The making of a sports obsessive

A change of tack this week, as I reveal a bit about my childhood in the 1980s, and the massive part sport played in making me the sporting obsessive that I am today. Some of these tales are cringeworthy - most of them actually - yet I am sure that a few of you might be able to relate to some of the below. If not, then please don't judge me. We were all young once, and I honestly didn't do anyone any harm. I probably annoyed them intensely, mind.

1988 US Open Tennis

A look back this week on the final Grand Slam of the 1988 tennis season: the US Open. A tournament which saw the completion of Steffi Graf's glorious year, another win for Mats Wilander and Sweden, more British disappointment, a shock for Martina Navratilova, and the continued rise of Andre Agassi.

This completes my series on the 1988 Grand Slam tennis season:

Australian Open
French Open
Wimbledon

1982 Challenge Cup final: Hull v Widnes

The Challenge Cup certainly owed Hull a thing or two come 1982. The club had last won the famous trophy in 1914 (in Halifax), but since then had lost five finals, including three at Wembley, giving strength to the ever growing impression that the team were suffering from a hoodoo when it came to the Twin Towers. Their last final defeat had been particularly galling - a 10-5 loss to bitter rivals Hull Kingston Rovers in 1980 - so as the 1982 final against Widnes approached, Hull had a lot of issues to resolve with the competition.