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Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:05 pm
by supsim96
Jimmy Greaves?
Dennis Law?
George Best?
Bobby Charlton?
Martin Johnson?
Sebastian Coe?
Roger Bannister?
Dennis Compton?
Joe Calzaghe?
Jack Hobbs?
David Wilkie?
Daley Thompson?
Tony Jacklin?
Chris Hoy?
John Charles?
Bobby Moore?
Gareth Edwards?
Barry John?
Duncan Edwards?
Ian Botham?
Len Hutton?
Danny Blanchflower?
?
?
?
?

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:11 pm
by Meatus
notice a complete lack of Scots there, except for Hoy and Law, what about Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Jocky Wilson, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Jim Baxter, Jimmy Johnstone,

of course he's not Scottish, but Phil 'The Power' Taylor has a strong claim!

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:16 pm
by supsim96
Law, Hoy and Wilkie, no?

I was going to put Ken Buchanan down but his win/loss ratio wasn't actually that brilliant was it ?. . . .

Jim Baxter, Jimmy Johnstone of course yes, Dalgleish possibly yes as well

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:19 pm
by supsim96
Jimmy Johnstone must have been great if a Ger wants to put in a nomination for him then . . . .

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:21 pm
by Sam Slater
No room for Steve Redgrave?


Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:23 pm
by Meatus
he certainly was,

Your right about Ken Buchanan, though he was World Champion, but his loss to Duran was disgraceful, a blatant low blow!

but i think it also has to do from where you come from, i mean if you were to put say Freddie Flintoff or Kevin Pieterson in it, people in Scotland might disagree. Because we are not all that into Cricket up here, and while the England team winning the Ashes was a great sporting achievement. It didn't mean much up here as the sport isn't really followed. I'm also supposing for a lot of Welsh people they would have a lot of Rugby heroes in there too?

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:24 pm
by supsim96
ah, very good point, rowing tends to slip under the radar compared to football, cricket, boxing, rugby union, athletics etc unfortunately.

Ellery Hanley?

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:26 pm
by Meatus
exactly,

i mean 4 Olympic Gold Medals (or is it 5?) is some achievement. But i tend to think, he was just rowing a boat! big deal? Am i totally unfair?

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:29 pm
by supsim96
they say it's an absolute killer in terms of shear physical strength though, rowing.

Along similar lines, if a Brit were ever to win Le Tour then that would have to put them right up there as well.

Re: Greatest Brit Sportsman Ever?

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:36 pm
by Meatus
I tend to think it would be hard for people to make a comprehensive list, just down to the fact that people are interested in different things.

As i said i'm sure someone winning the Le Tour, though technically, would be some achievement, it wouldn't necessarily mean anything to me though in that person be the Greatest or one of the Greatest.

Also being a Dart fan i put forward Phil 'The Power' Taylor, though some people don't agree that Darts is even a sport.

Also like i said, i think your home Country comes into it. As winning the Rugby World Cup or the Ashes was no big deal for me being a Scot. I wasn't agains England winning them, and they were both great achievements just doesn't mean anything for me. So if you were to have a list with say Johnny Wilkinson in it and Freddie Flintoff, i would probably rather nominate someone else, though since the population of England is greater, i'm sure they would see more merit in havin Freddie Flintoff and Johnny Wilkinson there?