Community engagement through elite sport

In the 1980s, problems surrounding one of Britain's most popular elite sports alongside changes in society more widely encouraged the development of a more instrumental engagement between football clubs and particular communities. One way in which this was attempted was through Football in the Community (FitC) schemes. Since then, community football departments, which often operate as independent not-for-profit organisations but remain linked to their professional clubs, have become important parts of local service delivery. This chapter takes a critical look at these organisations to help shed light on the strengths and weaknesses they bring to community sport and physical activity