My top 10 - Peter Beardsley

Nov 15 2007 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

IT’S a fair bet that when many people compile their list of the top 10 sporting moments in history, quite a few people in the North-East would include Newcastle United and England legend Peter Beardsley.

For Beardo himself, selecting his top 10 proved an almost impossible task.

"There are just too many to choose from," he said.

"I got the list down to about 30 but to reduce it to 10 was so hard."

Among the moments to narrowly miss out in Peter’s choice were Paul Gascoigne’s goal and ‘dentist’s chair’ celebration against Scotland in Euro ’96, Arsenal completing a season unbeaten in 2004 and Steve Redgrave’s fifth Olympic gold in Australia.

There could also be a few North-East moments that seem to be glaring omissions, such as Sunderland’s FA Cup triumph in 1973, Jackie Milburn scoring after 45 seconds in the 1955 final, or Steve Cram breaking three world records in the space of 19 days in 1985.

There was no room either for many iconic sporting moments: Muhammad Ali’s Rumble in the Jungle, Liverpool coming back from three goals down to win the 2005 European Champions League, or Jessie Owens’s four Olympic golds in 1936.

But a final 10 is what we needed and after much agonising, this is Peter’s list of preferences.

1. Carlos Alberto’s goal in Brazil’s 4-1 win against Italy in the 1970 World Cup final: “This has to be my favourite sporting moment. The build-up, the play, everything was perfect. It was everything you dream about. Some of my favourite players were involved in the goal and it’s one of my earliest memories of watching Pele. That Brazil team was probably the best team of all time.”

2. London winning the bid to host the 2012 Olympics: “For the sake of our country, it’s a big thing. I just wish I was playing sport in 2012. It will give the country so much. There’s nothing bigger. The World Cup is huge but it’s just one sport so for me the Olympics is the best. It will get kids into sport and everyone will benefit.”

3. Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal against Australia in the rugby World Cup final of 2003: “This was just an unbelievable moment. To get to the final was incredible but to go on and win it was unbelievable. The pressure of the situation was 100%, it was everything in sport rolled into one.”

4. England winning the World Cup in 1966: “I was five years old. I wish I’d been a little older. It was everything about it – the game, the result and probably the best line of commentary ever. When you look at the footage, it was an absolutely amazing achievement.”

5. Botham’s Ashes – the 1981 series: “I loved my cricket then. I looked at the boys playing cricket at that level without helmets, just unbelievable. Everything about Botham’s performance was brilliant – the wickets he took, the runs he scored. It has to be in there for me.”

6. British Middle distance runner Kelly Holmes winning two gold medals at Athens 2004: “I remember thinking, ‘What an achievement’. The discipline you must need as an individual athlete is scary. To win two Olympic golds just shows how committed she was. I remember watching it as if it was happening yesterday.”

7. Frankie Dettori becoming the first jockey to have seven winners in one day at the same meeting at Ascot in 2006: “To do that was just incredible. The thing about it was that the pressure was growing with each race he won, as he got closer and closer to seven. Everyone was willing him on – what an achievement.”

8. Red Rum winning three Grand Nationals: “They thought that it couldn’t be done but to actually win a third one was special. It was a brilliant sporting story. I’m lucky, I have had the chance to ride Red Rum as a Question of Sport mystery guest. It was terrifying.”

9. Decathlete Daley Thompson winning two consecutive Olympic golds in 1980 and 1984: “To do 10 events at the level he did them was amazing. He had that personality and that relaxed confidence as well as being a competitor. I take my hat off to athletes because they have to work so hard. To have to rely on yourself entirely like that is scary. That’s what makes his achievement even more unbelievable.”

10. Tiger Woods’ 2006 British Open victory shortly after his father died: “When he was walking up the last hole and you could see the tears in his eyes, that was powerful. There are moments in sport where the emotion gets the better of you and that was one. He was obviously so proud of his dad and he played such a big part in his career. It was almost fate that he was going to win it.”

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You probably know your own personal top 10s, but The Journal is trying to compile a definitive list of the region’s favourites in a range of categories that includes actors and actresses, bands and singers.

Over the next five weeks, experts in their field will be giving your their own top 10s, starting with Peter Beardsley’s favourite sporting moments and prize-winning children’s writer David Almond’s top books.

But from then, it’s over to you.

You can vote for your faviourite books or sporting moments in a number of ways:

ONLINE: Click here to leave your favourites.

POST: Send your choice to The Journal Newsdesk, Groat Market, Newcastle, NE1 1ED.

EMAIL: Send your choice to jnl.newsdesk@ncjmedia.co.uk