In the past 15 years the government has poured millions of pounds into promoting sport to try to increase adult participation. The results show no lasting effect. A survey showed that unless children ‘catch the sport habit' between the ages of seven and fourteen years they are unlikely to participate in sport as an adult, and that the sports they adopt as children are likely to be the sports they play as adults. Schools need and should be given money to give children an interest in sport. Spending money trying to persuade adults to take up sport is like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.