Launched this year, Insider Sport’s Matchday Programme has invited sports professionals to reflect on their passion for the industry, sharing how their experiences have shaped their current roles.
From commercial directors to professional boxers and a wide range of roles in between, this feature has highlighted the diverse experiences of various stakeholders in sports.
As we look back on the year, Insider Sport has compiled an end-of-year review to showcase some of the most memorable responses from those who contributed to this feature.
Which athlete do you think demonstrated the best winning mentality throughout their career?
When responding to this question, several notable names were frequently mentioned by participants, with Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Brady being the top contenders.
All three athletes are widely considered the greatest of all time in their respective sports and maintained an elite level of performance well into their later years, proving that mental strength plays a bigger role in sports than physical ability – Ronaldo is still playing.
However, Andrew Grimshaw, Commercial Director at Checkd Dev, in one of the early editions of the Matchday Programme, argued that another name deserved to be highlighted.
Grimshaw said: “Muhammad Ali. A unique boxing talent with outstanding character. Although he was before my time, I’ve watched plenty of footage and read various books to learn about this true sporting great.
“His self-belief was unparalleled. Ali’s career spanned a transformative era in sports, where media and money began to play a role forming the foundation of what today’s world of sport has become.
“He was a pioneer of the ‘winning mindset’ in sports too. His ability to overcome adversity, both inside and outside the ring, set a standard for mental toughness and determination. What a boxer and what an amazing human being.”
Who was your childhood sports hero and why? Which of their sporting achievements had the biggest impact on you?
Matchday Programme has featured several successful individuals who, whether consciously or subconsciously, have been inspired by athletes or sports organisations throughout their lives.
Dean Akinjobi, Owner and CEO of Football Media, revealed that one particular player’s performance made him realise that “nothing is impossible,” and that player was former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane.
Dean Akinjobi, CEO of Football Media
Akinjobi told Insider Sport: “I had many sports heroes, but there was something about Roy Keane, because of his winning mentality and high standards that delivered success. If he was playing against Barcelona or Barnet FC, his mentality and approach to the performance was no different, he would never let his winning mentality or high standards slip.
“The sporting achievement that had the biggest impact on me was a Champions League semi-final second-leg match, away against Juventus. Manchester United had gone 2-0 down and Roy Keane put in a performance that is often described as one of the best individual performances in a football match ever, scoring a goal and helping Manchester United win 3-2 and go onto the Champions League final.
“The impact that it had on me was an amplification of the fact that nothing is impossible if you keep working hard, and have belief, as well as the right mentality.”
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?
Sports cannot only take us back in time, as demonstrated by the interviewees’ responses but also offer a temporary escape from life’s challenges. This was true for Marc Ramsden, Chief Operating Officer of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship UK.
Ramsden explained: “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 eight-year-old me.”
