Previously held on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, the festival was the victim of its own popularity in 2009 when 15, 000 spectators turned up to a venue equipped to hold only 5, 000, resulting in the cancellation of the 2010 event.

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Given the history and tradition of wrestling, and its popularity and universality, we were surprised when the decision was announced.

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When Mr Yeltsin's popularity with the public was at its lowest, hardliners grabbed their chance.

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The team, which won the Brazilian championship in 2011 and captured the Club World Cup in 2012, has been very creative recently when it comes to capitalizing on its brand as well as the popularity of other sports.

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Lately, Antarctic travel has come in for some criticism as its popularity has grown from a few hundred daring tourists when it started 40-odd years ago to more than 46, 000 last season.

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It grew in popularity, reaching its height in the mid-18th century, when its distillation was so widespread the era became known as the Gin Craze.

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It is hard, of course, to feel too sorry for the Fed's Alan Greenspan, who enjoyed rock-star-like levels of popularity in the late 1990s, when America happily handed him the credit for its long economic boom.

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