguard and protect the health, social liberty and best interests of athletes and sports people, as well as the value of sport itself.

Sport is widely celebrated as a “force for good,” credited with building health, character, community, and social cohesion. Yet many of sport’s most visible successes sit alongside persistent harms: corruption and match-fixing, doping, abuse and safeguarding failures, violence and bigotry, exploitative labor arrangements, and organizational cultures that normalize injury and silence. Sporting Systems and Social Harm reframes these problems as systemic rather than exceptions. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and contemporary cases, the book explains why harms recur across sports and countries; how they are enabled by incentives, governance gaps, commercial pressures, and cultural myths; and why the default “sport is good” narrative makes harm harder to see and fix. The book concludes with a practical reform agenda, offering principles and policy options to improve integrity, protect participants, and evaluate social value more honestly.

This book is a blueprint for the reinvention of sport and its reclamation as a vital activity for improving the quality of life. It begins by taking a broad view of sport, where its meaning and essence are examined, its international scope is addressed, and the divide between community and big-time sport examined. It then digs deep into the detail of sport by identifying the benefits and costs that follow in its wake. It does this by revisiting landmark research studies and distilling the findings into a taxonomy of outcomes, positive and negative. While confirming sport’s public value and capital building capability, this study also reveals significant problems in the way it is organised, promoted and consumed. Sport is frequently unsafe and the risk of harm may be high. The book ends with a call for a new direction built around internal re-organization and a bold approach to external regulation; thus an end game of adding value to society by increasing the wellbeing of citizens.