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Samantha-Jayne (Sam) Oldfield completed her PhD in 2014 within the area of sport history, analysing the expansion and decline of pedestrianism within Manchester through biographical exploration. Since her employment at MMU Cheshire in 2012, Sam has been instrumental in the development of undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum and research opportunities in the sport history sphere. She is the Book Review Editor for Sport in History and is an active member of the British Society of Sports History. With Dave Day, she is a founding member of the International Sport and Leisure History Group (SpLeisH), and is dedicated to advancing the group’s profile and impact within the sport and leisure history field.
Sam is dedicated to the history of Victorian Britain, specifically nineteenth century sport, sporting entrepreneurs and biographies. She is continuing to expand her work on Manchester sporting publicans, currently completing a monograph surrounding the cultural and social aspects of Victorian sport; transnationalism and transatlantic sporting connections, amateurism and Northern resistance, female sporting entrepreneurship and sporting migration. Additionally, she is also developing her research surrounding the history of British netball, working with England Netball to construct a more comprehensive history of the organisation. Other work considers the sociological perspectives surrounding soccer spectatorship, specifically how the change in infrastructure has impacted on those who watch the sport, the Olympics and the development of technology, and social media as a tool to promote sporting mega events.
My main philosophy is to ensure students are able to be open minded about sport, and that they start to challenge their beliefs, systems, values in order to understand the complexities of sport. My sessions tend to be open discussions whereby you are asked to consider the different aspects of sport from many different perspectives, opening up your "sociological imagination" and your own mind as a result. With a strong historical and sociological focus, most of my teaching revolves around building your understanding and knowledge around sport, as well as encouraging you to share YOUR opinions and interpretations so that you are able to go into industry and shape the future of sport.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Thesis in Sport History, entitled "Narratives of Manchester Pedestrianism: Using Biographical Methods to Explore the Development of Athletics During the Nineteenth Century" (Nov 2014)
BA (Hons) Coaching and Sport Development (July 2008)
Sessional Lecturer at Glyndwr University (Sept 2009-Jul 2011)
Programme Leader BA(Hons) Coaching and Sport Development (Sept 2016-present)
Book Review Editor for Sport in History
As a Senior Lecturer in Sport History/Sociology of Sport, I am currently teaching, supervising and leading units at Foundation, UG and PG Masters level. Undergraduate units include Understanding Sport, Performance and Participation, Sporting Cultures, and The Olympics.
Undergraduate Project Supervision
I am interested in supervising projects in the following areas:
HISTORICAL
SOCIO-CULTURAL
Due to my personal connections with different sporting organisations, specifically within netball, I am able to help in the recruitment of placement within both high performance and community sporting environment, as well as suppliying opportunities for coaching, sport science support and much more...
I teach on the MA Coaching Studies programme within the Historical Foundations of Coaching unit, and, as of September 2017, will be a core member of staff teaching on the NEW Masters programme: MA Sport and Leisure History.
I have supervised/am supervising postgraduate students in a range of historical sporting topics, including football, golf, boxing and athletics, as well as considering the impact of regional identities, amateur and professional debates, and transatlantic differences across different sports, professions and communities. I have a strong focus and expertise in biographical methods and provide teaching and guidance to students on the construction of sport history narratives.
Regional sporting history; Victorian athletics; Pedestrianism; Biographies of sporting entrepreneurs and coaches/trainers; Netball histories; England Netball; Biographical methods
S-J. Oldfield (2015). Narrative Methods in Sport History Research: Biography, Collective Biography, and Prosopography. The International Journal of the History of Sport. 32(15), pp.1855-1882.
N. Piercey, S. Oldfield (2019). Sporting Cultures: Global Perspectives. N. Piercey, S. Oldfield. MMU Sport and Leisure History Research Team.
DJ. Day (2014). Pedestrianism. Manchester: MMU Sport and Leisure History.
D. Day (2012). Sports and coaching: pasts and futures. Manchester Metropolitan University.
D. Day (2011). Sporting lives. Manchester Metropolitan University, Institute for Performance Research.
M. MacLean, S-J. Oldfield, R. Hess (2022). Local, national and global histories of netball: an overview. The International Journal of the History of Sport. 39(13-14), pp.1411-1421.
S-J. Oldfield (2015). Narrative Methods in Sport History Research: Biography, Collective Biography, and Prosopography. The International Journal of the History of Sport. 32(15), pp.1855-1882.
D. Day, S-J. Oldfield (2015). Delineating Professional and Amateur Athletic Bodies in Victorian England. Sport in History. 35(1), pp.19-45.
SJ. Oldfield (2014). Running Pedestrianism in Victorian Manchester. Sport in History. 34(2), pp.223-248.
