Star Supporter: Bill Beaumont CBE Bill Beaumont CBE has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Bill Beaumont CBE The former England and British & Irish Lions Captain enjoyed a highly successful international career, winning 34 caps for England, captaining the side on 21 occasions. In 1980 Bill led England to their first Grand Slam in twenty three years and went on to captain the Lions the same year on their tour to South Africa. "In terms of career highlights beating the All Blacks in November 1979 in Otley as captain of the North of England side was certainly one. That was a great team to be associated with and we beat them easily; four tries to one. It was fantastic and something you don't forget. The following season winning the Grand Slam, the first time England had won the Grand Slam in twenty-three years, again was something I enjoyed being associated with. Other highlights were Captaining the Lions to South Africa later in 1980, going on two Lions tours but then retiring at twenty-nine. I didn't expect to retire, I thought I was going to carry on playing and be the first guy to captain two Lions Tours. I was favourite to have done so but that wasn't to be, though I was proud that I won that first Test I ever played for the Lions and the last Test I ever played for the Lions; proud I won those two games though lost all the others in-between!" Before Rugby, as a youngster Bill grew up a Blackburn Rovers fan and remains so to this day, he recalled watching the 1960 FA Cup Final on TV wearing his favourite Rovers shirt, sadly the result didn't go his way that day. After retiring from Rugby, Bill continued in the role of captain, this time on the iconic BBC sports quiz Question of Sport "There was one time when the fire alarm went off when the last picture came up on the picture board. We had to leave the building so me and Ian Botham walked out together out through the crowd and neither of us knew who the person in the picture was so we asked the people in the crowd. They knew so they told us who it was. It was Ian's question so I knew that he would win it but when we went back the producer had switched the photograph." In 2003 Bill was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
Ambassador: Jack Benyon Jack Benyon is an Ambassador of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Jack Benyon is International Editor of Autosport, the world's leading authority in motorsport news, analysis and opinion. Jack is a regular volunteer for The Sporting Memories Foundation and is once again taking part in the Great North Run in September 2019, helping to raise much needed funds. Jack made this short film about his experience of volunteering, we are delighted to welcome him as an Ambassador
Star Supporter: Andy Burnham: Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Andy Burnham: Mayor of Manchester Andy, gave us this memory when he was the MP for Leigh. In Andy's political career to date he held various senior cabinet posts in the Labour Government including Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, and Secretary of State for Health. In his role as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham attended Anfield for the 20th anniversary service of the Hillsborough disaster. In addressing the crowd of 30,000, one voice called out 'Justice for the 96'. This was soon joined by the whole stadium. It became a seminal moment in the long fight for justice by the families of those killed in the tragedy. Soon after, announcement was made that there would be full disclosure of public documents relating to Hillsborough. This was the first step on a journey to establish the truth behind what happened on the 15th April 1989, culminating on the 26th April 2016 in the inquest verdict that found the 96 had occurred as a result of unlawful killing. Andy Burnham making a powerful speech the following day calling for those responsible to be held to account. Football has always been his first love, having been raised in a family of Evertonians, his loyalty lies with the Toffees, however, as a youngster, during a particularly lean spell for the Goodison Park club, Andy's older brother persuaded him to head along to watch his local Rugby League club, Leigh. "My brother and I headed off on the 587 bus from Culcheth to the old Hilton Park Stadium. The ground was absolutely packed out to see a team that was at the top of its game. Des Drummond was flying down the wing, John Woods was like a mighty oak at the centre of the pitch and I think Tommy Martyn was playing for us then too. I've vivid memories of following them that year, right up to the moment they clinched the championship and paraded around the pitch after winning it. " Follow @AndyBurnhamGM
Star Supporter: Finlay Calder OBE Finlay Calder OBE has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Rugby: Finlay Calder OBE Finlay Calder has shared memories of his Rugby Union career in support of the network. Finlay captained the British and Irish Lions on their 1989 tour and holds a unique place in Lions history as the only 20th century captain to lead the team to a series victory after losing the opening Test. He made his international debut for Scotland in 1986 and made history three years later by following his brother Jim, a 1983 tourist, into the Lions red jersey, making them the only twins to have played for the side. Born in Haddington, East Lothian, Finlay's love of Rugby Union saw him develop into an international flanker, representing Scotland 34 times during his career, including the 1990 Five Nations when Scotland defeated England to win the Grand Slam "There are some days when you feel you can run forever and other days when your legs feel as heavy as lead; that day we could run forever. We were all feeling good. Some days you look around the changing rooms and there are a few carried injuries but it wasn't on that day. Everyone was fresh.For the winning try I remember Gavin Hastings kicking it back into play and it was then a straight foot race between Tony Stanger and Rory Underwood. Tony had the advantage in that Rory had to turn whilst he was at full tilt as Gavin kicked it."
