It’s surprising to learn that John Astley Cooper first proposed what has become the Commonwealth Games in 1891: 5 years before the Modern Olympics. The plan was to hold a sports competition every four years “as a means of increasing goodwill and understanding of the British Empire”. Committees were set up throughout the Empire to […]
England at the FIFA World Cup over the years – it’s certainly been a journey! From crushing defeat to glorious victory…to who knows what the 2026 tournament will bring. We’ve still got the fun and great hope of not knowing at this point. The first World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930. FIFA chose […]
Was Jim Thorpe the greatest athlete in the world? King Gustav V of Sweden certainly thought so. He described Thorpe thus as he handed him two gold medals at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Jim Thorpe was a legendary Native American sportsman, who lived from 1888 – 1953. He was a Sac and Fox Native American, […]
Original ink autograph of Albert E Leatham, who played for Gloucestershire from 1883-84. He also went on a number of early cricket tours, including Vernon's team to India and Ceylon in 1889-90 and
Cricket autograph. A right-arm fast bowler who moved the ball off the seam, Dave Gilbert's break came in 1985 when he was picked to tour England when three of the first-choice players withdrew to join
