Sport Clubs in Europe: A Cross-National Comparative Perspective (Sports Economics, Management and Policy Book 12)

Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-5 Theoretical Framework....Pages 7-27 Sport Clubs in Austria....Pages 29-45 Sport Clubs in Belgium....Pages 47-67 Sport Clubs in the Czech Republic....Pages 69-84 Sport Clubs in Denmark....Pages 85-109 Sport Clubs in England....Pages 111-130 Sport Clubs in Estonia....Pages 131-146 Sport Clubs in Finland....Pages 147-160 Sport Clubs in France....Pages 161-185 Sport Clubs in Germany....Pages 187-208 Sport Clubs in Greece....Pages 209-219 Sport Clubs in Hungary....Pages 221-247 Sport Clubs in Italy....Pages 249-269 Sport Clubs in The Netherlands....Pages 271-290 Sport Clubs in Northern Ireland....Pages 291-308 Sport Clubs in Norway....Pages 309-324 Sport Clubs in Poland....Pages 325-341 Sport Clubs in Sweden....Pages 343-367 Sport Clubs in Slovenia....Pages 369-380 Sport Clubs in Spain....Pages 381-400 Sport Clubs in Switzerland....Pages 401-417 A Cross-National Comparative Perspective on Sport Clubs in Europe....Pages 419-435 "This book presents an up-to-date portrait of the characteristics of sport clubs in various European countries and their role in society and the national sport system. Furthermore, it offers a cross-national comparative perspective of sport clubs in twenty European countries. Containing both empirical data and information on the political and historical backgrounds of sport clubs, the book is organized in three parts. First, the authors provide an overview of the theoretical approach of the book and a description of the framework used for the country chapters. Second, the country chapters, written by experts within the field, provide a systematic overview of the available information on sport clubs in each country. These chapters are structured to answer the following questions: (1) What is the position of sport clubs within the national sport structure? (2) Which role do they fulfil in policy and society? (3) What are their basic characteristics and what factors influence the development of sport clubs? The book is concluded with a systematic comparison of the participating countries with the purpose of forging a clear link between the functioning of policy systems, observed problems, and possible solutions, and with a future research agenda on sport clubs. In an era of increased collaboration between European states, sport provides a natural vehicle through which to compare changes in culture, economics, and policy across nations. Sport Clubs in Europe will appeal to scholars of nonprofit management, sports management and sports sociology as well as administrators and policy makers in the international sports community."--Publisher's website