The Great Sporting Comebacks of the 70s

Drawing inspiration from the spirit of sporting comebacks, our newest collection bears the fitting name 'Not Yet Finished'. Working alongside this central idea is an early 1970s British sportswear inspiration, from the drop shoulder seams and relaxed fits of the heavyweight garments through to the graphic tees.

In our exploration of this range, we unearthed an array of legendary revivals from diverse sports during the 1970s. Here, we share a selection of our favourite sporting tales.

Lasse Viren - Athletics (1972 Olympics)

Finnish long-distance runner Lasse Viren made an impressive comeback at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He fell during the 10,000 metres race but managed to get up, recover, and not only win the race but also set a new world record. He went on to win gold in the 5,000 metres also. Viren continued his success at the 1976 Olympics, defending his titles in both events.

Muhammad Ali - Boxing (1974 Rumble in the Jungle)

The "Rumble in the Jungle" was a historic boxing match where Muhammad Ali faced off against George Foreman. Foreman was the reigning heavyweight champion and a heavy favourite. However, Ali employed his "rope-a-dope" strategy, allowing Foreman to tire himself out while Ali covered up on the ropes. In the eighth round, Ali saw his opportunity and unleashed a series of punches, eventually knocking out Foreman and making an incredible comeback to regain the heavyweight title.

Niki Lauda - Formula One (1976 F1 Championship)

Niki Lauda, an Austrian Formula One driver, suffered a life-threatening crash during the German Grand Prix in 1976. Despite severe burns and injuries, he remarkably returned to racing just six weeks later for the Italian Grand Prix. Though he lost the championship that year by a single point to James Hunt, his comeback remains one of the most inspiring stories in motorsport history.

Mark Spitz - Swimming (1972 Olympics)

Mark Spitz, an American swimmer, had an incredible comeback at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Spitz was already the holder of ten world records, and he brashly predicted that he would win six gold medals at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He had failed to win an individual gold medal at this Olympics, but made a triumphant return, winning seven gold medals in swimming events in 1972. This astonishing achievement set a record for the most gold medals won by an athlete in a single Olympics at that time.

Real Madrid vs Derby County (1975 Uefa Cup)

In the second leg of the semi-final, Derby County was leading 4-1 on aggregate against Real Madrid. Real Madrid mounted a stunning comeback by winning the second leg 5-1, thus securing a 6-5 aggregate victory and advancing to the final.

Gary Player - Golf (1978 US Masters)

By the end of the third round, Player trailed defending champion Tom Watson by seven strokes and sat in tenth place. The South African shot a final round 64 which included six birdies on the back nine to overhaul Watson and record a stunning victory, collecting his third Green Jacket in the process.

Red Rum - Horse Racing (1973 Grand National)

1973 saw Red Rum record the first of his three triumphs at Aintree with a remarkable comeback to pip Crisp at the line. At the final fence, Crisp's lead was 15 lengths, having been double that earlier in the race, but the Australian horse was tiring as Red Rum made up considerable ground to win in a then record time.