Any poor ******* that drove an F1car in the 60/70's. Those guys did have guts. No matter how much they got paid. Couldn't have paid me enough. Death traps and they knew it. Some great documentaries on youtube. Yeah, I know I'm a sad tw@t but the cars were basically bathtubs with 600 bhp and a lot of flammable fuel on board back then the tracks had less safety than a B road.
Re: Tough Of The Track Neil Redfearn. I worship the ground that he walks on give praise to the place where he sits.
Danny Wilson. Serious point and nothing to do with his current job. Danny Wilson and his team gave me the best sporting experience of my life. They put Barnsley on the football map. People would come up to me in the street wanting to talk to me about "how Barnsley did it" - not in Barnsley, but in Germany, Austria and other places around Europe. In those days, no-one said "little old Barnsley", no-one said "I hope we don't get Barnsley in the next round". It was an experience which will probably never be repeated, and it lasted for 2 seasons. Yes, Danny Wilson is my sporting hero. Well, him and Paddy McCourt.
George Best - Wasn't around when he laiked, but I've read his books, seen footage of him, watched the film 'Best' and so on. He might've had a short career, but he was the ultimate footballer and he had everything: skill, pace, you name it! And he was the first ever 'celebrity footballer'. Maradona good, Pele better... George Best!
I honestly don't get why people say him A horrible, racist man who sought to humiliate opponents and almost entirely lacked in all the good qualities I would want in a human. Don't get it. People might as well say Mike Tyson. It's like your political idol being Robert Mugabe.
As a kid: Daley Thompson, Peter Elliott, Miguel Indurain Now: Shaun White, Louis Smith, Beth Tweddle, Emke Zonderland and other top-level gymnasts (thanks to Jr I spend too much time watching gymnasts train so know exactly how hard they have had to work for it)
Mick McCarthy and Danny Wilson from football. Then any number of athletics chaps and Olympians who have worn the British vest, including but not limited to: Seb Coe, Daley Thompson, Steve Cram, Linford Christie, Steve Backley, Sally Gunnell, Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, Kelly Holmes, Paula Radcliffe, Ben Ainslie, Bradley Wiggins, Mo Farrah, Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton, Jason Kenny, Jonathon Edwards, Christine Ohuruogu, Denis Lewis. And Michael Johnson. He may be a yank, but he's an incredible human being. Usain Bolt is getting close. Jensen Button and Damon Hill are nice fellas too.
Mine would be Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen (I really thought I'd be the only one to say those two), Michael Owen, Andy Murray.