22 replies to this topic

[Richard Drew]

with WJEC sport, leisure and tourism the syllabus includes a section on sporting heroes, and in particular ones who tell an important story in the history of sport and its changing status.

on the new syllabus they cover:

Len Hutton - 1st professional to captain england at cricket, ushered in a new era of professionalism

John Charles - 1st successful export of British football, hugely successful at Juventus, revered (on the continent at least) as possibly the greatest british player ever

Jonathan Davies - began the welsh exodus to rugby league in the 80's, from which welsh rugby has never recovered

Tanni Grey-Thompson - almost singlehandedly altered the public perception of disabled sports and sportspeople.

I appreciate this list is 75% skewed towards the welsh angle, so i was wandering who others would choose if they had to pick 4 key sporting heroes?

[Gorbash]

I suppose one of my favourite sportsmen would have to be Jesse Owens...

Hitler preaches that German with blonde hair, blue eyes etc = physical perfection and along comes a Black American and wins 4 Gold Medals at the Berlin Olympics...perfect timing or what!!!

Without a lot of thought I'm not really sure who else I'd say...there are plenty of [ossibilities though from people of the calibre of JPR WIlliams, George Best, Dennis Lillee, Fred Truman etc...very few from the current era though!

Paul
xx

[ChrisG]

Stanley Mathews embodied professionalism (training and lifestyle) in an era when football was yet to embrace or understand it.

More recent... Maybe Linford Christie (recent tribulations aside). He kept fighting and competing despite not gaining immediate success.

Tony Adams. He came back from drink driving conviction, addiction to drink, drugs and gambling to captain his country.

Phil Taylor in darts - won the World Championship in something like 10 out of 12 years?

A very interesting subject - it will keep me thinking!

[A Finemess]

In cricket it must be Don Bradman surely? The Aussie cricket board web site has a special section devoted to him unsurprisingly. Motor sport - John Surtees, only driver / rider to win world titles on two wheels and on four. Athletics - Jesse Owens yes but being parochial I'd have to suggest Eric Liddel who was capped for Scotland at Rugby as well as refusing to run on Sundays. Boxing , must be Muhammed Ali - the Greatest.

[catherine6474]

Mine are more recent, but here are some additional names for you: I would go for Steve Redgrave for his longevity in Olypmic rowing, despite problems with diabetes, Colin Jackson for being brilliant (and gorgeous) at hurdling - he still holds the world record. Paula Radcliffe for her determination to get to the top. And of course Matthew 'Le God' Letissier. And those said before.

PS - if you wanted to study 'change' in the history of sport you could well study money in sport - compare Gary Linekar to Beckham. Both great in their day, but Becks has become the world phenomenon, whilst Gary just eats crisps.

Edited by catherine6474, 21 July 2003 - 07:11 PM.

[stephen davies]

Beckham is very significant in the history of football - moving from sporting idol to a mixture of pop star/brand name

[mattzb]

other ideas to add to the list from a recent perspective, with added sarcasm - otherwise this could get totally reverential...

Pinsent and Redgrave (perhaps the former should be truly recognised the extent to which he is a great champion?)
Jonny Wilkinson for bringing the national side up to scratch?
Michael Jordan - both playing (not baseball) and commercial viability of sport?
Coe, Ovett and Cram for the running duals of the 80s. Or Ovett being pipped on the line when being too smug?
Dailey Thompson - for back flips and snapping poles?
Ian Rush - now learning to speak in a studio near you

[JohnDClare]

Harold Larwood - the English 'bodyline' bowler of the 1932-3 Ashes series.
Anarchic, realpolitik at its best, and it wiped the smug smile off the Aussie cricketers' faces.
Way to go, Harold!
I find with interest that it is an in-depth topic on the History syllabus of St Joseph's Roman Catholic High School in New South Wales.

[John Simkin]

My choice would be Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olymoic Games. It makes a good case study about the civil rights movement.

[Dafydd Humphreys]

If we were just doing sportspersons from these islands:

Matt Busby - set the scene for football management and experienced so many ups and downs

George Best - the first sports star to be given the 'celebrity superstar' status, and his struggle to cope - comparisons to Beckham could follow

Billy Meredith - paved the way for the professionalisation and unionisation of footballers

(Showing my bias here aren't I?)

Phil Taylor, Stephen Hendry, Paula Radcliffe, Steve Redgrave as examples of sporting dominance

[Stephen Drew]

I have always had a sneaking regard for golfer Maurice Flitcroft

Nuff respect to Maurice!

The man is a God.

[John Simkin]

I have always had a sneaking regard for golfer Maurice Flitcroft

Interesting story. I wonder if the people we are putting forward reflects our personalities. Are you for example, the Maurice Flitcroft of the History Forum?

John D. Clare also has a style like Harold Larwood. If you take away Dafydd's bias towards Man Utd, Billy Meredith seems an obvious choice (although Len Shackleton would have been more appropriate in terms of style).

I wonder who Stephen Drew would nominate?

Edited by John Simkin, 24 July 2003 - 09:21 AM.

[Carole Faithorn]

I'd never heard of this Flitcroft guy before, but what a brilliant man

Ahem ..... aren't we drifting away from the original purpose of the thread now?

Richard Drew's call as thread starter.