Sporting Witness

In the late 1970s and early 80s, Sweden’s Bjorn Borg was the biggest star in world tennis and arguably the sport’s first sex symbol. Always besieged by young female fans, Borg won five Wimbledon championships in a row and enjoyed a famous rivalry with John McEnroe, which culminated in an epic tie-break in the 1980 final. But Bjorn Borg would then shock the world of sport by retiring in 1983 at the age of just 26. Simon Watts brings together Borg’s Wimbledon memories, as recorded in the BBC archive.

PHOTO: Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon in the 1970s (BBC)

In July 2000, France became only the second team to hold the World Cup and European Championship titles at the same time. Already the reigning World Champions, a French side featuring all-time greats such as Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps struggled to break down their Italian opponents. But everything changed in the final moments of a dramatic final, as midfielder Robert Pires tells Steve Hankey. The programme is a Whistledown Production.

In June 1976, Czechoslovakia won the men’s European football championship with probably the most famous penalty kick in history. During a penalty shootout against West Germany, midfielder Antonín Panenka waited for the goalkeeper to dive and then casually chipped the ball down the middle of the goal. The technique is now known as a “Panenka” and has been copied by everyone from Zinedine Zidane to Leo Messi. Antonín Panenka talks to Ian Williams.

In June 1996, an England team led by Paul Gascoigne went on an impressive run as hosts of the European championships – with the terrace anthem “Football’s Coming Home” becoming the soundtrack for a summer of national euphoria. But the tournament would end in English tears when future national manager Gareth Southgate missed the decisive penalty in an agonising semi-final shoot-out against Germany. Alex Capstick talks to England midfielder Darren Anderton about how the country embraced a team previously best known for its boozy off-field antics.

PHOTO: Paul Gascoigne celebrating a famous goal against Scotland (Neil Munns/PA)

In June 1988, Holland finally won a major international football tournament when they defeated the Soviet Union in the final of the 1988 European Championship. The Dutch sealed victory with an almost-impossible volley by striker Marco Van Basten. Matthew Kenyon talks to Arnold Muhren, the veteran midfielder who set up one of the greatest goals in football history.

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In June 1992, Denmark’s top footballers were relaxing on the beach when they received an urgent call to take part in the Euro 92 tournament. The Danes had failed to qualify for the championship, but were now needed as replacements for Yugoslavia, a country that no longer existed because it had descended into civil war. In a surprise to everyone, including themselves, Denmark then went on to win the tournament, defeating Holland and West Germany on the way. Will Yates talks to midfielder John Jensen, who scored one of the Danish goals in the final. The programme is a Whistledown Production, first broadcast in 2016.

(Photo: The Danish team celebrate. Credit: Getty Images)

In 1992, badminton legend Susi Susanti won the first ever Olympic Gold medal for Indonesia. It was the first time that badminton had been included as an Olympic sport in the games, giving them a special significance for Susi's badminton-obsessed home country. For Susi, it was also a moment when she could show her national pride as an Indonesian who hailed from the nation's ethnic Chinese minority. She talks to Jill Achineku. The programme is a Whistledown Production.

PHOTO: Susi Susanti in action (AFP/Getty Images)

In March 2011, Anthony Robles won a national college wrestling title in the United States despite being born with only one leg. Relying on upper-body strength and a unique sense of balance, Robles went undefeated throughout the entire season and was voted the outstanding wrestler of the NCAA finals. He also holds the world record for the most pull-ups in one minute. Anthony Robles talks to Ian Williams.

PHOTO: Anthony Robles in action at the 2011 finals (Getty Images)

In the early 1980s, Aberdeen went from Scottish footballing obscurity to the very top of the European game, beating mighty Real Madrid to win the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup. The sporting fairy-tale made the reputation of Sir Alex Ferguson, before he went on to manage Manchester United. Alex Capstick spoke to former Aberdeen assistant manager Archie Knox and former midfielder Neale Cooper. Neale Cooper died in 2018.

PHOTO: Alex Ferguson and Archie Knox with the European Cup Winner's Cup (Courtesy Aberdeen F.C.)

In the 1980s, the Spanish hurdler Maria-Jose Patiño was forced to quit athletics after a sex test revealed she had male chromosomes due to a rare genetic condition called Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. Often facing hostile press coverage, Patiño fought a two-year battle to change the international rules – successfully proving that her chromosome pattern did not improve her athletic performance and that her body was the same as any other woman’s. Patiño was allowed to compete again in female athletics and her case is now seen as a milestone in the continuing controversy over genetic variation in sport. Maria-Jose Patiño talks to Jo Casserly.

PHOTO: Maria-Jose Patiño in the 1980s (Personal Collection)