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Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
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Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
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Topic: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman (Read 14945 times)
N'ZMAV
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Posts: 9666
Location: Peckham
Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
on:
July 10, 2016, 06:23:55 PM »
After seeing Murray win Wimbledon again it lead me to think who people class as Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman.
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PeterWithesShin
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Posts: 68554
GM : 17.03.2015
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #1 on:
July 10, 2016, 06:26:00 PM »
C. B. Fry
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Exeter 77
Member
Posts: 7635
Location: Back outside the realms of possibility
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #2 on:
July 10, 2016, 06:28:02 PM »
Quote from: PeterWithesShin on July 10, 2016, 06:26:00 PM
C. B. Fry
I was going to say after C B Fry it would Daley Thompson.
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Risso
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Posts: 85593
Location: Leics
GM : 04.03.2025
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #3 on:
July 10, 2016, 07:19:22 PM »
Andy Murray is a marvellous sportsman. In an era with two players as good as Federer and Djokovic, to have three Grand Slam titles is very good indeed. Other people worth a shout would be:
Seb Coe
Steve Redgrave
Mark Cavendish.
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four fornicholl
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Posts: 4995
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #4 on:
July 10, 2016, 07:25:57 PM »
Peter Withe
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paul_e
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Posts: 33500
Age: 44
GM : July, 2013
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #5 on:
July 10, 2016, 09:23:30 PM »
Sticking to the current sportsmen Lewis Hamilton has to be in with a shout, as do Alistair Cook, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson.
Greg Rutherford is worthy of discussion, to hold european, commonwealth, world and olympic titles as well as the diamond league is a pretty spectacular dominance of an event over a long period.
As an individual player Martin Johnson wasn't good enough to warrant a place but as a captain he has to worth a mention and from the same side Johnny Wilkinson has to be on the list.
Going forward I think there are a few youngsters in various sports who will additions to this in a few years time, Anthony Joshua, Adam Peaty, Joe Root, Anthony Watson and Maro Itoje all have the world at their feet right now and can be as good as they want to be.
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KevinGage
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Posts: 13503
Location: Singing from under the floorboards
GM : 20.09.20
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #6 on:
July 10, 2016, 11:25:08 PM »
Botham, Johnny Wilkinson or Gary Penrice.
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curiousorange
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Posts: 9171
Location: In the sauce
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #7 on:
July 10, 2016, 11:35:25 PM »
There are loads you could make a case for. Gareth Edwards, Kevin Sinfield, Graham Hill, Phil Taylor, Paula Radcliffe, Steve Davis...in their own way and in their own field, dozens meet the criteria. Murray is certainly up there, no question. Tennis players are incredibly fit and have to perform at that level for three hours plus on a regular basis. To get three Slams in this era is no mean feat.
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wittonwarrior
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Posts: 4610
Age: 63
Location: Knotty Ash (really)
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #8 on:
July 10, 2016, 11:42:47 PM »
People automatically ignore his brother Jamie who is the world's no 1 double's player.
And dont forget the likes of Chester Barnes, Tom Daley, George Best, Botham (cricket only), Virginia Wade
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PeterWithesShin
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Posts: 68554
GM : 17.03.2015
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #9 on:
July 10, 2016, 11:43:59 PM »
There are loads you can make a case for based on their ability in one sport, but it's why Fry strolls it for me. Played in an FA Cup final and for England in football, played for the Barbarians in rugby, scored a test century for England in cricket, held the world record for long jump and was also an accomplished sprinter, hurdler, javelin chucker, ice skater and golfer.
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Louzie0
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Posts: 14110
Location: wrangling jellied eels in the Albert Dock
UTV: I’m retired, hurrah!
GM : 04.03.2025
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #10 on:
July 10, 2016, 11:52:55 PM »
Jessica Ennis-Hill has to be in with a shout.
She's still going, though!
Ben Ainslie has won everything going in sailing and is current. (Sorry)
I always loved Jonathan Edwards, what more could you ask?
Likewise, Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins.
Jane Sixsmith. 4 Olympics. Not bad!
Depends what your definition is, because Ian Botham certainly fits the bill as well as Virginia Wade. As for the gymnasts...Beth Tweddle, Louis Smith in a sport GB doesn't usually dominate.
Torvill and Dean, of course.
Tanni Grey-Thompson.
And I haven't even started on the horses.
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thick_mike
Member
Posts: 6395
GM : 26.02.2025
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #11 on:
July 11, 2016, 12:01:05 AM »
George Best?
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paul_e
Member
Posts: 33500
Age: 44
GM : July, 2013
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #12 on:
July 11, 2016, 12:04:44 AM »
Different era though, no one could replicate that now because the level of dedication required to get chance to do those things makes it impossible. If you want cross discipline then Vicky Pendleton has to come into the discussion, ridiculously good cycling career and now moving into a career as a jockey, still very early on but she's got a professional win under her belt a few weeks back so worth watching.
However my personal criteria is someone who has dominated a sport over of a period of years, that's why Greg Rutherford should be much higher profile than he is. he's won 5 of the last 6 majors over 4 years with the blip being when he was only half fit and probably should've withdrawn from the event. The dedication required for that is incredible and deserves recognition. If he retains the olympic title he will be on a par with Jonathan Edwards for me as the best field athletes the UK has ever produced. The one thing Rutherford is missing is a jump that is genuinely pushing the world record but I honestly believe that world record is the safest in athletics, it's a 25 year old record that replaced a 23 year old record and no one has got with 20cm of it since.
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wittonwarrior
Member
Posts: 4610
Age: 63
Location: Knotty Ash (really)
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #13 on:
July 11, 2016, 12:45:35 AM »
would you put the likes of Lewis Hamilton in there? I am no lover of F1 but it takes a special talent and nerve.
Leonard Lewis in Boxing?
Will Carling in Rugby Union or Martin Ofiah in League?
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thick_mike
Member
Posts: 6395
GM : 26.02.2025
Re: Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman
«
Reply #14 on:
July 11, 2016, 01:00:43 AM »
It's a bit chastening to think about this and realise how few truly great sportspeople we have produced from this country...similar to being American and trying to come up with a list of great American rock bands...
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