Tony Britten is a name most football fans may not be familiar with. But he is a man who has set the stage for many epic evenings of football. He has been responsible for us being distracted at work the day of a big game, for bringing us to the edge of our seats, and for giving us a tingling sensation down our spines. We may not know his name, but we most certainly know his work: Tony Britten is the man who composed the UEFA Champions League anthem.
Hearing that music play sets the stage. We have all been there: at home, in a pub or bar, or together at the home of a friend. Drinks and food at the ready, we settle into the moment. The Goliath’s of world football going head-to-head, best on best, star versus star. And for years we have had a front row seat to this amazing spectacle. Many fans consider the UEFA Champions League to be the pinnacle of the sport, with not even the World Cup able to compete in terms of sheer quality.
Or so it used to be.
In UEFA’s attempt to protect big teams from upsets and assure a quarter final filled with the richest, most well-known clubs, the excitement has waned. Television rights money has been the focus of UEFA for a long time, not the action on the pitch. But seeding the eight pots has made sure that the top two teams in each group advance you say? Well that is certainly true. The great sporting show we all love is indeed produced. Clubs in pot 3 occasionally cause an upset, but not often. While clubs in pot 4 are simply cannon fodder, happy to collect their check issued by a fine banking institution in Switzerland. The tournament is not worth watching until the latter stages, which is why I have fallen out of love with the Champions League.
In this year’s edition of the UCL, Napoli, Liverpool, Salzburg, and Genk are the combatants of group E. For a neutral fan, this group has no excitement. It’s quite obvious who will advance and who won’t. As a Liverpool supporter it must be great fun to see your team put four or five goals past these weaker teams. But again, as a neutral it is poor viewing. Wake me up when the final eight rolls around please.
Mo Salah celebrates winning the UEFA Champions League (Credit: CNN)
I would never argue that the Europa League is better quality than the Champions League. In fact, I would laugh at anyone who did. But if we put aside the indisputable truth that the best players are in the UCL and are of a higher caliber than their Europa counterparts, an argument could be made that in pure sporting terms, the Big Thursday Cup is better.
The Europa League does have its favourites: Roma, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Porto would be good bets to go all the way. But across the entirety of the groups, I am far more intrigued by this competition than that of Europe’s top table.
Europa League final. (Credit: Wikimedia)
Speaking of Porto, what a group they are in! Group G has them along with Feyenoord, Rangers, and Young Boys. Unlike the Champions League, second place in this group, and many others, is totally up for grabs.
As the gap between the haves and have-nots has become greater at the upper echelon of European football, I have found myself tuning in on Thursdays. Will I stop watching the Champions League? Of course I won’t. But I will wait until the games actually mean something. Not even the hair-raising melody of Mr. Tony Britten will make me change my mind.
As the first international break of the season approaches, the Championship’s first six rounds of fixtures have, as usual, given little indication as to what will be the final outcome. Swansea City find themselves at the top of the pile after their last gasp victory over Leeds at Elland Road, but with so long still to go, I’ll look into who I feel will be in the promotion and playoff spots after 46 games, and who will be the 3 teams heading down to the third tier.
Title: Fulham
Recently relegated from the top flight, the Cottagers have managed to keep key players and add some undoubted quality in the areas they lacked potency last season.
Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert are arguably the best wide man partnership in the league, and with Aleksandar Mitrović being a striker with 17 goals in his last 23 Championship appearances, they certainly aren’t going to struggle for goals.
Mitrović simply loves it at this level (Credit: Getty)
Harry Arter and Kevin McDonald provide the tireless workhorses in midfield which allow Tom Cairney to show the creative spark which made him such a pivotal figure in their promotion from this level two seasons ago, and he will undoubtedly be key once more as his side look to return to the top flight at the first time of asking.
The Achilles heel for Fulham this year could be the defence which was so frail last year, conceding an average of just over 2 goals a game as they tumbled out of the Premier League with a whimper.
However, I expect Scott Parker’s men will be able to deal with the drop in quality of attacks they come against this year, and even when they can’t I think they have so much quality going forward they can simply adopt a ‘we’ll score more than you will’ mentality to see them through tougher games.
