Joe Bugner was right about this country

Agree. Lazy, tired cliche.

 

It applies to football, thats about it

 

thats because we instill its the taking part that counts **** into the kids

 

It's an old cliche but it isn't lazy or tired -the British public like a winner of course but they also love a good plucky loser. This is separate from what proper fans of various sports think. How else do you explain the fact Greg Rusedski won BBC Sports Personality of the Year one year? And who was runner-up that year .... Tim Henman!! When you consider Andy Murray's struggles for acceptance despite having more talent than both put together, then there is still the love of the plucky Brit loser around.

But in a way that makes winning even more enjoyable as I don't think anybody would want to follow China's example in training an army of sporting robots from nursery age. It just happens we're in the midst of Olympic euphoria at the mo and we've suddenly got a whole rash of winners this year in events that have caught the wider public's imagination.

 

The fact he's only just getting out of his "dour Scottish git" phase probably has something to do with him not winning any personality based competitions.

Middle England loved Tim Henmen, they'd have loved him even more though if he'd have won Wimbledon. Theres a difference between prefering "nice" losers (which I don't think we do) and prefering winners but not totally dismissing the guys who don't quite make it.

 

.....and not that the BBC Sport Personality is a decent barometer of sports success but I'll bet my life a "winner" wins it this year and probably no "losers" in the first 3 positions.

 

In fairness he still has a dour demeanour. I couldn't give a toss whether he's grinning all the time or looks miserable as sin. He's just a class performer at his sport. As for the wider public, they only started to like him cos he had a cry in defeat at Wimbledon.

 

Well the likes of those who voted for Zara Phillips have got plenty of winners that have been in the news a lot to choose from this year. Like you say it isn't about sports success. Think that's what Bugner was on about. Not that I have much time for him, but he did have a point in that winning isn't as criticial in this country as it is in others in terms of gaining wider popularity.

 

I agree with that last sentence HOF, its just when people say we PREFER losers that I think they are just repeating a cliche.

 

Yeah this summer has shown that everybody prefers a winner, as has always been the case.

 

Not sure about that. Maybe not Bruno popular but then he never reached out to non-boxing fans in the same way.

 

Nah bollox i hate them three. Can't stand seeing them have success...

 

Even a stopped clock shows the right time twice a day.

 

Thats why we loved Bugner so much, he was a good loser

 

he never had any character like bruno. our frank was a great character who would of been a star in any country