My Greatest TV Sporting Moments
On BBC Radio 5 last night, they were asking what listeners most important memories of televised sport were, after Andy Murray’s win at Wimbledon yesterday on the seventh of the seventh to end seventy-seven years of disappointment.
Here’s mine.
Laker’s Match in 1956
I remember watching this and especially the screen the BBC showed when the match had ended early because of England’s victory. Read more.
Stirling Moss winning the 1957 British Grand Prix
In fact it was a shared win, as his car broke down and he took over that of Tony Brooks. Read more.
Stiring Moss winning the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix
This must rank as one of the greatest ever Formula One wins by a British driver, as Moss held off three much more powerful Ferraris in his Lotus-Climax. Read more.
Tottenham winning the FA Cup in 1961
This of course gave them the first Football League/FA Cup double since the 19th century.
Mandarin winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1962
Why I was watching this on an afternoon in March, I don’t know, but it was probably because I was off sick from school with the affliction from which I still suffer. It was a masterful ride by that old fox Fred Winter, who kept one of the cleverest steeplechasers to the inside, all round the course at Cheltenham.
Bruce Tulloh Winning Gold in Belgrade in 1962
Few others would include this, as he was not a great runner, but using supreme tactics and going from 800 metres out, he won the European Championships with ease. He showed that if you want something enough, you can get it. Read more.
England winning the World Cup in 1966
I was with my parents in Felixstowe and as we didn’t have a television, I saw it at our next door neighbours.
David Hemery winning Gold in Mexico in 1968
This was an amazing performance and I can still hear David Coleman’s commentary. Read more.
Mary Peters winning Gold in Munich in 1972
This was another amazing win and I’ve written about it before.
Red Rum’s third victory in the Grand National in 1977
Although, I remember the 1973 race, this one is more poignant as I can remember C screaming her head off at the television, as she cheered him home. Strangely, this memory was at the same venue as Moss’s victory in 1957.
Mo Farah’s Double Gold in London in 2012
This can’t be left out, as I’ll never see anything like this again. I did try very hard to get tickets to go, but when the ballot was held, I didn’t have any money, as my house hadn’t been sold.
If I write this list again, Murray’s win yesterday will definitely be included. Although it’s quite likely, that he could exclude this memory by perhaps winning Wimbledon a few more times.
Nationalism And The England Football Team
I went to the England match against Ireland last night at Wembley and although it wasn’t the best of matches, a thought about the England team struck me, as I listened to the phone-in on Radio 5 about English Nationalism.
It is surprising how many of the England team, could have been eligible to play for other countries. For example, Wayne Rooney and Gary Cahill have an Irish heritage and Phil Jagielka has a Polish father and a Scottish mother.
On the other hand, I think at least one of the black players, was born in England to parents, who were also born here.
So nothing is ever what it seems!
I myself, have two strong immigrant lines in my genes; Jew and Huguenot, so when it comes for me to define what is Englishness, I can get rather lost.
Perhaps being of mixed genes is a requirement to being a true Englishman or Englishwoman. After all Churchill had an American mother, Brunel had a French father and Alan Blumlein had a German father, to name but three.
I often define myself as a London Mongrel and when asked to fill in forms about my race, if I think I can get away with it, I do.
Could it all be down to hybrid vigour? It’s proper scientific name is heterosis.
I also like this quote on nationalism by Albert Einstein.
Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.
He is right!
I Know How Kevin Phillips Feels
It is being reported that Kevin Phillips penalty kick in the Championship Play-Off Final was worth £120,000,000.
I know to a certain amount how he feels today.
I was part of the team that sold Metier Management Systems to Lockheed for a similar sum in 1985., although with inflation it’s probably worth a lot more today.
As we went about the pre-sales process, we realised we had good methods and software, but everything was rather boring. So I was asked if I could create a version of Artemis with style and charisma. I did nothing else for six weeks, except write software, eat and sleep occasionally, but the result was that we received a lot more money, than we had decided we would accept.
It was the software and business equivalent of Kevin Phillips’s spot kick.
I also have two other characteristics that I share with Kevin. We’re both about the same height of 1.70 metres and we both performed our most important feats at just under forty years of age. He also is a man from North Hertfordshire, whereas I was brought up in that part of London, that used to have a Barnet, Herts postal address.
A Good Name For A Goalkeeper
Dortmund’s goalkeeper tonight is called Weidenfeller. Does that translate as Wide Fella?
Trafalgar Square In Yellow
Although last night was quiet, that couldn’t be said for lunch-time today.
but where were all the Bayern fans. Perhaps, as they have been described as the Manchester United of Germany, they were all in their hotels and restaurants, stuffing themselves with the German equivalent of prawn sandwiches!
It Was Quiet Last Night
I went up to Trafalgar Square yesterday evening, as with 150,000 Germans supposedly in town, there might be something worth seeing.
It would appear that UEFA have chosen the wrong day for the Champions League final. It was a bit different to 2011, when Barcelona fans were everywhere, as this post shows.
Is There A God?
I was just twelve, when I watched Wolves beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0 in the 1960 Cup Final. Like many of the finals of that era, there was a serious injury to a player, which reduced Blackburn to ten men, as substitutes weren’t allowed. The Blackburn player was Dave Whelan.
Today, he was the Chairman and major shareholder of Wigan Athletic, as they beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup.
Either there is a God, or everything comes to those who wait!
BT Are Making A Big Play For Customers
BT seem to be pulling out the stops to get customers to use their broadband services to get sporting TV, and especially football.
BT Are Making A Big Play For Customers
As I’m a customer of BT Vision, I don’t need to do anything.
Are Sunderland Playing For Relegation?
Sunderland have now had two players sent off in successive matches, which means they lose them until the end of the season.
Although, they are now playing better with ten men.
Wigan incidentally, seem to be favourites for the drop.
At least, we didn’t get the all West Country Division One play-off to decide who comes up, but I would prefer a trip to Brentford, than one to Yeovil.
The worst scenario would be if Wigan and Yeovil are the two new teams in the Championship.
To And From Turf Moor
I took these pictures of the walk to Burnley’s ground; Turf Moor and the walk back by a route avoiding the dreadful pedestrian-unfriendly roundabout by the station.
Burnley is a town that needs a few more light-controlled crossings, as both walks involved lots of crossing of major roads, often with iron railings to get in your way.
Many clubs would organise a bus service on match days, especially as the climb back to the station is quite severe.
The Anonymous Widower 