The lessons of a sporting lifetime were stood on their head in seven unforgettable months between the late spring and mid-winter of 2012. Even if you were born in the immediate pre-War years, you knew no British chap could ever win a Grand Slam tennis tournament. Think of the Olympics and the home-grown heroes were so conspicuously few that they were marked out for life. The Tour de France was marvelled at for its epic climbs but was still as Gallic as Brie and Bordeaux. India’s cricketers traditionally dominate on the subcontinent. Our rugby lads had recently distinguished themselves at dwarf-throwing and little else. As for Manchester City, they had not won the title since Noah was a boy. (more…)