Childhood Sporting Heros

None. Sportsman are simply overly competitive, insecure, frequently charmless and often dim self centered twats that have particularly good hand eye co-ordination and balance...and not much else

Meet some of them for real....... and see if they are still "heroic"
 
Helmut Haller (because I looked like him) was probably the first one I latched on to.

Ronnie Simpson, because he was a phenomenal keeper for one so small (something like 5'7").

Danny McGrain - I played fullback and wanted to be as good as him.

Kenny Dalglish - I remember telling the kids when I worked in France to watch out for this guy. They didn't know who he was. He signed for Liverpool a couple of years later and the rest, as Charlie Nicholas would say, is geography.
 
Eric Cantona and later Ryan Giggs were probably the main ones.

Norman Williamson and Mick Lyons were also on the wall, amongst others.
 
Don't laugh at me for choosing an equine first but Desert Orchid was everything to me as far as sport was concerned when I was a kid. He gave his all every time he ran. You couldn't ask for more.

When I was a little older it was Sachin Tendulkar. Still is, in fact.
 
Originally Posted by clivex
None. Sportsman are simply overly competitive, insecure, frequently charmless and often dim self centered twats
Not every sportsman is a jockey you know...
Click to expand...


Very good....... :)
 
Really only one, when I was 13 and madly in love with him, so somewhat biased: Lester Piggott. I'd no idea if he was charmless, self-centred, etc., etc., but I wanted us to elope and live happily ever after. More sensibly, a local female rider, brilliant in both race-riding and showjumping, young, beautiful, and tough as shoe leather. She took no prisoners in her racing and her showjumping style could have rivalled any of the best in the UK. Her name was Alison Ryan and her sister Gabriel Ellison, a very good landscape/animal artist still in Zambia, was my riding teacher and co-hero.
 
clivex said:
None. Sportsman are simply overly competitive, insecure, frequently charmless and often dim self centered twats that have particularly good hand eye co-ordination and balance...and not much else

Meet some of them for real....... and see if they are still "heroic"
Click to expand...

come on Clive..you weren't as cynical as a child..lets be knowing em:)
 
Terry Downes ... v. brave boxer.
Bobby Charlton .... Jimmy Greaves .... Lester P. .... Rod Laver .... Charlie Cooke .... Peter Tamblin .... Scobie Breasley .... Richard Sharpe .... PJH May .... Denis Compton -- oh, no wait: that was my eldest brother's!

Hmm, can't quite get when childhood started .... and stopped!?
 
Not sure I had a "sports hero" but I did always like Kostya Tszuyu when I was a teenager. Funnily enough, a couple of days after his first world title win, we saw him buying some gym gear at our local sports superstore, Rebel Sport. I went up and asked him for his autograph. Lets just say he was an absolute gentleman, and was more than happy to stop what he was doing to have a chat with my family and I.

These days I could happily say Glenn McGrath is a "hero" to me. For me he would be a real inspiration to meet, considering my past 6 weeks, where I have been seriously to hell and back. If there was ever a sports person who should be recognised for doing "great" things, it would have to be him. The hours of effort he puts into his and late wife's breast cancer charity, the McGrath Foundation is just awe inspiring.

www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au
 
Steve Heighway (Liverpool & Republic of Ireland) was my sporting hero when I was a very young lad. I didn't follow any other sport but football, back in the day.

Mid-teens it was Dan Marino.
 
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Alain Prost was my favourite driver when I was in my early teens, Colin - but I didn't follow F1 to the same extent then, as I do now, so he doesn't quite qualify as a "childhood hero". :cool:
 
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