Back in the mid ’70s, footballers were only earning as much as the average coal miner. For those of you too young to know what a coal miner is, don’t vote for the bloody Tories because they’re the reason you don’t know what a coal miner is. Anyhow, the mid to late ’70swere a grim time in the UK, but thankfully the sporting talent of the time pitched in with some quality entertainment to make life more worth while. The late David Vine, legendary sports commentator and ‘Question of sport’ host, is quoted as saying that, ‘in 1975, Ron Pickering, myself, Don Revie, Billy Bremner and TV producer Barney Colehan sat in a hotel in Leeds and formulated Superstars but the BBC dismissed the idea. Then Dick Button started it in the states and the BBC bought the rights.’ Vine did go on to become the presenter of the program he’d come up with and it went on to become a legendary show.
One of the most famous competitors was Brian Jacks, a former Olympic judo medalist and the only celebrity autograph I own. Jacks was known for his record setting performances in the gym competition. He still holds the world record for dips and also for squat thrusts. One of the most famous moments in the British series was when Kevin Keegan injured himself by falling off his bike during the cycling event. Keegan being Keegan, he insisted on re-racing and managed to secure second place in the event, before going on to win that edition of the program. Here is that incident:
