Daley Thompson 17:09 - Jul 17 with 5587 views | nix | Anyone see this documentary? It's fascinating to see the real person behind the tabloid persona. Bloody amazing that he achieved what he did with all the issues that went against him. And just heartbreaking when he said his mother never went to watch him perform. You can see the sad little boy in his face. | ![](/images/avatars/16746.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 17:14 - Jul 17 with 3474 views | bosh67 | Yes it was a brilliant and heartbreaking piece of TV. He has a lot of ghosts and a lot of regrets but what a brilliant personality and a really honest and down to earth person. | ![](/images/avatars/1510.gif) |
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Daley Thompson on 17:25 - Jul 17 with 3424 views | SimplyNico | I have met Daley on a few occasions through athletics competitions at which my daughter has been competing. Daley's son is, surprise, surprise, a decathlete and Daley goes along to his son's competitions. Athletics as a sport is, by and large, very low ego. You get international athletes showing up to regional and national competitions. My daughter's javelin coach for a time was Clive Southgate, father of Gareth. Lovely guy. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 17:31 - Jul 17 with 3400 views | nix |
Daley Thompson on 17:14 - Jul 17 by bosh67 | Yes it was a brilliant and heartbreaking piece of TV. He has a lot of ghosts and a lot of regrets but what a brilliant personality and a really honest and down to earth person. |
Yes I've always warmed to him and seen more than the stupid headlines but he's really more thoughtful and reflective as well as entertaining than I realised. I'm not surprised that he goes to his son's competitions. You can see what it would have meant to him for his family to go to his. | ![](/images/avatars/16746.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 17:37 - Jul 17 with 3350 views | flynnbo | A fascinating documentary about a living legend who has had his struggles. I recall seeing him and a young Mary Stewart being very “friendly” with one another at the station at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace back in the mid to late 70s. Btw, he has an engaging personality with a lovely smile. Good looking bugger too! | ![](/images/avatars/1412.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 17:44 - Jul 17 with 3282 views | Hayesender | Watched it this afternoon, brilliant viewing. Thought that reporter (Colin Hart?) came across as a bit of a tit though | ![](/images/avatars/1451.gif) |
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Daley Thompson on 17:45 - Jul 17 with 3293 views | WatfordR |
Daley Thompson on 17:31 - Jul 17 by nix | Yes I've always warmed to him and seen more than the stupid headlines but he's really more thoughtful and reflective as well as entertaining than I realised. I'm not surprised that he goes to his son's competitions. You can see what it would have meant to him for his family to go to his. |
From what he said last night, his mother found talking about feelings difficult. Wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that showing them at his competitions might have been a problem for her too. He did mention that many years later he went to her home and it was like a shrine to him and his achievements. I really stumbled across that programme last night and found myself engrossed in it. I'm not sure it's a sentiment he'd appreciate, but I found him very likeable. He's probably a good deal more open than he realises. | ![](/images/avatars/1911.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 17:59 - Jul 17 with 3245 views | nix |
Daley Thompson on 17:45 - Jul 17 by WatfordR | From what he said last night, his mother found talking about feelings difficult. Wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that showing them at his competitions might have been a problem for her too. He did mention that many years later he went to her home and it was like a shrine to him and his achievements. I really stumbled across that programme last night and found myself engrossed in it. I'm not sure it's a sentiment he'd appreciate, but I found him very likeable. He's probably a good deal more open than he realises. |
Interesting that you think he wouldn't want people to like him. I think he'd like to be liked but wouldn't fawn over people to make that happen or compromise who he is as a person. I haven't got to that bit about going to his mum's house and I hope that made up for it a bit but his face showed a different story to me. Which is not to blame her but to show what these things mean to people. By the way, amazing footage of the contest between Hingsen and Thompson. Beautifully edited and enthralling even though you know what happens! | ![](/images/avatars/16746.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 18:03 - Jul 17 with 3227 views | HAYESBOY | I once had a kick about with Daley Thompson and Mike McFarlane on the pitch inside the track at Haringey Athletics club in White Hart Lane. Used to run the 800m for the Colts age in 1982. Remember him being really funny. He didn't seem to like Frank Dick who was around at that time though. Ron Pickering he got on with. Will check the documentary out. | ![](/images/avatars/1477.gif) |
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Daley Thompson on 18:39 - Jul 17 with 3124 views | Jevlar | I have a family connection to the Thompsons, his younger sister is my godmother. Great to see Daley finally get some overdue recognition. Often feels like a forgotten man in British sport. His achievements mean his profile and status should be far bigger than it is. Not that Daley would really mind that much, he is his own man, always has been. [Post edited 17 Jul 18:39]
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Daley Thompson on 18:42 - Jul 17 with 3110 views | WatfordR |
