THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS IN ‘80S BRITAIN
by Jane Duncan, freelance writer
January 21 2021
English Darts

John Lowe's Ultimate Darts video game from the 1980s
Championship Snooker
international Athletics
The 1980s was a great time for athletics in Britain. There was a boom of professional athletes that children looked up to and admired. Many were multi-disciplined sports men and women who were incredibly fit and healthy - there was certainly no drinking on the job! Daley Thompson was well known for winning gold at the Men’s Decathlon in the 1980 Olympic Games. Sebastian Coe triumphed at the 1500 meters, and Fatima Whitbread, the javelin thrower, was an icon. Athletics became extremely popular in the ‘80s and inspired a new generation of children to get involved in sports.
There were definitely some more unusual sports that were popular in ‘80s Britain. But there were also many inspirational men and women who got the country excited about getting fit and active.

Daley Thompson's Going for Gold (1987)