Star Supporter: John Cleland John Cleland has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Sport, British Touring Cars: John Cleland John won the BTCC title in 1989 and 1995, spent his childhood travelling to motorsport events with his father, who was chief scrutineer for Scotland. He describes watching an unusual race between Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark at Ingliston in the 1960's, travelling to Glasgow to watch the start of the iconic Monte Carlo Rally and of course, some fantastic memories of his racing career, looking back at some of the most spectacular BTCC races. "Taking part in, what is said, was the best touring car race ever. It was the race at Donington in 1998 which Nigel Mansell drove in. I won the race on that day and I think it was the best race I'd ever been in, in touring cars." More recently, John was asked by the FIA to be the driving standards steward for some of the World Touring Car Championship rounds which he says seemed like more fun...poacher turns gamekeeper! www.clelands.co.uk and www.johncleland.net
Star Supporter: David Coulthard MBE David Coulthard has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Racing: David Coulthard MBE David Coulthard MBE is supporting motorsport based reminiscence activities to help tackle dementia, depression and isolation in older people. DC, an integral member of the BBC F1 team, was a multiple winner of the British Grand Prix and the highest scoring British F1 driver of all time, became a supporter on hearing of the positive impact the Sporting Memories Network's innovative work is having. You can read David`s memory of his favourite F1 victory on the Replay Motorsport site. "When I think back across my own career, I have great memories of circuits, races and the drivers I competed against. The rich history of the sport and the passion fans hold for their favourite drivers and teams should make for some great stories and discussions. I'm looking forward to seeing the fans' memories being added to the Replay Motorsport website." DC looked back at his own career in a thirty minute interview that was produced by Mario Muth of Shakefree. Our sincere thanks go to Mario for permission to use this terrific film DC dominated Britain's junior Formula Ford categories in 1989 and became the first ever recipient of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for young drivers. In 1991 he fought a titanic battle with future Formula 1 rival Rubens Barrichello for the British Formula 3 Championship, and won the prestigious Macau F3 Grand Prix. He joined the Williams Formula 1 team as a test driver in 1993, and after competing in eight grands prix for the team in the 1994 season he became a full-time F1 driver in 1995. That year he won the Portuguese Grand Prix and finished third in the championship. After moving to McLaren, David took his new team's first win in three seasons at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix. In all, he scored 12 of his 13 grand prix wins and 51 of his 62 podium finishes with McLaren, and, after supporting team-mate David Coulthard on the podium in MonacoMika Häkkinen to the drivers' championship in 1998 and '99, he finished runner-up to Michael Schumacher in 2001. In 2005 David moved to the newly formed Red Bull Racing team. By the time he retired from driving, in 2008, he had notched up 535 points, making him the highest scoring British driver of all time. David stayed on as a consultant to Red Bull and also acts as an ambassador for Mercedes-Benz. Visit DC's official website here : www.davidcoulthard.co.uk The David Coulthard Museum, based in Twynholm, Scotland has without doubt the world's most complete collection of memorabilia for any F1 driver, past or present, with informative museum tours, great home made cooking & snacks and of course a friendly welcome. More details at : www.dcmuseum.co.uk
Sports Broadcasting Supporter: David Croft David Croft has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Broadcaster: David Croft "Crofty" has given his backing to the Sporting Memories Network, sharing a great memory of a trip to Wembley to see his beloved West Ham United. Away from the Boleyn Ground, he appears on our screens as lead commentator of the Sky Sports F1 Team. 2018 will be Crofty's 13th season covering F1 where he regularly hosts the press interview with the top three qualifiers and finishers after the race. Prior to joining Sky, he commentated for 6 years on BBC 5 Live's F1 coverage. Crofty is also well known for his commentary at the legendary World Masters Darts at the Lakeside and as a boxing commentator covered some major fights including Joe Calzaghe's final fight against Roy Jones Jnr at Madison Square Garden. He has covered major global sporting events including the 2002 World Cup and 2004 Olympic Games In sharing a favourite football moment, his Hammers memory was the 1000th submitted to the network! "Do excuse me for not reliving an F1 story from my years covering the sport or not re-telling a tale or two from the many nights of late night research put in over the course of the Lakeside World Darts Championship. I'd like to go back, if that's okay to Sunday 14th March 1981, when my Dad and Me went to Wem-ber-ley" Follow on Twitter @CroftyF1
