Manchester’s Sporting Heroes

Manchester is a city known for many things, be that its role in the Industrial Revolution, its amazing music or, of course, its two incredible football teams. There is so much more we could mention but our focus here is on sport in general, and in particular the individual stars that have really put Manchester on the map.

Any hero-picking article such as this is always going to be highly subjective, so apologies in advance if we’ve included someone you feel doesn’t deserve their place amongst the legends that follow. Equally, we are certain we will miss names that will leave many scratching their heads. Anyway, here we go (in no particular order).

Ricky Hatton – Boxer

There are so many amazing stars who are associated with Manchester but we are going to limit ourselves to those who were born in Greater Manchester and spent much of their life in, or at least close to, the area. Sports stars who have lived, played or trained in the area, or those who were born there and moved away to make their name elsewhere, but don’t meet both criteria, are therefore excluded.

That means that undoubted legends such as Bobby Charlton and George Best, the many cyclists that have been based at the Manchester Velodrome, and even Freddie Flintoff and Jimmy Anderson are excluded. The latter two, by the way, were born in Preston and Burnley respectively, both in Lancashire.

Born in Stockport

Ricky Hatton, however, was born in Stockport, which is in Greater Manchester – who knew you’d be getting a geography lesson too – and, in addition, he grew up in Hyde, Greater Manchester. That is about 6.5 miles east of Manchester city centre but Hatton makes the grade and is very closely associated with the city, being a huge Man City fan. What’s more, a City supporter who was a fan long before the glory days.

Known as ‘The Hitman’

Hatton, who some, allegedly call The Manchester Mexican, but who is more commonly known as The Hitman, was an explosive, exciting fighter. (His aggressive style was the reason for the Mexican nickname, although in truth we have never heard anyone call him that!) He ended his long career after 48 pro fights, with an impressive record of 45 wins and just three defeats. He was an entertaining fighter who fans adored, especially his local fans in and around Manchester. He delivered 32 KOs, which is a good ratio for someone who generally fought at light-welterweight.

Fighter of the Year

The Hitman’s defeats all came at the end of his career and the fact that two came against Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao says a lot about how good he was. A two-weight world champion, he was named Fighter of the Year by multiple organisations in 2005 and produced several memorable fights. He was, and is, a great personality too though, and a real man of the people, and absolutely no stranger to a knife and fork.

Tyson Fury – Boxer

Moving to a boxer who remains active, Tyson Fury was born in Wythenshawe in Manchester. He has moved about a lot in his life but has spoken frequently of his love for Manchester and whilst he has spent a lot of time in Morecambe, if he loves Manchester and was born there, we aren’t going to argue with him and exclude him from this list.

Adored by Fans

Like Hatton, Fury is loved by the fans, even though his style of boxing does not always produce the most exciting fights. Nonetheless, he has been involved in some real thrillers, even if the most entertaining moments often occur during his press conferences and weigh-ins.

Heavyweight Titles

Over the years he has held various heavyweight titles and even unified them for a brief period in 2015 and 2016. That year he was named The Ring’s Fighter of the Year for his surprise defeat of Wladimir Klitschko and that result really catapulted him into the top tier of boxing greats. His high boxing IQ, excellent footwork and movement, and brilliant defence, allied with his huge size, have made him extremely hard to beat.

What’s Next for Fury?

However, a split-decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in May 2024 was the first of his career and a unanimous loss on points in the rematch in December of the same year means he has a record of 35 wins, two defeats and one draw. Will Fury now retire or will he be back? He will remain a great either way and one of Britain’s best boxers ever.

Paul Scholes – Footballer

There are many footballers we could have included but we’re going with the footballers’ footballer first of all, Paul Scholes. Born in Salford and an Oldham Athletic supporter, his Greater Manchester links are strengthened by the fact that he was raised there too.

Scholes played 718 times for Man United, a true one-club man, scoring 155 goals and providing countless assists and many more key passes. 66 England caps brought 14 goals, though early in his international career he was prolific, netting 13 of those in his first 35 games from an attacking midfield role.

Sarah Storey – Cyclist & Swimmer

Dame Sarah Storey, or just Sarah Bailey as she was back then, was born in Manchester in 1977 and has spent most of her life in the North West. Her sporting achievements are simply sensational and she has appeared at a massive eight Paralympic Games. More accurately, she has won medals at eight games, making her debut as a 14-year-old.

And what a debut it was, as she won two golds and six medals in all as a swimmer. For the next three Games, she added to that tally in the pool before turning to cycling for the Beijing Games. She won two golds there and then four more in London, three in Rio and another three in Paris. Storey now boasts a scarcely believable 19 golds, eight silvers and three bronzes.

Jasmin Paris – Trail Runner

We’ll end with a curveball from the world of ultra running and whilst Jasmin Paris grew up in the Peak District, she was born in Manchester. And we’re saying that the Peak District is close enough for her to make the list! Even though she lives in Edinburgh.

Anyway, in 2024 the incredible athlete became the first woman ever to complete the Barkley Marathons – an ultramarathon trail race over a distance of 100 miles – and she has won many races against men, also setting outright records. In 2019, she smashed the overall record for the Spine Race (just 268 miles!) by 12 hours… whilst stopping to express milk for her baby daughter en route! That is a serious feat and, along with her Barkley finish, just seconds inside the cut-off, and the iconic photo that captured the moment, she deserves her place on this list.