[Archived] Best Of British Sport

[Mike E]

Pick your sports and pick the greatest British competitors in that sport. Then debate your choices we each other.

I'll start with an overall Sportsperson which is surely no contest and lots of people I speak to have never heard of her! Dame Sarah Storey.

Swimming: 5 Paralympic Golds (8 Silvers, 3 Bronze), 5 IPC World Golds (5 Silvers, 5 Bronze).

Road Cycling: 5 Paralympic Golds, 10 UCI World Golds (2 Silvers), 1 European Gold (1 Silver).

Track Cycling: 4 Paralympic Golds, 12 IPC/UCI World Golds (2 Silvers, 2 Bronze), 2 European Golds.

There's nothing like that Dame!

Tennis: Murray, surely?

Cycling: Lots of this is preference or if you separate Track and Road, either Wiggins, Kenny, or Trott. Or indeed, Storey.

Football: Wish I could purchase Shearer but he only has 1 official title to his name! I'd have to say someone like Sir Bobby Charlton.

Others?

[oldjamfan1]

I am not convinced that some of these are 'sports' but they are good for this type of discussion. Also, I haven't necessarily picked the most successful in terms of trophies etc (though most of them are):

Football - George Best (does he count as British?)

Cricket - Sir Ian Botham (though I think he might be about to be overtaken)

Golf - Sir Nick Faldo

Athletics - Mo Farah (there are obviously many disciplines which it would take all day to select one from each)

Cycling - Jason Kenny (see 'Athletics')

Snooker - Ronnie O'Sullivan

Darts - Phil Taylor

Tennis - Andy Murray

The popular sports that are missing from the list are rugby (both codes) and F1 - I don't watch these and can't therefore comment.

[Dreyski]

Trying not to repeat any names rather than disagreeing:

Football: Moore/Giggs (for titles)

Cycling: Froome/Hoy

Athletics: Coe/Cram

Rugby U: Wilkinson

Snooker: Hendry

Tennis I have to agree and Golf I don't know enough about apart from Faldo. Maybe Rose in the future?

[Mike E]

McIlroy in golf, surely? For the future perhapso.

[Hanks]

I am not convinced that some of these are 'sports' but they are good for this type of discussion. Also, I haven't necessarily picked the most successful in terms of trophies etc (though most of them are):

Football - George Best (does he count as British?)

Cricket - Sir Ian Botham (though I think he might be about to be overtaken)

Golf - Sir Nick Faldo

Athletics - Mo Farah (there are obviously many disciplines which it would take all day to select one from each)

Cycling - Jason Kenny (see 'Athletics')

Snooker - Ronnie O'Sullivan

Darts - Phil Taylor

Tennis - Andy Murray

The popular sports that are missing from the list are rugby (both codes) and F1 - I don't watch these and can't therefore comment.

It would be difficult to argue against most of your choices OJF but for debates sake Joe Davis at snooker and Mark Cavendish for road cycling. George Best definitely British

[Baz]

Wiggins surely for cycling wins both at Le Tour and also an outstanding Olympic career.

[Dreyski]

McIlroy in golf, surely? For the future perhapso.

D'oh! Told you I didn't follow it!

[MCMC1875]

Wrestling: Big Daddy or Giant Haystack?

[only2garners]

I think cycling is a tough one. I can see a case for Bradley Wiggins having won at the top on both the track and the road, but he only has one win in the Tour and that was very much on a route which favoured his skills.

Mark Cavendish clearly needs to be up there as by some way the best ever road sprinter. But technically, being from the Isle of Man, he's not British.

I suspect Chris Froome will be regarded as the best in a year or two assuming he has some more success in the Tour or another grand tour. But there might also be some doubt about how British he is, being born in Kenya, schooled in South Africa and now lives in the south of France. But there again, Brad was born in Ghent.

For football Tom Finney, although I could accept an argument for Stanley Matthews. George Best had great talent but wasted most of it.

[speeeeeeedie]

Chris Hoy is a shout for cyclist.

Ben Ainslie - sailing

Steve Redgrave - rowing

Murray - tennis

Daley Thompson - Athletics

[only2garners]

Chris Hoy was an outstanding track cyclist but the world's very best cyclists gravitate to road cycling - the competition on the track is less. That's why Bradley Wiggins' achievements on both track and road are more impressive.

In truth there are essentially several different disciplines in cycling and you can't really directly compare them. Mark Cavendish is probably the greatest sprinter the world has ever seen but he could never win the Tour. Likewise Chris Froome would not be competitive on the track.

[oldjamfan1]

For football Tom Finney, although I could accept an argument for Stanley Matthews. George Best had great talent but wasted most of it.

