A Question of Sport is a long-running BBC quiz show which started on 5 January 1970 and continues to this day.

It involves two teams of sports stars answering questions on their own and other sports. Each team has a resident captain, each of whom is joined by two stars of world sport.

The show was hosted by David Vine until 1978, and then its halcyon period from 1979 until 1997 was anchored by veteran BBC commentator David Coleman. Since his retirement, the show has been hosted by ex-tennis star Sue Barker.

Many team captains have enjoyed long stints on the show down the years, including: -

• jockey Willie Carson
• rugby union legends Bill Beaumont, Gareth Edwards and Cliff Morgan
• footballer Emlyn Hughes
• cricketers Ian Botham and Fred Trueman
• boxer Henry Cooper
• athlete Brendan Foster
• snooker player John Parrott
• jockey Frankie Dettori

Of these, Carson, Botham, Parrott and Dettori were still active participants in their sport while appearing in the show. The others had retired. Ex-footballer Ally McCoist and rugby star Matt Dawson are the current team captains.

Sports stars often say they know they have 'made it' when they are invited to appear on A Question Of Sport.

In 1987, Princess Anne appeared as a guest on the team captained by Emlyn Hughes, just weeks after the ex-footballer had embarrassed himself by claiming a photo of her on a horse was jockey John Reid .

The sports personality with most guest appearances is Steve Davis.

The rounds played include: -

• Picture Board - numbered squares reveal sports person for contestant to identify
• Action Round - contestants are asked questions about footage of their own sport
• What Happened Next? - sports footage is halted at optimum moment and teams are asked what occurred thereafter (often an answer of amusement)
• Mystery Guest - teams have to identify a sports star in unfamiliar circumstances and with unconventional camera angles
• Home Or Away - contestants can answer a question on their own sport for a point, or a question on any sport for double the points
• One Minute Round - teams are asked nine questions in a quickfire 60 seconds
• On The Buzzer - teams answer questions at quickfire pace (this was only introduced in later years - in the Vine and Coleman eras, the show would end with the remaining six Picture Board questions)

Having gone uninterrupted since 1970, the show is now Britain's longest continuously-running game show.

As of 27 February there have been 703 shows.

UK Gameshows Page: A Question of Sport