Sport in Great Britain. The list of sports invented by the British is a long one

Sport in Great Britain

The list of sports invented by the British is a long one. Many sports which nowadays are played all over the world grew up to their present day form in Great Britain. Perhaps, football is the best example but among the others are horse-racing, golf, lawn tennis, rowing. So would non-sport loving nation create such a variety of sports? The answer is no.

In fact, the so-called sport #1 in the world is the most popular sport in Britain as well.

Since ancient times there were a lot of competitions between the neighboring villages in football. The villages became the cities but the tradition hasn’t been lost. A derby is a great occasion for plenty of spectators because none of teams wants to back down.

Tense atmosphere is retained for the whole match which is appreciated by fans.

In most cases the rivalries take place between two neighboring teams. So merciside derby between Everton and Liverpool and derby of Manchester between City and United are the most exciting matches and they are usually considered as the most important in the season by players.

It is said that particularly the British invented football as we know it. So the premier league it the most competitive and gripping competition all over the world. Every footballer dreams about performing among high-classed opponents.

The British clubs are supported more than anybody else because the British stadiums have the largest capacity and their fans are the most dedicated ones. So the Premier League is the best football competition in the world with no doubt. 

But the closest relative of football – rugby challenges the former. Rugby is played on a pitch 100 to 70 m. the number of players can be varied from 7 to 15 and the objective of rugby is to score points by touching the ball down the special zones or kicking it over the punch line.

Cricket is the sport they really crazy about. This game may last up to 5 days and still end in a draw but anyway the British like it. There is even a special telephone number where you can find out the latest score of international matches.

The most noble of all the British sports is golf. The game requires the most trained skills and special abilities. It has been played for over 400 years.

The oldest of all the tennis tournaments – Wimbledon – is the most prestigious from all the Grand Slam trophies. It’s the only one significant tournament played on grass and its common feature is the spectators eating strawberries and cream.

The classic boat race between Oxford and Cambridge teams takes place every year on the river Thames. It covers the distance of 4 miles 374 yards.

Nowadays individual sports became more popular while team games tend to draw fewer spectators. For instance, motor-racing more than doubled its popularity, golf became a major spectator sport.

Television has had enormous influence on sport during several last years. (p 184)