Martin Polley
@historymartin.bsky.social
520 followers 500 following 89 posts
Professor Emeritus at De Montfort University, UK, and former Director of the International Centre for Sports History and Culture. Sport, arts, music, places, statues, plaques, heritage, and more. https://martinpolley.co.uk/
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Martin Polley
fabiolacreed.bsky.social
📙 Bluesky is the only platform where I haven’t circulated my book, as I’d recently joined and was waiting for the physical copy. So here it is (last book post, I promise) 📙

☀️ Sunbed in Britain: Tanning Culture from Fad to Fear is free to download via: dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781...
Reposted by Martin Polley
kthabitproject.bsky.social
REMINDER: Just a week left now to submit abstracts to the CfP below.
kthabitproject.bsky.social
CfP: Excited to announce our first workshop, exploring histories of Commercial Determinants of Health. Workshop to be held at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on 15 April 2026. Please circulate widely/consider submitting an abstract by 13 October 2025.
Reposted by Martin Polley
kthabitproject.bsky.social
CfP: Excited to announce our first workshop, exploring histories of Commercial Determinants of Health. Workshop to be held at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on 15 April 2026. Please circulate widely/consider submitting an abstract by 13 October 2025.
historymartin.bsky.social
Here they are from our trip to FIFA in September, starting with 1970, the first men's World Cup that I remember.
Fourteen footballs mounted in a glass wall. A black and white football with gold writing mounted in a glass wall. The writing on the ball reads Telstar, Official World Cup Mexico 1970, Adidas.
historymartin.bsky.social
2/3 @kthabitproject.bsky.social brings together staff and post-docs from @uniofnottingham.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social & @lshtm.bsky.social for collaborative publications, conference papers, workshops, public engagement, web presence, & policy initiatives.
historymartin.bsky.social
1/3 Great day at @uniofnottingham.bsky.social yesterday for the 1st Advisory Board meeting for @kthabitproject.bsky.social . This is a @wellcometrust.bsky.social funded project on the history of addictive sport sponsorship in UK 1965-2025, with strands on alcohol, tobacco, and gambling
historymartin.bsky.social
It was a pleasure to meet you all and find out about this inspirational project.
Reposted by Martin Polley
kthabitproject.bsky.social
REMINDER: There’s just under a month left until the CfP for 'Historicising CDoH' closes. Please do share & circulate widely/consider submitting an abstract by 13 October 2025 if you’re interested.
kthabitproject.bsky.social
CfP: Excited to announce our first workshop, exploring histories of Commercial Determinants of Health. Workshop to be held at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on 15 April 2026. Please circulate widely/consider submitting an abstract by 13 October 2025.
Reposted by Martin Polley
Reposted by Martin Polley
mellimo.bsky.social
Academia.edu is changing its Terms and Conditions, and they're so outrageous (AI training; signing over ownership to them etc) I closed my account today.

A thread with some practical tips if you want to delete your account (5 steps):
historymartin.bsky.social
Great evening at the Irish Embassy in London for the launch of Histories of Women’s Football in Britain and Ireland, edited by Helena Byrne, @garyjames.bsky.social and @fionaskillen.bsky.social. Excellent turnout from historians, former players & admins #skystorians www.peterlang.com/document/131...
A white woman dressed in black and green is speaking to an audience into a microphone at a lectern. She is standing on a small stage in a large room with cream walls and gilt decoration and a chandelier. A group of 16 people standing on a large staircase. Two of the women at the front are holding copies of a book. Three white people - one man and two women - are sitting on chairs on a small dais. The women in the middle is holding a copy of a book. Behind them is a vase of flowers on mantelpiece, and gilt decorations on an off-white wall.
historymartin.bsky.social
I've relaunched my personal website for news, events, media and podcast links, and, from September 2025m, a monthly blog martinpolley.co.uk
Martin Polley, Sports Historian – Contemporary sport through a historical lens
martinpolley.co.uk
Reposted by Martin Polley
aurelmondon.bsky.social
No doubt, (far-)right leaders will complain about this clear example of two-tier policing
Police are not using live facial recognition in its policing of the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ demonstration which is beginning on London’s south bank, reports the PA news agency.

It said:

    We’re using a mobile CCTV van to help monitor the build up of crowds. Officers have been asked if it’s using ‘live facial recognition’ – we can confirm it is not.

The live facial recognition technology – which captures people’s faces in real-time CCTV cameras – was used in the policing operation at the Notting Hill carnival.
Reposted by Martin Polley
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'"You can’t have hobbyist research that’s unfunded going on in institutions. We can’t afford it.”'

Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.
Reposted by Martin Polley
icshc.bsky.social
Two-time Muhammad Ali challenger, Joe Bugner, has died at the age of 75. Bugner twice held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles and was a three-time European heavyweight champion. #sportshistory #boxing #boxinghistory
historymartin.bsky.social
My new blog post: A Plaque for a Pioneering Pilgrim #blueplaques #sportshistory #jackleslie #plymouth #blackhistory #historicengland martinpolley.co.uk/2025/09/01/a...
A Plaque for a Pioneering Pilgrim – Martin Polley, Sports Historian
martinpolley.co.uk
Reposted by Martin Polley
historymartin.bsky.social
Back from Spineless Wonders, an excellent free #exhibition of print items that "fall outside the traditional definition of a book". Pamphlets, flyers, artists' books, playbills and more from the 15th Century CE to now. It's on at Senate House Library until 15 November ‪@senatehouselib.bsky.social‬
In the foreground is a fence of railings, carrying a sign for the University of London Senate House, and a poster for an exhibition called Spineless Wonders. The poster is mainly pink, with black writing on a pale green background. Behind the fence is a small garden, then the Portland stone structure of Senate House. A view of a small exhibition made up of vitrines and cabinets of different sizes. The cases contain pamphlets, leaflets, and small books.