I am thinking of applying for Lottery Funding.  I hope you’ll agree my case is quite compelling:

Since following sport became more than a part-time hobby for me (recognising it has been more or less a full-time commitment for me over recent week), the following has happened:

• Justin Rose won the US Open, the first Englishman to do so since Tony Jacklin in 1970
• The British & Irish Lions won the Test Series against Australia, the first series win in 16 years
• Andy Murray won the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon, the first Brit to do so since Fred Perry 77 years ago
• At the time of writing Chris Froome (“British”) is wearing the Maillot Jaune in the Tour de France.

The common theme… I have watched almost every minute of all the events*.

Congratulations Andy!

I’m sure that there have been other notable British performances over the same period.  I have been limited to one TV and an iPad (with SkyGo) resulting in a maximum of two sports on the go at any time.  This has resulted in some difficult decisions, today for example – Sorry Lewis! Apologies Jenson!  Clearly some of the funding would need to be diverted to increasing the number of screens / feeds!

I don’t want to detract in any way from the fantastic accomplishments of each of the sportsmen & women.  They have worked for years to reach the pinnacle of their sports,  They deserve everything they get.  However, it is widely recognised that, at the very top level, small fractions can make the difference between success and failure.  I’d like to think that my unerring [refer to previous note] support has helped to tip the balance… even just a tiny bit.

Unfortunately my “time off” will come to an end very soon.  I’m concerned about the potential impact on British Sport!

Surely allocating some funding to me would help to remove the “lottery” from the funding process.  I am happy to watch pretty much any sport, and will always support a Brit.  My support would be able to assist many rather than the lucky few who happen to be competing in the stolen moments of live sports viewing going forwards.  A win-win situation, I’m sure you’d agree!

***

* Technically I slept through many of the key moments of Justin Rose’s final round as it was my first night in hospital, but it was on, and I was watching in spirit!
Actually, thinking about it, I think I may have slept through a few of Andy Murray’s sets too… but the same principle applies.  [Note:  I have been asked to clarify that this is not because Andy Murray is boring, but primarily due to the fact that rest / sleep were key components of my recuperation.]