British Sporting Champions

By Colin Edwards

You do not leave school one day and win an Olympic gold medal the next. This book is about 50 sporting champions and how they got started. It contains a biography of each followed by their career records. It shows in detail their achievements from school, youth, under 20, under 30, to seminar level, from county, area, national and international honours. It is a multi-sport book that should appeal to multi-sport lovers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398464971

Colin Edwards

Born in 1939, the author worked on a farm until being called up for national service in the RAF. He later signed for 22 years in the RAF, working in Road Transport Operations with active service in Aden, Singapore, Cyprus and North Africa. He then worked for MOD doing the same job as a civilian for 23 years. Married with five grown up children has now had 3 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Book preview

British Sporting Champions

Colin Edwards

Austin Macauley Publishers

British Sporting Champions

About the Author

Copyright Information ©

Acknowledgement

Sir Roger Bannister CBE

David Beckham OBE

George Best

Sir Ian Botham OBE

Lillian Board M.B.E

Beryl Burton M.B.E. O.B.E

Sir Bobby Charlton OBE CBE

John Charles C.B.E

Jim Clark OBE

Lord Sebastian COE MBE. QBE. KBE

Dennis Compton C.B.E

Nicole Cooke M.B.E.

Sir Henry Cooper O.B.E

Jonathan Davies M.B.E

Sir Gareth Edwards M.B.E. C.B.E

Duncan Edwards

Sir Nick Faldo M.B.E

Sir Tom Finney OBE CBE

Andrew Flintoff M.B.E

Carl Fogarty M.B.E

Ryan Giggs O.B.E

Dame Katherine Grainger MBE CBE

Reg Harris O.B.E

Sir Chris Hoy M.B.E

Dame Kelly Holmes M.B.E

Sir Len Hutton CBE

Martin Johnson O.B.E. C.B.E

Ann Jones (nee Haydon) MBE CBE

Dennis Law C.B.E

Anita Lonsbrough MBE

Sir Stanley Mathews CBE

Sir Stirling Moss QBE

Bobby Moore OBE

Adrian Moorhouse MBE

Victoria Pendleton M.B.E. C.B.E

Sir Mathew Pinsent C.B.E

Paula Radcliffe M.B.E.

Sir Steve Redgrave

Bryan Robson O.B.E

Jason Robinson M.B.E. 0.8.E.

Tom Simpson

John Surtees MBE. QBE. CBE

Sir Jackie Stewart O.B.E.

Dame Tanni Grey-ThompsonO.B.E. M.B.E.

Daley Thompson MBE. OBE. CBE.

Fred Trueman O.B.E.

Elizabeth Beth Tweddle MBE

Sir Bradley Wiggins OBE CBE

Jonny Wilkinson MBE OBE

Billy WRIGHT CBE

About the Author

Born in 1939, the author worked on a farm until being called up for national service in the RAF. He later signed for 22 years in the RAF, working in Road Transport Operations with active service in Aden, Singapore, Cyprus and North Africa. He then worked for MOD doing the same job as a civilian for 23 years. Married with five grown up children has now had 3 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Copyright Information ©

Colin Edwards 2023

The right of Colin Edwards to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398464964 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398464971 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.co.uk

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

20240115

Acknowledgement

I am deeply grateful to the Austin Macauley Publishers for their invaluable support, guidance, and expertise in bringing this book to life.

Sir Roger Bannister CBE

Oxford University, Achilles AC and

Great Britain 1946-1954

At seven minutes past six on the evening of 6 May 1954, at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford, Roger Bannister broke the Four Minute Mile with a time of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. No single athletic performance either before or since has attracted so much publicity and acclaim. The Four Minute Mile had become the Mount Everest of athletics, a challenge that had defied all previous attempts since Gunden Haegg of Sweden had set the world record of 4 minutes 1.4 seconds in 1945.

Roger Bannister was born in Harrow and at the outbreak of the war in 1939, moved with his parents to Bath. As a boy he was of slim build and lacked self-confidence, preferring his own company. In his first-ever race, the annual school cross country he came 18th and the following year, he became the youngest ever winner of the race. This victory did much for his self-confidence and went on to win the race three years running. During his last two years at the Bath school, he took no further part in organised athletics.

At the end of the war, Bannister moved back to London and went to the University College School in Hampstead. He played rugby for the school second XV and also rowed for the school Eights but did not distinguish himself at either. A visit to the White City with his father in 1945, where Sydney Wooderson was running, helped to renew his interest in the sport. In 1946, Bannister went to Oxford University to study medicine, having decided several years before that he wanted to be a doctor.

Roger Bannister attended Exeter College at Oxford and immediately joined the University athletic club. In 1947, he won his first full athletics Blue, winning the mile in a time of 4.30.8 and in the Oxford match against the AAA, he brought his personal best time down to 4.26.6 and he was still only 18 years old. At the 1948 AAA Championships, he came fifth in the final of the mile and failed to be selected for the Great Britain Olympic team.

