Great Sporting Comebacks

[david_carnell]

Sugar Ray Leonard.

A natural welterweight, he was one of the boxing greats of the late 70s and early 80s. Having avenged defeat against Roberto Duran, defeated the previously unstoppable Thomas Hearns, Leonard retired in 1982 due to a damaged eye (caused by Hearns in their fight) and a lack of motivation.

After retiring, Leonard fell into cocaine addiction for four years. In 1984 he attempted a comeback that was ended abruptly when he was knocked out in his first fight by a distinctly average fighter called Kevin Howard and at the post-fight press conference Leonard once again announced his retirement.

Then in May 1986, Leonard shocked the sports world once again when he announced he would return to the ring for one more fight: against World Middleweight Champion Marvin Hagler. Leonard had only fought once in five years, and had never fought as a middleweight. It was only Hagler's third fight in two & a half years as he entered the twilight of a glittering career.

The rest, as they say, is history:

 

[Mick Mac]

I remember that fight David - It was one of those fights that noone wanted to miss.

I once saw Hugh McIlvanney interview Leonard a few years after that fight - at the end of the interview McIlvanney said to Leonard that he thought Hagler won the fight - it was a good job he said it at the end of the interview otherwise there may not have been an interview, as Leonard was not impressed.

Excellent footgage - enjoyed watching that.

[Sherwick]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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> TLS had it right/ The third Test at Haedingly

> 1981. I was at sea and we only received a 3 minute

> news update each day - and that depended on

> weather and sea conditions. We received a

> partially garbled message with the news ".... and

> Willis takes 8 wickets for ......." It wasn't

> until three weeks later arriving alongside in

> Gibraltar that I was able to learn the result.`One

> of my biggest disappointments was not to have seen

> this match live.

Similar problem. In '81, I was living in Sweden in a remote village and had to travel into town each day to the very centre to pick up an English newspaper at a special newsagent. The day of the great win I only read about how England were certain to lose despite Botham & Dilley's heroics with the bat. The day after I read about the shock victory! Similar thing with the next test when Botham took 5 wickets for 1 run. Would have loved to have been in the UK that summer... however, got to watch all the matches in 2005!

:))

[JetSetWilly]

red devil Wrote:

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> United: Champions League 1999 - 2 goals in a

> minute during 3 mins of stoppage time (Bayern

> Munich's ribbons had already been tied to the

> trophy);

>

> You do the math...you wouldn't expect me to say

> anything else now would you...;-)

surely not better then the game against juventus, which got them there in the first place, 2 nil down after a matter of minutes, bring on the keane.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

MILLWALL'S unbeaten Home Record, which broke the long-standing Football League record of 59 games, nearly didn't happen JSW.

Picture the scene, there's 3 minutes left of actual playing time, a couple of games b4 reaching the record, and we are losing 0/2 to York City and then Hugh Curran scores...we're in the last minute and Curran breaks thru again---the goalie rushes out and Hughie chips him and the ball sails over the net and nestles in the back of the net and then the Final whistle blows..2/2..we are still on for the record, which is, duly. broken 4 games later...>:D<

[JetSetWilly]

roaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[Mick Mac]

Spurs 1 - 2 Arsenal White Hart Lane 1987 League Cup Semi Final

I was an Arsenal fan then, which surprises even me (prompted by Charlie Nicolas joining them from Celtic) but I remember this one - Arsenal trailed Spurs by 1-0 with about 5 minutes remaining - cue two late goals, the winner from David Rocastle.

It was such a big win for the Gooners that Arsenal even named a fanzine after it - One nil down two one up - as a permanent reminder the Spurs fans of the defeat.

The match marked a change in the fortunes of the 2 North London clubs - Arsenal were on the up after years in the wilderness and Spurs were set to struggle (with the exception of the Venables years).

[Mick Mac]

Spurs 1 - 2 Arsenal White Hart Lane 1987 League Cup Semi Final

I was an Arsenal fan then, which surprises even me (prompted by Charlie Nicolas joining them from Celtic) but I remember this one - Arsenal trailed Spurs by 1-0 with about 5 minutes remaining - cue two late goals, the winner from David Rocastle.

It was such a big win for the Gooners that Arsenal even named a fanzine after it - One nil down two one up - as a permanent reminder the Spurs fans of the defeat.

The match marked a change in the fortunes of the 2 North London clubs - Arsenal were on the up after years in the wilderness and Spurs were set to struggle (with the exception of the Venables years).

