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Weighing the Odds in Sports Betting
by King YaoWeighing the Odds in Sports Betting explains how to beat such sports bets as season wins, parlay cards, first halves, totals, and March Madness pools.
Weight Training (Idiot's Guides)
by Abby FoxTake the guesswork out of weight training, and follow this step-by-step guide for getting strong!Whether at home or at the gym, all you need to get started are a few dumbbells! Anything more is just a bonus. Perfect for the beginner who wants to stay active and get strong, this easy-to-use guide uses step-by-step color photographs to demonstrate over 100 exercises. Starter exercises use bodyweight only, but you'll learn how to effectively add resistance to make real strength gains. A thorough Q&A answers all your questions to get you started on the right foot. With smart training workouts and an index of exercises by muscle group, you'll be training like a professional with confidence. Put together your own workouts based on time available and personal goals, or follow the routines in the book.The Idiot's Guide to Weight Training offers a program for getting strong that is striaghtforward and easy to learn! With a crystal clear understanding of the exercises, you'll be flexin' those muscles in no time.They're nothing fancy, but these exercises work. Learn to target:-Legs with exercises such as bodyweight squats, dumbell lunges, and barbell front squats-Chest with exercises such as inclined push-ups, dumbbell chest flys, and barbell chest presses-Back with exercises such as dumbbell pullovers and inverted rows-Shoulders with exercises such as dumbbell raises and flys, barbell shoulder presses, and Arnold presses-Arms with exercises such as dumbbell hammer curls, bench dips, and barbell skull crushers-Abs with exercises such as bicycle crunches, mountain climbers, and V-upsA bonus section even guides you through how to use any additional equipment you might have access to, like medicine balls, balance trainers, kettlebells, and suspension bands.
Weight Training for Cyclists: A Total Body Program for Power & Endurance
by Eric Schmitz Ken DoyleIn addition to the powerful quads and chiseled calves they're known for, cyclists need strong core muscles and solid upper-body strength to use their power efficiently. Weight Training for Cyclists is the only book available that shows cyclists how they can get stronger to ride stronger. This revised second edition presents new information on core strength, nutrition, stretching and warm-up. Now comprehensively illustrated with easy-to-follow drawings, the authors explain in clear terms how strength training in the weight room translates to endurance and power on the bike. With the latest research on strength building buttressed by the most recent and effective equipment innovations, Weight Training for Cyclists presents a series of training plans that require only a fraction of the time that cyclists spend in the saddle. For newcomers and veterans alike, Weight Training for Cyclists will become their fundamental guide to better performance.
Weight Training For Dummies
by Lareine ChabutTone up, burn calories, stay strongWeight Training For Dummies makes it easy to get started with weight training by offering trusted and straightforward guidance on the latest circuit and resistance training, and all-new information on the highly popular bodyweight and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Whether you're working with dumbbells, free weight sets, or machines, you'll find out how to combine weight training with other exercise to properly strength train and get in the best shape of your life.Along with aerobic exercise and flexibility, body weight training is an integral part of a complete physical activity program. But with all the different equipment and techniques available, getting started can feel overwhelming. Want to get pumped about weight training? Consider these facts: strength training, whether via free weights or a machine, builds muscle. And the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism and the less prone you are to injuries--in and out of the gym. Plus, strength training promotes bone strength, which can significantly reduce your odds of developing osteoporosis. If that's not enough, strength training--unlike cardio workouts like running--reaps benefits almost immediately. So what are you waiting for? Weight Training For Dummies has everything you need to get started.Provides examples and directions for powerful 20-minute weight training routines for the time challengedFeatures advice to help you choose a weight training system that you enjoy and that fits into your lifestyleIncludes new coverage devoted to warm-ups and the hottest and most beneficial stretchesIntroduces using weight training to address specific health or orthopedic conditionsWhether you're already in the gym several times a week or are just starting out with a fitness routine, Weight Training For Dummies shows you how to use free weights or weight machines to get results--fast.
