Famous 20th Century British Sportspersons

Find out more about the greatest 20th Century British Sportspersons, including Jamie Vardy, Charles Salvador, David Beckham, Lewis Hamilton and Wayne Rooney.
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 1 
David Beckham
(English Former Professional Footballer Who was One of the Greatest Midfielders of His Generation)
David Beckham
79
Birthdate: May 2, 1975
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
David Beckham is a former English footballer who was football superstar on-field and a heartthrob off-field. A former player for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Milan, among others, Beckham was a free-kick specialist, a brilliant crosser of the ball and the first English player to win league titles in four countries. His passion for football, charisma and fashion style have made him an international sensation.  
 2 
Gary Lineker
(One of the Greatest English Football Strikers)
Gary Lineker
25
Birthdate: November 30, 1960
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Leicester, England

Gary Lineker is a British former football player who currently works as a sports broadcaster. Considered one of the greatest British strikers of all time, Gary Lineker is the third-highest goal-scorer for England. During his 16-year playing career, Lineker never received a red or yellow card, due to which he was honored with the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1990.

 3 
Alan Shearer
(One of the Best Strikers of His Generation and One of the Greatest Players in Premier League History)
Alan Shearer
15
Birthdate: August 13, 1970
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Gosforth, England
Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer has also worked as a BBC football pundit and a football manager. The Euro 1996 Golden Boot-winner has also represented Southampton and Blackburn Rovers, winning the 1994-1995 Premier League with the latter. With 260 goals, he became the Premier League’s leading goal-scorer.
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 4 
Tyson Fury
(British Professional Boxer and Two-Time World Heavyweight Champion)
Tyson Fury
14
Birthdate: August 12, 1988
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wythenshawe, Manchester, England

A 2-time world heavyweight champion, British Tyson Fury has had an undefeated run in his 32 matches, with 31 wins and 1 unlucky draw in a match against Deontay Wilder. He has also released a bestselling memoir, Behind The Mask, and was named to the Forbes list of the World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2020.

 5 
Jackie Stewart
(British Retired Racecar Driver Who Competed in 'Formula One')
Jackie Stewart
5
Birthdate: June 11, 1939
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Milton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland

Jackie Stewart is a British retired racecar driver who competed in Formula One. He won three World Drivers' Championships between 1965 and 1973. He is best known for playing a key role as a campaigner for better safety measures at motor racing circuits. After retiring from racing, Jackie Stewart appeared as a sports commentator for ABC network.

 6 
Mo Farah
(British Long-Distance Runner and the Most Successful Male Track Distance Runner Ever)
Mo Farah
12
Birthdate: March 23, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mogadishu, Somalia
Long-distance runner Mo Farah shot to fame with his 10,000-meter and 5,000-meter wins at the 2012 London Olympics. The first athlete to score a quadruple double, Farah has won 10 major international titles. He became the European Athlete of the Year thrice and has also received the CBE.
 7 
Davey Boy Smith
(British Professional Wrestler Best Known for His Appearances in World Wrestling Federation)
Davey Boy Smith
17
Birthdate: November 27, 1962
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Golborne, Lancashire, England
Died: May 18, 2002
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 8 
Jim Clark
(One of the Greatest Formula One Racing Drivers and Two-Time World Champion in 1963 and 1965)
Jim Clark
4
Birthdate: March 4, 1936
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kilmany, Fife, Scotland
Died: April 7, 1968

British Formula One racing-driver James Clark Jr. is counted among the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He won his first World Driver’s Championships in 1963 making a record of winning seven out of ten races in a season. He again won the championship in 1965. His 1965 Indianapolis 500 win marked the first win for a rear-engined car.

 9 
Phil Taylor
(Darts player)
Phil Taylor
4
Birthdate: August 13, 1960
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Stoke-on-Trent
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 10 
Graham Hill
(British Racing Driver Who Won the 1962 and 1968 'Formula One' World Championship Title)
Graham Hill
3
Birthdate: February 15, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England
Died: November 29, 1975

Graham Hill was a British racing driver remembered for winning the Formula One World Championship title in 1962 and 1968. Counted among the greatest drivers of his era, Hill is the only driver to win the prestigious Triple Crown of Motorsport. Hill is also credited with inspiring his son Damon, who won the Formula One World Championship title in 1996. 

 11 
Martin Brundle
(British Retired Racing Driver Who Competed in 'Formula One')
Martin Brundle
4
Birthdate: June 1, 1959
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: King's Lynn, Norfolk, England

Martin Brundle is a British retired racing driver who competed in Formula One. After his retirement, Brundle started working as a commentator. Over the years, he has worked for television networks like BBC, ITV Sport, and Sky Sports.

 12 
Fred Perry
(British Tennis & Table Tennis Player Who Won Eight Grand Slam Tournaments & Two Pro Slam Singles Titles)
Fred Perry
6
Birthdate: May 18, 1909
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Portwood, Stockport, England
Died: February 2, 1995

Fred Perry was a British tennis player. A former world No. 1, Perry won three successive Wimbledon Championships from 1934. He won eight Grand Slam tournaments, including a Career Grand Slam. He was the first player and only British player to date to achieve a Career Grand Slam. Also a table tennis player, Perry was the world champion in 1929.

