Greatest British sportsperson of all time

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Veston Pance
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Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Veston Pance »

Quite simple. Who is it. I personally think it's Andy Murray with Bradley Wiggins a close second.

Thoughts
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Claretdave »

Bobby Moore.

Close thread.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by RyanWHUFC »

Murray doesn't come close.

Mr Moore.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Devils Advocate »

While it's not really fair to compare people from different sports and different eras, if forced to pick one, I'd go for Steve Redgrave, for sustained world-class performance over the best part of two decades.

5 Olympic golds (and 1 bronze)

9 World Championship golds (2 silver, 1 bronze)

3 Commonwealth golds
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by RichieRiv »

Got to agree Devils, as much as I revere Bobby Moore he only got to the top of his game once. Sir Steve did it on multiple occasions.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Harry Hound »

There have been a few but for me it's a very close thing between Bobby Moore and Barry Sheene
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Claretdave »

RichieRiv wrote:Got to agree Devils, as much as I revere Bobby Moore he only got to the top of his game once. Sir Steve did it on multiple occasions.
Bobby Moore heart, Redgrave head?
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by bobbymooresbracelet »

Max Woosnam.

Also a WW1 hero and a bloody good chap !
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by westham,eggyandchips »

Fred Perry
Sir Steve Redgrave
Sir Chris Hoy
Daley Thompson
Lennox Lewis
Beckham
Giggs
Bobby
Sir Bradley
Chris Frome
Andy Murray
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by lewisham-mer »

Fatima Whitbread

Simply for the fact she picked Daley Thompson up by the throat and told him he'd be cleaning his teeth through his arse if he called her a man again...

After last night, maybe consideration should be given to Nick Skelton. 7 or 8 Olympics, hip replacement, dodgy knee, broken neck, and still becomes Olympic Champion at aged 58.

There's also a great number of Paralympians who go unsung, but some of their achievements are just as great.

Difficult to truly pick out one single person
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Sweeney Bod »

Considering he has become a bit of a knob, my hero from childhood was Seb Coe. I use to love Friday night live athletics with Coe and Ovett setting new world records.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Tenbury »

Sweeney Bod wrote:Considering he has become a bit of a knob, my hero from childhood was Seb Coe. I use to love Friday night live athletics with Coe and Ovett setting new world records.



He always was,in Sheffield in '79 for a year ,I had the misfortune to come across that self-important turd on a few occasions.






Anyhow,I give you ......Alf Tupper.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Johnny Byrne's Boots »

Tenbury wrote:........................................

Anyhow,I give you ......Alf Tupper.
He blotted his copybook in one episode where he went to watch a game of football. The referee made an incorrect decision, so Tupper ran onto the pitch and produced a copy of the laws of the game (we all carry a copy, right?) to the ref, pointing out the error of his ways. The ref thanked him and changed his decision.

These days he'd be hauled off under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and banned for life.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by uptonparkhurst »

Tenbury wrote:........................................

Anyhow,I give you ......Alf Tupper.
Much as I admired Alf's ability to work all night at a welding job, run into the stadium still eating his fish-and-chips dinner and overtake the posh blokes who had a 10 second start on him...
Wilson the Wonder Athlete simultaneously broke the Olympic or World (or maybe both) record for the javelin AND speared a Nazi spy who was about to escape from the stadium with secret documents.
Beat that Ussain Bolt!
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by simon hammer »

Bobby Moore.

Plenty of athletes have gold medals, plenty more have silver and bronze.

Only one Englishman has ever lifted the World Cup.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Clucking Bell »

simon hammer wrote:Only one Englishman has ever lifted the World Cup.
That's a fairly crap argument. 1970 was about this last time we managed to get 11 decent players on the pitch and since 1990 we've been lucky to get half a dozen. Even Sam will have his work cut out with the current bunch of c**** that purport to be international class footballers.

For me, Redgrave gets the longevity award and Wiggins wins for breath of talent - golds on the track, Tour De France winner and World Hour Record forms a superb palmares. The most dominant athlete we've ever had is Chrissie Wellington: unbeaten over the Ironman distance, although she was a latecomer to the sport and had a relatively short career.

That said, in another eight years or so, I think the answer will be Laura Trott.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by White Goodman »

As a rower I'm inclined to go with Redgrave but if being fair you can't really pick a sportsperson who competes as part of a crew/team for the greatest.

I'm convinced Pinsent dragged Redgrave to his last gold at least
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by sendô »

Claretdave wrote:Bobby Moore.

Close thread.
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Veston Pance
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Veston Pance »

Just don't think someone who plays a team sport can be regarded as greatest. I had this argument with a mate and he said giggs because of everything he won but that was because of his team mates. If he had played for us he wouldn't have won anything.
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Re: Greatest British sportsperson of all time

Post by Claretdave »

Veston Pance wrote:Just don't think someone who plays a team sport can be regarded as greatest. I had this argument with a mate and he said giggs because of everything he won but that was because of his team mates. If he had played for us he wouldn't have won anything.
A roundabout argument. Messi would not have won as much at WHU, but that is (part) of the reason why he is not at WHU. We also have to be honest and state that if Bobby Moore was born in 1980, his domestic career would probably be similar to that of Rio Ferdinand.

I digress. Anyway, you argue for Andy Murray. My issue here is that he has never, at any time, been regarded as the best player in the world.
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