SPORT
Sport plays a major part in my life. If it's a big event, I watch it, even if I'm not very bothered about who wins (such as at the Open Golf Championship, which I'd rather a Brit won than anyone else but don't really care one way or the other). I've tried to pick out my favourite sports, and some favourite sporting moments, to give an idea of what I like and why. The sports which figure most heavily in my life are:
Football
Horse racing
Cricket
Tennis
Motor racing
Other sport
The greatest game in the world, right? Played as it should be played, the grace and beauty - and the simplicity - can't be beaten by any other sport that I know of. Unfortunately, not every game can match up to the ideal, which is especially true when you support a team from the lower divisions.
In my case, that means Torquay United, a legend in… well, not even in Torquay, I don't suppose. There have been times when we were so bad that I used to be pleased if the game was postponed, because at least that meant we wouldn't lose again. That's the great thing about supporting a team with limited ambition (with apologies to those who believe that we'll be in the Premiership by 2005); every win, every success, is something to enjoy. Man United fans think it's a disaster when they don't win a trophy all season, even if they finish second in everything; I'm quite happy as long as we don't get relegated. Besides which, I've seen the club at Wembley twice in the last ten years (Sherpa Van Trophy Final in 89 against Bolton and the 98 play-off final against Colchester). I draw a veil over the two results. The one time I couldn't make it, play-off final in 91 against Blackpool, we won on penalties - crazy way of deciding promotion - so perhaps I'm a jinx. The other highlight was the one that was nearly a lowlight, the goal in the last game of the 86/87 season which secured a draw and meant Torquay avoided relegation to the Conference, scored in injury time added on because a dog had run onto the pitch and bitten a player. And some people say truth isn't stranger than fiction? It was better than it, that day… There's an excellent independent supporters website at http://www.mervo.com/torquay/united/linkbars/frames/heframe.html (go to the home page) which is well worth a visit - owner Mike Bateson chips in now and again, which must be a rare thing these days. At least we can be sure he knows what the fans think.
I don't really kick a ball around much now, as I have had problems with both my back and my knees, and physical contact is not recommended, but I still love the game as much as ever.
Nobody knows why I love racing so much, but I do. It's not the gambling - betting's a mug's game and I have no more occasional flutters than the proverbial housewife, unless I actually go to the races in which case I take a very limited supply with me and won't spend more unless I have some winnings to reinvest. I love racing for the sport itself. Horses are both so powerful and so graceful. I enjoy trying to read the form lines and picking out the horses which are overpriced. When I was younger, I used to dream of being a racing commentator. Now I just watch it avidly whenever I get the chance. I prefer the jumps to the flat, both because it's less commercial and because of the way races can change over longer distances with obstacles to clear. My best, never-to-be-forgotten moment was when Desert Orchid finally got up in the final strides to beat Yahoo in the '89 Gold Cup, which was about as emotional as racing can get. The Gold Cup is always the highlight of the year (and I did suggest Go Ballistic each way at 66-1 this year before he came second, a tip studiously ignored by those I told), but for drama you can't beat the Grand National, even if all the hype does get a bit too much. I remember clearly Red Rum's third win in '77, and I have to say I don't think his record will ever be bettered. My favourite moment on the flat was probably Rodrigo de Triano's victory over Lahib in the Champion Stakes under Lester Pigott, which will surely still be in the minds of any who saw it. Favourite horses of recent years are probably Lochsong and Double Trigger, who must be as brave as any horse who has ever run.
People who say cricket is boring have missed out on a crucial part of their education. Sure, it can be boring (especially when Australia are piling up the runs against England), but then Wimbledon v Everton has always struck me as a viable alternative to watching paint dry. Make someone watch the last couple of days of Headingley '81 and see if they understand… There again, I agree that it's hard to explain to the uninitiated how an hour's play in which four runs and scored and no wickets fall can be the most gripping, and telling, part of a match. One-day games are all very well, and they can be classics of their kind (like the World Cup semi-final), but they never quite capture the magic of test cricket. It's hard to pick a "best batsman I ever saw", but when he was in form David Gower was always an absolute joy to watch.
At a local level I am a long-standing, and hence long-suffering, Kent supporter, although I will confess that I do now look out for the Glamorgan scorecard too, as I know one of the players there.
I used to play tennis quite often until my knees started to give me trouble. It is one of those non-contact sports that I might be able to play again if I get myself fit, so I still hope to be back on the courts again soon. It is a scandal that there isn't more of it on television - the BBC hold the rights to the French Open and only show the last day or two, and fill up BBC2 with old films and other repeats rather than using the time to try to educate the British public to a different kind of game. Of course I'm a Henman fan, but if I had to pick one player to watch on a regular basis (and not to give me heart failure at some point in each match) it would have to be Agassi. No other player in recent times has had the same range of shots, underlined by the fact that he has won all four Grand Slam tournaments on four different surfaces, which nobody else has achieved. You also have to admire him from coming back from oblivion twice, and making the top of the world rankings both times; strength of character personified.
It's probably not really true to say that I love motor racing; I love Formula One but not a lot else. Part of it is familiarity, no doubt, but part of it is the whole package which is involved in running a successful, winning F1 car. A lot of the races probably do seem dull, in fact a lot of them are, because there's next to no overtaking nowadays, but that just brings the tactical side of it more into play. I have been impressed this year with Ralf Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who curiously swapped teams and became better drivers almost overnight. It's a shame that Damon's blotted his copybook, though; he had behaved like a true sportsman throughout his career and maintained his integrity and his dignity through all that occurred to him, and then he makes a pig's ear of his retirement and is, to my mind, diminished by it. A shame that the championship is effectively over for this season already, but I shall just hope for some McLaren mechanical failures to try and keep things a bit more interesting in the races (and some more storming drives from Eddie Irvine).
To be honest, I watch most sport when it's on the box. I do enjoy athletics, and I quite like watching ski-ing. I do also love watching top class ice hockey, ie as played by the top international sides. I learned the more complex rules when living in Germany, and was hooked. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I can remember them all now (is "Icing" when you hit the ball over two lines without interception?). But there isn't enough top stuff on here. Generally, though, I don't get as excited about other sports as I do about the above. I make a date for my favourites, and set the video if I'm going to be out (because I'm very sad and have no life), but other sport is just there as wallpaper. By the way, can anyone explain the point of basketball?
Back to top
Back to front page
Back to main personal page
Directory of pages
Written by Jon Renyard
Last updated 12 September 1999