Weight Training For Dummies
by Georgia Rickard Liz Neporent Suzanne SchlosbergFeel strong, toned and terrific with the latest moves in strength training Whether you're a beginner who doesn't know a barbell from a chocolate bar, a fitness junkie looking to expand your knowledge on weight training, or you're recovering from an injury and need to rebuild strength, this book is for you. Find out how to use exercise machines and weights at the gym and design a workout to do at home. Know your way around a gym — learn all the weight lifting lingo, equipment and etiquette Help control your weight — raise your basal metabolism and burn fat, not muscle, while eating right Keep your bones healthy — maintain bone density and reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis Track your progress — use a daily workout log to track your journey from soft to strong Stay motivated — try a blend of machines, free weights, balls, bands and classes to keep your workout interesting Improve your heart health — work your heart and lungs with aerobic exercise to complement your strength training Exercise safely — follow step-by-step instructions on how to train without hurting yourself Mix up your weight training — improve your balance and coordination with yoga and Pilates moves Open the book and find: More than 150 weight training exercises with photos The latest in equipment, including free weights and machines The best moves for working your core Information on toning and strengthening without bulking up How to find a fitness trainer The latest exercise DVDs to hire, buy or download The lowdown on exercise deals and duds Current data on nutritional supplements Learn to: Customise a safe and effective exercise program to suit your lifestyle Use free weights, kettlebells andmore to target specific areas Complement your workout withPilates and yoga Balance your diet to fuel your workout
Weight Training for Life
by James L. HessonCengage Learning Activity Series From aerobics and yoga - to bowling, tennis, weight training, and more - Cengage Learning offers a complete line of activities texts to meet your teaching needs. Written for individuals of all skill levels and backgrounds, the Cengage Learning Activity Series goes beyond the mere fundamentals, showing students how to improve, excel, and simply get more enjoyment from their favorite physical activities. Practical, visual, and clear, the best-selling WEIGHT TRAINING FOR LIFE, Tenth Edition, prepares students to plan their own weight training programs for a lifetime of fitness. This text builds a solid foundation of current knowledge and practice in weight training for men and women of all ages and skill levels. It contains hundreds of full-color photos demonstrating exercises and proper techniques.
Weight Training for Women: Exercises and Workout Programs for Building Strength with Free Weights
by Brittany NoelleYour starter guide to greater strengthYou deserve to feel powerful, both inside and out. And no matter your age or fitness level, Weight Training for Women is your guide to building strength with free weights. Jumping into a new lifting routine can seem intimidating, but this body-positive book on strength training for women does the heavy lifting for you (pun intended), by walking you through the basics of developing a weightlifting program that helps you get stronger and healthier on your own terms.Whether you're at home or at the gym, this book features step-by-step instructions and illustrations for dozens of weight training exercises so you can build total-body strength. Plus, with advice on proper nutrition, gym etiquette, pre- and post-workout best practices, and beyond, you'll have everything you need to maintain a life of lifting.Weight Training for Women includes:Strength of all sorts—Weight training can also aid in preventing injuries, increasing bone density, improving cardiovascular health, and even boosting your mental and emotional well-being.Helpful training tips—Every exercise includes tips for executing the movement safely, for adjusting the intensity, or for modifying if you have limited access to equipment.Design your workouts—Learn how to build your own weight training programs, how to effectively and safely schedule your week of workouts, and more.This is your complete, user-friendly reference for building wellness with weight training.
Weight Training Workouts That Work
by James OrvisHow to do the right exercises in order to strengthen muscles.
Weightlifting (Getting the Edge: Conditioning, Injuries)
by J. S. McintoshWeight training is one of the world's most popular sporting activities. It is also a leading cause of sports injuries, especially among young people whose bodies are still developing. Learn in detail how to avoid injury when weight training, and what you should do if an injury occurs. Pre-training preparation is vital, and this book discusses everything from selecting the right gym and using equipment properly to mental training and proper warm-up routines. The causes and cures for weight-training injuries are clearly described, with a particular emphasis on developing good technique. Methods of self-treatment for injury are given priority, but the book is also clear about when you should see a doctor. Discover: * How to rehabilitate a shoulder injury. * How simple changes in posture can protect your back. * What type of weight training routine you should follow if you are under eighteen. * The importance of good nutrition. * The dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.
Welcome to Hell?: In Search of the Real Turkish Football
by John McManusAsk a British football fan what they know about Turkish football, and they are unlikely to describe scenes of camaraderie, hospitality and humour. They are more likely to mention banners proclaiming 'Welcome to hell'. Or Leeds United supporters stabbed to death on an Istanbul street. Frustrated by the game's distorted image back home, John McManus set out to show the Turkish football that he knew - the rich, funny, obsessive, fan culture that he had encountered on the terraces. But he hadn't accounted for the politics. Travelling from the elite training facilities of Istanbul to dusty pitches on the Syrian border, taking in visits to far-flung clubs, encounters with characterful players and experiences at riotous matches along the way, Welcome to Hell? offers a unique perspective on an alluring yet troubled football culture.