Daley Thompson on 17:59 - Jul 17 by nix | Interesting that you think he wouldn't want people to like him. I think he'd like to be liked but wouldn't fawn over people to make that happen or compromise who he is as a person. I haven't got to that bit about going to his mum's house and I hope that made up for it a bit but his face showed a different story to me. Which is not to blame her but to show what these things mean to people. By the way, amazing footage of the contest between Hingsen and Thompson. Beautifully edited and enthralling even though you know what happens! |
I felt his reaction to being voted SPOTY suggested otherwise. Being liked by people meant nothing to him. Being recognised as the "best" athlete in the world appeared to mean everything. Being considered "better" than Seb Coe or Carl Lewis, even though they didn't compete with him, was what mattered. And oddly, that was what I liked about him. He didn't pretend to be something he wasn't. Dominating what he considered to be the "competition" was exactly what drove him and made him the winner he was. His obvious delight at thinking back to winning each of his two Olympic golds was just written all over his face, in an almost childlike glee. I'd imagine he and Stan were very similar characters in many respects. [Post edited 17 Jul 18:44]
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Daley Thompson on 18:52 - Jul 17 with 3055 views | ChrisNW6 | Brilliant bit of TV and I think he is our greatest ever Olympic Athlete. What an achievement and he truly mastered all 10 disciplines. There's another special on Linford Christie coming up, not sure he will come out as positive. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 18:58 - Jul 17 with 3035 views | queensparker |
Daley Thompson on 18:52 - Jul 17 by ChrisNW6 | Brilliant bit of TV and I think he is our greatest ever Olympic Athlete. What an achievement and he truly mastered all 10 disciplines. There's another special on Linford Christie coming up, not sure he will come out as positive. |
Who was it that said about Linford Christie - “he’s the perfectly balanced sprinter - he’s got a chip on both shoulders” Daley Thompson was amazing. Not sure he ever ‘mastered’ the 1500m but he always managed to be far enough ahead by then as he came huffing home in the final event! Brilliant computer game too back in the day, the joystick destroyer | ![](/images/avatars/1909.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 19:03 - Jul 17 with 3021 views | ChrisNW6 |
Daley Thompson on 18:58 - Jul 17 by queensparker | Who was it that said about Linford Christie - “he’s the perfectly balanced sprinter - he’s got a chip on both shoulders” Daley Thompson was amazing. Not sure he ever ‘mastered’ the 1500m but he always managed to be far enough ahead by then as he came huffing home in the final event! Brilliant computer game too back in the day, the joystick destroyer |
Agreed on the 1500m, but he still jogged it in 4mins 22sec 😂 | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 19:13 - Jul 17 with 2985 views | ParkRoyalR |
Daley Thompson on 18:58 - Jul 17 by queensparker | Who was it that said about Linford Christie - “he’s the perfectly balanced sprinter - he’s got a chip on both shoulders” Daley Thompson was amazing. Not sure he ever ‘mastered’ the 1500m but he always managed to be far enough ahead by then as he came huffing home in the final event! Brilliant computer game too back in the day, the joystick destroyer |
Probably someone with the same 'underlying' similar racist tendencies as Colin Hart who made the same comment about Daley Thompson on the documentary, I wonder if the The Sun's Colin Hart ever made the 'chip on the shoulder' comment about Seb Coe, as he seems to have a very similar 'ebullient' personality to Daley Thompson, very unlikely, A pal who knew Linford Christie growing up in Shepherds Bush tells a story of how Linford handed him his spikes for safe-keeping as he was being man-handled into the back of a police van on Uxbridge Road one day, be interested if Seb Coe or Colin Hart ever had similar experiences, | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 19:25 - Jul 17 with 2941 views | queensparker |
Daley Thompson on 19:13 - Jul 17 by ParkRoyalR | Probably someone with the same 'underlying' similar racist tendencies as Colin Hart who made the same comment about Daley Thompson on the documentary, I wonder if the The Sun's Colin Hart ever made the 'chip on the shoulder' comment about Seb Coe, as he seems to have a very similar 'ebullient' personality to Daley Thompson, very unlikely, A pal who knew Linford Christie growing up in Shepherds Bush tells a story of how Linford handed him his spikes for safe-keeping as he was being man-handled into the back of a police van on Uxbridge Road one day, be interested if Seb Coe or Colin Hart ever had similar experiences, |
Fair enough, I didn’t know that. Will have to watch the doc! For Linford Christie to win medals in the 100m in that era of sprinters was something else. I miss the days when athletes were household names, hopefully the Olympics will make a few new ones [Post edited 17 Jul 20:31]
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Daley Thompson on 19:32 - Jul 17 with 2915 views | ChrisNW6 |
Daley Thompson on 19:25 - Jul 17 by queensparker | Fair enough, I didn’t know that. Will have to watch the doc! For Linford Christie to win medals in the 100m in that era of sprinters was something else. I miss the days when athletes were household names, hopefully the Olympics will make a few new ones [Post edited 17 Jul 20:31]
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Hopefully Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr will both get well deserved Golds 👍 | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 19:34 - Jul 17 with 2909 views | Superhoops2808 |
Daley Thompson on 18:52 - Jul 17 by ChrisNW6 | Brilliant bit of TV and I think he is our greatest ever Olympic Athlete. What an achievement and he truly mastered all 10 disciplines. There's another special on Linford Christie coming up, not sure he will come out as positive. |
A great personality, and indeed a superb athlete. But nope, not our greatest ever Olympian sorry - There are others that are closer to that mark than him | ![](/images/avatars/1639.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 19:36 - Jul 17 with 2901 views | ParkRoyalR |
