A Wigan Athletic’s Dave Whelan is the only one. Born in Bradford, he joined Blackburn Rovers in 1953 and made his debut in 1956. His career was interrupted by National Service and he returned to a Blackburn side struggling in the First Division. In 1959-60 they reached the FA Cup final against Wolves. Rovers were behind after 41 minutes when Mick McGrath put through his own goal. Three minutes later, right-back Whelan broke his right leg attempting a tackle on Norman Deeley. Whelan was out for a year, then broke the leg again against Sheffield Wednesday. He played 115 times for Crewe from 1963 to 1966, but his football career was in terminal decline.
He received £400 compensation for his injury and bought a grocery business operating from Blackburn market. By 1978, Whelan’s Discount Stores were sold to a supermarket chain for £1.5m and he spent £7,400 on a sports store in Wigan, named JJB’s after its former owners. His business acumen saw the expansion of JJB Sports, which now has 430 stores. He took over as chairman of struggling Wigan Athletic in 1995. They reached the Premiership last year. — Naomi Walsh, Accrington, Lancashire
Q When was the first recorded incident of match-fixing in English football? — Harry Davies, Wrexham
A Several players from Liverpool and Manchester United admitted rigging a match in April 1915 so that United could win 2-0. Eight players were pardoned. A ninth, Sandy Turnbull, died in the war. One United player, Enoch ‘Knocker’ West, continued to protest his innocence and was made to serve 30 years of a life suspension. Although his ban was lifted in 1945, when he was 59, he refused to visit Old Trafford again. He died in 1965, still insisting he had been wronged. The story is told in Graeme Sharpe’s book Free The Manchester United One. — Wayne Pratt, Rotherham
Q Has Canada produced a world heavyweight boxing champion? — Anthony Marsh, Deal, Kent
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A If you discount Lennox Lewis, who lived in Canada but was born in London, only one Canadian has been world champion. Tommy Burns, real name Noah Brusso, was born in Ontario to Italian parents in 1881, one of 13 children. He became champion in 1906 and reigned for just under three years until losing his crown to Jack Johnson in Sydney on Boxing Day 1908. Burns, who had been raised in poverty, was notoriously tightfisted. He enjoyed a good living while making 14 successful title defences, but died in poverty in 1955 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Vancouver. In 1961, a memorial plaque was added. — Charles Foy, Toronto
Q Is there a combat sport without weight classes or height restrictions? — Tim Mahon, Wexford, Republic of Ireland
A The one that springs to mind is fencing, where the only restriction is that men and women do not fight each other at competition level. Fencers can choose one of three weapons — foil, sabre or épée. The foil has a slender, flexible blade up to 90cm long with a small circular guard. Foil fencers score by using the point of the weapon to gain a hit on their opponent’s torso. The épée has a larger guard and is Y-shaped in cross-section. The blade is not as flexible and competitors can score hits anywhere on their opponent. The sabre is slightly shorter and is Y-, T- or I-shaped in cross- section. It also has a large guard curving over the knuckles. In sabre fencing, successful touches are made above the opponent’s hips with the point or with one of the two cutting edges. Peter Hall, Leicester
Q Is it true pelota was once an Olympic sport? — Christopher Greig, Edinburgh
A Pelota Basque, to give the sport its full title, was an Olympic sport at the Paris Games of 1900. Only two nations competed, Spain and France, with the Spanish pair of Villota and Amezola winning.
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It was a demonstration event at the Olympics of 1924, 1968 and 1992. Pelota can trace its roots back to the Middle Ages and is played in various forms, all of which involve propelling a ball with the bare hand or specially designed glove or basket glove. Teams comprise two or three players and court sizes vary. — Timothy Campbell, Norwich
Any Answers?
Send questions or answers to Peter Boyle, Q & A, The Sunday Times Sport, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST, or e-mail peter.boyle@sunday-times.co.uk
Q Who is the youngest woman to play cricket for England? — Lee Archer, Bedford
Q Is it true that Ted MacDougall played for Liverpool? — Ron Fletcher, Huyton, Merseyside
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Q While on holiday in Canada I saw a poster advertising a Bandy match. What kind of sport is it? — Marion Thomas, Spalding, Lincs
Q Who holds the record for the quickest sending-off in a World Cup finals match? — Peter Jordan, Bournemouth
Q When was the Cresta run constructed? — Gerry Hayes, Twickenham, London