Welcome to Hell?: In Search of the Real Turkish Football
by John McManusAsk a British football fan what they know about Turkish football, and they are unlikely to describe scenes of camaraderie, hospitality and humour. They are more likely to mention banners proclaiming 'Welcome to hell'. Or Leeds United supporters stabbed to death on an Istanbul street. Frustrated by the game's distorted image back home, John McManus set out to show the Turkish football that he knew - the rich, funny, obsessive, fan culture that he had encountered on the terraces. But he hadn't accounted for the politics. His voyage began at the start of one of the darkest periods in Turkey's modern history, marred by bombings, armed conflict and an attempted coup d'état. Football, he would soon discover, could not help but get dragged in. Travelling from the elite training facilities of Istanbul to dusty pitches on the Syrian border, taking in visits to far-flung clubs, encounters with characterful players and experiences at riotous matches along the way, Welcome to Hell? offers a unique perspective on an alluring yet troubled football culture, at once both familiar and miles apart from the game in Britain.
Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell
by Chas SmithFor two months every winter, when Pacific storms make landfall, Oahu's paradisical North Shore turns into a fiery hell. Its normal population of sixteen thousand more than triples and this explosion of mainlanders, Brazilians, Australians, and Europeans creates one of the most combustible milieus on earth. Waves, like gold and oil, are a limited resource and, as such, are fiercely fought over by the visiting hordes, the surf industry, other Hawaiian islanders, and North Shore residents. The otherwise sleepy North Shore becomes a lawless, violent, drug-addled, and adrenaline-soaked mecca. It takes uniquely fearless men to paddle into thirty-foot waves breaking over a razor-sharp reef hidden beneath three feet of water. Death and maiming are regular occurrences during North Shore winters. Yet when the sun dips, the fearless become truly scared. You see, the ocean has rules. The men who haunt the land do not. And so they whisper about helter-skelter violence dished out by larger-than-life Hawaiians. They whisper about being choked, slapped, and bloodied for breaking unspoken codes of conduct. About the protection money extracted from the surf brands that want to hold their contests on the North Shore. About drug running, fights, and maybe even murders. And then they return to multimillion-dollar beachfront homes and drown their anxiety with cocaine and booze. But they know they are not safe. Because no one is ever safe here. The surf world is far more volatile and complex than outsiders know or popular depictions would have us believe, and the North Shore during winter is its most extreme representation. It is downright dangerous but also exhilarating, and this story paints a true picture of what it feels like to be in the middle of it all. It is both a breathtaking and wildly funny tale of beauty, wickedness, and the unyielding allure of ocean waves in all their glory.
Welcome to the Circus of Baseball: A Story of the Perfect Summer at the Perfect Ballpark at the Perfect Time
by Ryan McGeeA gloriously funny, nostalgic memoir of a popular ESPN reporter who, in the summer of 1994, was a fresh-out-of-college intern for a minor league baseball team. Madness and charm ensue as Ryan McGee spends the season steeped in sweat, fertilizer, nacho cheese sauce, and pure, unadulterated joy in North Carolina with the Asheville Tourists."A sweet and funny book that reminds us it&’s not just the game itself that draws us. It&’s also the people." —Tom Verducci, MLB Network, Fox & Sports Illustrated, and New York Times bestselling author of The Yankee YearsIn the spring of 1994, Ryan McGee (new college graduate) bombed his coveted interview with ESPN--the only place he ever wanted to work. But he did receive one job offer: to work for $100 a week for the Asheville Tourists, a proud minor league baseball team in the heart of North Carolina&’s Blue Ridge Mountains. McCormick Field, home to the Tourists, had once been graced by Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson. What could go wrong?Welcome to the Circus of Baseball is McGee&’s hilarious, charming memoir of his first summer working in the sporting world. He has since risen the ESPN ranks to national TV, radio, and Internet host, but his time in Asheville still looms large. Among the many jewels of his experience. . . McGee recounts one of the most entertaining on-field brawls you&’ll ever witness (between the fourteen league mascots who had assembled for the all-star game--an eight-foot-tall foam-costumed crustacean, a pudgy red fox, a giant skunk . . . and they were really fighting), as well as the nervous moment he oversaw the game-day entertainer known as "Captain Dynamite and His Exploding Coffin of Death." Most important, McGee details a magical summer of baseball, of learning the ropes, of the ins-and-outs of running a minor league team, and of coming to understand how the pulse of a community can beat gloriously through a minor league ball club.Welcome to the Circus of Baseball is a baseball classic in the making.
Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North
by Blair BravermanA rich and revelatory memoir of a young woman reclaiming her courage in the stark landscapes of the north.By the time Blair Braverman was eighteen, she had left her home in California, moved to arctic Norway to learn to drive sled dogs, and found work as a tour guide on a glacier in Alaska. Determined to carve out a life as a “tough girl”—a young woman who confronts danger without apology—she slowly developed the strength and resilience the landscape demanded of her. By turns funny and sobering, bold and tender, Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube brilliantly recounts Braverman’s adventures in Norway and Alaska. Settling into her new surroundings, Braverman was often terrified that she would lose control of her dog team and crash her sled, or be attacked by a polar bear, or get lost on the tundra. Above all, she worried that, unlike the other, gutsier people alongside her, she wasn’t cut out for life on the frontier. But no matter how out of place she felt, one thing was clear: she was hooked on the North. On the brink of adulthood, Braverman was determined to prove that her fears did not define her—and so she resolved to embrace the wilderness and make it her own. Assured, honest, and lyrical, Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube paints a powerful portrait of self-reliance in the face of extraordinary circumstance. Braverman endures physical exhaustion, survives being buried alive in an ice cave, and drives her dogs through a whiteout blizzard to escape crooked police. Through it all, she grapples with love and violence—navigating a grievous relationship with a fellow musher, and adapting to the expectations of her Norwegian neighbors—as she negotiates the complex demands of being a young woman in a man’s land.Weaving fast-paced adventure writing and ethnographic journalism with elegantly wrought reflections on identity, Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube captures the triumphs and the perils of Braverman’s journey to self-discovery and independence in a landscape that is as beautiful as it is unforgiving.
Welcome to the Show: A Mickey Tussler Novel, Book 3 (Mickey Tussler Series #3)
by Frank NappiIt’s 1950 and Mickey Tussler-the now-famous pitching prodigy with autism and a golden arm-is back for another baseball season in this third installment of Frank Nappi’s critically acclaimed Legend of Mickey Tussler series. Talk of Mickey’s legendary exploits on the field has grown since his improbable debut two years prior, as have the fortunes of Murph and the rest of the lovable ragtag Brew Crew. Now Mickey, Murph, and Lester find themselves heading to Bean Town to play for the Boston Braves.The call up is sweet, for all of them have overcome insurmountable odds to get where they are. But life in the major leagues is filled with fast-paced action both on and off the field. The bright lights of Boston hold a new series of challenges, hardships, and life lessons-especially for Mickey, who finds himself a long way from throwing apples into a barrel back on the farm. The three newest Braves have each other to lean on, as well as a new group of fans who are swept away by pennant fever, but balancing everything this new world has to offer may prove to be the greatest challenge of all.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers-picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Welcome to the Terrordome
by Chuck D Dave Zirin"Dave Zirin is the best young sportswriter in America."--Robert LipsyteThis much-anticipated sequel to What's My Name, Fool? by acclaimed commentator Dave Zirin breaks new ground in sports writing, looking at the controversies and trends now shaping sports in the United States--and abroad. Features chapters such as "Barry Bonds is Gonna Git Your Mama: The Last Word on Steroids," "Pro Basketball and the Two Souls of Hip-Hop," "An Icon's Redemption: The Great Roberto Clemente," and "Beisbol: How the Major Leagues Eat Their Young."Zirin's commentary is always insightful, never predictable. Dave Zirin is the author of the widely acclaimed book What's My Name, Fool? (Haymarket Books) and writes the weekly column "Edge of Sports" (edgeofsports.com). He writes a regular column for The Nation and Slam magazine and has appeared as a sports commentator on ESPN TV and radio, CBNC, WNBC, Democracy Now!, Air America, Radio Nation, and Pacifica. Chuck D redefined rap music and hip-hop culture as leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy. Spike Lee calls him "one of the most politically and socially conscious artists of any generation." He co-hosts a weekly radio show on Air America.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wicketkeepers
by Luke SuttonThe journalist Suresh Menon once said ‘You don't have to be mad to be a wicketkeeper, but it helps’. Wicketkeeping is one of the great arts of cricket on which seemingly everyone has an opinion and yet few really know what they are talking about; and the wicketkeepers themselves are an eclectic mix of extroverts and introverts all trying to do the same thing every time they walk onto a cricket field – be perfect. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wicketkeepers is a book written by a wicketkeeper, Luke Sutton, which lifts the lid on what being a wicketkeeper is really like. This is not a dull technical examination of the art but instead a look into the minds of the best who have done it in England. There is humour, sadness and extraordinary insight as Sutton allows the likes of Jos Buttler, Jack Russell, Sarah Taylor, Alec Stewart, Chris Read, Amy Jones and Geraint Jones to tell their own stories about what it truly meant to be a ‘keeper’.
