As we approach another great summer of sport, we’re all looking forward to immersing ourselves in the action. Because of technological advances, we can get closer to the rough and tumble of football, athletics, and all the other sporting events than ever before.

With player cams, slow-motion replays, and wall-to-wall coverage; we needn’t miss a single second of the action. Of course, this wasn’t always the case – back in the day you’d have to venture to the stadia to catch a glimpse of your sporting heroes. And the sports themselves weren’t always up to today’s standards – with our champs having to battle conditions and each other without high-tech equipment and accessories.

So to celebrate the evolution of sport over a century or so, here are the great sports inventions of all time.