Sports
is known for leaving spectators breathless with spectacular moments that will
go down in history.
Horse
racing is one of the most ancient sports of
all, with famous events that spread across the year and attended by
a-list celebrities and the royal family. As well as the prestigious
reputation of the sport, it is not short of unforgettable stories. But neither
is football.
Football
is the most popular sport in the world, and even though it may not have the
same royal acclaim as horse racing, it’s had its fair share of the shocking
moment that were both glorious and unforgettable.
Let’s
start with horse racing…
Crisp
vs Red Rum
In the
1973 Grand National, Crisp was confidently leading the race, effortlessly
jumping the fences despite carrying the largest amount of weight on the field.
When he reached the second fence, he was in a 20-length lead and seemingly no
chance of losing, but his pace was matched and led to Red Rum catching the lead
in the home stretch winning his first of three Grand National by a ¾ length.
Arkle
vs Mill House
These
two racers were considered unbeatable and the Cheltenham Festival
1964 saw them head to head, creating a spectator frenzy. As they both reached
the last fence, they were nose to nose and as they jumped, Arkle took a small
advantage as they raced down the home stretch and won with a 5-length victory.
This race, to this day, is still the most riveting with the crowd holding their
breath till the end.
Mandarin
The Grand Steeplechase de Paris
Auteuil, 1962 saw true perseverance and
skill from horse and jockey. During the race, Mandarin’s bit broke early on
leaving him with no control or breaks around the four-mile course, in the
figure of eight. With sheer will-power/leg-power, Mandarin kept going and
gained a 100-yard lead, only to be snuck up on at the line, but refused to
leave without a win and went home with a victory, by a head and minus a bit.
Football
has some amazing achievements of their own…
Leicester
vs The Odds
Leicester
City was at the bottom of the 2015/16 Premier League and their upcoming game
against Manchester City had odds of 5000-1. The team redefined ‘underdog’, yet
went home winners leaving spectators stunned and bookies a few million pounds
poorer, with the game being the biggest loss for a single game in the history
of the British sporting market.
This
freak outcome is regarded as one of the greatest ends to a season in history,
with a final score of 1-3, Manchester City, who have won the Premier League a
total of six-time, was left speechless after their unexpected defeat.
Whether
you support Leicester or not, you have to admit this triumph is unforgettable
and a great achievement for the Foxes.
The
Three Lions & Their Star
When it
comes to English football, there is always going to be one front runner for the
greatest achievement… the 1996 World Cup. 1996 saw England win their first and
their only World Cup against Brazil, putting a star on the uniforms of our
boys.
To
date, England has not one another title nor come close, until we were all
blessed with the 2018 World Cup which saw the boys make it to the quarter-final
and gave us one of the greatest excuses to get down the pub and support the
team with their most successful season since their success in 1996.
