View on the street - 'Are we a nation of sporting losers?'

9:10am Sunday 6th July 2008

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ANDY Murray’s straight sets defeat to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon is just another "so near yet so far" to add to Britain’s long list of sporting defeats. Things elsewhere tell a similar story. Lee Westwood just missed out on a place in the US open play-off and with the English football team embarrassingly failing to qualify for Euro 2008, faith in football is fading fast too.

Looking ahead to the Beijing Olympics next month and the prospect of our own 2012 games, the question on everyone’s minds is whether we can turn our luck around. We are a nation that has become accustomed to losing, or nearly winning, (whichever way you want to look at it) and as Bill Shankly, when Liverpool manager, once said: "If you are first you are first. If you are second you are nothing."

With no lack of investment in sporting academies and centres of excellence why is it then that we keep falling short?

Lydia Worsey asks the people of Wyre Forest if they think we really are a nation of sporting losers.

Steve Foster, 17, a rugby fan, of Kidderminster, said: "Yes, we are absolutely rubbish. We got smashed in two tests against New Zealand and the fact we didn’t even qualify for the Euros just says it all really. "We need to drop the big names and overrated players in football who just don’t perform."

Mario Baker, 26, of Stourport, said: "Yes I think we are. We need to put more into developing the kids and have some continuity from schools all the way through. You lose some good young players as they get older."

He added: "I think we do need an English football manager. There is far too much money in the game, the players don’t put the shirt on with pride any more and you shouldn’t have to be paid to play for your country."

Janet Cardwell, 59, retired, of Kidderminster, said: "I think we are. I don’t think the Government backs sport enough compared to other countries, like Russia. There are too many independent bodies." Mrs Cardwell is a swimming and tennis fan and with regards to the Olympics, she said: "There are one or two good swimmers but as for getting gold, I don’t know."

Fred Hamar, 22, a Kidderminster NatWest employee, from Stourbridge, said: "No I don’t think we are actually. We won the rugby World Cup, which was a good achievement. I don’t think we need an English football manager but there is too much pressure to succeed." Mr Hamar, a member of a badminton club whose leisure centre is being closed to build new houses, added: "Grass roots are important, like putting the money into school and local facilities, clubs and societies."

What do you think? Leave your comment below.