 13 
Matt Le Tissier
(Former Professional Football Attacking Midfielder)
Matt Le Tissier
5
Birthdate: October 14, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Saint Peter Port, Guernsey
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 14 
Kelly Holmes
(Middle-Distance Runner Who Won Two Golds in the 2004 Olympics in Athens)
Kelly Holmes
5
Birthdate: April 19, 1970
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pembury, Kent, England

Kelly Holmes is a retired English middle-distance athlete who specialized in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters events. She won gold medals for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Beginning her career with the British Army, she turned to professional athletics in 1993. She took part in her final major championship in 2004. 

 15 
Paula Radcliffe
(British Former Long-Distance Runner)
Paula Radcliffe
9
Birthdate: December 17, 1973
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Davenham, Cheshire, England

Paula Radcliffe is a retired distance runner, credited with winning the London Marathon and the New York Marathon three times each. Born into an athletic family, she emerged as a running talent by the time she was in her teens, winning the world junior cross-country title at the age of nineteen, eventually. She held the Women's World Marathon Record from 2003 to 2019.

 16 
Virginia Wade
(British Former Professional Tennis Player)
Virginia Wade
6
Birthdate: July 10, 1945
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bournemouth, England

Virginia Wade is a British former tennis player. A former world No. 2, Wade won three Grand Slam singles titles, including the famous 1977 Wimbledon, which was attended by Queen Elizabeth II. A former world No. 1 in doubles, Wade won four Grand Slam doubles titles. After retiring as a player, Wade has worked as a game analyst and commentator.

 17 
Nigel Mansell
(British Formula One Racing Driver and Winner of the 1992 World Championship)
Nigel Mansell
3
Birthdate: August 8, 1953
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, England

British former racing-driver Nigel Mansell, CBE, presently ranks as #2 in the list of most-successful British Formula One drivers of all-time with regards to number of race wins. Winner of Formula One World Championship and CART Indy Car World Series, Mansell became the only racing-driver to concurrently hold the titles of World Drivers' Championship and the American open-wheel National Championship.   

 18 
Stirling Moss
(One of the Greatest Race Car Drivers Who Never Won a Formula One World Championship)
Stirling Moss
5
Birthdate: September 17, 1929
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: West Kensington, London, England
Died: April 12, 2020

British Formula One race-car driver Stirling Moss won several contests such as the British Grand Prix and the New Zealand Grand Prix. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, too. He later had a broadcasting career with Wide World of Sports and narrated Roary the Racing Car.

 19 
Ray Wilkins
(English Football Player and Coach)
Ray Wilkins
7
Birthdate: September 14, 1956
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hillingdon, England
Died: April 4, 2018
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 20 
Clare Balding
(Television presenter, Journalist, Autobiographer)
Clare Balding
7
Birthdate: January 29, 1971
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kingsclere, England
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 21 
Damon Hill
(British Retired Racing Driver Who Won the 1996 Formula One World Championship Title)
Damon Hill
1
Birthdate: September 17, 1960
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England

Damon Hill is a British retired racing driver best known for winning the Formula One World Championship title in 1996. He is currently a part of the broadcasting team of Sky Sports F1, providing expert analysis. Damon Hill is also known as the son of former Formula One World Champion, Graham Hill.

 22 
Dixie Dean
(Footballer)
Dixie Dean
4
Birthdate: January 22, 1907
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Birkenhead, England
Died: March 1, 1980
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 23 
James Hunt
(British Racing Driver Who Won the Formula One World Championship in 1976)
James Hunt
10
Birthdate: August 29, 1947
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Belmont, Surrey, England
Died: June 15, 1993

James Hunt was a British racing driver who earned the nickname 'Hunt the Shunt' for his action-packed and often reckless exploits on the track. In 1976, he won the Formula One World Championship in his first year with McLaren, which inspired several teenagers to take up motor racing. James Hunt has inspired racers, such as Kimi Räikkönen.

 24 
Clive Lloyd
(Guyanese-British Former Cricketer and Captain of the West Indies Cricket Team)
Clive Lloyd
4
Birthdate: August 31, 1944
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Georgetown, Guyana
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 25 
Kelly Smith
(Football player)
Kelly Smith
4
Birthdate: October 29, 1978
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Watford, England
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 26 
Steve Redgrave
(British Retired Rower Who Won Gold Medals at Five Consecutive Olympic Games)
Steve Redgrave
4
Birthdate: March 23, 1962
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Marlow, England
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 27 
Charlotte Dujardin
(British Dressage Rider and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Charlotte Dujardin
4
Birthdate: July 13, 1985
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London Borough of Enfield, United Kingdom
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 28 
John Curry
(British Figure Skater and Olympic Gold Medalist)
John Curry
21
Birthdate: September 9, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
Died: April 15, 1994
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 29 
Bob Willis
(English Cricketer and One of the Greatest Fast Bowlers of All Time)
Bob Willis
4
Birthdate: May 30, 1949
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sunderland, County Durham, England
Died: December 4, 2019
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
 30 
Steve Davis
(English Retired Professional Snooker Player)
Steve Davis
5
Birthdate: August 22, 1957
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Plumstead, London, England
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 31 
William Gilbert Grace
(English Amateur Cricketer)
William Gilbert Grace
4
Birthdate: July 18, 1848
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Downend, England
Died: October 23, 1915
 32 
Denise Lewis
(Former Track and Field Athlete Who Specialised in the Heptathlon)
Denise Lewis
1
Birthdate: August 27, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: West Bromwich, England