I suppose it depends on how you define 'greatest'. I plumped for Georgie Best because the only British player I have seen come even close to doing the things he did was Gazza, another one who maybe didn't make the best of his talent? Also, were Matthews and Finney really better than Ryan Giggs? They were both before my time so I can't say, but Giggs' career takes some beating.

[Mike E]

My dad often tells me that Giggs would be irrelevant if John Robertson had gone to 'a pretty club'. Apparently better in all aspects apart from pace, and the ruling left winger in Europe and possibly the world for 5 years.

Ofc, Giggs did it for 3x that time and won many more medals...

[Salgado Is Still A Hero]

Tennis - Murray

Snooker - Hendry

Football - Dalglish

Athletics - Daley Thompson

F1 - Jackie Stewart

Rally Driving - Colin McRae

Easy

[McClarky]

Tennis - Murray

Snooker - Hendry

Football - Dalglish

Athletics - Daley Thompson

F1 - Jackie Stewart

Rally Driving - Colin McRae

Easy

Daley Thompson? What did he ever do, what about Alan Wells?

Wrestling: Big Daddy or Giant Haystack?

Kendo Nagasaki

[only2garners]

I suppose it depends on how you define 'greatest'. I plumped for Georgie Best because the only British player I have seen come even close to doing the things he did was Gazza, another one who maybe didn't make the best of his talent? Also, were Matthews and Finney really better than Ryan Giggs? They were both before my time so I can't say, but Giggs' career takes some beating.

I am just a bit too young to have seen Finney and Matthews in their pomp, but I have several of my relatives, probably better judges than me, to vouch that they were in a different league to the likes of Best. I therefore extrapolate that they were better than Giggs as well. They could both put thousands on to the gate every time they appeared, people just wanting to see them.

And, not that it is perhaps relevant, but Tom Finney was a wonderful human being as well - I did meet him a few times.

[oldjamfan1]

I am just a bit too young to have seen Finney and Matthews in their pomp, but I have several of my relatives, probably better judges than me, to vouch that they were in a different league to the likes of Best. I therefore extrapolate that they were better than Giggs as well. They could both put thousands on to the gate every time they appeared, people just wanting to see them.

And, not that it is perhaps relevant, but Tom Finney was a wonderful human being as well - I did meet him a few times.

Most fans and pros alike seem to put Finney above Matthews but suggesting they were in a different league to Best might be pushing it a bit. In the 'decent human being' stakes maybe but that isn't what this thread is about (or maybe it is?). Best also added thousands onto various gates, even when he was bloated and barely able to run in the latter stages of his career. A wasted talent for certain but he still enjoyed, what, a decade at the top?

[only2garners]

Maybe a different league is stretching it a bit but I'm convinced both Finney and Matthews were better than Best.

I'm no rugby union fan but surely some the Welsh greats are well ahead of Wilkinson aren't they? Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams?

[Al]

Maybe a different league is stretching it a bit but I'm convinced both Finney and Matthews were better than Best.

Take it from me, who has seen them all, Finney was best ever. He could play anywhere from midfield, winger or striker equally brilliantly. Matthews was the best ever right winger. Then comes Best who granted was a brilliant player.

I'm no rugby union fan but surely some the Welsh greats are well ahead of Wilkinson aren't they? Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams?

I have to agree with that. I'm no great fan of Rugby but those two were something else.

[onlyonetugay]

A Great British Cricketing Legend

Eddie Paynter born in Oswaldtwistle and played for Enfield in the Lancashire League ( might even have been a Rovers fan too ! )

" During the fourth Ashes Test at The Gabba from the 1932-33 series, which famously (or infamously, depending on your perspective) went on to be known as the ‘Bodyline series’, Paynter got his name etched permanently in the chronicles of cricket. He went into the match with a sore throat and developed tonsillitis as the match progressed. He was admitted to the hospital, but as his team needed his services, he asked Bill Voce — who was also injured and was giving him company in the hospital — to get a taxi for them to go to the ground at his own risk.

Paynter arrived at The Gabba just when England lost their fifth wicket on 198, still trailing by 142 in pursuit of Australia’s 340. He took a quick warm shower and a diet of eggs, brandy, and champagne, and got ready for taking the field, leaving his team-mates surprised.

Paynter finally fell for 83, helping England cross Australia’s 340. The 16-run lead helped the target to come down to 160 as Australia capitulated meekly in the hands of Larwood and Allen. Once again, as his side was in a spot of bother, Paynter walked out and immediately sealed the matter with 2 sixes, the second of which — off Stan McCabe — brought up the winning runs. The Ashes was regained, rather fittingly, in the hands of Paynter. He returned to the chants of “well done, Eddie” from the crowd. "

[yoda]

William Wilson is the man, the dogs @#/?, all others fall by the way side