Britain's greatest ever sportsman/woman

[cdbearsfan]

I wouldn't include any riding or driving people simply because the horse/vehicle  does most of the work.

If we are counting animals Red Rum must be a contender.

[PeterWithesShin]

Red Rum is no Mick the Miller.

[cdbearsfan]

Red Rum wins because Mick the Miller never appeared in The Shining.

[J]

Was Paul McGrath not playing a sport then?

Being Irish would be the disqualifier

More British than Lennox Lewis who has already been mentioned.

Lennox Lewis was born in England and lived here until he was twelve. I'm not sure how you could consider McGrath to be more British, I'm sure he wouldn't consider himself as such. 

[cdbearsfan]

McGrath was born in England. Of course he is Irish though. I had assumed Lewis was brought up in Canada, just going by the accent. Happy to be corrected.

Still wouldn't consider him the greatest British sportsperson. I think you'd have to be one of the greatest ever in your sport for that but, while he was undoubtedly brilliant, he's not talked about as being in the same class as Marciano, Ali, Robinson or Audley.

[footyskillz]

Ryan Giggs in modern era of football and sport. No one comes close. Giggs has  34 trophies for Manchester United. It includes 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and nine Community Shields in England. He has also won two Champions League titles and a Club World Cup in a career over 24 seasons. He scored in almost every Premier League season except his final season retired at 40.

Certainly no uk footballer would ever match that

[UK Redsox]

There's also the question of whether by 'Britain' you mean the island of Great Britain (which would exclude Cav) or the British Isles (which would include anyone born in Ireland)

[cdbearsfan]

Ryan Giggs in modern era of football and sport. No one comes close. Giggs has  34 trophies for Manchester United. It includes 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and nine Community Shields in England. He has also won two Champions League titles and a Club World Cup in a career over 24 seasons. He scored in almost every Premier League season except his final season retired at 40.

Certainly no uk footballer would ever match that

He wasn't anywhere near being the best player or his era let alone all time.  He shouldn't be a candidate when Britain has better ones.

If longevity is the main criteria then Stanley Matthews wins.

Giggs won a lot more but that's because he was in the best team, not because he was the best player. I'm not saying he wasn't a very good footballer, but best Brit ever? Not a chance.

[maidstonevillain]

When you think about it we really have had very few really great sportspersons.

But it is difficult to ignore:

Nick Faldo
Jackie Stewart
George Best - possibly.
Bradley Wiggins
Mo Farah
Ben Ainslie

But I think Andy Murray and Lewis Hamilton will get there.

[four fornicholl]

Toxteth Ogrady, alleged American but was British really.

[Villa in Denmark]

No but he won the decathlon, which is the event he took part in.

He was a good enough sprinter run the 1st leg of the 4x100m on numerous occasions, including LA '84 sprint relay final if I remember correctly.

At one of his early AAA finals his decathlon long jump was good enough to have won the long jump title.

I'd never underestimate anyone that could drag their body through 10 events in 2 days at anything approaching a respectable standard.

My last year at school I got persuaded to do 110m hurdles, 400m and javelin at some end of school year athletics tournament at Hadley Stadium in Bearwood/Cape Hill. This was in the days when I was juggling swimming, football and junior (full contact) American football and felt like I could run through brick walls. I was absolutely fubar by the time I'd thrown the last javelin.

[Villan For Life]

It's a difficult call but my choice is Steve Redgrave. To win that many Olympic gold medals in consecutive games is remarkable.

Botham, Wilkinson and Daley Thompson were others I considered.

[cdbearsfan]

No to Botham. If he was that good, England wouldn't have lost virtually any match they played against the West Indies.

[Louzie0]

No to Botham. If he was that good, England wouldn't have lost virtually any match they played against the West Indies.

God, yeah. No to Botham, then.
What about Paula Radcliffe?
( dreadful at WK)

[Dave Cooper please]

No to Botham. If he was that good, England wouldn't have lost virtually any match they played against the West Indies.

Yeah, but we are talking the West Indies pace attack here. They were got me into watching cricket, such awesome. poetic brutality.