[Archived] Greatest Sporting Achievement You've Ever Witnessed?

[Ozz]

Been to loads of major sporting events, Wembley, Wimbledon, Test Matches etc.

But was at Lords 1990 when Lancashire beat Northants in 60 ove cup final to be the first team to win the one day cup double.

Saw Wigan nearly beat Australia at Central Park around late 1980s in an awesome 12-8? game I think-RL at it's most compelling best.

But from a personal point of view, 1995 at Lords to see Chorley win and retain the National Club knockout cricket trophy against Clifton Flax Bourton, after having won it in 1994 was an unbelievable sporting achievement. Chorley got through to Lords again in 1996 at Lords, only to lose against Walsall. Two wins in three finals in three years, made Chorley the undisputed best amateur team in English cricket without doubt-what an accolade.

I remember Vivs 189* at OT, was playing for Euxton at Horwich that day!

[steven]

One of the following:

1. Rovers winning the title at Anfield in May 1995

2. England winning the Rugby World Cup Final win in the last seconds versus Australia in 2003

3. The Socceroos qualifying for the World Cup final at Telstra Stadium in November 2005

4. Sydney FC winning the inaugural A-League title in 2006

5. The Socceroos coming back from 0-1 down to win 3-1 in Kaiserslautern in the World Cup 2006

[Mc Love]

1. Rovers winning premiership

2. Munster winning Heineken Cup 08

3. Munster winning Heineken Cup 06

4. Shannons success in the AIL

[AggyBlue]

1. Rovers winning the title at Anfield in May 1995

My greatest ever Rovers day too

[Jason Rover]

lorenzo amoruso having a decent game in a rovers shirt

rovers 5 wolves 1 16th august 2003

[Exiled_Rover]

lorenzo amoruso having a decent game in a rovers shirt

rovers 5 wolves 1 16th august 2003

Emerton's debut, unless I'm mistaken. He looked like a world beater that day.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Bryan Douglas's goal v West Brom Easter Saturday 1963, anybody who was there will know what I'm talking about, best goal in my time at Ewood.

[RevidgeBlue]

Not a great sporting achievement per se but for sheer theatre and emotion it would be hard to beat 65 year old Jack Nicklaus coming down the 18th hole in the Open at St Andrews for the last time three years ago.

I was privileged enough to be sat behind the green. A real "Where were you when................." moment.

With thousands upon thousands having given him a standing ovation from tee to green, the great man faced a tricky curling putt for birdie.

Could he hole it? Of course he could, he's Jack Nicklaus!

Not a dry eye in the place. Absolutely magical.

[jim mk2]

Botham's Ashes series 1981.

Although the 2005 Ashes series ran it close for excitement, the way Botham single-handedly turned around the 1981 series through sheer brilliance with bat and bat and force of personality was absolutely marvellous.

The last day of the 1989 Ryder Cup at the Belfry was pretty special too when O'Connor's 2-iron over the water at the 18th sealed victory over the US and at that exact moment Concorde did a flypast low over the course. I've never seen so many grumpy Americans.

[Zulu]

Bryan Douglas's goal v West Brom Easter Saturday 1963, anybody who was there will know what I'm talking about, best goal in my time at Ewood.

Bryan Douglas used to call on me and others in my company in the late 1970's when he sold paper for Star Paper at Feniscowles. A really nice chap, who gave a whole new meaning the the term "laid back"! Not the hardest worker, by a long chalk, but a good guy.

He would say little or nothing about his career with Rovers or England though. All we could get out of him was that he hardly ever went to see a game anywhere.

Is he still batting?

[Blue n White Rover]

Add todays US Open win for Tiger to this list. Amazing win, gripping sudden death, Brilliant!

[Hughesy]

Simple - Anfield on Sunday 14th May 1995. Was amazing!

In terms of other big sporting events - I was at the Champs league final in the Nou Camp when United scored twice late on.

[herbergeehh]

The kind of thread you don't really want to post in before thinking things through, but Michael Johnson's 19.32 immediately came to me - unbelievable record. I've also remember Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome 1998, 3.26.00 (1500m) and Haile Gebrselassie beating the 10.000m World Record at Bislett Games in Oslo in 97... Spectacular stuff, especially when they leave the rest behind after 20 rounds... Incredible!

Something else sprang to mind too, a bit of a lowpoint in a way though - Dan Jansen, the American speed skater falling at Lillehammer Olympics in 1994. Anyone else remember this, perhaps one of the yanks? His sister had recently died from leukemia, and he made his last attempt to win a Olympic Medal - it was one of those moments where everyone just wanted him to win.

Anyway, a final suggestion, probably not seen by a lot of people here before.. Cross Country Relay, men. (The funniest part is in a different version, where the Swedish commentator is banging on about Nordthug (the Norwegian, in red) is having trouble keeping up..

