Comments on: Wimbledon, Silverstone and Henley - what a weekend for British Sport

By: Matt Waghorn

Matt Waghorn — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:00:25 +0000

Oddly it seems our more consistent sporting successes can be found in the arena of, well the pub actually..

Darts
Snooker
Poker
Lawn Green bowls

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:22:31 +0000

Don’t you think its refreshing to see and hear about “sports fans” enjoying themselves, behaving and able to have a drink or two without causing a riot! Compare this to our national sport, football, and I think there is a lot that can be said about our other great national sports. Pity there are some people out there who feel they have to moan, gripe and bi*ch about any sporting activity us Brits try to host and pursue. Lets live in the dark ages, go to football matches, leave the kids at home and trash everything in our sight….

By: Katharine Ealey

Katharine Ealey — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:10:14 +0000

‘Wimbledon is rubbish’? What twisted nonsense. I guess that’s what being a Spurs fan does to you.

I do, however, have an issue with the commentary. What on earth is Andrew ‘once ranked 80 in the world, total smarmbag, borderline racist’ Castle doing in the commentary box? How on earth to Messrs McEnroe, Lloyd et al stop themselves from screaming obsentities at him and/or punching his lights out? Perhaps it’s him drawing in those housewives from East Cheam? I would dearly love to unceremoniously shove him into a cannon and fire him back to the GMTV sofa, where he belongs.

By: Dan Parkinson

Dan Parkinson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:18:31 +0000

After regailing us with stories about how he nearly copped off with a middle class housewife last year but instead spent the night asleep under a boat trailer, my housemate (a policeman) brushed off his chinos and jacket - unwashed since the last time he wore them (Henley 07) - and headed off to Henley on Saturday morning. He left with the quote of the weekend, “I’ll be back tonight and I won’t be drunk”. He got home drunk at 7pm Sunday night looking like a lost tramp and having clearly slept al fresco again.

Rowing’s all chewing the fat, skin-tight lycra and quaffing champagne. Awful.

By: Chris Appleton

Chris Appleton — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:48:13 +0000

As devout football fan I think it is healthy and refreshing to have other sports to distract you in the summer months. It makes you appreciate the beautiful game even more when the season starts again in August.

I do concur with Tim’s comments on the East Cheam brigade though. For many it is about participating in something that is intrinsically English and has little to do with their love of tennis.

I wonder if any of this mob will be tuning in come August when the US Open begins?

By: chris place

chris place — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:44:19 +0000

Rowing - It’s not a sport, the only time anyone shows any interest in it is when it can be accompanied by drinking.

Formula 1 - It’s pushing the boundaries of the definition of the word sport! Sport is an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess. On the grounds that Formula One is sport then I want Guitar Hero and Sing Star to be classed as sports!

Tennis - A sport is for life not just for 2 wet weeks in July!!! No one cares when there is a Davis Cup match, Australian Open, French Open, etc… are being played, and just because something is happening in SW19 doesn’t make it a great British institution. I’m sure the great people of Wales, N.Ireland, Scotland, the North and the Midlands frankly couldn’t care less.

By: Milly Newman

Milly Newman — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:02:13 +0000

I suspect Redgrave (5 times Olympic Gold Champion), Cracknell, Pinsent et al may strongly contest that Henley / rowing is a sport….

By: Des

Des — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:44:50 +0000

Is Wimbledon rubbish? Well, given the entire fortnight generated more interest and debate than most other recent sporting spectacles I’d have to say “no” it is actually rather good. Consider the “injury-prone Scot” who, despite being lower ranked and generally outplayed by his French counterpart in the fourth round, somehow managed to claw his way into the match (and on to the quarter finals) with the help of 15,000 British fans….Ok, so he lost to “Rapid-fire Rafa”, but surely there’s no disgrace in that?!
As for Silverstone - Lewis Hamilton managed to win his home-grand prix from the second row of the grid in terrible conditions. Wouldn’t you agree he gave us all something to cheer about and actually acquitted himself rather well (yet again)?

“Wimbledon is rubbish”, “Silverstone is rubbish”, is anything not?? Tim, please don’t tell me you’re one of those football fans that has spent the summer secretly yearning for yet another disappointment from the English football team……or do you think they are rubbish too? If so, we might actually agree on something!

By: Jay Rai

Jay Rai — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:52:31 +0000

The reason we ‘Brits’ don’t do aswell as we ought to is because of the negative attitude of the cynics. Tell everyone what we can’t do is easy, but we do loads of things brilliantly. The whole world comes to SW19 for two weeks, why? The 14 year old can become a star, what she needs is more supporters and less detractors. We need more kids out there trying to become somthing, and not people dismising her and others like her. The reason why Silverstone has lost it’s crown is more to do with Greedy Ecclestone than racing., afterall Money Talks.

By: Tim Irwin

Tim Irwin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:57:15 +0000

Wimbledon is rubbish - it’s for middle class housewives from East Cheam who don’t know the first thing about tennis. The fact that they care more about an injury prone Scot who’ll never win a Slam event and a 14 year old girl who’ll be forgotten within two years just about sums up their knowledge and interest in the wider sport. Ok so the Nadal v Federer final was a decent match but that had little to do with British organistation or those in the crowd.

Silverstone is rubbish - the spiritual home of Formula 1 has now lost the contract to stage Grand Prix because it has proved itself to be so inept over recent years.

Henley simply has nothing to do with sport.