The Well-Built Triathlete: Turning Potential into Performance
by Matt DixonIn The Well-Built Triathlete, elite triathlon coach Matt Dixon reveals the approach he has used to turn age-group triathletes into elite professionals. Instead of focusing narrowly on training and workouts, Dixon reveals a more comprehensive approach that considers the whole athlete. Dixon details the four pillars of performance that form the foundation of his highly successful purplepatch fitness program, showing triathletes of all abilities how they can become well-built triathletes and perform better year after year. The Well-Built Triathlete gives equal weight to training and workouts, recovery and rest, daily nutrition, and functional strength. Dixon considers the demands of career and family and the ways different personality types prefer to approach training. The Well-Built Triathlete helps triathletes apply Dixon&’s approach to their season and training plan. Chapters on swimming, cycling, and running explain the most effective ways to train for each. A purplepatch section shows how triathletes can peak their fitness for long streaks of high performance. Dixon&’s holistic, whole-body approach to triathlon will help triathletes become greater than the sum of their workouts. By becoming better all-around athletes, well-built triathletes will train and race faster than ever.
We'll Never Forget You, Roberto Clemente (Scholastic Biography)
by Trudie EngelThe biography of this star hitter tells of his youth in Puerto Rico and his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A Well-Paid Slave
by Brad SnyderAfter the 1969 season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded their star center fielder, Curt Flood, to the Philadelphia Phillies, setting off a chain of events that would change professional sports forever. At the time there were no free agents, no no-trade clauses. When a player was traded, he had to report to his new team or retire. Unwilling to leave St. Louis and influenced by the civil rights movement, Flood chose to sue Major League Baseball for his freedom. His case reached the Supreme Court, where Flood ultimately lost. But by challenging the system, he created an atmosphere in which, just three years later, free agency became a reality. Flood’s decision cost him his career, but as this dramatic chronicle makes clear, his influence on sports history puts him in a league with Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. .
We'll Support You Evermore: The Impertinent Saga of Scottish Fitba'
by Ian Archer Trevor Royle'It has to start somewhere for everyone, this daft, wild, extraordinary notion that happiness is a Scottish lap of honour and that the greatest, most hysterical happiness would be a Scottish lap of honour on a World Cup final day, England having just retired to the dressing-rooms, not just beaten, but destroyed, humiliated, thrashed, gubbed . . . ' - Ian Archer First published in 1976, We'll Support You Evermore is a collection of reminiscences about the nation's favourite game. Hilarious tales of after-match celebrations and moving accounts of growing up playing football on the mean streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh rub shoulders with memories of superb victories, glorious defeats and drunken jaunts abroad. Together, these produce an entertaining portrait of Scottish supporters. Novelist Alan Sharp and Gordon Williams contribute essays, as do journalists Ian Archer, John Rafferty and Hugh Taylor among others. Each writes about his own personal recollections of the game: the Wembley Wizards, the Famous Five, Third Lanark, the Old Firm, Queen's Park, Hearts, Hibs, and many more. There's something here for every fitba'-daft reader.
The Welsh Grand Slam 2012: How Wales Won the Six Nations Championship
by Paul ReesIn the glory years of the 1970s, Wales won three grand slams in eight seasons. But rarely since then had the men in red started a Six Nations campaign armed with expectation rather than hope. 2012 was different. The previous year they had come within a kick of reaching the World Cup final, losing by a point to France despite playing for the last hour with 14 men after their captain, Sam Warburton, had been sent off for a dangerous tackle. The question when they returned home was how they would cope with the heartache. The answer came in their first match in the 2012 Six Nations Championship. In Dublin against Ireland, the team they had knocked out in the World Cup quarter-final, revenge was on the menu. Wales went there without five of their leading forwards and lost Warburton to injury at half-time. They were trailing by six points with five minutes to go and had a player in the sin-bin. The old Wales would have folded but, as in Life on Mars, it was back to the spirit of the 1970s. This Wales team came back fighting to win not only the game but to sweep the board in the whole tournament, bringing home a Welsh grand slam for the third time in eight years and establishing a strong and exciting team for the future.
