Sporting Events that are less/more popular than they used to be....

Actually I agree about the Derby.
They should never have moved it from a Wednesday.

Stuff I've read/seen says the derby was a massive massive occasion back in the day.  Maybe bigger than the national.  I don't remember cheltenham being so bigwhen I was young, not compared to now.

Hard to believe that show jumping used to be on bbc all the time.Also the boat race. Think most events diminish in appeal as you get older. Younger people might have a different view but certainly it does seem to be true for the events you have mentioned.
Certainly when I was young the Derby , the FA cup final and Heavyweight boxing title fights were massive. I think the only event which has increased it's appeal is the Grand National and maybe the US masters.

Uk Wrestling not on tv anymore

blackpood:

did tour de france get as much coverage in uk as it does now?

snooker and heavyweight scene is just bereft of real characters at mo-it will turn around soon!!

April used to be a magical month with a big event on every Saturday, when I was a kid. I can't remember the order, but you would have, The Grand National, The Boat Race, Challenge Cup Final, London Marathon and the FA Cup final pretty much on consecutive weekends.
All of which, to my young mind, gripped the nation to a much greater extent than they do now.
Moving the Derby was a catastrophic error, with Premiership football being so overwhelmingly dominant in the media now that anything else doesn't get a look in. One of the reasons that I've gone from a season ticket holder (admittedly of a club no longer in the top flight) to someone with a genuine dislike of everything about the game at Premiership and International level (Barca being the one exemption from my ire, I could watch them all day). I wouldn't mind if the product was any good, but who could ever be thrilled by one one bunch of multimillionaire foreigners, with no concept of loyalty beyond their bank balance (not that I blame them, if it's there take it), prevailing over another set of the same. The only distinction being the colour of the shirt (£65 in the club shop, new design out soon) that they're wearing this week.

Jeez, I didn't know that was coming when I began my reply. Apologies for the rant

County Cricket Championship has taken a back seat. Use to have massive attendances, especially the Roses matches. Hardly gets a mention nowadays. People more interested in the instant, over in one day type events although test matches between the top teams still popular thanks to Sky

wasn't sure what to make of cricket - have to go a fair way back before it was ever that popular or well attended imo.  Never been such a big deal in my time, in fact I'd say the one day tournaments were bigger in the 70s and 80s than they are now.

cycling can only be accused of being less popular if you're talking the 3 years since the olympics.  will be big again in 2012.  Not sure I agree on england friendlies or superbowl either.

Can barely name any famous england rugby players pre will carling era compared to cricket and football and athletics and virtually any other sport.

Motor-cross use to on the tele a lot - remember Arthur Lambkin used to win everything. Also crown green bowling.

Greyhound racing used to be big many moons ago and there were tracks all over the place - Liverpool had three but hasn't got one now. Seems to be big now thanks to sky and better facilities at a much smaller number of tracks.

Rugby Union has grown hugely since the advent of professionalism in 1995 UTI, before then players were mainly professionals in other occs, lots of solicitors and doctors for example. Until then there was no real premiership as such, the best teams nationwide would only ever meet in cup competitions. I suspect being an English youngster you wouldn't have too strong a sense of the England team back in those days as throughout the 70s and 80s they were not particularly competitive, however, if you lived in Wales there wouldn't have been a bigger sport.
That said, i'm sure Bill Beaumont and Andy Ripley must've been on your radar at some point?
The sporting world is vastly improved for the increasing exposure of RU, with the game at all levels offering a character forming challenge to all it's participants, built on a foundation of respect for the game itself, the officials and opponents, with plentiful role models for our youngsters to aim to emulate, rather than the preening fops I ranted about earlier.
I watched an U13 game a couple of weeks ago where a kid swore in frustration at an error that led to a try. The ref didn't hesitate in showing him red. He hadn't even sworn at the ref and he was marching. Imagine how different football would look if that was how it was officiated?

The domestic one day cricket tournamnets were huge back in the 70's and 80's.Especially the old Gillette/Nat West 60 over comp.Most rounds were shown on bbc and the quarters onwards were huge events.I remember newsagents posting the cricket scores in their shop windows and our school teachers letting us know how the games were getting on.I guess it depended on where you lived (i was in lancs so we had a huge interest)

Though i'm still a big cricket fan the way the one day comps are conducted now are just a mess and the old Sunday leauge 40 over has just become a mix and match meanigless thing along with the 50 over (old benson and hedges) which has become far far worse than footballs own (sadly underrated) leauge cup.

Athletics is another,those huge grand prix meets of the late 70's and 80's were must see events,the likes of Bislet,Zurich and Berlin and the quality of the races with the VERY best of the world lining up head to head was breathtaking stuff.The Coe's ,Ovetts,Walkers etc talk about a golden generation.

IVE BEEN TO EUROPEAN CUP FINALS ,AND CHELTNAM AND VARIOUS OTHER BIG SPORTING DAYS OUT ,BUT MY FAV DAY OUT ,LATER TURNED INTO A WEEK OUT WAS THE WATERLOO CROWN GREENS BOWLING FINAL AT THE WATERLOO HOTEL IN BLACKPOOL ,I FIRST WENT IN 1984,AND THEN WENT FOR THE NEXT 20 CON SEC YEARS ,YOU COULD JUST ABOUT GET A TICKET FOR THE FINAL IN THOSE DAYS ,IT USED TO BE ON THE B B C ,ITWAS HELD AT THIS PUB WITH ITS OWN SMALL ARENA ,LIKE A FOOTBALL GROUND THAT HELD ABOUT 5000,THE ATMOSPHERE WAS GREAT THERE WAS ABOUT 10 BOOKIES AND THE BEER WAS FLOWING FREELY,THE COMPANY WAS GREAT AND YOU MET PEOPLE FROM EVERWHERE,ALAS THE GAME AS GONE INTO DECLINE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND ITS ONLY TWO THIRDS FULL OM FINAL DAY NOW
THERES NOTHING BETTER THEN WATCHING CROWN GREEN BOWLS WITH THE SUN ON YOUR BACK ,AND A BOWL THAT WONT PULL UP OR RUN ON WHEN YOU SHOUT AT IT ,AND YOUIVE GOT A BET ON IT FANTASTIC DAYS

It is only 12-18 months ago I was still playing on a Saturday Desmond.  I used to watch Bedford now and then when I was a kid - Harlequins, Carling et al, came once, was a big event that for the whole town it seemed.  Bedford's quite a big town not to have a decent football team so it was quite a big rugby town and it had two v.good private schools too which I think helps.  Think they might've flirted with the top flight back in the day.

They're still flirting with the top flight UTI! Going really well in the playoffs, although unlikely to make it, they're a very decent outfit. You would see some good rugby down there. If Leeds don't pull off another miraculous escape, then I'll be seeing them next season at Headingley.

Do wah, you're still making me laugh though.

On the south coast now des, might have to look see what teams are round here.

UTI PLEASE IF YOU GET A SPARE 9 MINS GO ON U TUBE AND WATCH THE 1982 WATERLOO FINAL MERCER V STRUT,  YOUWILL GET A LITTLE IDEA OF WHAT I MEAN ,IMAGINE HAVEING HAD A BET ON MERCER ,AND YOUVE HAD A FEW PINTS ,AND SO HAS EVERY ONE ELSE ,YOU GET TO KNOW MOST OF THE PLAYERS PERSONALLY AND MERCER WAS ALWAYS MOANING EVERYONE ELSE WAS LUCKY AGAINST HIM ,I ALSO KNEW HARRY RIGBY THE COMMENTATOR WHO I THOUGHT WAS VERY FUNNY AND GOOOD COMPANY,