SOME are names which still resonate today for sport fans. Others have disappeared into the mists of time. All of them, however, have excelled at sports of all kinds while studying at the University of Liverpool.

Now the university is honouring its sporting heroes, both familiar and forgotten, with a Hall of Fame with 49 initial inductees.

Photo portraits of the graduate sports stars will be displayed at the entrance to the university’s Sport and Fitness Centre.

The Hall of Fame’s gallery, which will be gradually expanded, was opened yesterday by the University’s vice chancellor, Prof Sir Howard Newby.

High-profile personalities include Steve Coppell, from Norris Green, ex-Manchester United player and now Reading manager (economic history, 1976). Also featured are cycling champion David Brailsford (sports science, 1990), Sale rugby player Stuart Turner (physics, 1994), FA Cup winning Liverpool FC player Brian Hall (maths, 1968) and Olympic rower Alison Mowbray (1992). Associated personalities are embraced too, like Billie Liddell, ex-Liverpool FC manager who worked in the bursar’s department, and ArnoldDyson, who ran a campus gym and won Mr Universe in 1953.

One of the oldest inductees represented is J Ken Hyde, 93, who now lives inHertfordshire. He read chemistry and was an international table tennis player. In 1939 he made a 10- day journey to Cairo to play for England in front of 20,000 spectators.

Dental graduate Ken Cranston is pictured with cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman in 1940.

The installation was prompted by the 125th anniversary of the university’s Athletics Union, which dates back to 1884.