[matthew123]

I went to see London Welsh v Waterloo in the English Cup at Old Deer Park (near Richmond) about 11 years ago, with the exiles being in the tier below their Northern guests. With 20 minutes to go London Welsh were trailing something like 25 points (or thereabouts), and started putting points on the board. As the game slipped into injury time they still needed 2 more tries, they got one and the home crowd went into a frenzy as they scented a famous comeback. As injury time expired, the Ref looked to blow his whistle next time the rugby ball went dead. London Welsh kept the ball alive for about 20 phases chucking the ball around like the French, when suddendly they made a couple of line breaks and hey presto they sensationally scored a late try!

Unbelievable atmosphere, standing behind the touchline rope at a full house (about 3,000 punters)... we clapped the heroic players off the pitch and lo and behold I recognised one of the forwards as being at my old University, hell knows what he was doing there playing for London Welsh as he was Irish.. but there we are.. that's professionalism (well free pints at the bar anyway)..

[Sherwick]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Spurs 1 - 2 Arsenal White Hart Lane 1987 League

> Cup Semi Final

>

> I was an Arsenal fan then, which surprises even me

> (prompted by Charlie Nicolas joining them from

> Celtic) but I remember this one - Arsenal trailed

> Spurs by 1-0 with about 5 minutes remaining - cue

> two late goals, the winner from David Rocastle.

>

> It was such a big win for the Gooners that Arsenal

> even named a fanzine after it - One nil down two

> one up - as a permanent reminder the Spurs fans of

> the defeat.

>

> The match marked a change in the fortunes of the 2

> North London clubs - Arsenal were on the up after

> years in the wilderness and Spurs were set to

> struggle (with the exception of the Venables

> years).

>

> One nil down two one up

Class! :)-D :))

[matthew123]

It pains me to say it, but 20 years ago in tonight's corresponding fixture (Liverpool v Arsenal 1989) was probably the greatest ever comeback to win a League Championship..

It was a balmy Friday night, at the end of May 1989. Arsenal had to beat the all conquering Liverpool by 2 clear goals at Anfield in the final game of the season (a ground they'd not won at for 15 years) to be Champions otherwise it would be Liverpool crowned Champions..

The game was on a knife edge after Arsenal took a contentious 1-0 lead (but still needing a 2nd goal to be Champions), and with minutes left Liverpool broke down the flank with Peter Beardsley, 20 yards clear down the right wing.. He squared the ball to the unmarked Aldridge on edge of box, but the ball just held up slightly and bobbled. The chance was missed to settle matters...

I can still see it now from my Paddock seat on the Kop 18 yard line, as the game moved into injury time. I said to my school friend next to me "in a minute we could be Champions"... then suddenly it was heart in mouth. From no where, Michael Thomas had the ball at his feet and from my angle a clear channel had opened up to run at goal (other end of pitch). Thomas kept scampering along with the ball at his feet, and kept going and going, and going, then he flicked it past the goalkeeper into the goal net..

Head in hands.... Arsenal were Champions

[Mick Mac]

Great night Matthew - but is it a comeback? - Arsenal led the league from before Christmas, only falling behind on their penultimate game when drawing with Wimbledon. It was Liverpool who came from nowhere and could have won the league - but failed at the last hurdle.

But nevertheless a fantastic night for Arsenal fans. A finish like that, winning on goals scored as opposed to goal difference will probably not be repeated.

[david_carnell]

At the start of the 1972 Munich Olympics, Lasse Viren, a 23-year-old Finnish policeman from the small village of Myrskyla, was not widely known. Indeed, the heats of the 10,000 metres were his Olympic debut. But when he stumbled and fell just before the halfway mark in the final his chance of victory seemed to have gone. The Tunisian Mohamed Gammoudi (who had won the 5,000 metres at the 1968 Olympics) tripped over Viren and gave up two laps later. But the Finnish runner calmly got to his feet and chased his way back into contention, overtaking Britain's David Bedford, the long-time leader, to not only win the gold medal, but set a world record of 27min 38.4sec. Ten days later, he also won the 5,000m (in an Olympic record time) - a double that he repeated in Montreal in 1976.

[fractionater]

Brawn GP

[ruffers]

Spuds vs City

Joey Barton sent off on the way to the dressing room at half time

3-0 at half time.

3-4 at full....

Feb 4 2004.