Gr8at: Wonderful Black and White Sporting Photographs

I’ve always had a huge passion for photography and sport, so having a post that combined the best of the two was an idea I just had to carry out. As there so many great sporting photographs I’ve decided to separate them into two posts, starting with black and white images. Do you have a favourite of the eight? Has there ever been a sporting moment you wish you had been able to take a photograph of?

While Tottenham Hotspur were playing Manchester United in 1972, two tea ladies wondered onto the pitch by mistake. A wonderful moment of a bygone era.

The wonderful image of the All Blacks performing the Haka after winning the rugby Hong Kong Sevens in 2014. The photograph won the Hikon Walkley award for sporting photography.

Though widely considered one of England’s greatest ever players, the dazzling winger Tom Finney never won a single team honour. As shown in this glorious shot, his grace and poise (even in the most extreme of conditions) is part of his legacy.

Not one for the faint hearted for sure! This magnificent photograph from George Silk captures the view of Pittsburgh students when watching the 1960 World Series-winning Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.

Known as The Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig was a hugely talented baseball star who was forced to quit the sport after suffering a serious illness. In one of sport’s most moving ever moments, he gave baseball’s Gettysburg Address” where instead of feeling sorry for the debilitating illness which would soon take his life, he thanked everyone who had made him “the luckiest man on the face of the Earth”.

If only one photo could capture the difference of victory and defeat, this striking effort from 1955 would be right up there. Carmen Basilio celebrated after defeating Tony De Marco in the 12th round.

Having been there myself, I can confirm that Rome is one of the most beautiful cities. When it hosted the Olympics in 1960, it also enabled this fantastic scene, as Ethiopian Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia approached the Arch of Constantine on his way to winning the marathon in world-record time.

Fausto Coppi was a phenomenally gifted cyclist, with a list of achievements that made him “a champion of champions” either side of World War 2. His amazing ease on a bicycle can be remembered with wonderful photographs like these.

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