Knowsley Sporting Legends Relay reached an epic climax this weekend at the Super Sports Day event in Kirkby.
The celebrations kicked off with a parade – made up of sporting and community legends as well as dancers and musicians – travelling from Liverpool FC’s AXA Training Centre to Eddie McCardle Playing Fields. Once at the playing fields there was a huge celebration of sport, from football to boxing and live music to dance.
The week-long sporting relay sprinted across Knowsley from 18 – 23 July celebrating the borough’s rich sporting heritage and certainly packed a punch in what it delivered.
Starting at Everton Football Club’s training ground in Halewood on Monday, the relay travelled the length of the borough with support from local communities, sporting groups, local sportspeople and even the odd famous face popped up.
Knowsley’s sporting legends included boxing heroes John Conteh MBE and Tom Stalker, Liverpool FC’s Alan Kennedy and Steve McMahon, Everton FC’s Ian Snodin and Peter Reid and also former Tranmere Rovers player Steve Jennings.
Local sporting heroes also played a crucial role during the week’s events including local nurse Gill Verdin who has run more than 100 marathons, Olympic 2012 torch bearer Mike Dooling and GB wrestler Tony Collins. Many Knowsley sporting clubs and schools also took part in the events including Tower Hill ABC, Knowsley ABC, Kirkby Milers, Knowsley and St Helens Girls Football Team as well as pupils from Malvern and Yew Tree Primary schools.
The relay was a highlight of Knowsley’s year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture and here is a rundown of the relay’s PB’s…
- The relay covered more than 150 miles
- 120 children ran a mile on one day
- Attracted more than 3,000 people
- 102 dancers
- 40 community sports groups took part
- 15 legends
- 6 boxing matches
- 6000 steps on the heritage walk (and an average of 1 cup of tea and a slice of cake when it finished!)
Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council said:
“Knowsley Sporting Legends Relay was a fantastic week of events, and it was great to see so many people get involved.
“The relay represented many of the sporting legends who have come out of Knowsley as well as countless local sporting heroes who play a significant role in the sporting life of our borough.
“Sport is in the borough’s DNA, and it was crucial that we reflected this in our Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture programme. Through this event we have brought something to the borough that has never been seen before and hopefully inspired lots of young people along the way to follow their sporting dreams.”
Knowsley Sporting Legends Relay