Star Supporter: Dario Franchitti Dario Franchitti has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Racing: Dario Franchitti With 261 starts under his belt in Indy car racing resulting in 31 wins, 32 poles, 116 top-five and 161 top-10 finishes (1997-2013), Dario is the most successful British racing driver in U.S. open-wheel history and has accumulated a wealth of trophies in his time on the track, winning races on road courses, street courses, short ovals and superspeedways and he is one of only 12 drivers to win a race in the IndyCar Series and CART. Dario won three consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series titles in four years, including two wins at the iconic Indianapolis 500 (2010, 2012). He is one of only five drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 and the series title in the same season more than once. By winning the 2012 Indianapolis 500, he became the 10th driver in history to win the race three times. A fourth IndyCar title in 2011 moved him into a tie for second place on the all-time list for most IndyCar Champioships (A.J. Foyt - 7 / Mario Andretti/Sebastien Bourdais/Franchitti - 4). He is only the third driver in IndyCar history to win at least three titles in a row (Ted Horn: 1946-1948 / Bourdais 2004-2007). It was regular trips to watch his father race at Ingliston that first captured a young Dario's imagination and interest in motorsport. "My earliest memories of going with him were sitting in this great scaffolding grandstand. I can still picture exactly where I would sit, there are still certain sounds or smells that as soon as I'm exposed to them, they take me right back there in an instant. I'd have a hot dog and sit there for hours watching." A successful career in karting ensued, capturing the Scottish & British junior titles and the Scottish senior title before graduating into Formula Vauxhall. "The first time I drove on a full race circuit though was at Knockhill. It was towards the end of the year and was pretty cold and very wet! I'd been driving on the roads since June that year. David Leslie Snr was there and I think David Jnr may have been there too. I drove his Formula Ford and as it was someone else's car, I was determined not to make any mistakes. What stands out from that experience was the feeling of the cold air coming up the main straight, but the sensation of speed was totally different. The memories and feelings of winning the three Indy 500's and four championships are all so different. The highs and lows of sport are incredible, I hope you enjoy reading some of my memories and add some of your own" Follow @DarioFranchitti
Star Supporter: Marino Franchitti Marino Franchitti has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Racing: Marino Franchitti Marino competes in the American Le Mans Series for Patron Highcroft Racing and has driven a fantastic array of machinery in a career which started out at the age of eight when began competing in karts,winning various Scottish titles including the West of Scotland Kart Club Championship, the Scottish Open Championship and the Scottish Pro-Kart Championship. Making the move into single seaters, Marino competed in two Formula cars - Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall. In Sportscars he has competed and taken podiums in no less than 11 GT category cars, Porsche GT3RS, GT3RSR, Ferrari 360 Modena, Chrysler Viper GTS, Audi 4-wheel drive A4, Panoz Esperante GTLM, Spyker C-8 Spyder GT2R, Porsche 996 GT3 Cup, Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT, Ferrari 430 and Maserati MC12 GT1. He was the 2001 British GTO and 2010 ALMS LMP champion. Possibly the most striking of all vehicles Marino has driven was the amazing Nissan Delta Wing in which he competed at Le Mans last year. Marino has shared a memory of the first time he drove the uniquely designed car on circuit. "Being involved in the Nissan Delta Wing, which we took from ‘concept' to racing at Le Mans in the space of about 3 months, was an amazing experience. The car had half the weight & half the amount of drag of a standard race car. With that it also uses half the tyres & half the fuel, factors which are hugely influential in endurance racing." www.marinofranchitti.com Twitter @MFranchitti
