The Top 10: Bad losers
A round-up of temper tantrums and unsportsmanlike conduct
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Donald Trump’s pre-emptive whining about a rigged election prompted John Peters to propose this list. He nominated the first three.
1. Edward Heath sulked the “longest sulk in history” after he was defeated by Margaret Thatcher in the Conservative leadership election of 1975, until he retired from the House of Commons in 2001 (long after she had left in 1992).
2. The Australian cricket team, who didn’t like it up them in the bodyline Ashes series, 1932-33.
3. Honduras, which started a war after losing at football to El Salvador, 1969.
4. Catiline. After twice losing the election for consul, he decided to overthrow the republic, only for his plot to be discovered by Cicero. Fleeing Rome, he was killed in battle by Mark Antony’s uncle. Nominated by Stewart Slater and Graham Kirby.
5. Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, who clearly lost the August 2020 election, but who hung on to office telling his people there would be no more elections “until you kill me”. Thanks to Steven Fogel.
6. John McEnroe. Fined $1,500 after his “You cannot be serious” outburst in his first-round match against Tom Gullikson, Wimbledon 1981, when he called the umpire “the pits of the world”. He lost the point, but went on to win the tournament (against Bjorn Borg). Another from Steven Fogel.
7. Sir George Wharton and Sir James Stuart, who fought a duel over who had lost at a game of cards in 1609. They ended up killing each other, and making material for a ballad by Walter Scott. Fine double nomination from PD Anderson.
8. The #FBPE crowd. Some Remainers didn’t entirely accept the result of the 2016 referendum (FBPE is a Twitter abbreviation for Follow Back, Pro-Europe). Suggested by James of Nazareth, Andrew Denny and SugaCaneRoxie.
9. Jeremy Corbyn, who insisted he “won the argument” despite securing the worst result for Labour since 1935. From Tom Joyce, Geof Walker, Sunny Jim, Malcolm Redfellow and Chris Barraclough.
10. Jacques Parizeau, premier of Quebec, after the independence referendum in 1995, when he blamed “money and ethnic votes” in a televised tirade. Thanks to James of Nazareth and Sunder Katwala.
Honourable mentions for James, who nominated Trump, who “still hasn’t got over losing the popular vote in 2016 – he still claims an election he won in terms of what really matters (the electoral college) was rigged and bangs on about Obama/Clinton corruption”; and for Simon Cook, who nominated Pope Stephen VI, who put the corpse of his predecessor on trial (Formosus had “won” by being pope first, I suppose).
Next week: Strange subjects for songs, after I discovered “One Piece at a Time”, Johnny Cash’s ode to the joy of embezzling car parts.
Coming soon: Greatest political errors of all time, inspired by Jo Swinson’s decision to allow Boris Johnson to have an election.
Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk
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