at Aintree race course.
In fact Liverpool has a long history of varied sporting events and has produced many famous sportsmen and women.
Motor racing used to take place at Aintree, The Waterloo Cup was the biggest annual hare coursing event in the country until it was banned in 2005, there used to be boxing at the Stadium, and since 2004 there has been an annual International Tennis Tournament in June. Local Rugby Union teams include Waterloo and Liverpool St Helens, and Rugby league is not far away in Widnes and St Helens.
There is a county cricket ground in Aigburth, between the city and the airport, and the click of leather on willow is a welcome summer sound. Liverpool Cricket Club has an out of date but still useful site
Because of its coastal location some of the countries finest links golf courses are nearby, several of which have staged the British Open Championship. In 2006 the Open was held at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake. Hoylake is not really Liverpool as it is over the Mersey on the Wirral, but neither are many of the local clubs.
Hillside, Formby, East Lancashire, and Southport and Ainsdale are the links courses, while Woolton, Childwall, Huyton, Allerton and Bootle are in parkland, the last two of these being excellent municiple courses.
Work Started in 2006 on the building of an Olympic sized swimming pool at the Wavertree Sports Complex and this will fill a long empty gap in Liverpools facilities.
The adjacent athletics facilities are home to Liverpool Harriers who have nurtured many olympic talents over the years.
The waterside location has seen a dramatic increase in water based sports with the old enclosed docks providing sheltered water for elementary yachting, windsurfing and water skiing. More experienced sailors use the Marina and the incumbant Liverpool Yacht Club as a starting point for more adventurous journeys.