1970s Sports and Leisure

Sporting Highlights

Obviously, this can't include every sporting event, so I've tried to give a flavour of the ones which seemed to dominate the media - at least in my house, especially on a Saturday!
You couldn’t get away from the all-day, incessant round-up of wrestling and the pools results in “World of Sport” and “Grandstand.” But see how these names take you back!

1970
Wimbledon singles winners were John Newcombe (AUS) and Margaret Court (AUS).
Nijinsky II won the Triple Crown of British Thoroughbred Racing.
14 June, FIFA World cup: After defeat in 1966 championship, West Germany take revenge on England, putting them out in quarter finals. Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in Final.
Henry Cooper (Boxer) won his second BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, beating Tony Jacklin (Golfer).
Commonwealth games – won by Australia with 36 gold, 82 overall. GB 2nd with 27 gold, 84 overall.
World Snooker champion was Ray Reardon (WAL)

1971
Wimbledon singles winners were John Newcombe (AUS) and Evonne Goolagong (AUS).
Princess Anne (Eventing) was voted Sports Personality of the Year, beating George Best (Footballer).
British and Irish Lions defeat All Blacks for the first time in a series.
World Snooker champion was John Spencer (ENG).

1972
Wimbledon singles winners were Stan Smith (USA) and Billie Jean King (USA).
The Great Britain rugby league team won the World Cup, led by the late Clive Sullivan the first black player to captain a British team at any sport.
Olympic games – Munich: Soviet Union top in medals table with 49 Gold, 125 overall GB 12th in medals table with 4 Gold, 18 overall
Among the 1972 Summer Olympic highlights was the performance of swimmer Mark Spitz, who set 7 World Records to win a record 7 gold medals in one Olympics, bringing his total to nine. Other notable athletes at the 1972 games were 16-year-old Olga Korbut, whose success in women's gymnastics earned 3 gold medals for the Soviet Union, and British athlete Mary Peters, who took home the gold in the women's pentathlon, going on to be the Sports Personality of the Year beating Gordon Banks (Footballer).
During the games, Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes and took nine hostages. After a failed rescue attempt, all hostages and all but three of terrorists were killed.
Winter Olympic games Sapporo, Japan – Soviet Union top medals table with 8 gold, 16 overall.
World Snooker champion was Alex Higgins (NIR).

1973
Wimbledon singles winners were Jan Kodes (CZE) and Billie Jean King (USA).
"Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Jackie Stewart (F1 driver) was voted Sports Personality of the Year, beating Roger Taylor (Tennis).
World Snooker champion was Ray Reardon (WAL).
Ajax (NL) win third consecutive European Cup.

1974
Wimbledon singles winners were Stan Smith (USA) and Chris Evert (USA).
Gerd "der Bomber" Müller scored his 14th World Cup goal, a then record, as West Germany won the FIFA World Cup, beating Netherlands 2-1.
Commonwealth games – GB were 2nd in medals table with 28 gold, 80 overall, just 2 behind winners Australia.
The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match; Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's career home run record.
Brendan Foster (Athletics) was voted Sports Personality of the Year, beating John Conteh (Boxer).
World Snooker champion was Ray Reardon (WAL).

1975
Wimbledon singles winners were Arthur Ashe (USA) and Billie Jean King (USA).
First Cricket World Cup organised in England – West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs.
Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier in the Thrilla In Manila. Pele came out of retirement to play for the New York Cosmos and brought U.S. Soccer into American mainstream.
David Steele (Cricketer) was voted Sports Personality of the Year, beating Alan Pascoe (Athletics).
World Snooker champion was Ray Reardon (WAL).

1976

Wimbledon singles winners were Bjorn Borg (SWE) and Chris Evert (USA).
Olympic games – Montreal Soviet Union top in medals table with 50 Gold, 99 overall. GB 13th in medals table with 3 gold, 12 overall. Highlights included the legendary performance of 14-year-old Romanian female gymnast Nadia Comăneci, who scored 7 perfect 10s and won 3 gold medals, including the prestigious All Around in women's gymnastics. Also featured the strong U.S. boxing team, which consisted of Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Leo Randolph and Howard Davis Jr. The team won five gold medals and was arguably the greatest Olympic boxing team ever. Lorna Johnstone became the oldest British athlete to ever compete in the Games when she made the equestrian team, aged 69, and HRH The Princess Royal became the first member of the Royal Family to compete at an Olympics when she rode the Queen’s horse, Goodwill, in the three-day event.
Winter Olympic games – Innsbruck, Austria. Soviet Union top in medals table with 13 Gold, 27 overall. GB 12th with 1 gold, 1 overall.
John Curry wins Gold in figure skating to become European, Olympic and World champion and Sports Personality of the Year, beating James Hunt (F1 driver).
World Snooker champion was Ray Reardon (WAL).
Bayern Munich (GER) win third consecutive European Cup.

1977
Wimbledon singles winners were Bjorn Borg (SWE) and Virginia Wade (GBR).
After a long wait for an English Wimbledon champion, this was most fitting in the Queen's Silver Jubilee year, and Virginia Wade was voted Sports Personality of the Year, beating Geoffrey Boycott (Cricketer).
Pelé plays the last game of his professional career in a friendly between the New York Cosmos and Santos FC.
Red Rum wins third Grand National.
World Snooker champion was John Spencer (ENG)

1978
Wimbledon singles winners were Bjorn Borg (SWE) and Martina Navratilova (USA).
Many controversies surround “The Dirtiest World Cup of All Time” in Argentina, Johan Cruyff pulled out for personal reasons. In the final, Argentina beat Netherlands 3 – 1 after extra time.
First Ironman Triathlon. Affirmed becomes the 11th thoroughbred to win the U.S. Triple Crown.
Commonwealth games – won by Canada with 45 gold, 109 overall. GB 2nd with 27 gold, 87 overall
Steve Ovett, unbeaten over 1500m since 1977, was the Sports Personality of the Year, beating Daley Thompson (Athletics).
World Snooker champion was Ray Reardon (WAL) and World Darts Champion was Leighton Rees (WAL).
Liverpool (GBR) win second consecutive European Cup.

