Some great choices above, but I'd also add Redgrave's 5th Olympic gold as that was far closer than everyone would have hoped.
On TV: 1991 world champs 4x400 relay
In person: TDF London 2007
In person, The World Speedway final at Wembley Stadium in 1972.
Watching Le Tour just outside Reeth.
On tv it has to be the 2001 Stanley Cup final where Joe Sakic the Colorado Avalanche captain, received the cup & instead of traditionally raising it above his head, turned around & handed it to Ray Bourque. (who up to that point had won just about everything ice hockey has to offer, except Lord Stanleys legacy) Very moving moment.
In person, 1999 European Cup Final. I didn't even see Ole's winner as I was still celebrating the equaliser 😳
On TV, any of the individual track golds won by Jason Kenny or Chris Hoy.....they leave me an emotional wreck.
Best on TV
[url=
F.A Cup Final[/url]
Best live
2014 and the Tour came to Harrogate ... rumours had built for a year or so but until it actually came to town I never thought it would happen.
Though this may be beaten in 2019
Cleland v Soper at Silverstone final race of the1992 BTCC. Truly epic.
Probably doesn't count as an event, but Leicester winning the league is the most amazing thing I've seen happen in sport. 2005 Ashes was also a fantastic series with more twists and turns than a twisty turny thing. As a one off, probably Aguerrrooo. In person, watching Southend beat Newcastle 4-0, briefly topping the second division (still their highest ever spot).
Agree on track cycling. I've seen World Cup events in Manchester and saw the World Champs in London last year when the mens pursuit team (and our local boy Ed) got beaten by the Aussies which whilst on the night was a disappointment fired them right up for Rio. Trott on the other hand didn't disappoint.
Soooo intense.
Mansell on Piquet, Silverstone, 1987
Mansell and Piquet both in Williams both lapping every other driver, Brands Hatch, 1986
Our girls breaking the world record 6 (iirc) times in 6 consecutive heats/finals in the pursuit in the velodrome (think 4 were in the limpicks, and 2 in prior event?)
Dennis Taylor
Jonny Wilkinson
All the above are more "memorable" than most amazing (although the team pursuit girls were certainly amazing).
Best live, without a doubt the Tour in Yorkshire 2014, amazing atmosphere.
Second hand/telly the Ashes series of 1981.
Women's hockey final Rio 2016.
Women's hockey final Rio 2016.
Yeah! That good...
I'm not a huge football fan but I follow Everton. Went to watch them by chance vs Arsenal in 2002 when Rooney scored *that* goal to mark his arrival and take the win. Atmosphere was amazing, might have got carried away singing...
Dennis Taylor
Ahh yes - the famous Taylor v Davis match that ended all square with just one of them needing to pocket the black to win but they kept missing. When Taylor finally did it he wagged his finger at Davis. Great game 🙂
Was at Wembley when Frank Bruno beat Oliver McAll. Nigel Benn on the undercard too! Not up there as a great fight but a fantastic achievement for Bruno. Shame about the following years of decline!
When I was 9, watching my old man burst out of the pack in a road race with about 300 metres to go to the line.
Didn't know it was him until he was much closer and you could see his yellow and black crash hat.
Hearing people around me shouting and cheering his name as he came past in full flow to win made the hairs on the back of neck stand up. Proud moment
We've all watched stuff on TV so my three greatest "in person" ones are:
Davis Cup, Glasgow 2015 James Ward v John Isner. Andy Murray had just won and the crowd expected number 100+ Ward to put up a brave fight but lose pluckily to huge serving, 20th ranked, Isner.
In the first two sets Ward battled but lost 7-6, 7-5 - making no impression on the American's serve. In the third he finally got a break and took it 6-3. The crowd lifted and the noise started rising. The fourth went to a tie break. Isner was still hammering down aces but Ward, instead of floundering after the big serves was ready, on his toes, anticipating them. Ward played out of his skin to take the tie break.
