Your Greatest Sporting Memories
I was minded to start this thread after watching a re-run of the immortal game of rugby, to me anyway, between the All Blacks and The Barbarians when the All Blacks were touring here in 1973. This was when playing for the Babas was a privilege and this side contained some of the greats of "Lions" rugby.
It contained for me the greatest sporting memory I have, that of THE TRY, scored by Gareth Edwards after only about 4 minutes of play. There didn't seem to be a "Rolling Maul" in the whole game, not a great deal of "Rucking" either but loads of fantastic open play. I was quite young when I watched this live the first time around and I can often forget where I live but I can remember facets of this game as if it was played only yesterday.
So feel free to recall your favourite piece of sporting memory.
Comments
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Got a few…….being on the finish line at Sheffield, watching the peloton on the big screen, helicopters above, Gendarmes roaring in to peel off and allow Vincenzo Nibali to win a wonderful Yorkshire Stage of the 2014 Tour de France, along with hundreds of thousands of other Cycling fans.
Spending a day in a Race car on the Tour of Britain this time alongside the Peloton rolling along through Lake District coastline, waving to the crowds going through Carlisle, up and all around the Borders to the finish at Floors Castle, and then presenting one of the Stage Winners with his Watch (which he didn’t want, and my OH now owns).
Working on Bramham Three Day Event, and meeting Mark Todd. Working as an event steward at a few BHS events, including the job of keeping David Broome happy and well plied with tea😁 Ditto Ian Stark, who brought the wonderful Murphy Himself to go through his paces.
Watching Desert Orchid fly up the field at full throttle at Middleham Open Stables Day, back when it was a huge event with Channel Four Racing. I even got to say a big hello to Red Rum, and to John Whitaker’s Milton.
Being at the Riverside when Middlesbrough thumped Manchester City 9-1, Sven Goran Ericsson’s last game in charge (sorry Pliers😁)
Watching in awe as the super cyclists (Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny, Wiggins, Cavendish etc…) did their stuff in the Manchester Velodrome.
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Oh, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You WN
!!And there was little old A B M looking for an early night -- not only going to spend the night dreaming of Half Century old Rugby Battles, but he'll waste oodles of good reading time watching re-runs of the whole affair again tomorrow.
Not complaining, mind you
just commenting 
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I have two
The first watching Neil Hodgson win the World Superbike Championship at Assen, that will always be my happy place when I feel down I just think back to his slow down lap wearing a hand made T-shirt saying Who's the Daddy paying tribute to the fact his wife had just given birth to his daughter Hollie
The second is singing along to the National Anthem being played life by James Toseland in front of 100,000 fans at Brands Hatch not really a sporting moment but he did go on the win the race
Happy memories
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With those two little pals of mine,
Ramadhin and Valentine.
My 1st sporting memory. Very young, taken to Old Trafford cricket ground by my Dad to watch Lancashire play against the West Indies touring side. Don’t remember anything about the game, we were sat on the grass and could hardly see. But I do remember the very lively Moss Side lads singing that wonderful song, all through the game.
TTDA, I’m sure it was “only” 8 : 1 for ‘Brough, but maybe I’d lost count! 🙂🙂🙂
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1st May 1976, little Bobby Stokes scoring the winning, and only, goal for Southampton in the Cup Final against Manchester United. Well maybe second to the World Cup win ten years earlier?
David
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I stand corrected pliers, it was 8:1😁 We have had to live on that bit of glory for the last umpteen years. If only they could have beaten Chelsea last month😉
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Sorry to add to your "woes" Brian but another of my highlights concerned the England v Australia Ashes series of 1981, aka Botham's Series.
I was lucky enough to be at Old Trafford on the day he made a hundred, just after the miracle at Headingly. It was mighty impressive, especially as he was facing Lillee, Alderman and Lawson without any helmet protection. I remember him hooking Lillee for 6 off his own eyebrows. Goodness knows what would have happened if he had missed it.
Next test at Trent Bridge and we were at Old Trafford watching a Sunday league game but actually nobody was watching that as we were all transfixed to TMS on the radio as he poleaxed the batting of the Aussies. Even the players on the pitch were following the game via the crowd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBAPwkVNSBk
Some late night watching for you. Apologies.
More recent sporting moments definitely include Jason Kenny's Keiren Gold Medal ride at the recent Olympics just for sheer audacity. Never seen anything like it in all my cycling watching life. It will stay with me forever.
