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Errol Christie

2009-10-23T12:59:30Z

Summary: Errol Christie, England boxing captain and European champion - copied from his Wikipedia page

'''Errol Christie''' (born 29 June 1963) is a former professional [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Boxing|boxer]] and currently a boxing trainer. He was the captain of the English [[boxing]] team from 1980 to 1983 and [[Europe]]an champion in 1983.

Christie, born in [[Leicester]] and raised in [[Radford, Coventry]], was a regular fixture on ''ITV Fight Night'' in the [[eighties]]. He earned the right to wear the [[Kronk Gym]] golden shorts after impressing its promoter [[Emanuel Steward]]. Christie won the overwhelming majority of his amateur and professional bouts up to 1985 when he was defeated by Mark Kaylor. After that his career went in to a tailspin until he hung up his gloves in 1993 after an eminently forgettable fight with Trevor Ambrose. He has since become a trainer to City executives engaged in the current craze for [[White Collar Boxing]]. One of his regular students is TV presenter [[Dermot O'Leary]].

Christie is now writing a book, ''No Place To Hide'', about [[racism]] in both the boxing game and [[seventies]]/eighties Britain in collaboration with former [[BBC]] TV producer, Tony McMahon. Both are registered with the Blake Friedmann literary agency.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.blakefriedmann.co.uk/bookClients/_348/|publisher = Blake Friedmann |title = Book Clients: Errol Christie|date = | accessdate = 8 December 2007 |dateformat = dmy}}</ref>

==Amateur boxing career==

At the age of eight, Errol Christie started boxing at the Standard Triumph gym in [[Coventry]] managed by Tom McGarry. Out of eighty fights in his early career, Christie lost only two and gained a reputation for early knockouts. He was [[Warwickshire]] champion in 1976, schoolboy champion in 1977, NABC champion in 1979 and senior ABA ([[Amateur Boxing Association of England]]) champion in 1981. Shortly after this, he won the European champion title and then turned professional.

[[Image:Communion2107.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Christie and boxer [[Lloyd Honeyghan]]]]

==Professional boxing career==
A series of seemingly effortless wins followed Christie's decision to go professional in 1981 with new manager Burt McCarthy. He triumphed against Terry Matthews, Jimmy Ellis, Harlen Holden, Sam Leonard, Lino Cajinas, Vince Gajny, Robert Thomas, Fred Reed, Doug James, Joel Bonnetaz, Dexter Bowman, Stacy McSwain and Stan White. But in September, 1984 - Jose Seys delivered a surprise knockout which shook the young man's confidence. Seven more wins followed however before a disastrous bout with Mark Kaylor in November, 1985.
[[Image:Communion2095.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Christie with veteran boxer [[Henry Cooper (boxer)|Henry Cooper]] (sitting on Christie's left-hand side).]]

==White collar boxing==

Christie now teaches [[White Collar Boxing|white collar boxers]] at Gym Box in [[Holborn]], [[London]]. In 2005, [[The Guardian]] and other newspapers reported an incident where another of Errol's white collar boxing students, film distributor Simon Franks, hit Hollywood actor [[George Clooney]] at the premiere of his film [[Good Night, and Good Luck]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article191047.ece|publisher = [[The Sun]] |title = Clooney is a box office hit|date = 2005-11-05| accessdate = 8 December 2007 |dateformat = dmy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.maxboxing.com/Groves/Groves081506.asp|publisher = [[George Clooney]] | first = Cosima |last = Marriner|title = Clooney brawl - the facts|date = | accessdate = 8 December 2007 |dateformat = dmy}}</ref><ref name = "GU 2005">{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2005/dec/29/3 |publisher = [[Guardian Unlimited]] |title = Clooney 'brawl' - the facts |date = 2005-12-29| first = Cosima |last = Marriner|accessdate = 8 December 2007 |dateformat = dmy}}</ref> An argument between the two men was alleged to have got out of control. Christie was quoted in The Guardian asking whether his student, Franks, had used his left hook.<ref name = "GU 2005"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://errolchristie.com/www.errolchristie.com/Welcome.html Christie's official website]
* {{boxrec|id=017926}}
*More information on Errol Christie at the British boxing website [http://www.britishboxing.net/boxers_21709-Errol-Christie.html]
*Christie v Kaylor fight - more details on the Max Boxing site [http://www.maxboxing.com/Groves/Groves081506.asp]
*Video promo for Errol's new book on [[YouTube]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ5iWjKLdI0]
*[http://www.abae.co.uk/honour/junior/junior/1970/index.asp ABA National Junior Championships]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christie, Errol}}
[[Category:English boxers]]
[[Category:English people of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:Middleweights]]
[[Category:People from Coventry]]
[[Category:People from Leicester]]

