Insider Sport’s Matchday Programme offers a personal look at what sporting moments and figures have inspired industry stakeholders. Through candid reflections, the programme delves into the stories behind the inspirations that have shaped their perspectives and fuelled their passion for sports.
In this edition, Marc Ramsden, Chief Operating Officer of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship UK, shares how he was inspired by Nat Lofthouse, the legendary Bolton Wanderers and England footballer who grew up on his street and attended his primary school. This connection taught Ramsden early on that extraordinary achievements are possible for anyone, regardless of their ordinary beginnings.
Which athlete do you think demonstrated the best winning mentality throughout their career?
That’s an easy one for me and I’m not actually a fan of his sport, Michael Phelps. His achievements alone speak volumes about his mentality, something like 40 World records, 28 Olympic medals, and 80+ International medals all in an individual sport where milliseconds matter The mentality and focus to achieve what he did is unbelievable.
Who was your childhood sports hero and why? Which of their sporting achievements had the biggest impact on you?
Quite an obscure answer, but Nat Lofthouse. He was a footballer who played as a centre forward for England and my hometown club Bolton Wanderers back in the 50s. What impacted me the most as a child and then throughout my life was that Nat grew up on the road at the end of my street and went to the same primary school I went to.
What that did for me from a very early age was make me realise that there was a real-life living legend that lived the same ordinary life that I did, in the same places I did, but went on to achieve extraordinary things.
It made me realise that these great people were just ordinary people from ordinary backgrounds who applied themselves to achieve extraordinary things. That was a very valuable lesson to learn at an early age.
What sports team do you follow the closest? Is this a family team or local side etc, and what has been the biggest moment in your history of supporting this club?
Apart from the obvious answer of me obsessively watching every BKFC event, I always keep my eye out for Bolton Wanderers results, they’re my boyhood club. I’d stand on the terraces back when they played their matches at Burden Park, a real traditional English football ground, then I could run home after the final whistle in time for the classified results on BBC One.
My biggest moment would be the Sherpa Van Trophy victory over Torquay United back in 1989 at the original Wembley Stadium. There was quite a lot of turmoil in my young life around this time and everything from me waking up to getting back in bed that day is etched into my memory, it was a really great day and memory for a young 8-year-old me.
Is there a team manager from any sport, whether that be football, rugby, NFL, NBA etc, who you think demonstrated the best leadership qualities?
Sir Alex Ferguson is without a doubt the greatest manager of any team in any sport in my lifetime. Some people say it was easy for him because it was Manchester United, but what I feel they overlook is that it was he who made it the modern day Man Utd.
On and off the pitch the transformation and success that his era brought the club was outstanding, a fact evidenced by their relative decline since his departure despite spending money and bringing in big-name successors, none have gone near to keeping the success that he created going, which shows the true impact he personally had on the club, not just the team.
What sports tournament do you think consistently provides the biggest thrills? Which moment from this league stood out to you the most in recent memory?
Although not strictly a tournament, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship undoubtedly brings the biggest thrills of any sport, not just combat sport.
The saying ‘one punch can change everything’ really is amplified and applied in the sport of Bare Knuckle Fighting, the crowd, the action, the noise of each shot landing, the knockouts and the stories of the fighters, all combine to create action that you cannot take your eyes off for a second.
If you could travel back in time to any historic sporting moment to watch it then and now, which would it be and why?
2 June 2018, Cheyenne Ice & Events Centre for the first ever Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event, the first sanctioned and commissioned bare-knuckle boxing event in the US since 1889!
To be there at the very first event, the start of the stratospheric growth that has taken place would be unbelievable. The way that people now talk about and look back to the very first UFC event and the evolution and growth of the UFC from that day onwards has remarkable similarities with the journey that BKF is now on, and although I’ve watched every event back, actually being there at the start and being able to say that I was there when this all started would be amazing, a real point in the modern day history of combat sports.
If you could go out for dinner with any sporting figure, current or historical, who would it be and what would you want to learn from them?
Barry Hearn, the man! He has been there, done it, and sold everyone a t-shirt… I’d love to learn what drives him, a man in his 70s, to still be actively involved in the Matchroom empire. What were the deciding factors in which sports he chose to promote over the years, and why did he stay away from MMA, for example? And what does he consider his legacy will be?
For last week’s edition of the Matchday Programme, featuring professional boxer Alex Murphy, reflecting the leadership qualities of the legendary boxing coach Cus D’Amato, click here to read.
