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SPARKS Patrons |
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Well-loved British comedian who has been voted "Funniest Man on TV" several times. He has starred in his own solo TV show "Russ Abbot’s Madhouse" and "The Russ Abbot Show" as well as being a regular in many pantomimes and summer shows. Most recently Russ has been starring in the West End revival of ‘My Fair Lady’. He often plays in SPARKS Golf Days and has a handicap of 11.
Sally Gunnell OBE is the greatest female athlete this country has ever produced, and the only woman in history to have concurrently held all four gold medals – Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European. Since retiring from athletics in 1997 she has become one of the leading spokeswomen on well being, health and fitness. An intricate member of the BBC’s sports team she covers all international events including the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Stylish soccer central defender whose career started at Partick Thistle before a long spell with Liverpool yielding a record-breaking 3 European Cups, 8 League Championships, 2 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 13 goals. Alan won 26 Caps for Scotland, which included one World Cup Final. Now seen on BBC TV’s "Match of The Day" as one of the most respected pundits in the game. Alan has a golf handicap of 4.
Centre-three-quarter in Scotland’s rugby side since 1986 when he and brother Gavin made their debuts on the same day. Now holds the record number of caps. Has performed with distinction in the Grand Slam success of 1990 and the World Cups of 1991 and 1995 when Scotland reached the semi-final and quarterfinal respectively. Toured with the British Lions. Scott annually hosts a golf day for SPARKS in Scotland.
Captained Cambridge in the 1985 Varsity rugby match. Scotland fullback since 1986 including the 1987 and 1991 World Cups and the 1990 Grand Slam and became captain in 1993. Scotland’s leading point’s scorer of all time with 454 in his 50 matches. Gavin captained the 1993 British Lions to New Zealand losing a very even Test Series by 2-1. Gavin annually hosts a golf day for SPARKS in Scotland and plays to a golf handicap of 6.
Tim Henman has given new hope to British tennis and has possibly inspired a new generation of champions. With the full weight of British support behind him he has produced heroic performances at both Wimbledon and the Davis Cup. Having been diagnosed with Osteochondritis Dissecans while still a child, a condition that resulted in a 9 month break from tennis, Tim knows the important role SPARKS has to play in helping children grow into healthy adults. SPARKS benefited from the first ‘Kids At Heart’ Tim Henman Golf Day in 2000
Motor racing driver for Lotus and the Benetton Formula One Grand Prix team. Winner of the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in1991. He won first podium place in the Spanish Grand Prix where he finished second after five fourth places. Hosted a karting day for SPARKS annually for many years and has a golf handicap of 18.
Best known as the champion of the cause of women’s cricket. Rachael made a record 51 appearances for England between 1960 and 1983 and captained the side from 1966-77. Rachael is a respected journalist and in 1973 was appointed TV’s first woman sports reporter. She played hockey for England as goalkeeper and has written "Fair Play", the story of women’s cricket and "Heyhoe", her autobiography. Rachael regularly donates items for SPARKS auctions and has a golf handicap of 10.
Star of the stage and screen Gareth Hunt has a leading role in Granada’s new soap Night and Day. His many other credits include appearances in Upstairs Downstairs, Doctor Who and Eastenders. Gareth has played many leading roles in theatre productions including Julius Caesar, Antony in Antony and Cleopatra and West Side Story. Gareth regularly attends SPARKS Clay Pigeon Shoots and SPARKS Golf days and has a handicap 16.
One of Britain’s top TV and radio presenters. A regular on BBC Radio Five Live Sports programmes and host of the daily afternoon "Drivetime" show. John hosted the weekly "Rugby Special" and highly-acclaimed sporting chatshow "Onside" for BBC TV while also managing to fit in specials such as "The World’s Strongest Man". John commentated on the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and has attended the SPARKS Summer Ball amongst other social events .
Without doubt, one of the top rugby lock forwards of his generation, Martin Johnson has skippered his club, country and the Lions to great success, highlighted by the nail biting 20-17 victory in extra time over Australia in the 2003 World Cup Final in Sydney. Johnson joined English club Leicester in 1989. In 1993 he made his England debut and toured New Zealand with the Lions in the June of that year. In 1997, just weeks after taking on the Leicester captaincy, he was entrusted with leading the Lions in South Africa. In late 1998 Johnson captained England for the first time and took on the captaincy on a permanent basis. Martin is a loyal SPARKS supporter and regularly attends clay pigeon shoots and the Winter Ball.
Former Football midfielder most known for his day at Wimbledon. Vinnie is now a movie star having made his mark in Hollywood by appearing in Guy Ritchies’ ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’. Since then Vinnie has starred alongside Brad Pitt in ‘Snatch’, John Travolta in ‘Blowfish’ and recreated his footballing days in the film ‘Mean Machine’. Vinnie hosted a golf day for SPARKS for many years and has a handicap of 16.
Popular TV presenter. Gabby Logan was named Sports Presenter of the Year in 2001 by the Television and Radio Industries Club and continues to play a key role in ITV’s football coverage hosting On The Ball and UEFA Champions League highlights. Gabby has won a loyal fanbase of viewers as presenter of On The Ball, working alongside opinion-formers like Barry Venison, Andy Townsend, John Barnes and Ally McCoist. Gabby gained eighth place overall at the Commonwealth Games, and overall silver at the British Championships, as part of the Great Britain rhythmic gymnastic team. Gabby has played in SPARKS golf days and modelled in the 2001 SPARKS Fashion Show.
Wasps and Scotland Rugby winger. Kenny played for Scotland on 33 occasions his best game to date being Scotland ‘v’ Wales in 1995. Kenny has played in many SPARKS Golf days, modelled in the 2001 Fashion Show and is a keen clay pigeon shooter.
Stage and TV singer and entertainer who has toured cabaret spots in Britain for many years and has appeared in countless gala and Royal Variety Shows. Kenny regularly plays at SPARKS golf days and has a handicap of 14.
Dundee-born runner who is widely considered as Britain’s greatest-ever distance runner. Liz took 10,000m gold at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991 to add to her Commonwealth gold from 1986 and her Olympic silver from Seoul 1988. Liz is leading the SPARKS teams in the London Triathlon in August 2003.
Alex McLeish took on his biggest challenge yet when he was unveiled as Rangers’ 11th manager in December 2001. McLeish took the reins at Ibrox with a reputation as one of Scottish football’s bright young managerial talents and with a brilliant playing career as the backdrop.
Born in Glasgow, Montgomerie is currently one of Britain’s top golfers. He plays mostly in Europe where he is consistently in the top five finishers of the tournaments he plays in. His first victory was the 1989 Portuguese Open. Since then, he has consistently been a top finisher if not winner. By 1991, he topped the European Order of Merit and did so again in 1994. He has also been awarded the Vardon trophy on three occasions. To date, he has not had a victory in the Majors. His best attempts were second and third in the US Open and second in the US PGA. Colin is a warm SPARKS supporter and has donated many auction items.
Welshman Cliff Morgan enjoyed a successful international rugby career from 1951-58 being capped a total of 29 times. He went on to grace our screens as a sports presenter. Cliff has played in many SPARKS golf days.
Well known actor on stage, film and television, best known as Detective Chief Inspector Haskins in "The Sweeney", and Norman the Welsh Labour Chief Whip with Penelope Keith in the comedy series "No Job for a Lady". Garfield has toured venues in the UK and USA as narrator of Rick Wakemans’ orchestration of The Gospels. Garfield regularly plays in golf days in aid of SPARKS and has a handicap of 18.
Jane ‘aka’ Rio starred as one of the Gladiators on the hit TV Show. Jane has starred many times on the screen including her own TV show ‘Car Crazy Rio’ and in the film Gladiator. Jane regularly attends clay p
Alan Pascoe has unique credentials: a three time Olympian, winning a silver medal in Munich, Commonwealth, European Indoor and Outdoor gold medals and becoming British Team captain. On retiring from the sport, Alan became heavily involved in promoting British athletic meetings and set up API, an agency specialising in devising and implementing strategically tailored programmes for both sporting and non-sporting events.
One of Britain’s leading actors on film, stage and TV. His film credits include "Mahler", "Tommy", "The Thirty-Nine Steps" and "The Jigsaw Man". His TV credits include the title role in "Jesus of Nazareth", "The Four Feathers", title role in "Hannay" and in Jasper Carrott’s comedy series "The Detectives". Robert sailed in the BT Global Challenge from New Zealand to Australia. He regularly plays in SPARKS golf days and hosted his own for many years with a handicap of 13.
Winner of an unprecedented 5 consecutive Olympic Gold Medals – the 5th in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Following this fantastic achievement Steve was knighted, named ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year’ and officially started the London Marathon breaking with 21 years of tradition to wear the Number One bib. Steve was SPARKS President with Matthew Pinsent in 1998 and annually co-hosts a golf day for the charity with a handicap of 16. Steve annually attends the Winter Ball as well as numerous other sporting and social events. Since retiring from rowing he has set up his own charitable trust, which aims to raise £5 million in the next 5 years for children’s charities including SPARKS.
Canada’s loss was Britain’s gain when Greg decided to take up his residence in the UK and champion British tennis. Greg has become a popular and well-loved tennis star and most recently he won the ATP Title in Auckland New Zealand. Greg is a keen golfer. He has recently shown his support for ‘Teddy Tennis’, a coaching initiative designed to get children to love tennis from an early age, in aid of SPARKS.
One of Britain’s top rowers who finished just out of the medals in fourth place in the coxless pair at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Greg had previously won a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics with brother Jonny in the coxless fours and Olympic Gold in the 1992 Barcelona Games in the coxed pairs also with Jonny. Greg has a golf handicap of 24.
An Olympian and BBC Television Athletics Commentator for the last 30 years. Stuart was the voice of the Millennium Olympic Games in Sydney and has covered the last 7 Olympic Games and 8 World Championships. An active SPARKS Patron, Stuart regularly plays in SPARKS golf days and has hosted many SPARKS events including the Summer Ball and Golf Dinner.
