Teenager Natalie Hooper has been votes Birmingham’s Real Sporting hero 2008.
Natalie, aged 17 from Redditch, is no ordinary teenager; she spends her spare time
teaching young children and children with disabilities how to swim.
In a competition run by Marketing Birmingham in partnership with bmibaby.com, The
Sunday Mercury and BRMB, the two month search for someone who’s made a real
contribution to sport attracted entries from right across the city.
Natalie spends several hours a week at Woodrow First School’s swimming pool
where she goes straight from a full day at Kingsley Community College.
Marketing Birmingham’s Dave Hodgson says: “Birmingham has an unrivalled sporting
heritage and the city is full of people with a passion for sport. This competition gave
us the chance to promote and recognise the achievements of the region’s local
sporting stars and unsung heroes. It was the perfect way for us to be able to thank
the city’s passionate sports enthusiasts for the contribution they make to their
community.
“We congratulate Natalie on her victory and we are proud to present her and the
swimming club with the trophy and cheque.”
From the wide range of entries received the specialist judging panel unearthed their
top ten grass roots stars following an afternoon of debate and deliberation.
The final ten were put to public vote on Tuesday 4 March and by the close of voting
at midday on Tuesday 25 March 13,415 votes have been received, with almost one
third of the votes going to Natalie.
Jo Hurley, head of marketing, at bmibaby said: “bmibaby are proud to sponsor
Birmingham’s Real Sporting Hero 2008, working along side Marketing Birmingham
this campaign gives us an excellent opportunity to support the community, their
clubs and grass root sports. We have selected a number of people who have all
contributed to sports in the area to make a real difference within the local
community.”
Marketing Birmingham would like to heartily congratulate all the shortlisted entries.
Whether you voted on line or by phone we would like to thank everyone who took
part in helping us to select our city’s sporting hero for 2008.
For details of sporting events, news and competitions, check out
www.visitbirmingham.com/sport.
Sporting facts about Birmingham
The birthplace of lawn tennis, the centre of the world’s largest ever works football
association, the setting for the first world snooker championships, home of the
world’s most popular referee’s whistle - Birmingham has a real sporting heritage.
With more under 15s than any other major European city, Birmingham is dynamic
and full of energy.
Birmingham was the first city to be awarded the title National City of Sport and is
also a European City of Sport for All. Birmingham makes sport accessible for all, and
provides something to suit all age ranges and fitness levels.
There fabulous community sports facilities including seven golf courses, 19
swimming pools and 60 leisure centres offering over 500 fitness classes a week.
There are award-winning canals, 8000 acres of parks and open spaces, orienteering,
skiing and snowboarding.
The National Indoor Arena (NIA) and National Exhibition Centre (NEC) are two of the
busiest, large-scale indoor sporting venues in Europe and 23 World and 14 European
championships in 20 different sports have been staged in Birmingham since 1991.
Birmingham has a proud sporting heritage and historic teams and clubs that still
thrive to the present day.
Four of our six major sporting teams were founded in the 19th century: Aston Villa
(1874), Birmingham City (1875), Moseley Rugby Club (1873) and Warwickshire
County Cricket Club (1882). A testament to Birmingham’s continued sporting
prowess is that our other two clubs have much more recent foundations: our second
rugby union club, Pertemps Bees, was founded in 1989 and our newest Basketball
team, The Birmingham Panthers, came into being last year.
Aston Villa and Birmingham City are actually two of the oldest professional football
teams in the world, and they are both in the Premiership.
There has been a Cricket Club in Birmingham since 1745, and it is believed that a
match was played on the day the Battle of Culloden was fought. Slightly less bloody
but no less competitive, County Cricket and international test matches are now
played at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
Lawn tennis originated in Birmingham in 1865 and the Edgbaston Archery and Lawn
Tennis Society, founded in 1860, is the oldest surviving lawn tennis club in the world.
Today, tennis centres from Moseley to Billesley, Four Oaks to Kings Norton are
developing the next generation of British tennis stars. International tennis is still
played at Edgbaston's Priory Club, which boasts 29 tennis courts and 10 squash
courts, including the DFS Classic.
The Birmingham Athletic Club opened a Gymnasium in King Alfred's Place, in Aug
1865/6, and held their annual display and assault-at-arms in the Town Hall. Today,
the Alexander Stadium plays host to top flight athletics and this year the Norwich
Union Trials and UK Championships will return to the venue. It is also home to The
Birchfield Harriers, the UK’s premier athletics club that has produced international
athletes such as Denise Lewis, Mark Lewis-Francis and Kelly Sotherton.
Golf is a popular sport in Birmingham and there are many local clubs and municipal
pay and play golf courses throughout the city. World renowned golfing venue, The
Belfry, which is on the PGA circuit and has hosted the Ryder Cup four times, is just
north of the city.
Birmingham has a great interest in hockey and has produced two professional teams.
Bournville Hockey Club were founded in 1902 and has produced international hockey
players including David Griffith-Jones.
Our two Rugby Union clubs, Moseley Rugby Football Club, based at Billesley
Common and the Solihull-based Birmingham & Solihull Pertemps Bees. The latter are
still renowned for ‘The Greatest Ever Sporting Upset’, where they overcame odds of
250-1 to beat London Wasps in the quarter final of the Powergen Cup.
Many more sports are represented in the city. For example, last year speedway
returned after a 20 year absence and a new team was created: the ‘Birmingham
Brummies’.
Our volleyball, water polo and City of Birmingham Swimming Club teams all compete
at a national level. There are 12 boxing clubs in the city, that have produced famous
boxers such as Patrick Cowdell and Robert McKracken, who have continued to
support boxing in the UK by turning their skills to coaching new up- and- coming
boxers.
The city also plays host to other sports and pastimes such as Greyhound racing at
Hall Green and Perry Barr, skateboarding in many skate parks including the Epic
Skate Park in Moseley, croquet in Edgbaston and lacrosse at the University of
Birmingham.
The city has a proud tradition of bowling, with greens often attached to public
houses: records show that in 1741 there was a green at the Hen and Chickens in the
High Street.
Birmingham has a serious commitment to sport and the University of Birmingham is
firmly established within the top three universities for competitive sport in Britain.
The University was the first to introduce a sporting option for all students and at the
last Olympics in Athens, six graduates and one current Birmingham student
competed. With the country now gearing up for the London 2012 Olympics,
Birmingham is set to play an active role, both in providing athletes and venues. The
city will accommodate 100,000 spectators and 3000 media for Olympic football at
Villa Park for example. Birmingham will also provide facilities for training and holding
camps.
Birmingham is a true sporting city. From its famous sporting teams, associations and
venues to the hundreds of diverse grass-roots sports clubs, the city has it all.
Check out www.visitbirmingham/sport to find out more.
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