Jim Murphy

Sport - the biggest social movement in Europe

This morning I spoke at the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) Sport Summit at the Oval Cricket Ground, on the issue of Sport and the Lisbon Treaty. We had an interesting conversation about the role Europe should play on Sport. The participants welcomed that the treaty will not allow the EU to harmonise sporting regulations, meaning that sport is one of the many areas of the Treaty where EU input is strictly limited to complementing or adding action taken at EU level. 
 
We also enjoyed an interesting discussion on the wider role of sport in Europe. We agreed that sport plays an important framework in our society. It provides an inspiration for young people, allowing them to develop confidence and learn new skills, become fitter and stronger and have their talent recognised and developed. With over 700,000 sports clubs and associations within the European Union, it is easy to see why the British Olympic Association has described sport as the biggest social movement in Europe. 

How do you see Europe's role in promoting sporting development? I'd be interested in your views on this, either here or through my blog on the Sports Summit on the Guardian website.  Finally, you will be aware that Euro 2008 is underway, providing another example of the role of sport in bringing communities and nations together.  I was able to catch the Holland v Italy match on Monday night - the first game I have seen in the tournament. The Dutch won 3-0 in a convincing victory. But while the Dutch may be celebrating I am not. I wandered into the bookies at home on Saturday to put £10 on who I thought would win. You guessed it - I backed Italy at 7-1. What price an Italian victory now? I should stick to politics.

Posted at 16:05 10 June 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]