100 GREATEST SPORTING MOMENTS

24. Gareth Edwards's Baa Baas try against the All Blacks
27th January 1973 - Cardiff Arms Park
Probably the greatest try ever scored - 25 seconds of instinctive, flowing rugby

25. Giant-killers Sunderland beat Leeds in the FA Cup Final
5th May 1973 - Wembley Stadium
Cue manager Bob Stokoe galloping onto pitch in a tight red tracksuit trousers, flasher's mac and trilby

26. Denis Law's backheel relegates Man United
27th April 1974 - Old Trafford
Instinctive backheel by less than chuffed United legend now playing for Manchester City consigns his United ex-team-mates to the Second Division

27. The Rumble In The Jungle - Ali v Foreman
30th October 1974, Kinshasha, Zaire
Ali lays back on the ropes until the awesome Foreman punches himself out - and then pounces to regain the World Heavyweight Championship that was stripped from him when he refused the Vietnam draft

28. Arthur Ashe wins Wimbledon
5th July 1975 - Centre Court, Wimbledon
Rank outsider Ashe devised a plan to defuse Connors' power - by taking all the pace off the ball and giving Connors nothing to hit back. By the time Jimbo knew what was happening he was two sets down and on the way to an unexpected defeat

29. Comaneci's Perfect 10
July 1976 - Montreal
You wait 80 years for a perfect score in Olympic gymnastics and then five come along at once, thanks to the 14 year old Romanian

30. John Curry wins Olympic figure skating Gold
11th February 1976 - Innsbruck
…..And introduces the Lutz, Salchow and Axel into pub conversation

31. Red Rum's third Grand National win
2nd April 1977 - Aintree
After two second places, the romantic result that everyone wanted to happen actually came true

32. Liverpool win the European Cup for the first time
25th May 1977 - Rome
Bob Paisley's team finishes the job Shankly had started, with a crucial goal coming from the head of Anfield-born and bred hard nut Tommy Smith

33. The Tartan Army take over Wembley
4th June 1977 - Wembley Stadium
…..And sit on the crossbar until it breaks

34. Virginia Wade wins Wimbledon
1st July 1977 - Centre Court, Wimbledon
A British tennis triumph in Jubilee year (although the Queen herself is said to have been seen leafing through Horse and Hound magazine at match point)

35. Cambridge sink in the boat race
25th March 1978 - River Thames, London
The reason why people watch the boat race - to see posh people sink

36. Archie Gemmill's brilliant goal for Scotland against Holland
11th June 1978 - Mendoza
For a moment after Gemmill's breath-taking goal it looked as if Ally McLeod's Scotland were in with a chance of making the second stage of a major tournament…. for a moment it did anyway

37. Arsenal 3 Man Utd 2
12th May 1979- Wembley Stadium
The cup final with a twist in the tail. United pull back two goals but with seconds to go, the exhausted Arsenal team find the extra reserves of energy to score the winner

38. Villeneuve And Arnoux's wheel to wheel battle in the French Grand Prix
1st July 1979 - Dijon-Prenois, France
Epic wheel to wheel, brake-crunching, tyre-sliding dogfight where Villeneuve's stubborn belief that his slower Ferrari could beat Arnoux's faster Renault was rewarded in the most exciting race for second place in the history of motor sport

39. Borg and McEnroe's epic tie-break
5th July 1980 - Centre Court, Wimbledon
Set point followed match point as the tide ebbed and flowed between Iceborg and Mac the Mouth. McEnroe emerged as winner of the 4th set tie-break battle, although 14 games later it was Borg who was to win the war

40. Duncan Goodhew wins Olympic Gold
July 1980 - Moscow
…..and becomes the first swimmer to cross over into Blankety Blank territory

41. Rivals Coe v Ovett in Moscow
July 26th & August 1st 1980 - Moscow
Hague's judo partner Coe and bad boy Ovett rub each other up the wrong way and win each other's preferred distances

42. Aldaniti and Bob Champion win the Grand National
4th April 1981 - Aintree
Jockey Bob Champion overcomes cancer to win on the previously crippled Aldaniti

43. Ricky Villa's FA Cup Final goal
14th May 1981 - Wembley Stadium
Bearded Argentinian star twists the Man City defence to breaking point to chalk up the best Cup Final goal ever

44. 1981 Ian Botham's Headingley heroics
20th July 1981 - Headlingley, Leeds
He'd resigned as captain, was seemingly about to be dropped from the team completely and the Ashes were all but lost when Botham stepped up to the crease to make history…..

45. Alex Higgins wins his second world championship and cries
16th May 1982 - Crucible Theatre Sheffield
The Peoples' Champion sheds tears and calls for his baby daughter after turning his game round to become World Champion for a second time

46. Torvill and Dean's Bolero
12th February 1984 - Sarajevo
The perfect routine gets a perfect score for Artistic Interpretation

47. 1984 John Barnes' dribble and goal against Brazil
10th June 1984 - Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro
20 year old Barnes bamboozles Brazil to score the Brazilian-style goal that was to become a millstone round his neck for the rest of his International career

48. Zola Budd trips up Mary Decker
11th August 1984 - Los Angeles
Tears and accusations on the track as the bare-foot Budd is booed by the partisan US crowd while their heroine Decker lies trackside bawling like a baby

49. Carl Lewis wins 4 gold medals in one Olympics
August 1984 - Los Angeles
Clean-cut American hero Lewis emulates the feat of his boyhood hero Jesse Owens

50. Daley Thompson retains Decathlon gold
8th & 9th August 1984 - Los Angeles
…Then whistles the national anthem on the medal-winners' podium wearing a T-shirt saying "Is the world's second greatest athlete gay?"