Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

[purplecat]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Kevin Keegan.

I'd grown up hating football, I had no brothers and Dad supported some team called York City, so football was not something I ever watched.

Then I shared a room at boarding school with a scouser called Chris, and she had a Kevin Keegan poster on her wall - from that time on I was a Liverpool fan, and I still support them now - I discovered that football was not boring

[zippymk]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

my heroes were two one for football george best i idolised the man i rember trying to get his autograph at the dell southampton in late 60s early sixties he was surounded by coppers and two ivan mauger what can one say 7 times world champ and a gold plated 500cc jawa

[kazboot]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

In the 70s I was a tennis fanatic (still am) and my hero was Bjorn Borg.

I went to Wimbledon with my school in 1975 and was standing watching a match on an outside court. Borg suddenly appeared and sat on the chair right in front of me!

I collected a loose hair from his shoulder without him noticing, but sadly lost it somewhere. :cry:

[branny]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Dennis Tueart. Unfortunately, his overhead kick against Newcastle United has subjected me to 33 years of torment since.

[zargon]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Steve 'Knocker' Norton - Rugby League Legend , Kevin Keegan , and Brendan Foster

[fredg61]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Evel Kneivel was my all time sports hero!

[ridski]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Alex Higgins. My dad bought me a tiny snooker table for my bedroom and I played all the time when I was a kid. No good at snooker now, but I'm a pretty good two-beers-in player at pool.

The other would probably be Nigel Mansell, until he defected to IndyCar...

[curmudgeon]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Trevor Brooking, Glenn Hoddle, Liam Brady, any other midfield flair player. It's where I played, so I wanted to be like them. Less Liam Brady, more old lady unfortunately.

[Richard1978]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Alex Higgins. My dad bought me a tiny snooker table for my bedroom and I played all the time when I was a kid. No good at snooker now, but I'm a pretty good two-beers-in player at pool.

The other would probably be Nigel Mansell, until he defected to IndyCar...

Interestingly my brother had one of those Pot Black tables, which we would play a lot on.

I used to annoy my brother by attempting to do a Ted Lowe style commentry as he was lining up a tricky shot.

We both followed Formula 1 very closely when Nigel Mansell was in it, I didn't mind it when he went Indycar Racing (& won the series on his first attempt), but he lost a bit of respect by trying to go back into F1 & giving up because after a couple of races. This was quite surprising, because when I read his autobiography a few years ago it was a real struggle to get to the top, with plenty of bad smashes & near bankrupcy on the way.

[Dezza]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Football:

Gazza
Beardsley
Klinnsmann
Calyton Blackmore (no idea about that one)
Mark Beaney (again very strange one)
Sheringham

Wrestling:

Legion of Doom
The Mounty (strange)
Raven

F1:

M.Schumacher

[Teejay]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Daley Thompson. He was my BIG hero. I even wrote to Lucozade telling them that if they didn't send me the poster of the Lucozade advert with him on it then I would vandalise the local bus stop in an attempt to liberate it!!

They sent it.

I got to meet him at Kris Akabusi's retirement party and was immediately struck by what a scruffbag he looked. He was wearing a dinner jacket and tracksuit bottoms. Not a good look but starstruck all the same and he was dead funny. I met Sir Roger Bannister that night too (amongst many others - but they were the main HERO ones!!)

[Kiop]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

My sports idol was Eric Gates, playing for my beloved Ipswich Town. I met him at Hillsborough and got his autograph and told him to score. He did score - twice and we drew the game with Sheff Weds 2:2.

[Kiop]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Also idolised England's fast bowler Bob Willis. I was a demon fast bowler at school and have made many a batsman tremble at the crease (no smutty remarks please) in both the school and house cricket teams. I even based my bowling style on Bob Willis, carried the ball like him on the run-up, the actual bowling action, etc.

I used to love playing cricket - but couldn't bat to save my life. Now I'm just too old and fat :cry:!

[amethyst]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Barry John played rugby for Wales British Lions, he retired in 1972 age 27,he was lush

[chrisredditch]

Re: Sports Idol/Hero's when you grew up?

Cyrille Regis by a long shot.
I was really made up when I got to meet him