Star Supporter: Mike Gatting OBE Mike Gatting OBE has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Mike Gatting OBE As well as county success, Mike experienced possibly the ultimate experience as England Captain when he led the side to an Ashes victory over Australia in 1986/87. It was thanks to a primary school geography teacher that a young Mike first got a taste of cricket. "She was from Sri Lanka and as cricket was one of her favourite games and one of her national sports she decided we should start playing. That was my first real experience of learning the game that would later become my career and passion." As a teenager, after trying out many sports, it boiled down to a straight choice between football and cricket. Cricket won out and Mike signed for Middlesex. "My Second XI debut for Middlesex didn't quite go as planned. It was a one-day match against Kent at Ealing Cricket Club in London. I walked into bat, a few folk had turned out to see this bright new young kid make his debut. Gatting - Caught, Nicholls Bowled, Shepherd 0 - Out First Ball!" Despite that early set back Mike's county career began to go from strength to strength and his memories of playing at Lord's included many a fine moment, none more so that the 1983 Benson & Hedges Cup Final "When it comes to memorable matches at the Home of Cricket, certainly my first one-day final in 1983 when I was Captain against Essex in the Benson & Hedges Cup. It was quite an incredible game of cricket . Clive Radley top scored for us with 89 not out , but otherwise we struggled and only ended up with a total of 196 from our 55 overs. In those days you had a break after twenty overs in each innings. Essex had scored over 100 and only had one wicket down in reply after by the break. We were getting trounced. But all of a sudden it all turned round and in a very tight finish we managed to win by four runs in my very first final! We really had no right to win that game, it really was just an incredible game and feeling."
Star Supporter: Dame Katherine Grainger Dame Katherine Grainger has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Rowing: Dame Katherine Grainger Katherine won the Olympic Gold at London 2012 alongside teammate Anna Watkins in the double sculls and is Britain's most successful female rower and the only female athlete - in any sport - to gain medals in four consecutive Olympic Games. Katherine took up rowing at Edinburgh University in 1993 and made such good progress she was awarded the Eva Bailey Trophy as their most outstanding female athlete in 1996 and again in 1997 when she won her first international Gold medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships. Katherine has shared memories of starting out in the sport: "When I went to Edinburgh University I was aware of a girl called Dot Blackie who had just graduated before I arrived and who had been the first female captain of the Edinburgh University Boat Club. She was a legend at the University and by then was part of the British Olympic rowing team. Having not just a role model but having one who had been in the same team, sat in the same boat, trained in the same gym as I was now doing meant I had a personal link to a genuine role model. That makes you believe that that level of success is possible." Recalling the final in 2012 "One of the most important things I knew coming into this race was that Anna (Watkins) and I had won every race for the previous three years, that we were fit and well, that this was the best chance of Olympic Gold we would ever get. We believed we could cope with any eventuality or we at least would know how to deal with it. The massive question we couldn't answer was, on the day of the Olympic final could we cope with ‘the moment'? The pressure had built and built and a nation expected. So many people had helped and supported us along the journey in the most wonderful of ways and we really wanted to deliver the result for everyone." Since winning her Olympic Gold Katherine has been honoured with a CBE, gained a PhD, been short-listed for the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award and had a post box in Aberdeen painted gold in her honour. She was elected to the British Olympic Association's Athlete Commission and a board member for International Inspiration (a London 2012 legacy charity). In April 2017 Katherine was appointed Chair of UK Sport For more information head across to: katherinegrainger.com
Star Supporter: Johnny Herbert Johnny Herbert has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Racing: Johnny Herbert Johnny, who is nowadays part of Sky TV's F1 Team, won 3 Formula 1 Grand Prix in the course of his career, including the British Grand Prix. Yet it is a fourth place finish that sticks in his mind when sharing magic memories. "We did okay in qualifying, I managed 12th place on the grid and out qualified my team mate Alessandro Nannini, which didn't go down too well with the Italian camp, Benetton being an Italian team! It was Flavio Briatore's first race and clearly he was expecting Alessandro to beat me, so it didn't exactly go to plan for the team, but I was happy of course. It did though give me my first insight into what was to come in being the second driver in a team managed by Flavio." www.johnnyherbert.orgFollow on Twitter @JohhnyHerbertF1
