An academic report was undertaken on behalf of Winning Scotland Foundation, published in September 2006, which explored the relationship between Scotland’s sporting success and aspects of culture, values and motivation. The report examined what was limiting Scotland’s ability to achieve consistently at an elite level and if there were lessons to be learned from other sporting nations.

The report was undertaken by Professor Fred Coalter, John Taylor and Professor Grant Jarvie, of the University of Stirling’s Department of Sports Studies, and it examined Scotland’s most ‘important’ sports to assess our world performance. These are football, rugby, athletics, golf and swimming. It concluded that more nations were now taking part in international competitive sport and that Scotland was now competing in a wider range of sports. It also pointed out that the success of a small band of sporting winners or historical victorious international team. Our sporting history was punctuated by "periods of unbelievable over-achievement."

The report examined the factors now affecting sporting success in Scotland and suggested that the governing bodies of many sports had been poorly run, and that the physical infrastructure of sporting facilities were like "a third world country". It also looked at the dominance of foreign players and professionalism in sport which has had an adverse impact of Scotland’s national team performance, especially in football.

The authors then examined the issues of funding of elite sportspeople and high level coaching and training for athletes who were identified as future winners. It found evidence of explanations for perceived international sporting failure, including our own national cultural psyche. The report concluded there is not enough empirical evidence on our national lack of self-confidence. The authors felt that it was unlikely that a generalised notion of culture was the single explanation for under achievement. The next phase is to look at talent identification, sport science, coaching and motivation and attitudes of the athletes.

Stirling Report PDF - Part 1

Stirling Report PDF - Part 2