Good call if we are bringing in other considerations rather than just sporting achievement.

Exactly. This is a batsman who averaged 201.5 against South Africa. If he played the teams you mentioned he probably would still be batting now.

That is when we open the cupboard with the tins of subjectivity in it.

I'll chip in another personal favourate of mine that will not go down too well. Martin Keown. Never let the Arsenal side down and scored two goals in the last 5 minutes against Shaktar Donesk to win 3-2.

And he proved his versitility by playing as a right winger at the end of the 2004 season

Ian Botham is awesome. He could also eat 3 shredded wheat. I remember him as a kid playing at Somerset with Sir Viv Richards. It was a slogathon.

As for the Henman backlash, i think he is typical of what we class as British hero, tries hard but never gonna be the best.

Nigel Benn
Graeme Sharp

Thomas Billington.

My sporting hero as a kid, and IMO one of the greatest British sportsmen of all time would have to be Francis Morgan Oyodélé Thompson. Yes, I did look that bit up, until I checked on Wikipedia I always thought his name was simply Daley Thompson.

Gold medals at two Olympics, a World Championships, two European Championships and three Commonwealth titles. Also broke the decathlon world record on four occasions and remained unbeaten in the decathlon for nine years.

spot on, always remember that back flip in 1984

Mike Gregory, Graeme Obree and Daley Thompson for me.

What about Daley thompsons T-shirts with slogans on ....

"is the worlds second best athlete Gay" having a pop at carl Lewis... you couldnt get away with that these days...

and anyone that whistles along to the National Anthem After being presented with an olympic Gold is a legend all the way....



from the Times
"What was going through your head when you whistled the national anthem on top of the podium in Los Angeles?
Nothing. I don't know why I did it, I just fancied a whistle. I thought they're playing my song up there and I fancy whistling along, that was about it. "

Superb.....

I don't know why people generally have to look so far back for greatness. Nobody has mentioned woods or federer. Anyway, i'm going for Usain Bolt. What he did was unbelievable.