Daley Thompson on 19:25 - Jul 17 by queensparker | Fair enough, I didn’t know that. Will have to watch the doc! For Linford Christie to win medals in the 100m in that era of sprinters was something else. I miss the days when athletes were household names, hopefully the Olympics will make a few new ones [Post edited 17 Jul 20:31]
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Not having a dig at you PP but presuming they left that dog whistle comment in from Colin Hart in that documentary to highlight the 'latent' racism within the press at that time, A lad who had to make his own way in the world from the age of 7 and that gobshite Hart who couldnt lace his running shoes makes that fkg outragoeus 'chip on his shoulder' comment, cnt. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 19:48 - Jul 17 with 2859 views | ParkRoyalR |
Daley Thompson on 19:34 - Jul 17 by Superhoops2808 | A great personality, and indeed a superb athlete. But nope, not our greatest ever Olympian sorry - There are others that are closer to that mark than him |
Genuine question, who would you put above Thompson? | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 19:56 - Jul 17 with 2834 views | Hayesender | Bit of useless information about Linford Christie and me. I got to hold his Barcelona gold medal in the KFC opposite the Adelaide a few weeks after he'd won it. He was in the queue proudly showing it off to those of us in there. Big fella in more ways than one | ![](/images/avatars/1451.gif) |
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Daley Thompson on 20:10 - Jul 17 with 2796 views | LazyFan | Daley Thompson was very arrogant in the past, to the extent that he didn't even care if people said that about him. Worse, he said nasty things about other people just to let everyone know he thought he was better than them. He said stuff that was abusive and well out of order, and he did not care at the time. This was wrong. However, he was the GOAT athlete ever. The decathlon is the top event, as it brings the other events together in the spirit of the Olympic Games. He won back-to-back Gold medals and would have trebled them if not for injury. He was injured badly in the groin before his third Olympic Games, but he still competed. Then, he got injured again during the pole vault in the arm with a freak injury; despite that, he still came in fourth and only missed the bronze by a few points. No doubt Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete who ever lived. Also, If I recall, he was so good. He was good enough to be 6th in the world speed-wise at the time for the 100m. Meaning he could have made the final for that in 84. I don't think this was mentioned in the doco. No one comes close to Daley Thompson in athletics, and he inspired the generations after, which has since led them to inspire others. He was and still is the GOAT. | ![](/images/avatars/1596.gif) |
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Daley Thompson on 20:31 - Jul 17 with 2747 views | Superhoops2808 |
Daley Thompson on 19:48 - Jul 17 by ParkRoyalR | Genuine question, who would you put above Thompson? |
For me, whilst I dont like the bloke, Redgrave has to be up there, and also some of the cyclists. And of course, someone I fancied the arse off, Jess Ennis in terms of a female. All better than DT? Maybe, maybe not but all did superhuman things in their sport. | ![](/images/avatars/1639.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 20:47 - Jul 17 with 2696 views | ParkRoyalR |
Daley Thompson on 20:31 - Jul 17 by Superhoops2808 | For me, whilst I dont like the bloke, Redgrave has to be up there, and also some of the cyclists. And of course, someone I fancied the arse off, Jess Ennis in terms of a female. All better than DT? Maybe, maybe not but all did superhuman things in their sport. |
All about opinions, but personally I can't compare a bloke who competed in 10 individual events from sprinting to long jump to javelin to high jump to a bloke who sat in a boat with some other blokes in what is arguably a minority sport for posh blokes (Redgrave excepted!). Likewise there are just too many opportunities to win medals on a bike and I'd put Thompson (and Cavendish) way ahead of any of the gold medal winning track cyclists as good as Hoy and Kenny undoubtedly were at their peaks. Jessica Ennis is a good shout but for me Thompson edges it as he won 2 golds, should have been 3 (bar injury) and held the world record at one time for most points ever scored in his event, unlike Ennis who never held the world record and won her solitary Olympic gold on home soil. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 21:07 - Jul 17 with 2642 views | nix |
Daley Thompson on 18:39 - Jul 17 by Jevlar | I have a family connection to the Thompsons, his younger sister is my godmother. Great to see Daley finally get some overdue recognition. Often feels like a forgotten man in British sport. His achievements mean his profile and status should be far bigger than it is. Not that Daley would really mind that much, he is his own man, always has been. [Post edited 17 Jul 18:39]
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I think the establishment didn't like him - he certainly wasn't esteemed by the tabloid press either because he wasn't matey with them. But many of the athletes seem to really like him and an unrepresentative sample of one - me - always thought he was brilliant. I remember staying up to watch the final 1500 metres in LA. just because it was such a big deal. | ![](/images/avatars/16746.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Daley Thompson on 21:18 - Jul 17 with 2584 views | The_Beast1976 |
Daley Thompson on 19:32 - Jul 17 by ChrisNW6 | Hopefully Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr will both get well deserved Golds 👍 |
We're popping over to Paris to watch the Women's 800m final. Go get em Keely!! | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
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