Former England Rugby Union Captain, Coach and Manager. From 1973 -1980 he won 23 caps as a forward and was captain in 1976 and 77. Played all four test matches on the British Lions’ tour to South Africa in 1974. Roger coached England to the first of their two Grand Slams in 1991 and 1992 and to runners-up spot in the 1991 World Cup. Roger also coached the Lions on tour and Wasps who won the 1996/7 Courage League. He is a loyal member of the SPARKS Council and was President in 1997. Roger regularly attends the Winter Ball and plays in SPARKS golf days with a handicap of 19.
Virginia Wade is Great Britain’s greatest player ever. She was Britain’s top player for more than a decade and achieved her lifetime goal by winning Wimbledon in 1977. When she won her Wimbledon crown, Queen Elizabeth II, who was celebrating her 25-year reign simultaneously with the Centenary at Wimbledon, presented her with her trophy.
TV presenter who has presented amongst others Bodycheck, Big Strong Boys and Tomorrow’s World and Wish You Were Here. She has covered a wide variety of sports for BBC TV including the Winter and Summer Olympics, Grand National, London Marathon and the British Grand Prix. A very warm SPARKS supporter Anna annually hosts a golf day for SPARKS and has a handicap of 25. Anna annually attends the Winter and Summer Balls and modelled in the 2002 Fashion Show. Click here for Anna’s 2004 Presidential Message
SPARKS President 2003. Much loved British actor who has many successful productions to his credit. On television Dennis starred for many years in "The Sweeney" playing Det. Sgt. Carter, the title role of Terry in "Minder"; "Stay Lucky" and the lead in the BBC sit-com "On The Up". He has recently finished starring in The West End revival of My Fair Lady and is SPARKS President for 2003. Dennis annually hosts his own golf day for SPARKS.
PGA golfer. Lee won his first Volvo Order of Merit crown in 2000 ending Colin Montgomerie’s seven-year tenure at the top. In the process he edged his close friend and stable-mate, Darren Clarke, into second place after a dramatic race which went down to the wire. During 2000 Westwood won the Dimension Data Pro-Am tournament in South Africa before going on to emulate the feats of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Montgomerie by winning six times in Europe. Lee has won on every continent after collecting the Dimension Data Pro-Am (partnering his dad) in South Africa in January 2000. Returned to South Africa in December 2000 and was pipped by Ernie Els in a play-off for the $2 million prize in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Took a significant break from the game at the start of 2001 following the birth of his first son Samuel Bevan.
Stage and TV actor best known as Sgt. Lewis in "Inspector Morse" and Neville in "Auf Wiedersehen Pet". Kevin has also starred as Dr Jack Keruish in "Peak Practice" and held the lead male roles in both "The Broker’s Man" and the recent Edwardian drama "Plain Jane". On the big screen Kevin played the character Sgt Hardy in "The English Patient". Kevin regularly plays in SPARKS golf days and has a handicap of 18.
The name JPR Williams is one of the great names from rugby folklore. The former Lions, Wales, London Welsh and Bridgend fullback was an all-round athlete. John Peter Rhys Williams first made his mark with Bridgend and Welsh Schools before moving to London to play for London Welsh. Making his Test debut as a 19-year-old against Scotland in 1969, Davies was at the heart of the Welsh side that won the Grand Slam in 1971. Later that year, along with many of his Welsh team mates, Williams was outstanding as the Lions recorded a series win over New Zealand. More glory followed with the 1974 Lions, making a total of eight Test appearances for the Lions. JPR continued to lead the way for Wales when they won the Five Nations Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978. After retirement from first-class rugby, Williams continued his medical career and is currently an orthopaedic surgeon in Bridgend.
Former Scotland and Arsenal soccer goalkeeper who won the League and FA Cup Double in 1971. Bob is a highly respected goalkeeping coach for Arsenal, coaching stars such as David Seaman. Bob has also presented ITV’s soccer coverage including the European Champions’ League following several years with the BBC hosting "Football Focus", "Grandstand", and "Match of the Day". Bob attended the 2001 SPARKS Christmas Ball.
Steve Rider Steve Rider joined BBC Sport in 1985, presenting Grandstand and Sportsnight, before taking over from Des Lynam as the main presenter of Grandstand in 1992. He has presented over 700 editions of the department’s flagship programme. Steve also fronts the BBC’s golf coverage, in addition to the summer and winter Olympic Games, and is a co-presenter of BBC Sport Review of the Year. He has won two Royal Television Society Awards for presentation and documentary work and has twice been named Sports Presenter of the Year. Steve became a SPARKS Patron in 2003. |
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Former soccer player for Brentford and Fulham who helped to abolish the maximum wage for players. One of the great innovators, Jimmy became Manager and Managing Director of Coventry City, then presenter of BBC TV’s Match of the Day, TV commentator and key officer of the Football Association and Football League and Chairman of Fulham. His biography was published in 1998 just before he moved to Sky TV to host his own soccer show. Jimmy was one of the founder members of SPARKS in 1960 and is currently a very passionate and active Vice-President and trustee of the charity. He annually hosts a golf day for SPARKS and has a handicap of 16.
igeon shoots on behalf of SPARKS and will model in the 2002 Fashion Show.