In 1949, Bannister started a four-year training plan leading up to the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. He went to America with a combined Oxford / Cambridge team and won the mile in the matches against Princeton I Cormell and Harvard/ Yale Universities. In December of that year, he won the Oxford vs Cambridge cross country championship in a new record time of 41 minutes 54 seconds for the 7.5 mile Roehampton course.

In 1950, Bannister won his fourth and last athletic Blue, winning the mile in new meeting record time of 4.14.8. At the AAA Championships, he came second to Arthur Wint in the 880 yards and then made his full international debut for Great Britain in the European Championships, where he won the bronze medal in the 800 metres. Later that year, Bannister went to New Zealand for the Centennial Games where he won the mile in 4.09.9.

As part of his medical training, Bannister studied the breathing habits of athletes and the effect it had in terms of the oxygen contents stored in the blood, liver and muscles. He used this information in his own training programme. In 1951, he accepted an invitation to compete in the Benjamin Franklin Mile at the Penn Relay meeting in Pennsylvania and combined the trip with his medical studies at the Pennsylvania Medical School.

In Benjamin Franklin Mile, he was the top American athlete to win in new event record time of 4.08.3. This put him 20th on the all-time list and the possibility of a four-minute mile was again on everybody’s mind. He returned home to win the British Games mile and then beat another strong field to win his first AAA mile title in a new championship record time of 4.07.8. It was to be his last serious mile race before the 1952 Olympic Games.

During the 1951-52 winter, Bannister continued with his own personal training programme but was criticised by the media for training alone and with no official coach. He represented Great Britain France, Yugoslavia and Turkey and won the 880 yards at the AAA Championships. His training was going well and was confident that he could beat the world record in Helsinki.

Ten days before the games were due to start, that confidence was shattered when he was told that a semi-final had been added to the 1500 metres. His training had been geared for a heat, a day’s rest and then the final. He was now faced with three hard races in three days.

In Helsinki, Bannister came third in his heat and fifth in his semi-final. The final was a struggle and although he was in a good position with 200 metres to go, there was nothing left for his usual sprint finish and he came a disappointing fourth. The three races in three days had taken their toll and four years of preparation had been ruined.

Subject to his medical studies and time available for training, Roger Bannister decided to carry on with his athletics for another two years and try for the 1954 European Championships and Commonwealth Games. In December 1952, Australia’s John Landy won a mile race in 4.02.1 and the race for the first Four Minute Mile had really begun.

Bannister’s first serious attempt came during the Oxford University v AAA meeting in May 1953 where he beat Sydney Wooderson’s United Kingdom record with a time of 4.03.6. The following month he set another UK record of 4.02.00 at Motspur Park, the third-fastest time ever, but this time was later rejected by the British Board because it was not regarded as a bona fide competition. He then won the AAA mile in a new championship record of 4.05.2, followed by a 4 x 1 mile world record of 16.41.00 with C Chaterway, B Nankeville and D Seaman.

During the 1953-54 Australian athletic season, John Landy recorded six times under 4 minutes 3 seconds and decided that the four-minute mile was like a brick wall and could not be beaten. Bannister increased his training for one last competitive season in 1954 and the Oxford University vs AAA match that year was chosen for another record attempt but as the day approached the weather was terrible with rain and strong winds.

On 6 May, the weather had improved and at 5:15 p.m. the decision was made to go for the record. Chris Brasher went through the first lap in 57.5 seconds and then Chris Chaterway took up the running. With 300 yards to go, Bannister went into the lead, powered his way around the final bend and collapsed over the line. His time was 3.59.4 and the Four Minute Mile had at last been broken.

Once broken, the floodgates opened and seven weeks later, Landy ran 3.58.0 in Finland. The scene was set for the Mile Race of the Century at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. The final of the mile was to live up to all expectations with Landy taking a ten-yard lead with no signs of slowing down. At the start of the final lap, Bannister had reduced his lead to 5 yards and on the last bend, swept past the Australian to win the gold medal in 3.58.8, a new UK record.

The European Championships in Berne were to be Roger Bannister’s last international meeting. In the final of the 1500 metres, he ran a perfect race and with 200 metres to go, sprinted home to win the gold medal by five metres in a time of 3.43.8, a new championship record. It was to be another 28 years, in 1982 by Steve Cram, before his feat of European 1500 metres and Commonwealth Mile golden double was equalled.

One of the sports true amateurs who competed just for the fun of it, Roger Bannister was voted Sportsman of the Year by both the Daily Express and the Sports Writers Association in 1954. That year he also became the inaugural winner of the American Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award and remained one of the few non-Americans to be recognised by the sports magazine in over fifty years. He was awarded CBE for his services to athletics in 1955.