S. Oldfield (2012). Narrative, Biography, Prosopography and the Sport Historian: Historical Method and its Implications. D. Day. In: Sports and Coaching: Pasts and Futures. Manchester: MMU Institute for Performance Research, pp.35-60.
S. Oldfield (2011). George Martin, ‘wizard of pedestrianism’ and Manchester’s sporting entrepreneur. D. Day. In: Sporting Lives. Manchester: Manchester Metropolitan University,
SJ. Oldfield (2017). The women of England Netball. Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia,
SJ. Oldfield (2017). England Netball: an origins story?. Manchester, 7/6/2017.
SJ. Oldfield (2014). Using prosopography to explore nineteenth-century pedestrianism: the Manchester milers. Institute of Historical Research, London,
SJ. Oldfield (2014). Manchester’s sporting past: Manchester pedestrianism. 27/3/2014.
S. Oldfield James Robinson, Manchester “Ped” to Princeton Athletic Trainer. University of Glasgow, 7/9/2012.
S. Oldfield (2012). Manchester's sporting past: nineteenth century athletics grounds. Manchester, 3/3/2012.
S. Oldfield Narrative, biography and prosopography: historical method and its implications. Crewe, 25/6/2011.
SJ. Oldfield Manchester’s sporting entrepreneurs. 1/2/2011.
S. Oldfield (2010). The coaching business: nineteenth century Manchester sporting entrepreneurs. Wellcome Collection, London, 10/9/2010.
S. Oldfield The Manchester public house: sport and the entrepreneur. Manchester Metropolitan University, 1/7/2010.
S. Oldfield Serving the masses: sporting entrepreneurs in nineteenth century Manchester. Manchester Metropolitan University, 1/7/2009.
S. Oldfield, D. Day (2009). Manchester pedestrianism 1840-1880: a collective biography of ‘sporting publicans’. Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research, University of Brighton, 9/6/2009.
S. Oldfield, P. Taylor (2011). How Failsworth became the athletics capital of the UK. Manchester Evening News. 9-9.
Publications
Oldfield, S. ‘Narrative Methods in Sport History Research: Biography, Collective Biography, and Prosopography’, International Journal of the History of Sport 32, no. 15 (2015): 1855-1882 (invited paper for special edition).
Day, D. & Oldfield, S. ‘Delineating the Professional and Amateur Athletic Bodies in Victorian England’, Sport in History 35, no. 1 (2015): 19-45 (invited paper for special edition).
Conference Papers
Oldfield, S. (2016, April 28). The Transatlantic Trainer: Manchester’s James Robinson and the American Coaching System. C3S, AFRAPS, UPFRSport de Besancon, Universite de Bourgogne/Franche-Comte International Seminar (invited speaker). Besancon, France.
Oldfield, S. (2015, December 3). Manchester Athletics: Professional Pedestrianism, Nineteenth Century Running Grounds and Athletic Achievements. Glossop Guild Seminar Series on Sport (invited speaker). Glossop: Glossop Guild.
Oldfield, S. (2014, December 15). Using Prosopography to Explore Nineteenth-Century Pedestrianism: The Manchester Milers. Institute of Historical Research (IHR) Sport and Leisure History Seminar Series (invited speaker). London: IHR.
Oldfield, S. (2014, December 12). The Public House and Leisure in Nineteenth Century Britain. Universite de Franche-Comte Research Exchange (keynote speaker). Besancon, France.
December 2014 - Universite de Franche-Comte Research Exchange (Besancon, France) invited visiting researcher:
December 2014 - BBC Radio Manchester
February 2015 - International Sport and Leisure Symposium
March 2014 - Manchester Histories Festival – SpLeisH stand and programme contribution
September 2013 - British Society of Sports History annual conference
June 2013 - MMU IPR International Conference Sporting Cultures
May 2013 - NW Region Leisure and Sports Historians Symposium
November 2012 - NW Region Leisure and Sports Historians Network Inaugural Workshop
December 2011 - MMU Sporting Lives Workshop
International Journal of the History of Sport; Routledge; Sport in History; The Journal of Entrepreneurship
Heavily involved in local and regional netballing organisation. Currently hold the following roles within England Netball committees and organisations:
Due to my personal connections with different sporting organisations, specifically within netball, I am able to help in the recruitment of placement within both high performance and community sporting environment, as well as suppliying opportunities for coaching, sport science support and much more...
Charity work for Anthony Nolan (blood cancer awareness)
December 2014 - BBC Radio Manchester
June 2011 - Manchester Evening News
Editorial board for Sport in History (Book Review Editor)
British Society of Sports History
North American Society for Sport History
Australian Society for Sport History