The study examines a particular aspect of the development of athletics in Scotland.
The first organised clubs for the sole purpose of purely athletic competition in the
contemporary sense, were cross country clubs known as harrier clubs. Through
investigation of the origins, governance and the social structure of harriers clubs, the
study connects these three fundamental themes in understanding sport within broader
social historical study. In this study the origins of cross country running are set
within a theoretical framework which recognises the nature of the urban and rural
environments which defined the sport. The sport’s early growth and governance in
Scotland is set alongside the broader ideological position of the ‘amateur’.
Additionally, club organisation promoted the clubs as cultural institutions. Clubs
served as a focus for male sociability and elevated the status of membership of the
harriers. Membership meant more than just sporting engagement; it included social
and civic standing. The purpose and function therefore of early clubs extended
beyond participation. This study demonstrates how membership of cross country
clubs conferred upon its members a status, establishing harriers clubs as important
social institutions. This research shows how social networks within sport replicated
society more broadly. The significance of the contribution of cross country clubs to
the development of Scottish sporting culture is therefore implicit. Harriers clubs
were the epitome of the complexity of sporting engagement representing both
respectability and liminal behaviour.