Star Supporter: Brian Johnson AC/DC Brian Johnson has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Music: Brian Johnson AC/DC By night, Brian sings in the biggest rock 'n' roll band on the planet. By day, AC/DC's charismatic, flat-capped Front man gets to indulge his passion for all things automotive. Car racer, car collector and all-round car enthusiast, Johnson is an incurable, certifiable Petrol Head who can't remember a time when four wheels didn't feature large in his life.Starting, as a young boy growing up in Tyneside, with an old steering wheel and his imagination, a lifelong passion took root. And through cramped teenage fumbles in an old Mini and clapped-out, hygienically challenged tour vans, to chauffeur-driven, leather-trimmed limos and a sideline as a successful racing driver, it's been there ever since. However.It wasn't cars that featured in Brian's early years growing up in Dunston. Brian and his Dad would head along to watch Gateshead FC play "We walked there from Dunston, we didn't have a car anyway. We walked through Dunston Park, down past the gas works, turned right up alongside the tributary that led into the Tyne from the mines, to the Gateshead stadium." Twitter @BrianJohnson www.brianjohnsonracing.com
Star Supporter: Chris Kamara Chris Kamara has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Chris Kamara We thought it was 'Unbelievable Jeff' when we heard the news that Chris Kamara was happy to record a memory in support of our original #ReplayLeeds project. Kammy came up with the goods for us with this fabulous memory of the final game of the 1989/90 season for Leeds. United were needing victory to take them back into the top division, however all was not going to plan as striker Bobby Davison was struggling with an injury. Chris Kamara - magical memories of Leeds United from Sporting Memories on Vimeo. Follow @chris_kammy and keep up to date with all news on the Sky Sports Presenter, Commentator, Analyst,
Sports Broadcasting Ambassador: Alexandra Legouix Alexandra Legouix is an Ambassador of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Broadcaster: Alexandra Legouix Alexandra is a professional TV presenter, vlogger and corporate host. Currently she is is the main face & pitlane reporter of Eurosport's live coverage of the World Touring Car Championship. This see's Alexandra tour the globe to 14 different countries, presenting to a reach of around 600 million viewers per show. She also presents the championship's YouTube series 'Through My Eyes' as well as their live studio show 'Over The Line'. At Silverstone Classic, Alexandra helped us out with a few interviews to capture drivers' and fans' greatest memories, including this one with WTCC World Champ Rob Huff.? She recently presented the live coverage of the Singapore GP interviewing all drivers and key names in F1. Alexandra additionally interviewed the drivers for the Formula One worldwide live TV coverage of the 'Drivers Parade' and in July Al presented the live covered of Silverstone Spectacular for BT Sport alongside Abbie Griffiths.Alexandra is often seen hosting many corporate events and festivals. Most notably she hosted the launch of the International Boat Show alongside Nicole Scherzinger; the London Boat Show alongside Hugh Bonneville; the Cake and Bake Show alongside Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood; Fast, Furious and Funny alongside Top Gear main man, Rory Reid; and the Fast, Car Festival with Tiff Needell. Follow on Twitter @Legouix alexandralegouix.com
Star Supporter: Jason Leonard OBE Jason Leonard OBE has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Rugby: Jason Leonard OBE The World Cup winner enjoyed success at club and international level in a career that saw him hold the record for most international caps. As an England player, Jason was on the winning side for four Grand Slams, the Lions tour to South Africa in 1997 and played a key role in England's World Cup victory in 2003. Recalling his early days Jason says "I played at Barking Rugby Club until I was 18 and then I trialled with Saracen's Under 21's for a while. I played a full season at Barking as an 18-19 year old and then went to Saracens after that and had two years at Saracens where we got promotion from Division Two to what would have been the original Premiership then, sort of like the First Division, and at the time I got picked up for the Under 21's for the first ever England Under 21's International in Romania and then I came back and played one season again at Saracens in the first team in the First Division and then got chosen to go on tour to Argentina with the England team." Memories of the World Cup "We thought we'd get to the Final, we thought we'd win the Final it's just that we made bloody hard work of it and we shouldn't have. We should have won the game in eighty minutes but lack of discipline let them back in the game and one thing you can always say about Australia is that they can play the game - they're very intelligent about how they play the game and when they play. So all the credit to them, they got back in the game and I was lucky enough to come on the field at extra time."