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Wednesday 20th April, 7:35pm. I just won my A team crown bowls league match. The crowd of 25 didn't really say much and my cup of tea was pretty lousy, but the feeling was good.
The only real low point was a pair of old duffers going on about Liverpool and Everton football teams.
Colin
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Wherenext, my OH was at THAT MATCH and saw THE TRY. He had a fondness for the Babas as their "home" was Penarth, and he is a Penarth man.
What a great memory that must have been for him. The emotion experienced of being in a crowd of spectators and witnessing such a game, especially as that Babas team were represented by some famous Welsh names, must have been a thrill. He wasn't the one holding up a Cardboard Sheep on a stick was he?
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My father was a great Boxing fan, in fact he used to train the squaddies wherever we happened to be stationed when he was in the RAF. Also taught me a thing or two.
BBC used to show a lot of Boxing at one time, including Amateur Boxing.
Must admit I was more keen on the Horse Racing he also used to follow and have the odd bet on. It was very occasional as well but he did have 3 Grand National winning horses in a row once, including the 100-1 shot Foinavon. He used to idolise Peter O'Sullevan.
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I'm loving this thread, thanks for starting it, W.
But it's a bit like Desert Island Discs, every time I try to think of a "greatest" moment, another one crops up.
So .... going to Trent Bridge with Mum & Dad and brother to watch one of Freddie Trueman's last games, Wembley for Hull KR beating Hull FC to win the Challenge Cup (sorry to bring that up, micky!) and again for The Gas beating Grimsby on penalties to get promoted back into the football league at the first attempt, and, for a personal memory, running the London Marathon in 1982.
(Ask me again tomorrow and I'll probably choose something completely different!)
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I am with you about Jason Kenny WN, absolutely astonishing win, he fooled everyone!👍
Dad was a Boxing fan, so I used to read is old copies of The Ring, and of course we watched some of the biggest fights ever in the 60’s and 70’s. Somehow, they didn’t seem as brutal as they do nowadays. I love sport of all kinds, so can just remember the 66 World Cup, the 1968 Olympics, and very sadly the 1972 Munich Olympics. In the early 1980’s, We organised a work outing to go and watch the amazing Russian Gymnasts down at the Wembley Arena, little knowing of course the punishing regimes they endured to do what they did.
I once got sent off at Trentbridge😬 Inter Uni Lacrosse match, umpire said my shot was dangerous (head height at Goalie) I begged to differ, as she dove in way🤣Only got 5 minutes in the Sin Bin, and we won.
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Unbelievably this was actually a memorable occasion for me as well!
Our pub had a sweepstake draw before the third round of the Cup, £1 per team, 1 team per customer. I drew second division Southampton! What a waste of a pound I thought but lo and behold I was £63 in profit thanks to Mr.Stokes.
Mind you the "lads" in the pub didn't seem to think they should pay for any of the drinks that night!0 -
Left a bitter taste down under!😜
Love the terroir neck label!
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One of my most abiding memories was from October 2007. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was on a narrowboat on the Oxford Canal and had moored up for the day to watch England and Australia in the Rugby World Cup semi finals. Not long before the end of the match the TV cut out. Thinking that the batteries were flat I turned on the engine to charge them up but the alternator had conked out and I couldn't get a new one fitted until the Monday. I didn't get to see the end of the match and didn't find out until Monday, whether Enlgand had won or not! The most memorable was Red Rum winning his third Grand Naional, especially as at the time he was based not far from where I lived in Southport, so all of the town were rooting for him.
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Watching Newcastle Falcons move through the divisions and then becoming English Premiership champions at their first attempt in the 1997–98 season thanks in part to Sir John Hall. The squad included Rob Andrew, Pat Lam the late great Rugby League legend Inga Tuigamala, Doddie Weir, Gary Armstrong, the Underwood brothers, Alan Tait, John Bentley and, of course, Jonny Wilkinson. Fabulous years leading up to this but sadly not such a force today. Maybe they will get the better of London Irish tonight! I live in hope of better seasons to come.
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At the age of 10 watching Aston Villa v Man utd in the 1957 cup final on our 9 inch screen TV the house was of course packed with family and friends as it was for the coronation 4 years earlier I can also remember our TV going away to be upgraded to receive the brand new ITV channel
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Being at Twickenham in I think 1974 and seeing Mike Gibson score a try for Ireland against England. I seem to remember that the Fergus Slattery and Willie-John were also in the team. For England David Duckham, Fran Cotton and Tony Neary, but they were not good enough on the day. Fortunately I had been taken by a couple of Irish lads to the match!!
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