The Cult
The Cult: Ray Parlour
Having graduated to the Arsenal first team in an era of bruisers and booze, Ray Parlour went on to play a huge part in Arsène Wenger’s footballing revolution. He was clever, comic and often underestimated, and for all that he belongs in The Cult.
The Cult: Neil Lennon
Having enjoyed successful spells at the club as a player and manager, Neil Lennon is a genuine Celtic legend. But the combative midfielder faced considerable challenges off the pitch, battling both with depression and sectarian abuse.
The Cult: Gabriel Batistuta
This week's addition to The Cult wrote his name in football history as a prolific goalscorer for both club and country. It was for this reason that Gabriel Batistuta became better known as "Batigol".
The Cult: Teddy Sheringham
In the nineties and early noughties, Teddy Sheringham was one of the most effective strikers in the Premier League. Despite all those goals, however, he remains somehow unloved.
The Cult: Michael Vick
This week's inductee to The Cult was an NFL superstar whose career was halted – but not ended – by a gruesome discovery in the woods behind his home.
The Cult: Gilles & Jacques Villeneuve
Gilles Villeneuve's life was short, but the Canadian is remembered as a true Formula One great. His son Jacques survived the sport and became world champion, but has always lived in his father's shadow. Both belong in The Cult.
The Cult: Robbie Savage
As a player and a pundit, Robbie Savage has always made himself difficult to ignore. Thus, we have relented to the Welshman's demands for attention and inducted him into The Cult.
The Cult: Alex Zanardi
In 2001, racing driver Alex Zanardi lost both of his legs in a high-speed crash. Now the owner of two Paralympic gold medals, he considers the accident to be "one of the greatest opportunities of my life."
The Cult: Fabrizio Ravanelli
In 1996, a mercurial Italian footballer arrived in the humdrum climes of Middlesbrough. Somehow, despite all his goals, he left the club both admired and unloved.
The Cult: Ricky Ponting
During the greatest Ashes series of modern times, Ricky Ponting was the snide and snarling villain of the piece. He made the 2005 series seminal, and for that he belongs in The Cult.
The Cult: Mark Cavendish & Laura Trott
As two of the main protagonists in Team GB’s cycling triumphs, Cavendish and Trott are national heroes. They have antithetical characters, and both deserve a place in The Cult.
The Cult: Ronaldo
In his pomp, Ronaldo was a striker sent from heaven. His career took a steep downward trajectory, however, and he bowed out of football as a mortal much like the rest of us.