1979
Wimbledon singles winners were Bjorn Borg (SWE) and Martina Navratilova (USA).
Second Cricket World Cup – West Indies beat England by 92 runs.
Sugar Ray Leonard wins his first world boxing title.
Sebastian Coe, an 800m specialist, broke three world records in 1979 and was voted Sports Personality of the Year, beating Ian Botham (Cricketer).
World Snooker champion was Terry Griffiths (WAL) and World Darts Champion was John Lowe (GBR).
Nottingham Forrest (GBR) win European Cup.

Leisure

So what, you may ask, did the women do while their menfolk were down the city every Saturday, or glued to the TV for hours (days) on end? There didn’t seem to be much concept of the “girls night out” back then, so some bright spark invented party selling.A simple concept, it saw groups of (female) family members, friends and neighbours gathering in someone’s home, often with teas and coffees or alcohol on hand, to enjoy a drink, a bite to eat and a few hours of conversation. More than buying and selling the kitchen containers, it was a chance for women to get together with friends and neighbours to catch up on family life, and enjoy some time away from the daily grind.
I believe Tupperware parties were the first - held in 1949 by a single mom in Detroit. They’d certainly hit UK by the mid 70s, and it went on to spawn other sales: pottery, makeup and eventually in the early 80s Ann Summers products.

1975 Top Thirteen

Some real big hitters this year, with Queen and 10CC, but the Glam Rockers are defo giving way and the epic Jive Talkin' foreshadows the Bee Gees chart takeover a couple of years down the line.

1) Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - 11-1975
2) Helen Reddy - Angie Baby - 02-1975
3) 10CC - I'm Not In Love - 06-1975
4) Minnie Riperton - Loving You - 04-1975
5) Slade - How Does it Feel? - 02-1975
6) Billy Swan - I Can Help - 01-1975
7) The Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces - 03-1975
8) The Bee Gees - Jive Talkin' - 06-1975
9) Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye - 01-1975
10) Supertramp - Dreamer - 03-1975
11) Leo Sayer - Moonlighting - 09-1975
12) The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her/Oh Girl - 07-1975
13) Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) - 02-1975


And, as ever, the ones bubbling under - still the odd nevelty song creeping up on my blind side.
David Bowie - Space Oddity - 10-1975
The Eagles –Lyin’ Eyes – 06-1975
Pilot - January - 02-1975
Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas - 12-1975
Slade - In For A Penny - 12 -1975
The Four Seasons - Who Loves You? - 10-1975
Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing - 11-1975
Andy Fairweather-Low - Wide Eyed And Legless - 12-1975
Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug - 11-1975
David Essex - Hold Me Close - 09-1975
Stevie Wonder - Boogie On Reggae Woman - 02-1975
John Lennon - Imagine - 11-1975
Linda Lewis - It's In His Kiss - 08-1975
The Stylistics - Can't Give You Anything (But My Love) - 08-1975
Shirley & Company - Shame, Shame, Shame - 02-1975
Peter Wingfield - Eighteen With A Bullet - 07-1975
Moments & Whatnauts - Girls - 03-1975
The Bay City Rollers - Bye Bye Baby - 03-1975
Peter Shelley - Love Me Love My Dog - 04-1975
Typically Tropical - Barbados - 07-1975

70s Sweethearts - Linda's Lament

You have 11 days left to pick up the third Calamity Chicks book - Linda's Lament at the pre-order price of £2.22/$2.99.

Here's the skinny:

Almost Famous meets 10 Things I Hate About You with elements of  Queen's Gambit.
How many twelve-year-old girls have toured the UK and Europe with a rock band? Lin thinks she’s pretty unique, but it comes at a cost. Firstly, as accidental witness to the antics of groupies, and secondly when she draws the attention of the band’s creepy manager. She’s pretty sure his daughter never gave those kind of squeezy hugs when she was alive, but if Lin tells anyone, her dad could lose his job.

Her mother’s outrage at an innocent childhood crush results in her incarceration in a super-strict convent school whose first priority is not teaching maths or English, but discipline. When she finally gets to the grammar school, she’s missed her chance with the only person who’s never made her feel fat, ugly or a nuisance, because he now has a lovely girlfriend.

At sixteen, after gruelling exams, the family holidays in Spain, where she meets a local lad with amore on his mind. Carlos is everything she isn’t – slim, beautiful and completely comfortable in his skin – and for some inexplicable reason, he seems to like her. She’s already missed out on one romance because of her unworthiness – should she go against her instincts and succumb to his expert seduction?

This cheeky piece of British nostalgia features plucky girls escaping from hairy situations, several handsome hunks, a whole lot of rock bands, and a couple of nasty villains. Feel free to boo and hiss.

1970s Hair and Makeup

Who can forget the bright blue eyeshadow that went all the way up to the eyebrows, bronze blusher and red lips in the early 70s? Eventually, common sense set in and it got more subtle as they lulled in au-naturel styles before the thick black OTT punk styles at the end of the decade.

Early-mid 70s What were we thinking?

As for hair - a bit of a cop-out, because I need to focus on Linda's last few chapters, so I'll let these awesome pix tell the story. I've included late 60s and early 80s, because they had so many iconic pix.

As soon as I can find it, I'll credit the awesome website who did all the work for me this week!