The crowd was now going ballistic. I thought the roof was going to come off. Both men were playing phenomenal tennis. Every point had to be won with something extraordinary. Every success or failure greeted by a huge roar or groan. At one point I went up to the very top of the stand and gazed down at the two gladatorial figures - it could have been the Colisseum in ancient Rome.
THe fifth set went on and on. Neither man yielding his serve. Both players were giving their all to the extent that, by about 10 games all, I no longer really minded who won. Both deserved to. Finally, Ward glimpsed a chance and broke to win 6-7, 5-7. 6-3, 7-6, 15-13 in exactly 5hrs. 6,000 Scots roaring their heads off for an Englishmen - I've never seen the like.
I was at Silverstone for Mansell/Piquet 1987 as well.
Also got tickets for Last years Wimbledon mens final.(No one believed they were genuine, couldn't believe it myself) That was a once in a life time event for me. Made better by the fact that the Mrs is a tennis fan and was just fit enough to go after a heart op and her birthday is close enough for this to be her present and I kept it quiet until a week before the final which Murray won. I still can't believe it actually happened.
And lastly, myself completing a lap at this years Mayhem without killing myself in the process as I'm the wrong side of 60 with 3 stents from 2 heart attacks.
Peaty world cup win I was there with my son the place just erupted
Forgot the other two....
Imola WSB 2001 - Colin Edwards beating Troy Bayliss in one of the greatest motorcycle races of all time to win one of the greatest titles of all time. Edwards only needed to finish second to snatch the title but the pair broke away from the field and battled like madmen for the entire race to prove who was the top dog, with utter disregard for anything else. I was lucky enough to watch from the pitlane.
The Earthquake Game. 1988 LSU v Auburn at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La. LSU's offence had been shut out by Auburn but in their final drive they got down the field and on 4th down threw a TD pass into the endzone to win 7-6. The 79,000 crowd went totally mental and it was registered as an earthquake by a seismograph located in LSU’s Geoscience Complex around 1,000 feet (305 m) from the stadium.
Oh, one more. Scotland 25 NZ 25 at Murrayfield in 1983. A last minute equalizing try by Jim Pollock sent the huge crowd wild but Peter Dods narrowly missed the touchline conversion. What an atmosphere! I can still remember it like yesterday......
I was impressed the first time I saw this in the park in the Toon.
In person Reading winning Simod Cup. As a child dad waking me up to watch Ali v Foreman.
Having moved to cowtown this year, attended my first ever rodeo on the opening day of stampede Friday gone. Totally new experience, was pretty cool/mental.
On tv, probably Button's win at the 2011 Canadian grand prix.
In person would be at Highbury when Steve Bould chipped the ball over Evertons midfield to Tony Adams to score, the most unlikely goal scoring duo! think it was around 98? and Arsenal won 4-0
@caher 🙂
Although my sister swears the semi-final against Coventry was better; Elm Park, still standing terraces, night game under lights, win on penalties (although we don't talk about THEM!) - but I was away at University so didn't see that game.
Sir Steve winning his 5th Olympic Gold in Sydney in 2000. Awesome dedication to his sport.
For me it has to be Colin McRae winning the 1995 rally at Sweet Lamb to become WRC world champion.
As he came through the bowl in Sweet Lamb, the whole place went electric. I can't remember a crowd like it since with fireworks and horns going off everywhere.
We were all listening on the radios to hear Carlos Sainz's time, knowing what the difference would have to be for McRae to win. When we heard he had won, the whole place erupted.
Had completely forgotten about that, thanks for the magical memories.
Bruno Vs Tyson.
Not just the fight itself but the build-up, etc. And perhaps more "how the hell did Bruno get to fight Tyson?"
Landis taking his emphatic heroic tour-winning stage victory in Morzine.
Must be me age, but McGuigan beating Pedroza and Honeyghan going to America and destroying Don Curry were far more amazing than Bruno-Tyson to me!