Star Supporter: Allan McNish Allan McNish has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Racing:Allan McNish Allan is one of the most respected and liked personalities in the dynamic and competitive world of motorsport and is rarely seen without a smile on his face, Allan has always been one of motorsport's most naturally engaging and entertaining characters, making him a favourite of media and fans alike. Off-track, this has led to media roles with BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports F1 and SPEED TV, where he has shared his sporting insight with millions of viewers and listeners. After family trips to watch racing at circuits such as Ingliston, Oulton Park and Croft and being inspired to get into motorsport through trips with his father, who was helping local driver David Leslie, a successful foray into Karting saw Allan rise through the ranks to win the Scottish and British Championships and then onto podiums internationally. A freezing cold Knockhill then beckoned for a first drive of a race car. "It was 1987 when we headed to Knockhill circuit. It had just been bought by the Butchers, who still own it to this day. Derek opened it up on a cold, dismal wet and freezing February day back in 1987 before went off for a walk with his dog, wrapped up with his wellies and deerstalker on whilst this young long haired yob from Dumfries had his first ever go in a racing car.. We had a year old Formula Ford. It was just unbelievably cold, freezing with ice on the track and having just come from International Karting, I just couldn't believe how little grip this car had. I didn't even complete one lap before I'd spun." Allan has shared memories of some great career highlights that have taken in racing with Ayrton Senna and of course, standing on the top step of the podium three times at Le Mans. Follow @AllanMcnish and for more info visit www.allanmcnish.com
Star Supporter: David Moorcroft OBE David Moorcroft OBE has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand David Moorcroft OBE A Commonwealth Gold Medal winner in 1978 in the 1,500 metres and in 1982 in the 5,000 metres, David also held the World Record for the 5000 metres, breaking the previous record by a whopping 5.79 seconds. His record stood for almost three years. "I discovered my love for running when I was about eleven years old. One of my earliest memories is of watching the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. I watched the likes of Mary Rand and Lynn Davies among others, but the one that stood out in particular was Anne Packer. She won the Women's 800 metres and came from miles behind to win the gold. I remember watching and thinking I'd love to do that. I think that was the moment I fell in love with the Olympics and fell in love with running." David went on to become Chief Executive of UK Athletics and remains involved in encouraging the development of grass roots sport and engaging volunteers in sports clubs across the UK. Follow David on Twitter @DMMoorcroft
Star Supporter: Johnny Mowlem Elite Motor Racing Champion Johnny Mowlem has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Racing: Johnny Mowlem Johnny's sports car career has seen him compete in the most iconic races at some of the World's finest circuits including Le Mans, Nurburgring, Laguna Seca, Daytona and Road America. Many fans will first recall his astounding season in the British Porsche Cup in 1997 when in winning the championship for a second time, he had a remarkable record of remaining undefeated throughout the season, finishing first in all seventeen rounds of the championship. In the same year Johnny won the Gregor Grant Award at the Autosport International Awards for "Outstanding Achievement in International Motorsport", previous and more recent winners of this particular put him illustrious company: including Dale Ernhardt Snr, Colin McRae, Alain Prost, Emerson Fittipaldi, Dario Franchitti, Dan Wheldon and Fernando Alonso Johnny then went on to forge a highly successful career in endurance racing, competing in the American Le Mans Series, enjoying podium finishes in GT, GT2 and LMP1 classes. Some of those victories were particularly close, in 2004 he was part of the closest ever GT2 finish in history at Daytona International Speedway circuit and in 2007 he became part of Sebring history as part of the Melo/Salo/Mowlem Ferrari team that