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Leicester has a population of 329,839, and around 250,000 of them turned out to salute their football team defying the 5000-1 pre-season odds to win the English Premier League for the first time in 132 years.
That’s exactly what John Bertram did when he skippered 12-metre yacht Australia II to victory over Liberty to end 132 years of USA domination of the America’s Cup.
Two simply magnificent sporting achievements.
The finite details of both must be recorded in the one column on The Roar for posterity.
First up, the America’s Cup triumph was a combination of Alan Bond’s money, marine architect Ben Lexcen’s revolutionary vision of a winged keel, and Bertram’s outstanding leadership.
Rob Mundle, rightfully recognised as an authority of yachting and sailing, said pre-tournament “Trying to win the America’s Cup is like trying to climb Mt Everest backwards in a pair of thongs.”
To put the 132 years in perspective, the America’s Cup was first contested before the first cricket Test, in 1877, and before the first of the modern Olympic Games, in 1896.
That crack Australian team was down 3-1 in 1983 and on the brink of defeat to Dennis Conner’s Liberty in the best of seven, but won three straight to create history.
The results
1 – September 14 – Liberty by one minute ten seconds
2 – September 15 – Liberty by one minute 33.
3 – September 18 – Australia 11 by three minutes 14.
4 – September 20 – Liberty by 43 seconds.
5 – September 21 – Australia 11 by one minute 47.
6 – September 22 – Australia 11 by three minutes 25.
7 – September 26 – Australia 11 by 41 seconds.
Two quotes from the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke were right on the money on the big day, wearing by far the worst sports jacket ever made.
“Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum”, and “America is the leading technological nation in the world and this was one of the things I loved here was little Australia popping up with Ben Lexcen’s new technology and knocking the buggers off.”
There’s only one Bob Hawke.
One of my great sporting regrets – I was in London that wonderful day, and missed all the celebrations. But yesterday I watched the motorcade through the streets of Leicester, with the massive throngs in tow – a great sight.
But not as great as the Leicester feats on the field.
In their 38 EPL matches they lost just three – 2-1 and 5-2 to Arsenal, and 1-0 to Liverpool – a phenomenal record from a side that went within a whisker of being demoted the previous season.
The Foxes won 23 and had 12 draws, finishing ten points clear of second-placed Arsenal – 81 to 71.
Comprehensive.
The historic season, (Leicester first score)
Arsenal – 1-2 and 2-5 – 3-7
Tottenham – 1-0 and 1-1 – 2-1.
Man City – 3-1 and 0-0 – 3-1
Southampton – 1-0 and 2-2 – 3-2.
Man United – 1-1 and 1-1 – 2-2.
West Ham- 2-2 and 2-1 – 4-3,
Liverpool – 2-0 and 0-1 – 2-1.
Stoke – 3-0 and 2-2 – 5-2.
Chelsea – 1-1 and 2-1 – 3-2.
Everton – 3-1 and 3-2 – 6-3.
Swansea – 4-0 and 3-0 – 7-0.
Watford – 1-0 and 2-1 – 3-1.
West Brom – 2-2 and 3-2 – 5-4.
Crystal Palace – 1-0 and 1-0 – 2-0.
Bournemouth – 0-0 and 1-1 – 1-1.
Sunderland – 2-0 and 4-2 – 6-2.
Newcastle – 1-0 and 3-0 – 4-0.
Norwich – 1-0 and 2-1 – 3-1.
Aston Villa – 1-1 and 3-2 – 4-3.
That tallies up to 68 goals for, and 36 against, bettered only by third-placed Tottenham’s 69-35.
The season rightfully belonged to Leicester.