The Wheel of Sport

In 1970, old VFL rivals, Carlton and Collingwood faced each other in the Grand Final. The game took place in the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground to over 120,000 people packed in to see the spectacle. However, Collingwood dominated the first two quarters and raced into a healthy lead. Carlton walked off at half time deflated and dejected. A team talk and a revolutionary change of tactics and approach by the Carlton coach Ron Barassi, not only changed the course of this Grand Final, but it changed a sport forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hansie Cronje burst onto the international cricket scene in a match against Australia. With youth, good looks and a champion of reconciliation in South Africa, Cronje rose to the heights of his sport and society. This story covers a remarkable on pitch deal with the English cricket captain; dark dealings in hotel rooms; a confession and a sad, unexpected end to life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We take most Olympic sports for granted and they have the sense that they have always been there. However, sports have to compete against each other to make the Olympic roster. Some win but many get rejected. This episode is the story of the Winter Olympic sports that never quite made the grade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of John Montague. An exceptionally talented golfer who was reluctant to join the tour but very keen to live the celebrity Hollywood lifestyle. Montague worked his way through Hollywood's A-list society before his life took a turn when an eagle-eyed detective spotted him in Time magazine and his past quickly caught up with him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a blast through some of the technological advances in sport that you may never have heard of including one which may have been inspired by a British soap opera! Stories of pink newspapers being sold out of the back of vans, snooker selling TVs and how split screen revolutionised a sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baseball in the USA was a industry ran by the owners, for the owners. Players had few rights and were paid a fraction of what they were worth. Nobody challenge the status quo - until Marvin Miller battered down the door and unlocked the freedom of the players. This is a story of the power of the union and how it was used to modernise a national sport and show the rest of society that the power of the bosses could, and should, be questioned. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freediving is a niche sport due to the level of difficultly and the risk of serious injury and death. The serenity and peaceful nature of deep-diving can lull the participants into a different world and prove addictive. This is the story of how freediving became a cult sport with a truly deadly risk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Very few athletes ever get the opportunity to represent their country at the Olympics. Through training, discipline and shear sporting talent, some manage to make the grade. Once there, they will do everything in their power to try to get a place on the podium and, failing that, try to represent themselves in the best light possible. This is the story of an 'athlete' who broke the mould by sauntering into the Olympics with little sporting prowess but excellent management of her calendar and air miles. Elizabeth Swaney became an unlikely focus of the 2018 Winter Olympics for all the wrong reasons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the story of an American billionaire who found himself in the inner circle of the home of English cricket. Now a convicted criminal, Allen Stanford managed to land his helicopter on the hallowed turf at Lord's Cricket Ground, convince the ECB to play a one off game in the Caribbean and ultimately left a shameful mark on the English game. What attracted one of England's most stuffy and conservative sporting bodies to this lavish and corrupt billionaire? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shergar was an Irish-bred wonder horse. With exceptional ability, speed and stamina, the horse captivated a sport and international attention. The prospect of Shergar sharing his genetics and creating a new generation of competitive, world class horses was too good to miss for investors. However, the extraordinary value of Shergar attracted the unwanted attention of a band of Irishmen who were looking to raise funds for nefarious activities. Was the kidnapping successful? Did the ransom get paid? Where is Shergar today? Listen to The Wheel of Sport to find the answers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Oxford Dictionary describes Parkour as the sport of moving through a city by running, jumping, and climbing under, around, and through things. However, there is debate on whether it is a sport at all. There has been splits, international recognition and a lineage traced to the early 20th Century. Parkour also has a lot to owe the French Firefighter who inadvertently provided the inspiration for a new and exciting activity which sparked worldwide interest. This is the story of a modern athletic activity which is still developing, growing and finding its way in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mayo is a proud county situated on the wild west coast of Ireland. With passionate fans and a history of producing some of Ireland's finest sports stars, Mayo GAA are one of the leading sporting organisations in Ireland. They should have won a huge amount of major trophies in the post-war period but they have struggled to get over the line. In this episode, we explore the legend of a curse that was placed on the Mayo team in the 1950s and has haunted them to this day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexandre Villaplane was an immigrant footballer trying to make his way in the amateur game. He got off to great start and quickly became the best player in the country. Villaplane led France in their World Cup debut in 1930 but on his return his sporting career spun out of control and, with the onset of the Second World War, the demise of this malign character became inevitable.This is the story of a player who rose to greatness before sliding into the underworld and collaborating with the evils against his own countrymen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jean Marc Bosman was a lower league professional footballer but his challenge to be in charge of his own destiny had a hugely significant impact on football in Europe and is still shaping how careers are fulfilled and players are transferred. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you were playing top level NBA and a coach told you of some small change to your game that could improve you exponentially? What if the coach told you that the change was perfectly legal and within the rules? What if the coach told you that every player in the NBA knew about it but almost nobody does it?This is the puzzling story of how top level basketball players refuse to make a small change that could improve their performance and the history of it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was the summer of 2012. The world had gathered in London for the 2012 Olympic Games. Team GB had targeted a number of key sports in which they could medal but on Saturday 4th August 2012 the medals rained down on the team. From the morning, right up to an extraordinary 45 minute period, the golds kept coming in one of the most captivating periods in Olympic history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Highland games has endured throughout the ages and exists today as a celebration of Highland culture and Scottish defiance against the aggression of their neighbours.A mixture of strength and skill often inspire by agriculture, the Highland games provide an opportunity to revel in Scottish history and a legacy of historical sporting development. Although the games were coopted by the royal ruling class, they remain a symbol of life before living under English rule. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mildred Ella Didrikson, who was known simply as 'Babe', became one of the greatest athletes of all time. However, that was just part of her story. At only 5ft 7in, Babe ran, jumped, threw, pitched and swung her way to be the best sports all rounder that ever lived. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sally Robbins was a gifted athlete who managed to show so much promise, she was selected for the Australian Olympic rowing team. Although they were outsiders to medal at the Athen's games, the team had got themselves within half a second of the leaders. However, by the end of the race, the Australian boat dragged through the water over ten seconds after all the other teams had finished. What had happened? Why had they thrown away the lead? Who or what was responsible?This is the story of Lay Down Sally, Athens 2004. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian has avoided social media, his phone and been disciplined and determined, not to know the score of the EFL Trophy Final 2021. He gives Matt a call who is going to reveal to result of the game and give a detailed match report. However, there was an unexpected intervention... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tranmere Rovers are playing Sunderland at Wembley in a matter of hours. These are Ian and Matt's hometown teams and first loves, respectively. This is the pre-game excitement before these two teams walk out at Wembley stadium to win the EFL Trophy and probably a few pizzas thrown in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you stop the greatest batsman of all time? Bowl dangerously towards his body and his head.Don Bradman was an unstoppable force in Australian cricket. A remarkable sportsman that had a batting average so high, it seemed impossible to stop him. But on the boat over to Australia, the English captain devised a plan on how to tame Bradman and defeat Australia. These tactics scandalised the game and caused a diplomatic incident. This is the story of Bodyline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the biggest games of every AFL season is between suburban rivals Collingwood and Carlton. However, few fans know the origin of this fierce rivalry that dates back to the start of the 20th Century. These two powerhouses fought each other in remarkably close games for years which were marred by bribery, match fixing, skullduggery and establishment tinkering. Did players really go behind Pompey Elliott's back to fix games ruining the Carlton winning streak? Was there a Carlton insider in the establishment who almost prevented Collingwood's best stars from making the 1915 Grand Final? Is this the most enduring Grand Final story in VFL history?Ross McMullin's article that inspired this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wilma Rudolph is not a name that is commonly known when US Olympians are talked about. She should be. Wilma Rudolph overcame extraordinary personal adversity in her childhood whilst black America suffered segregation. She rose to international fame becoming one of the stars at the Rome Olympics. On her return home she set about contributing to the fight for equality and paving the way for black woman in athletics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The field of sprinters that lined up for the 200m at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City were the greatest there had ever been. Two Americans and an Australian took the medal places. There was mild surprise that the Australian had placed in silver as he wasn't a favourite and started characteristically slow before blasting away his opponents in the final few metres. However, the running wasn't the focus by the time the athletes were stood on the podium. The photograph of John Carlos, Tommie Smith and Peter Norman has become the most iconic image of the modern Olympics. This is the story of how a boy from Coburg, Melbourne became caught up in a storm for racial justice in the USA and Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane Saville was ready to set the Sydney Stadium alight for the second time in a matter of hours. Cathy Freeman had raced to Gold the night before and Saville was thriving in the glow when she found herself in the lead of the Women's 20km Race Walk. With only metres to go, Saville found herself faced with a third red card. This is the story of one of the most difficult decisions in race walking history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andres Escobar was a quality international footballer. He had won domestic silverware and was now part of a promising Colombian national team who were heading for the World Cup Finals in the USA ranked fourth in the world. Even the Brazilian legend Pele tipped them as favourites. Under the pressure of huge expectations the Columbians underperformed and Escobar scored an own goal against the USA. The goal proved fatal to Columbia's chances of qualification and deadly to Escobar who was assassinated on his return to his home country. This is the story of Andres Escobar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Keegan and John Toshack were a defining strike partnership in the 1970s. Playing for Liverpool, they linked together so well, a local TV network decided to test whether there was anything more to their partnership than just football skills. This is the story about how two 1970s British soccer players defied science to prove a supernatural aspect to their play. Or did they? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1997, the world chess champion, Garry Kasparov, was challenged by IBM to play against their computer 'Deep Blue'. This is the extraordinary story of man versus machine. It was an international news headline as Artificial Intelligence overcame the flaws in humankind, not only to become the best chess player in the world, but also to realign our ideas about the capabilities of computers and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nadia Comaneci appeared at her first Summer Olympic Games in Montreal 1976. The expectations were high but nobody could've predicted the remarkable achievements of this extraordinary teenager. Even the scoreboard wasn't large enough for this Romanian who managed to score the first ever perfect 10 in history. This is the story of how a teenager won the hearts of the world and the implications it had for her when returning to an Eastern Bloc country under the rule of a tyrant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James 'Buster' Douglas was a middling fighter that, after a change of coach and a string of wins, found himself in a showdown with Mike Tyson. The infamous Tyson came into the fight as the undefeated, undisputed champion of the world. Fought in Toyko, Japan, the fight has become an example of one of the biggest upsets in world sport.This is the story of how James Douglas sat Tyson down to become the new Heavyweight Champion of the world.This episode was Ian and Matt's 50th episode they have recorded together. What a knockout! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Golfer John Daly earned the nickname 'Wild Thing' due to his awesome power off the tee and perhaps his antics both on and off the course. His extraordinary talent for playing golf and taming the most difficult courses, added to his love for fast food, alcohol and cigarettes, make for an exhilarating story of his rise in this conservative sport. This is the story of the incredible first years of John Daly's golfing career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rober Falcon Scott, Ernie Shackleton and Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen were the great explorers in this 'heroic age'. The South Pole had not been conquered. It was the last major feat to explore. But who could do it first?This is the story of one of the greatest challenges of all time. The race for the South Pole.Check out these extraordinary photographs of the expeditions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the story of the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices an unfunded Scottish sprinter made in order to compete in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Allan Wells managed to do the unthinkable on the world stage but he still had his detractors. Just two weeks after the games, he set about dispelling any doubts that he was the legitimately the fastest man on the planet.You can now listen to all The Wheel of Sport episodes on Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bert Trautmann bombed the cities of England during the Second World War only to make amends by keeping goal for Manchester City. An outstanding goalkeeper who managed to win an FA Cup in the most extraordinary circumstance. An incredible story of a footballing legend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Cuban immigrant entered her first ever marathon in New York City 1979. Six months later, she stormed the field at The Boston Marathon. She was an unknown. A novice. An enigma. But after the celebrations, TV interviews and fanfare in the days following the marathon, her story began to unravel. This is the story of Rosie Ruiz: 1980 Boston Marathon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Torquay United FC, a struggling team on England's south coast, were destined for relegation out of the Football League in 1987. They found themselves down in their last game before an outside influence changed the game on its head. What was that influence, how did it change the game and did Torquay manage to survive the dreaded drop?Find out with Matt and Ian in another cracking episode of The Wheel of Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gus Johnson was a terrific basketball player. He had admirers across America. Johnson's exceptional leap had gained notoriety and allowed Johnson to elevate his game to an impressive level. However, it was when Johnson was in a bar in Idaho that his legend was cemented into sporting and social history.This is the story of 'The Nail'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fashion