won the GT division in an incredible final lap that became voted in the top 10 best ever moments of the American Le Mans Series' championship history. "The biggest single problem that ended up losing us the best part of a lap throughout the entire 12 hours, was a re-starting issue at the pit stops. Unfortunately for me, this problem first appeared in the race at the start of my first stint. You can imagine my horror when they drop the car and I'm turning the engine over but it won't fire! Here I was, the third driver, and the first thing that goes through your mind is that you're doing something wrong. I scanned all the switches first, fuel pumps, lambda, etc.,then I turned my attention to the ignition." His first time at Le Mans 24 hours in 2000 saw a podium in the GT class and he has been a regular competitor ever since. "The 24 hours of Le Mans is without doubt one of the most famous races in the world; attracting manufacturers and top privateer teams alike, so I always feel privileged to be a part of it. I've driven at Le Mans before in a Porsche and for Saleen, but there is something about the name; Ferrari, that grabs people's attention!" In 2013 Johnny capped a fine season by becoming the European GT Le Mans series champion Follow @JohnnyMowlem www.johnnymowlem.com
Star Supporter: Matt Neal Matt Neal has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Sports, British Touring Cars: Matt Neal We are delighted to have the support of British Touring Car Champion Matt Neal. Matt Neal is a three times BTCC champion, winning the title in 2005, 2006 and 2011. Matt made his debut on a BTCC grid in front of over 120,000 fans in 1991 at Silverstone when BTCC was part of the British Grand Prix race weekend. The circuit holds many memories for Matt "My Dad took me along to see the Big Cat Jaguars in the Tourist Trophy at Silverstone, that was in the days when it was still all ploughed fields in the centre of the circuit. We had a wander round the circuit and stood on the banking near Becketts to watch. We managed to drive onto the in-field, my Dad used to sneak us in with us hiding in the boot as we were still small enough to fit in back then! Andy Rouse was racing the Broadspeed Jag and Hans-Joachim Stuck along with Jochen Mass were in the Batmobile BMW's. Seeing those cars pretty much sold it to me. The Jags were incredibly fast, but also very fragile, they'd get into the lead and then always breakdown. But that day really got me hooked on Touring Car Racing" Follow on Twitter @MattNealRacingVisit www.mattneal.co.uk
Sports Broadcasting Supporter: Suzi Perry Suzi Perry has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Broadcaster: Suzi Perry Prior to landing the lead role in the BBCF1 team, Suzi was perhaps best known for her work in presenting two wheel racing, having been the presenter for BBC's coverage of MotoGP for thirteen years. This was combined with seventeen series as co-presenter of hi-tech The Gadget Show on Channel Five. Suzi's first break in TV came about through her passion for bikes. Having obtained her bkie licence, regular trips to watch racing at Mallory Park and Donington led to a determination and a plan to forge a career in the industry. "I made a tape; it would be around 1996/97 interviewing some of the riders at Donington including Niall McKenzie, Jamie Whittam and Phil McCallum. I got a lot of help and support from the guys and I still appreciate that to this day". "Brands Hatch, 1997 was a massive moment in my life. It was the first race I presented on TV. I was working for Sky Sports and it was a six hour-long live broadcast! It's fair to say it was a real sink or swim moment." Away from the race track, Suzi was brought up surrounded by the black and gold of her local football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Follow @SuziPerry and for latest news and blogs visit www.suziperry.com
