‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers / For he to-day that sheds his blood with me / Shall be my brother …that fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.’ The England dressing room erupts at the sound of these immortal words. Here at Twickenham, the 1995 Five Nations Championship and Grand Slam […]
Legends not Myths: Paul Scholes
Following their recent retirements, fans and the media alike spent hours discussing who was better – Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard? As this familiar debate continued to take place, the greatest English midfielder of his generation was – as he had often been during his international career – pushed to one side and ignored. Paul […]
Myths not legends: Mike Tyson
‘It ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward’ – so said Rocky Balboa. Whilst Rocky is obviously fictional, it could be argued he is not the only former Heavyweight World Champion known primarily for his contributions to popular culture. After his ego-boasting appearances in […]
Myths not Legends: Geoffrey Boycott
Supreme talent and a selfless attitude rarely go hand in hand and there is no greater example of this than Geoffrey Boycott, a man described by Ian Botham as ‘totally, almost insanely, selfish.’ Botham’s words bring to mind the old adage that you can judge a man by the number of enemies he has. From […]
Myths not Legends: Wrong Said Fred
Despite writing two thousand years before the birth of test cricket, Aristotle captured the nature of a legendary cricketer when he observed ‘we are we repeatedly do … excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.’ Those who have earned the right to be called cricketing legends will have been consistent match winners and […]
Myths not legends: Sir Alf Ramsey
Sir Alf Ramsey made his name by winning the First Division with Ipswich in 1962 and earned a knighthood by winning the World Cup in 1966. Whilst these successes have made him a legend in the eyes of many they are the only major trophies he won in a managerial career spanning 23 years. He […]
Myths not legends: Ayrton Senna
Few people in the history of sport have been deified like Ayrton Senna. His finest races have become part of Formula 1 folklore – often at the expense of equally good, or better performances – whilst his less redeemable features have been conveniently forgotten. For some, he is undisputedly the finest driver in the history […]
Myths not legends: We need to talk about Becks
Fred Allen – an admired and insightful comic – observed that ‘a telescope will magnify a star a thousand times, but a good press agent can do even better.’ Observed through the media telescope that is ‘Brand Beckham’ this man of extreme mediocrity is seen as one of football’s all-time greats by fans across the […]