[[Category:1963 births|Christie, Errol]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Cricket

2009-01-31T02:23:08Z

[[image:Cricket picture.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A [[wikipedia:Bowling (cricket)|bowler]] bowling to a [[wikipedia:Batting (cricket)|batsman]]. The paler strip is the [[wikipedia:cricket pitch|cricket pitch]]. The two sets of three wooden stumps on the pitch are the [[wikipedia:wickets| wickets]]. The two white lines are the [[wikipedia:Crease (cricket)|creases]].]]
'''Cricket''' is a [[wikipedia:Bat-and-ball games|bat-and-ball]] team [[sport]] that originated in southern England. The earliest definite reference is dated 1597 and it is now played in more than 100 countries.<ref name="CA"/> There are several forms of cricket, at its highest level is [[wikipedia:Test cricket| Test cricket]], in which the [[wikipedia:ICC_Test_Championship#Current_ranking|current world leading team]] is [[wikipedia:Australia national cricket team|Australia]],<ref>As of 1 January 2009</ref> followed by [[wikipedia:One Day International| One Day International]] cricket, whose [[wikipedia:2007 Cricket World Cup|last World Cup]] was also won by Australia; the tournament was televised in over 200 countries to a viewing audience estimated at more than two billion viewers.<ref>"[http://www.cricketworldcup.com/icc-marketing.html|work=cricketworldcp.com Taipai Times Editorial]". Retrieved on 2007-04-18.</ref>

A cricket match is contested by two teams, usually of eleven players each<ref>[http://www.lords.org/laws-and-spirit/laws-of-cricket/laws/ Laws of Cricket: Law 1]</ref> and is played on a grass field in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards (20 m) long called a [[wikipedia:cricket pitch|pitch]]. A [[wikipedia:Wicket#Set of stumps|wicket]], usually made of wood, is placed at each end of the pitch and used as a target.

The [[wikipedia:bowler (cricket)|bowler]], a player from the [[wikipedia:Fielding (cricket)|fielding]] team, [[wikipedia:bowling (cricket)|bowls]] a hard leather, fist-sized, 5.5 ounces (160 g) [[wikipedia:cricket ball| cricket ball]] from the vicinity of one wicket towards the other, which is guarded by the [[wikipedia:batsman| batsman]], a player from the opposing team. The ball usually bounces once before reaching the batsman. In defence of his wicket, the batsman plays the ball with a wooden [[wikipedia:cricket bat| cricket bat]]. Meanwhile, the other members of the bowler's team stand in various positions around the field as [[wikipedia:fielder| fielder]]s, players who retrieve the ball in an effort to stop the batsman scoring runs, and if possible to get him or her [[wikipedia:dismissal (cricket)|out]]. The batsman — if he or she does not get out — may run between the wickets, exchanging ends with a second batsman (the "non-striker"), who has been stationed at the other end of the pitch. Each completed exchange of ends scores one [[wikipedia:run (cricket)|run]]. Runs are also scored if the batsman hits the ball to the [[wikipedia:boundary (cricket)|boundary]] of the playing area. The number of runs scored and the number of players out are the main factors that determine the eventual match result.

There are several variations as to how long a game of cricket can last. In professional cricket this can be anything from a match limited to 20 overs per side to a game played over 5 days. Depending on the length of the game being played, there are different rules that govern how a game is won, lost, drawn or tied.

Cricket is essentially an outdoor sport, certainly at major level, and some games are played under floodlights. For example, it is played during the summer in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, while in the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh it is played mostly during the winter after the monsoon season.

Governance rests primarily with the [[wikipedia:International Cricket Council| International Cricket Council]] (ICC), based in Dubai, which organises the sport worldwide via the domestic controlling bodies of the member countries. The ICC administers both men's and [[wikipedia:women's cricket| women's cricket]], both versions being played at international level. Although men cannot play [[wikipedia:women's cricket| women's cricket]], the rules do not disqualify women from playing in a men's team.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[wikipedia:Donald Bradman|Sir Don Bradman]] (1990). ''The Art of cricket''. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 1-875892-54-0.

==External links==
* [http://www.cricinfo.com Cricinfo]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/ CricketArchive]
* [http://www.icc-cricket.com/ International Cricket Council (ICC)]
* [http://www.lords.org/laws-and-spirit/laws-of-cricket/ Official laws of cricket], published by [[wikipedia:Marylebone Cricket Club| Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC)
* [http://www.learn-cricket.com Introduction to cricket]

[[Category:Cricket| ]]
[[Category:Team sports]]
[[Category:Olympic sports]]