Star Supporter: Jason Plato Jason Plato has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Motor Racing, British Touring Cars: Jason Plato Jason won the BTCC championships twice, in 2001 and 2010 and has finished in the top three in the championship nine times. Jason holds the record for the most overall race wins in the BTCC, the most podiums, most pole positions and the fastest laps at the time of writing. Having started out in Karting in 1980 at the age 12 he moved on to Formula Renault where he was the European Champion Formula Renault. Winning the Renault Spider Championships in 1996 proved to be a life changing victory, but not without a battle first! Jason was eventually offered a drive by Sir Frank Williams in 1997 in the Works Williams Renault BTCC Team, claiming pole position in his first three races. Included in the memories Jason shared with us is the full story behind how he secured that seat, which included a cunning plan to hi-jack Sir Frank "I woke up absolutely full of hell and thought - I'm not having this, I'm going to go and see Frank, what have I got to lose? -.So I put on a suit, picked up my empty briefcase (I've really no idea why I took it but I did!) and marched into the offices at Williams at 9am" Other notable accolades include six times BRDC Silver Star winner, two times Autosport National Racing Driver of the Year winner and the World's Best Touring Car Driver as voted by the fans of Touring Car times. Jason was a presenter on the motoring series Fifth Gear and he is a columnist for a number of national papers Twitter @JasonPlato
Star Supporter: Sir Steve Redgrave Sir Steve Redgrave has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Rowing: Sir Steve Redgrave Sir Steve has shared memories of his early sporting years and ambitions: "My first sporting hero was Mark Spitz winning seven gold medals at the Munich Olympics; I must have been 10 at the time. It was something that made a strong impression on me. We used to have a very long drive in those days and during the summer holidays it was my job to go down to the bottom of the drive to collect the milk and the paper. I can remember more of the headlines in the paper than actually seeing it live on TV. I remember one headline in particular which was 'Spitz for six' even though he went on to win a seventh gold medal. That was the headline I always remembered.......... Rowing is a sport that dips in and out of the Commonwealth Games; fortunately for me it dipped out after 1986 and therefore leaves me as reigning Commonwealth Champion in three different events. It was quite a marked turning point in my career in a number of ways. I always wanted to be a single sculler but every time I tried that boat internationally I didn't really get very good results. I had got into the four for Los Angeles in 1984 with only about two months to go to the Games and after winning the Gold medal I thought that would be a good spring-board....." Knighthood Steve was awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List in 1987 and the CBE in the New Year's Honours List of 1997 and following his success in Sydney was awarded a Knighthood in the 2001 New Years Honours List. The University of Durham also awarded him an Honorary Degree in December 1996. Visit www.steveredgrave.com
Star Supporter: Robbie Savage Robbie Savage has donated a memory in support of the Sporting Memories Foundation. Expand Football: Robbie Savage One of football's most colourful characters Robbie is famous for his no nonsense approach on the field and at the time of writing is the record holder of most Premier League yellow cards with 89. He is quickly becoming one of Britain's favourite media pundits off the pitch and won a Sony DAB Rising Star Award for his work on the BBC Radio 5 Live 6-0-6 programme. We spoke with Robbie at the Celebrity Karting event he competed in, which was held at the Autosport International Show at the NEC. The race was in honour of Dan Wheldon and raised funds for the Alzheimer's Society Robbie shared a fantastic memory in support of our work with older people with dementia, choosing the favourite moment of his career - "The stadium was packed that night with 72,500 fans. Italy had all their stars playing, Del Piero, Gattuso, Nesta & Buffon and the atmosphere was electric. Lining up before the game, the national anthem made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. We had the whole country behind us that night. We all played like dragons that night, beating them 2-1" Robbie's honest and forthright opinions can be read weekly in his Daily Mirror column as well as being heard in his regular appearances on both TV and Radio for the BBC. Robbie is an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society, raising the profile of dementia and championing the charity at events across the UKwww.robbiesavage8.com Follow Robbie on Twitter @RobbieSavage8