Great Sporting Events (1 Viewer)

[bringbackrattles]

I bet many on here have been to some top sporting events, really big occasions ?
A World Cup Final, a big boxing title fight, a Rugby Union International match, and so on.
It got me thinking and so if you could be there live at any huge sports event, and it can be from any era in time, what 3 would you pick ? Not easy but my 3 would be.
The 1966 World Cup Final at Wembley.
The Hagler v Hearns title fight called "The War" 1985.
England v Hungary 1953. I've written an article on this famous match, but to have seen it live would have been something else.
As I say not easy choosing 3 but that's mine.

 

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[jimmyhillsfanclub]

Good to have you (and your threads) back BBR.

First 3 off the top of my head:

Our FA Cup final 1987 (I was a potless 15 year old with no ticket)
Seves Ryder Cup: 1987.
Bothams Ashes @ Headingley. 1981.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Good to have you (and your threads) back BBR.

First 3 off the top of my head:

Our FA Cup final 1987 (I was a potless 15 year old with no ticket)
Seves Ryder Cup: 1987.
Bothams Ashes @ Headingley. 1981.

I've been fortunate enough to have seen all our big Cov City occasions, so thought I'd expand it to other events. I like your Botham pick, not a big cricket fan but recall seeing that on the telly. My dad got all excited !

 

[skybluetony176]

I went to a Paralympic world final session and it was awesome. Aside from being in ore of what “disabled” athletes can do I must have seen half a dozen world records being broken.

 

[skybluetony176]

Isle of Man TT race week is the best sporting event I’ve been too though.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Isle of Man TT race week is the best sporting event I’ve been too though.

Seen it on one occasion back in the early 2000s. Rider called David Jeffries was killed right in front of me. Had to take my kids away. He was left lying on the road while they tended to another rider ( molyneau) who was badly injured. They knew Jeffries was already dead.
It was horrific. The speed these riders travel at can never be fully appreciated by the TV cameras. It's almost suicidal and yet gripping to watch.

 

[Mild-Mannered Janitor]

Rumble in the jungle
81 Headingley
not really an event to watch but the football game in the temporary ceasefire in 1914 must have been an unusual one to have been involved in

 

[ovduk78]

I would choose Ali v Foreman, Seve winning the Open & Usain Bolt winning 100 & 200 at World Championship in 2009. 3 great sportsman whose appeal transcended their sport and got even those not interested in the sports to watch.

 

[eastwoodsdustman]

Id go with Hagler vs Hearns too! They keep running repeats on sky of the big 4 fighting in the 80’s and that was an amazing fight.
Headingly 1981 would be another and it’d have to the the world final in 1966.

 

[olderskyblue]

Ali v Henry Cooper
1966 World Cup final
England Rugby World Cup win v the Aussies 2003

 

[Philosoraptor]

The Evergreen Game



And with analysis.




A game from the romantic era of chess with the swashbuckling Evans Gambit. Some beautiful mating patterns from a dubious, old but very flamboyant opening.

The game is from 1852 and is definitely a product of its time. It is though pure art.

Edit - The game has its own wiki page with analysis

Evergreen Game - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[CJ_covblaze]

Seen it on one occasion back in the early 2000s. Rider called David Jeffries was killed right in front of me. Had to take my kids away. He was left lying on the road while they tended to another rider ( molyneau) who was badly injured. They knew Jeffries was already dead.
It was horrific. The speed these riders travel at can never be fully appreciated by the TV cameras. It's almost suicidal and yet gripping to watch.

That’s awful. Hope you and your kids weren’t too badly effected by it. He was a colossus of a man and left a huge hole. Lost a lot of riders around that time and he is one of the main ones that still effects so many people today. The line in my signature says all you need to know about him.

There is an onboard (might actually be DJ) on YouTube where he’s guiding you round a lap at the TT. At one point he says you will hear a scrape and it’s an indication each lap that he’s used the quickest line for that corner. The scrape is his helmet rubbing up against a garden wall.

The three events I’d choose would all be football. 66 WC final, 87 FA Cup final and one of the matches in between the trenches during Christmas 1914.

 

[rob9872]

Can't think of any really big live sporting events I've been to that weren't football and all involve Cov or England.

 

[skybluetony176]

Seen it on one occasion back in the early 2000s. Rider called David Jeffries was killed right in front of me. Had to take my kids away. He was left lying on the road while they tended to another rider ( molyneau) who was badly injured. They knew Jeffries was already dead.
It was horrific. The speed these riders travel at can never be fully appreciated by the TV cameras. It's almost suicidal and yet gripping to watch.

Brilliant rider. Totally unsuitable for riding motorbikes at that level on paper. Too tall and too heavy. If it wasn’t for his untimely death could well have been up there with Joey for most win’s. Death is the cruel mistress of road racing, one mistake is all it takes.

 

[SkyBlueSoul]

1. 1987 FA Cup Final
2. 1966 World Cup Final
3. 2003 Rugby World Cup Final

3rd one was the only one I was alive for, remember watching it on the TV and that feeling when the drop goal went over like it was yesterday. Can only imagine what it would have been like to see live.

On that note, have seen a few people mention that game. If you haven't watched it already, Building Jerusalem is an amazing film about how we got to that point from turning professional in 1995 with interviews with Woodward and players

 

[Philosoraptor]

Game 2

Byrne vs Fischer

Moving on a hundred years from the Evergreen game, this is a 13-year-old Bobby Fischer, with the black pieces, showing how to do combinations with major and minor piece sacrifices, with the added beauty of a smothered mate threat, and also a windmill attack.

So many good moves in this.

One without commentary and one with.

Game of the Century (chess) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Non Coventry events
Grand national twice
Scotland v Ireland in the 6 nations
All blacks against the barbarians at twickenham

All Ireland football final in 2010
Was lucky enough to take my dad to all these , he wanted to go to them all before he got too old . Bless him he’s 83 now and is struggling with dementia

 

[TwistAndShoutCCFC1987]

Non Coventry events
Grand national twice
Scotland v Ireland in the 6 nations
All blacks against the barbarians at twickenham

All Ireland football final in 2010
Was lucky enough to take my dad to all these , he wanted to go to them all before he got too old . Bless him he’s 83 now and is struggling with dementia

Good that you got to take him there mate. Hope he’s doing ok

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

Welcome back BBR. Great question (possibly more suited to an international break!!).
As the question was "What events would you have wanted to be at in history?", rather than ones we have actually been at, my three would be:-

1. 1987 FA Cup Final - couldn't get a ticket
2. "Super Saturday" at the 2012 London Olympics, when Jess Ennis, Ginger Greg and Mo Farah won their golds
3. 1966 World Cup Final

 

[Johnnythespider]

Le Mans
England v Brazil, Mexico 1970
The Coopers hill cheese rolling
Edit - welcome back rattles

 

[CJ_covblaze]

2. "Super Saturday" at the 2012 London Olympics, when Jess Ennis, Ginger Greg and Mo Farah won their golds

My son was born that night. Trying to watch it all on a small phone screen with limited wifi was both unpopular and difficult.