Denise Lewis is a British sports commentator and former athlete. She won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and became the first European to win Olympic gold in the heptathlon. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion, Lewis also won silver medals in the 1997 and 1999 World Championships. She was also the 1998 European Champion. 

 33 
David Gower
(Former English Cricketer Who Captained the English Cricket Team During the 1980s)
David Gower
4
Birthdate: April 1, 1957
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 34 
Geoff Capes
(Former Shot Putter, Strongman & Professional Highland Games Competitor)
Geoff Capes
4
Birthdate: August 23, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England

While he began his career as a Cambridgeshire Constabulary policeman, Geoff Capes ruled the British shot-putting arena in the 1970s. Apart from being a two-time Commonwealth gold medal winner, he has also won the World’s Strongest Man tag twice and been a seven-time AAA Championship winner.

 35 
Ian Wright
(Former Professional Footballer: Now a Television and Radio Personality )
Ian Wright
14
Birthdate: November 3, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Woolwich, London, United Kingdom

Ian Wright is an English former football player. Renowned for his speed, Wright played for popular clubs like Arsenal and helped his national team qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After retiring from the sport, Wright went on to become a TV and radio personality; he currently contributes as a commentator for ITV Sport and BBC Sport.

 36 
James Maddison
(Football player)
James Maddison
4
Birthdate: November 23, 1996
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Coventry, England
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 37 
Bobby Moore
(Captain of the England Team that Won the 1966 FIFA World Cup)
Bobby Moore
2
Birthdate: April 12, 1941
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Barking, Essex, England
Died: February 24, 1993
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 38 
David Coulthard
(British Former Racing Driver)
David Coulthard
5
Birthdate: March 27, 1971
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Twynholm, Scotland
Former race-car driver David Coulthard, also known as DC, gained fame for his 15-season stint with Formula One. He has 13 Grand Prix wins and 62 podium finishes to his credit. Following his retirement from F1, he worked a BBC commentator and later joined the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series.
 39 
Mark Phillips
(English Olympic Gold Medal-winning Horseman and Ex-Husband of Anne, Princess Royal)
Mark Phillips
5
Birthdate: September 22, 1948
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England
Noted British equestrian Mark Phillips is known for his Olympic gold-medal win in 1972. He also won an Olympic silver in 1988. He was married to Princess Anne from 1973 to 1992. He writes columns for Horse & Hound magazine, is the USEA chef d'equipe, and designs eventing courses. 
 40 
Joe Davis
(English Professional Snooker and Billiards Player)
Joe Davis
5
Birthdate: April 15, 1901
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Whitwell, Derbyshire, England
Died: July 10, 1978
 41 
Ian Rush
(Association football player, Association football manager)
Ian Rush
4
Birthdate: October 20, 1961
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: St Asaph
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 42 
Kalvin Phillips
(Football player)
Kalvin Phillips
6
Birthdate: December 2, 1995
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Leeds, England
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 43 
Michail Antonio
(Footballer)
Michail Antonio
5
Birthdate: March 28, 1990
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 44 
Joe Gomez
(Football player)
Joe Gomez
5
Birthdate: May 23, 1997
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Catford, England
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 45 
Bobby Charlton
(One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time)
Bobby Charlton
7
Birthdate: October 11, 1937
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Ashington, Northumberland, England
Died: October 21, 2023

Widely considered one of the greatest players ever, Bobby Charlton was an important member of the England national football team that emerged victorious at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. The recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Ballon d'Or, Charlton received a knighthood in 1994. 

 46 
David Seaman
(Footballer)
David Seaman
5
Birthdate: September 19, 1963
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rotherham, England
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 47 
Graham Gooch
(Former English First-Class Cricketer and One of the Most Successful International Batsmen of His Generation)
Graham Gooch
4
Birthdate: July 23, 1953
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Whipps Cross, Essex, England
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 48 
Theo Walcott
(Association football player, Writer)
Theo Walcott
5
Birthdate: March 16, 1989
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Stanmore
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 49 
Danny Rose
(Footballer)
Danny Rose
5
Birthdate: July 2, 1990
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Doncaster, England
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 50 
Jimmy Johnstone
(Association football player)
Jimmy Johnstone
4
Birthdate: September 30, 1944
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Uddingston
Died: March 13, 2006
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)