[salothsar]

Mansell, Silverstone 1987

28 laps to go

28 seconds behind Piquet

Caught him with a lap to go to win the race.

Awesome.

I was there for that and although I couldn't stand the man that was an incredible piece of driving.

Even better though was Ayrton Senna's first lap at Donnington in the rain 1993. By far the best lap I have ever seen driven. Rosberg's 160mph pole lap at Silverstone in the slight damp in 85 was pretty impressive too

[RoyRover]

In 2002, I got to see the county Armagh gaelic football team win its first All Ireland Championship. In over 100 years of the competition we had been to two finals before this and were stuffed by the mighty Dublin and Kerry teams. This time we were up against Kerry again, the powerhouse of gaelic football and in front of 88, 000 people at Croke Park, Armagh came from 5 points behind at half time, to win by a single point and win their first All Ireland. Being an Armagh fan, this one of the great things that I've seen, having come so close in the past, reaching semi finals and quarter finals in the years proceeding this success, only to lose by the smallest of margins, this made up for all of those close misses. The sacrifices that these guys make is incredible. Gaelic games are amateur and these guys, who train like professionals, three or four times a week after a day at work and then play in front of 40,000+ plus crowds on a Sunday and are treated like stars, who then have to go back to work on the Monday, are real heroes to us.

[Ninjathunder]

In 1996 I went with work colleagues to Elland Road to watch Leeds v Chelsea and saw Ian Rush score for Leeds.

[ultrablue]

This wasn't the greatest sporting achievement I have ever seen (that was watching Jan Szelezny sp? throw the javelin world record at the Don Valley in Sheffield) but it was certainly one of the more fascinating.

I've been living in Seoul for about 10 months now and I've become more and more interested in the last Cold War front in the world - the relationship between North and South Korea. These two are still technically at war and suspicion is still rife whenever they have to acknowledge eachother.

O this occasion it was the awkard matter of a football game. Last night was the first ever game played between these enemy nations on the Korean peninsula- a World Cup preliminary qualifier at the World Cup stadium in Seoul. Of course I couldn't pass up the chance to go along. TStraight away I noticed the atmosphere was a strange one- Earlier this year the North Koreans didnt allow their home game to be played in their capital Pyongyang as they didnt want the South to have any accesss to their very secretive and oppresive society. so instead they went and played in China. They forbade the South to play their anthemn or fly their flag and were their generally obstructive selves. They incurred the "wrath" of FIFA for this little stunt, namely a $35000 fine.

So last night it was the South's turn to play host and they decided, as they so often do, to be a bit more grown up about this rather awkward situation. What ensued was the most diplomatic game of football I've seen- I went expecting Rocky IV and ended up watching sesame street.

Flags were flown, anthemns were sung and the North Koreans were roundly applauded. I've read that the North Koreans brought 500 fans, but I would be surpired if this was true- they arent usually keen on letting any old citizen see the "capitalist hell" south of the 39th parralllel. But there was actually around 2000 "reunification" supporters, South Koreans who would like to see the peninsula return to a single nation - their slogan "우리는 하나 입니다" which means "we are one" was plasatered all around the ground and they seemed to be cheering both teams - this was very much a competitive game played in the most friendly way. The South Koreans were on average a foot taller and a few stoner heavier than their northern counterparts, yet they held off the entire game, stayed out of tackles and never competed in the air.

The North put ten men behind the ball fearing a loss would result in embarrassment for the "Dear Leader" and a nasty accident upon their return home. Not surprising I suppose. But it seemed as if the South was afriad to win! The pretty passy football resulted in the grand total of 1 shot on target despite the fact they had around 70% possession. It was an inevitable 0-0 from about the 20th minute onwards. On the final whistle the "Reunification" supporters let off fireworks and lobbed toilet rolls onto the pitch celebrating the result. Players shook hands and sheepishly wandered down the tunnel after a complete no event of a game. The North Koreans go back to their food shortages as heroes, standing up to capitalism in an arena of inequity and corruption - the South go back to their Hyundais and Samsung flatscreens having played their required role in farcical football diplomacy.

It was the strangest of affairs that just seemed to embody the last 55 years of relations between two nations still living with the Cold War and both sides seemed to be pleaed with the outcome.

[hawkiiz]

norway beat brazil, world cup 1998.

norway had to win to get through the group stages. morocco won their match, so they were sure to go through. then came a loooong ball from bjørnebye to Flo, 3 touch, shoot, goal! 1-1. shotly after the same Flo was pulled down inside the area and norway was given a penalty. Rekdal netted, and norway beat brazil 2-1 in the world championship.

its exactly ten years ago today

[Drummer Boy]

For me. it has to be Redgrave's fifth Olympic gold medal - that's twenty years of putting himself through hell to remain at the top of a very demanding sport. Awesome in every sense of the word

[krislu]

Norway 2

Brazil 1

France WC 1998