and football started to become intertwined during the post-war period when fans started to treat match day as an occasion worth dressing for. Old clips of Liverpool's Spion Kop show fans packed together wearing suits with shirt and tie often accompanied by a Beatle's style 'mop top' hairstyle. As the game progressed into the 1970s, the opportunity to go abroad and explore continental Europe, gave ordinary fans the chance to sample other cultures and fashion trends. Following your team in European competition often meant bringing back some fashionable 'trainees' to show off to all your mates. This is the origin story of Liverpool's influence on the Football Casual culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Common knowledge tells you that the first ever World Cup was hosted in Uruguay, 1930. However, a charismatic entrepreneur managed to organise an international soccer tournament well before FIFA was even conceived. Even more remarkable is the teams that were involved and the eventual winners who risked everything to retain the trophy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia has long dominated International Netball and have only been challenged by near neighbours New Zealand. When it was announced that the 2018 Commonwealth Games was to be held in Australia's Gold Coast, the writing was on the wall. Australia was destined to win another gold medal, but this time, they would get to win it in front of their adoring fans, on home soil. However, a seasoned England team had other plans. Despite never progressing past the bronze medal, Netball England had been busy working on a plan to win silver. But could they actually win gold?This is the story of one of the most dramatic conclusions to a sporting event ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andreas Nikolaus Lauda was an extraordinary racing driver. His determination and self funding landed him in the F1 driving seat in his early twenties. He managed to move to Ferrari where he suffered a spectacular crash that would challenge his mental and physical resilience.This is the story of Niki Lauda - 'An out and out racer' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a remarkable turn of events the Danish national football team found themselves in a major tournament they didn't even qualify for. The eight teams in the competition reflected the dynamic national and political situation in a continent adjusting in a post-Soviet era. This is the story of how a group of Danes grabbed an opportunity to write themselves in footballing history and managed to defeat some of Europe's greatest ever teams on the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The small rural town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire provided the inspiration for what would become a sporting behemoth. The modern Olympic Games has travelled the world providing inspiration to many. However, it came from humble beginnings when a Frenchman in 1896 helped to organise the event that has become the template for the most watched international sporting event in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There has always been a thirst for humans to travel quickly and the horse was the main means for people to do this. The first bicycle wasn't too impressive but within a century the bicycle transformed society, technology and sport. This is the story of how the mighty bicycle impacted on the sport and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The playful field event of Triple Jump has been a mainstay of modern Olympic history. Plenty of records have been broken in this event as the decades have ticked over. That is, until Jonathan Edwards stepped up to the board in Gothenburg, 1995.In an event, rarely recognised for its incredible technical challenges, Edwards forged a World Record that still stands at the time of recording. An extraordinary feat and an extraordinary athlete. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whilst the dust was settling after the Second World War there was an optimism for a better world. A world where people could focus on human endeavour instead of human destruction. Roger Bannister found himself at the centre of a worldwide battle to be the first athlete to break the four minute mile. Australia's John Landy had come excruciatingly close but Bannister gained the assistance of his friends to assist him on a wet Oxford afternoon to attempt breaking this four minute benchmark. The outcome set up a race between the two men where they would truly find out who the greatest miler of all time was. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the remarkable story of a seasoned Nascar racing driver finishing his career during the Winston 500 race at Taladega by walking off the track after an engine failure on lap thirteen leaving his car and colleagues behind. He was never, ever, seen or heard of again. Something was clearly very wrong with LW Wright. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monica Seles set the tennis world alight when she arrived on the circuit beating all before her. She collected eight Grand Slams and she was still a teenager. An extraordinary event on court in Germany changed everything. She showed formidable determination to get her career back on track. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the story of a Soviet athlete who beat all the odds to defeat Jim Fox in the 1976 Olympics. However, he beat Fox a little too well. Suspiciously well. Jim Fox was not happy. Nor were the judges. Onishchenko had overstepped the mark and this is the story of how it all unravelled. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A remarkable time for heavyweight boxing, heavyweight politics and in the background of the Civil Rights Movement, two American fighters went head-to-head in the African nation of Zaire. Over two billion people watched the fight and it has been indelibly printed on fans of boxing worldwide ever since.David Frost interviewing Ali Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.