 They were open clubs and the membership was wider than the student body.The Polytechnic Harriers were formed in 1883, they were known for four years as the Hanover United AC, and were the athletics arm of Quintin Hogg's Regent Street Polytechnic.The active promotion of sport, combined with the generous provision of facilities at the Polytechnic Clubs, made sport accessible to large numbers at a time when many sports (such as football) were becoming organized for the first time and local, national and international competitions were beginning to develop.