Roger Bannister went on to achieve a very successful medical career, was chairman of the Sports Council from 1971-1974, received a knighthood for his services to medicine in 1975 and was Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1985 until his retirement in 2001. In 2004, the 50th anniversary of his Four Minute Mile was marked by a commemorative British 50 pence coin and in 2012, Sir Roger Bannister carried the Olympic Torch at the stadium, where he ran his historic race, a stadium that is now named after him.

Honours

AAA Championships

European Championships

Commonwealth Games

Full Internationals

Total. 9 vests.

World Records

United Kingdom Records

David Beckham OBE

Manchester United, Real Madrid, Milan Con

Loan). Los Angeles Galaxy, Paris Saint Germain

and England 1992-2013

From an unknown teenager on loan to Preston North End to super-star status in Hollywood, David Beckham became one of the most recognised men in the world. Wearing the famous No. 7 shirt, he had a successful career with Manchester United, winning six Premier League titles, FA Cup twice and the Champions League before moving on to Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy, Paris Saint-German and load spells with Milan. A committed professional, dedicated teammate and proud patriot, Beckham played 115 times for England and captained his country 59 times.

Born in Leytonstone, Beckham inherited his love for Manchester United from his parents who were staunch supporters and regularly travelled to Old Trafford for matches. After trials with several clubs, he signed schoolboy forms for United and joined a talented group of players who went on to win the FA Youth Cup in 1992. He made his first-team debut later that year in a League Cup match against Brighton and signed his first professional contract soon afterwards.

During the 1994-95 season, Beckham went on loan to Preston North End and on his return to Manchester made his Premier League debut in April 1995 against Leeds United. The following season he joined the other Fergie Fledglings, Nicky Butt, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in United’s first team. Alec Ferguson’s faith in his young players was rewarded as United went on to win the Premier League and FA Cup double.

Beckham started the 1996-97 season with his famous goal when he lobbed the ball over Wimbledon goalkeeper from the half-way line. He went on to have another successful season helping United to a second Premier League title and was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year.

Having made nine appearances for England Under 21 team between 1994–96, David Beckham made his full England debut in a World Cup qualifying match against Moldova in September 1996. He went on to play in all 1998 World Cup qualifying matches and was picked for the England squad for the finals in France.

In England’s third match against Columbia, he scored his first England goal in a 2-0 victory but was sent off in the second round match against Argentina for kicking out Diego Simeone after having been fouled by Simeone in the first place. England lost in a penalty shoot-out and Beckham was to take much of the blame for the defeat from the media and supporters on his return home. There was even speculation that he might move abroad because of the criticism he received but decided to stay with Manchester United.

After a disappointing season in 1997-98, Beckham was back to his best for the following season and played an important part in United’s historic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. The Premier League went to the last game of the season with him scoring in the win against Arsenal. For the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, he moved to central midfield due to the suspensions of Roy Keane and Scholes. Two goals scored in extra time gave United a 2-1 victory, both goals coming from corners taken by Beckham. These important assists and first-class performances throughout the season led to him finishing runner-up to Inter Milan’s Ronaldo in both the World and European Footballer of the Year awards.

In 1997, David Beckham started dating Victoria Adams after she had attended a Manchester United match. Better known as Posh Spice of the top girl band the Spice Gins, their relationship instantly attracted much media attention and the couple were dubbed Posh and Becks. They were married at Luttnellstawn Castle in Ireland in July 1999, a wedding that employed over 400 staff at an estimated cost of £500,000. His life was never going to be the same again.

Manchester United retained their Premier League title in 1999-00 by a record 18 points and Beckham was again the key player the following season as United won their third consecutive title. He scored nine goals that season, all in the league but the relationship with his manager became strained because of his fame and commitments away from football. Despite all the media coverage of his private life, he continued to produce good performances on the football field and the 2001-02 season was one of his best as a United player with 16 goals.

His relationship with his manager deteriorated even further in February 2003, when after a FA Cup defeat by Arsenal, a furious dressing room row resulted in Alec Ferguson kicking (or throwing) a boot which happened to hit Beckham over the eye causing a cut, which required stitches. He continued to play on to help United win the Premier League once again but at the end of the season, his Manchester United career was over.

David Beckham made 265 league appearances for United, scoring 61 goals and a further 81 Champion League games, scoring 15 goals. He was still a first-choice player for England and was awarded a QBE for services to football in July 2003.

Following Kevin Keegan’s resignation as England’s manager in November 2000, David Beckham was promoted to team captain by the caretaker manager, Peter Taylor and kept the role under new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. His conversion from villain to hero was complete when he led England to a 5-1 victory over Germany and then scored a very late winner from a free-kick against Greece to ensure England’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup Finals.

