Relive the magic of the 1981 Ashes Test match win at Headingley

This July marks the 40th anniversary of Ian Botham’s epic 1981 Ashes Test match at Headingley.
Ian Botham smiles as he hits out off the bowling of Geoff Lawson during the second innings of the 3rd Cornhill Test match in July 1981. PIC: GettyIan Botham smiles as he hits out off the bowling of Geoff Lawson during the second innings of the 3rd Cornhill Test match in July 1981. PIC: Getty
Ian Botham smiles as he hits out off the bowling of Geoff Lawson during the second innings of the 3rd Cornhill Test match in July 1981. PIC: Getty

That famous win saw Botham turn around a seemingly impossible win against rivals Australia in LS6, aided and abetted by the late Bob Willis.

The England team, featuring household sporting names such as Sir Geoffrey Boycott, David Gower, Graham Gooch, Mike Gatting and captain Mike Brearley, went on to win the next two

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games in Birmingham and Manchester, before drawing the final game in London. In doing so they turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 Ashes win.

Four decades on The Sporting Club and Beefy’s Charity Foundation are staging dinners at four of the test grounds that played their part in this unforgettable summer of sport.

The first dinner will be at Headingley Stadium on Thursday, July 15, from 6.45pm until 11pm.

All the names who played for England will be present, with David Gower hosting.

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The event will raise funds for Sir Ian's charity, Beefy's Charity Foundation which puts on various high profile events to raise money for several charities, including Yorkshire’s

Brain Tumour charity based in Headingley.

Lord Botham said: “This year Beefy’s Charity Foundation has been chosen by the Sporting Club to be their charity for four celebratory dinners. Where better to start these

dinners than at Leeds, where it all happened. My old teammates will be joining us on the night to go down memory lane, reminisce about the unbelievable, outrageous test match,

and raise a glass or two to those great friends who sadly cannot be with us.

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I guarantee you will have a fabulous evening raising funds for some great causes.”

David Gower added: “Forty years on it’s great that we have a chance to celebrate this great test match, to get all the players involved back in one room to relive those memories with us

and enjoy going 40 years back in sporting history.”

Ian Stafford, owner of The Sporting Club said: “We are very honoured to be staging this wonderful dinner and to have so many cricketing household names in the room to look back

on one of the greatest test matches in English cricket history. Our aim is for everyone to have a wonderful night and to raise as much as we can for the incredible Beefy’s Charity

Foundation.”

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With a three course dinner and wine, auctions, footage and numerous interviews with the cricketers, it promises to be an unmissable night.

For more information and to book tickets CLICK HERE .

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