Wembanyama: The story of Wemby's meteoric rise from those who knew him best
by Yann OhnonaThis is the definitive account of how Victor Wembanyma became the best basketball prospect of his generation, told through immersive interviews with the star, stunning visuals, and behind-the-scenes stories from those who knew him best.June 22, 2023. Wemby's face stretches high on the billboards of Times Square, New York. It's a big day. The day when he becomes the first Frenchman to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. He was only 19 years old.Drawing upon years of original research, interviews and unrivalled access to Wemby and his inner circle - including trainers, agents, teammates, family, and friends - this book unveils one of the most fascinating sporting personalities the NBA has ever seen, tracing his early life in Chesnay, Yvelines, to his arrival in the US, his historic season with the Metropolitans 92, his Las Vegas experience and his first season with the San Antonio Spurs.Learn the mistake that led to his discovery, why LeBron calls him alien 'Alien' and how he has adapted to his new life at the apex of the sport.This is the must-read genesis story of the most exciting player to have burst onto the scene in years.
Wembley: The History of the Iconic Twin Towers and the Events They Witnessed (Images Of The Past Ser.)
by Nigel BlundellIt was the field of dreams, the birthplace of legends, the hallowed home of our sporting gods. Historic Wembley Stadium, with its iconic Twin Towers, was truly the most revered of venues. Until the Millennium, when the world-renowned colossus was demolished to make way for its futuristic replacement, the famous old Stadium witnessed some of the most heroic events of the Twentieth Century. But its history, although always exciting, was also often uncertain– and not a little bizarre. So, despite most eyes being on future fixtures as the sporting hub heads towards it centenary, it is the ancient edifice's often forgotten past that is the subject of this book. And the uncomfortable truth is that Wembley's original debut was anything but auspicious. In fact, it was once viewed as a debt-ridden disaster. So doomed was it deemed to be that the North London complex was about to be knocked down – and was rescued only at the last moment, in the most extraordinary circumstances. Happily, it recovered to become a success story, the memories of which are recorded here, hopefully to open the floodgates of nostalgia for followers of sport. Wembley, it must be remembered, came to the rescue of the first postwar Olympics when no other nation on earth would accept the challenge. It gripped greyhound racing aficionados and it thrilled to the roar of speedway stars. The giants of American football also muscled in to display their skills there. Great Britons like Frank Bruno and Henry Cooper stepped into the ring (and Cassius Clay was felled to the canvas) before stunned boxing fans. And, of course, Wembley crowds gasped in awe at the footwork of Stanley Matthews and wept in ecstasy at the triumph of Bobby Moore. But the North London location is more than just the Holy Grail of sport. It has seen defining moments in pop music history, such as Live Aid. It has given platforms to the Pope and evangelist Billy Graham. It has staged breathtaking spectaculars no other venue could hope to accommodate, growing in stature over the course of an astonishing century. This then, for both sports buffs and social historians, is historic Wembley's story … an unfolding saga played out beneath those symbolically soaring Twin Towers.
Wembley and Beyond: My Incredible Journey
by Barry BriggsIt started on a cold, frosty morning in 1951 in Christchurch, New Zealand, with a seventeen-year-old-boy, a crate of sheeps' kidneys and a dream.The boss of the city's Belfast meatworks, had arrived an hour early to set up for the day, when he noticed one of his workers packing up a crate on the countertop. The young lad was battling to move it so the boss went over to help. When asked what time he'd started, the boy replied 'Five o'clock this morning'. Stunned, and amused, the boss told him he'd be earning a good bonus at the end of the week, and wondered aloud what he'd spend it on. But the boy knew, and immediately replied, 'I'm going to race speedway in England.'And he did. That boy was Barry Briggs, and it was just the start of his great adventure. Little did he know he was soon to become the legendary speedway racer more commonly known as Briggo, and later as Barry Briggs MBE. From dangerous encounters in the jungles of Liberia to teaching Steve McQueen to slide a speedway bike, Briggo's incredible story is one of strength, determination and a life lived firmly in the fast lane.