Later that year, he won the BBC TV Sports Personality of the Year and once again was runner-up, this time to Real Madrid’s Luis Figo in the World Footballer of the Year awards.

In April 2002, Beckham broke a bone in his foot and it became a race against time to get fit for the World Cup finals. He was clearly not fit and short of match practise when he left for South Korea and Japan, England losing to the eventual winners Brazil in the quarter-finals. In 2004, he played in all of England’s matches but the tournament was a disappointment for him. He had a penalty saved in England’s 2-1 defeat by France and another in the penalty shoot-out against Portugal as England went out of the competition.

In October 2005, Beckham’s sending off against Austria made him the first-ever England captain to be sent off and the first player to be sent off twice while playing for England. At the 2006 World Cup finals, he became the first England player to score in three finals but after being knocked out in the quarter-finals by Portugal, David Beckham announced that he was standing down as England’s captain. He had led his country in 59 of his 95 games and was succeeded by John Terry.

Having stood down as captain, Beckham was dropped from the England squad selected by a new coach, Steve McClaren. Nine months later, he was recalled to the England team and started against Brazil in England’s first match at the new Wembley Stadium. With England’s failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championships, McClaren was replaced by Fabio Capello and in March 2008, honoured him with his 100th cap, coming on as a substitute against France in Paris.

A year later he won his 109th cap, against Slovenia so passing Bobby Moore’s 108 to become England’s most capped outfield player and only second to Peter Shilton with 125 caps. Capello kept him in the squad throughout the 2010 World Cup qualifying games but the chance of a fourth World Cup appearance was ended by a torn Achilles Tendon, which kept him out of the game for six months. His 115th and last game for England was against Belarus on 14 October 2009.

In July 2003, David Beckham signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, the transfer fee reported to be about £25 million. He immediately became a favourite with the home supporters scoring five goals in his first 16 games. In the 2005-06 season, Real Madrid finished second to Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga League, but Beckham found himself out of favour with a new manager, Fabio Capello at the start of the following season. It was reported that his contract with Real Madrid may not be renewed and with his international career seemingly over, he decided to accept an offer from the Major League Soccer in North America. In January 2007, Beckham signed a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy club, starting from July 2007.

Fabio Capello said he had played his last game for the club but would continue to train with the team. Capello was to backtrack on that statement and on 10 February, Beckham re-joined the team for the match against Real Sociedad and went on to play some of the best football with the Spanish side.

On 17 June, the last day of the Spanish season, Beckham played his last game for Real Madrid, a 3-1 victory over RCD Mallorca, which was enough to win the La Liga championship from Barcelona. His improved form during the second half of the season resulted in Real Madrid trying to get him released from his contract with LA Galaxy but they would not listen.

During his six short seasons with LA Galaxy, Beckham played 98 games and scored 20 goals. In 2011, he became the first player in the world to win a league championship in three different countries, England, Spain and now the MLS Super League in North America. They retained the title in 2012 and also won the MLS Western Conference league three times and the MLS Supporter Shield twice during Beckham’s time with the club.

During the MLS off-season, he joined AC Milan on loan in order to maintain match fitness and made his Series A debut against Roma in January 2009. He was expected to return to North America in March but his impressive performances resulted in him staying until the end of the season. AC Milan tried to obtain a permanent transfer but once again, LA Galaxy refused to release him.

David Beckham returned to AC Milan for a second spell on loan in January 2010. They had been drawn in the same Champion’s League group as Manchester United and he found himself playing against his old club in the San Sino Stadium. On his return to Manchester, Beckham received a positive reception from the Old Trafford crowd when he came on as a substitute but could not stop United from winning 4-0. In his next game, against Chievo Verona he suffered the Achilles Tendon injury, which put him out of action for six months and he missed the whole of the 2010 season with LA Galaxy.

At the end of his five-year contract in December 2011, Beckham went to play one more season with LA Galaxy. His last match for them was the MLS Cup final against Houston and he finished his Major League Soccer career with a 3-1 victory and another championship.

In January 2013, Beckham signed a five-month deal with Paris Saint Germain and confirmed that his salary would be donated to a local children’s charity. He played ten league games for the French club and finally announced his retirement at the end of the season, having helped them to the French Ligue 1 title. It was to be his fourth championship medal from four different countries and he was made captain for his final match of his career, against Brest on 18 May 2013.

Away from football, Beckham attracted a lot of media attention with his celebrity lifestyle, tattoos, haircuts and dress sense which attracted some and annoyed others. However, he proved to be a competent ambassador for British sport and was part of the team that secured the 2012 Olympic Games for London.

In 2010, he joined the Prime Minister, David Cameron and HRH Prince William to represent the Football Association in promoting England’s 2018 World Cup bid. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 BBC TV Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.

Honours

Major League Soccer (USA)