Heart and Seoul spur Barry boys
COUNTDOWN TO
“WHERE, oh where were the Germans? And frankly, who cares?”
Those were the famous words uttered by TV commentator Barry Davies back in 1988, delivered in the closing stages of Great Britain’s 3-1 victory over West Germany in the Olympic men’s hockey final at the Seoul Games.
The quote has been immortalised by time and reflects the patriotic nature of winning Olympic gold.
In some ways that win, inspired by Sean Kerly, has been a cross to bear for the generations of male hockey players that have followed over the past 28 years.
“Don’t worry,” said Great Britain captain Barry Middleton with a laugh, “we get asked about 1988 a lot.
“Look, we don’t sit here looking at it all the time. We appreciate what they did and we are happy they won. But it’s not motivation for us.
“These Olympics are more about having a pride in ourselves. We want to do something for ourselves, the country and British hockey in general.
“We want to use the past to gives us inspiration. We want to use it to push us on to achieve something and give us inspiration for where we are going.”
It is a remarkable quirk of British sport that since 1988, no team, male or female, have won gold at the summer Olympics (you have to discount ‘team’ golds achieved in cycling and rowing for example). Little wonder memories of ’88 resurface every time the Olympics come round.
Team GB will begin their campaign against the Belgians a week today in a tough group including Australia and New Zealand. Revenge will be on their minds given that Australia beat Britain four years ago in London, depriving them of the bronze medal on home soil.
Middleton, veteran of more than 360 England and GB caps, has been the captain of the side since 2009. The 32-year-old is longest-serving British sport. Rio represents his fourth Olympics but he refuses to say whether it will be his last major championships at the helm. The Commonwealths on the Gold Coast in 2018 are a more realistic send-off. “This group came together three years ago, in the aftermath of London. It’s a group that wants to get better all the time,” he said. “There is a real blend of characters. There are plenty of comedy geniuses within the group. Everyone takes the mickey out of each other and messes about. “When you spend too much time together away, there is the danger of it all becoming too serious, too professional. “On trips, we usually spend three and a bit weeks together, enclosed in a village or apartments. So you have to learn to chill out and then one of captains the in switch back when you have to. In tournament hockey, you can sometimes have eight games in about 14 days. It’s very tough physically but the key is to ensure you are as fresh for the final match as you were the first. “You don’t want to win the first game 5-0 and then cannot perform in the next.” In terms of his leadership style, Middleton looks to Ashes-winning cricket captains Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss for inspiration. Their quiet, dignified approach, as well as solid performances with the bat, is what appeals the most. “I am not a teacup thrower. Nor do I speak Churchillian – though I have some books of his at home,” he said. “I am a captain who keeps his emotions in check most of the time. So that when I do say something it has meaning. “Some people who shout all the time lose that meaning. People learn quickly that it doesn’t mean anything. It is just you shouting to get something off your chest. When you shout and rant, it’s for your benefit, your frustrations. “Vaughan and Strauss showed that you have to play well as a captain. If you play well, then you don’t get the questions of whether you should be in the team or not. “The Aussies have shown that if you target the captain it can knock the rest of the team off their stride. The key is to focus on yourself and lead by example.”