I am a McGuigan fan as well, but the whole Bruno thing just had more "theatre" surrounding the fight, etc.
And maybe just watching it live on TV with family and friends. No-one expected Bruno to stand a chance and that was evident during the fight but still great fun.
In person, Edgebaston aged 8:
That was the summer that got me hooked on cricket. Used to get in and watch it with my dad...fantastic times 🙂
Even had one of Beefy's bats as a friend of the family worked at DF making them for him and, when he found out I'd started playing, did an extra one to exact same spec as Beefy's. Bit heavy for me at the time but it broke in so well and had a middle that seemed to go from the toe to the grip. Was a sad day when it gave up the ghost after about 8 years service 🙁
every time I see those Botham films, does make me wonder if the defensive shot wasn't introduced to Australia until the 90's. They only lost by 29 runs yet four of those wickets were total swipes!
Three stand out for me.
Liverpool vs Newcastle 4-3 Stan collymore injury time winner. Such a bonkers game!
Liverpool vs Milan champions league win. Comeback of all comebacks
Miracle of medinah. Another unbelievable come back.
It's obviously something delicious about the swing in emotions when victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat. Nothing like it.
It's obviously something delicious about the swing in emotions when victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat.
Yeah like Leeds v Liverpool November 2000 - we won 4-3 despite not playing that well, going behind then equalising, then going behind again. We pretty much only had four shots on target all game. 🙂
[url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1006644.stm ]Match report[/url]
I believe the loudest ever recorded noise at a Premiership match was recorded there - and I was at the match to savour every last minute of it 🙂
It's obviously something delicious about the swing in emotions when victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat.
The English cricket team have a very good ability of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory... 😉
Liverpool vs Milan champions league win. Comeback of all comebacksIt's obviously something delicious about the swing in emotions when victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat. Nothing like it.
Indeed. its that that made the 99 Champions league final such a classic. They think its all over.....
What made the Liverpool game so outstanding was an individual performance too. Stevie Gerard was immense in that game. You'd be hard pressed to come up with a more inspiring and passionate captains performance. Incredible!
Seve winning the Open at St Andrews in 1984, the last day sitting on the grass at the 17 the road hole from 9am.
Seeing Colin Macrae in Perthshire forests flat out in an Escort a visual and audial delight
I was also at that game, but in the away end so have the opposite feeling - stands out as one of the worst games I've been to. We needed at least a draw to avoid the prospect of relgation, which wasn't ever on the cards given the state of us then, but you never know.dan129 - MemberIn person would be at Highbury when Steve Bould chipped the ball over Evertons midfield to Tony Adams to score, the most unlikely goal scoring duo! think it was around 98? and Arsenal won 4-0
In the event we were absolutely steamrollered and it could have been 8-0 - that was a great Arsenal side. None of the hey-ho we're going down, it's only football attitude you might get with someone like Newcastle, either. Pretty much the opposite of that, horrible, toxic atmosphere.
As it turned out we stayed up by an absolute arse hair the last game of the season [drew with Coventry whilst Chelsea beat Bolton].
Slightly different. I was in the Olympic Park for hockey matches in the morning then hung around soaking up the atmosphere, before Basketball in teh evening.
We (and 10,000 others) were watching the final rounds on the show jumping on the big screens. You could have heard a pin drop. A couple of people were shouting and were hushed in case it upset the horses (who were over 5 miles away). When the final rider went clear and Team GB had gold the place went mad.
As an F1 fan it has to be Jenson in Canada.
This all reminds me of BBC2's 100 greatest sporting moments from the 80's
My two best mates in the back room at The Old Barrel on a Sunday afternoon, having an arm wrestle for a quid
In person it's got to be the finale to the Wigan v Saints Good Friday derby 2015. Tony Clubb's tackling and Saints' forgetting the tackle count added up to an awesome finish.