For that reason alone I’m backing them to head straight back up as champions.
Promotion: Leeds United
As a Leeds fan, this is an opinion which I have spent countless hours juggling back and forth in my mind, unable to decide on a final answer. With it all considered I have finally decided that if it doesn’t happen this year, then it never will.
After coming so agonizingly close last season, it’s now or never as Marcelo Bielsa will almost certainly seek pastures new if this football club stays in the second tier of English football for its Centenary season.
It’s been a busy transfer window with much of the deadwood leaving and prominent players such as Kemar Roofe and Pontus Jansson also having departed to help balance the books, but along with those losses have come more than able replacements.
Ben White has settled in seamlessly to a back line which threatened to be severely weakened, and in Helder Costa and Eddie Nketiah a proven championship quality winger and an exciting young forward have been added to an already strong attacking lineup. Pablo Hernández when he’s in the mood is simply too good for this level even at his senior age, and many members of this squad have come on leaps and bounds under Bielsa’s tutelage.
Hernández will be 35 this season yet is still one of the divisions leading playmakers (Credit: CameraSport)
The problem for Leeds was never an inability to create chances, it was finishing them off that was the problem.
With a year of this unfamiliar fast paced system now under the belts for the majority of these players, i’m backing them to find a way to win those games that would allude them last year, therefore seeing them over the line this time and back into the promised land.
Playoff Winners: West Brom
The Baggies like Leeds suffered heartbreak in the playoffs last year, but i’m backing them to go one better this time and win that lucrative promotion at Wembley.
They’ve lost their prolific strike partnership of Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez from last season but Charlie Austin is a real coup for this level, and Kenneth Zohore has shown early signs of promise when I initially had doubts whether he’d be up to the task.
Austin will be hoping to have a similar impact at The Hawthorns as he did during his time with QPR (Credit: AMA)
Semi Ajayi is a very astute signing and one I was disappointed Leeds didn’t pursue after he looked very impressive in a distinctly average Rotherham side last year, and the Baggies still possess undoubted strength at this level through names such as Jake Livermore and Matty Phillips.
Slaven Bilić had a very successful spell at another westerly named football club, and I think with his return to English football management he can be looking forward to another one over the course of this campaign, one which should in my opinion end with him lifting the playoff final trophy.
Playoffs: Swansea City
What an early surprise package Swansea City have been to this Championship season. Many, including myself, expected the Swans to struggle this campaign having lost both their highly thought of manager Graham Potter and crucial members of the first team in the shape of Dan James and talismanic forward Oli McBurnie, but instead that seems to have sprung them into a new lease of life.
Steve Cooper was a bit of a surprise appointment given his lack of experience with senior football management, but the players have clearly bought into his philosophy and have put an early stamp down to the rest of the sides in the Championship this year that they are not to be taken lightly.
The return from the wilderness of players such as Borja Bastón and Andre Ayew have been a welcome boost and the former has already hit the ground running with 5 goals in 6 games so far this campaign, goals which have helped his side to top the pile at this early stage.
Who’d have had this man as the early front runner for Championship top scorer? (Credit: Getty)
Their positive start is what has made me change my initial opinion and give them a playoff spot when I had earlier had them down as nothing better than a mid table side. I do feel over the course of a long and grueling campaign that this squad could struggle with injuries and suspensions, and i’m not sure they’d be able to keep it going for 46 games.
Therefore i’m backing them to make the playoffs but ultimately fall short. Steve Cooper has undoubtedly brought positivity back to The Liberty, but I don’t see it being enough to drag them back to the top flight after 2 years away.
Nottingham Forest
After investing heavily last year it was a disappointing season for Forest who finished way below many peoples expectations. Aitor Karanka was surprisingly given the sack in January and the return of club legend Martin O’Niell failed to spark an upturn in fortunes.
Sabri Lamouchi is the latest face to take the managerial hotseat at Forest, and the club have recruited heavily once again in the window in an attempt to launch an assault on the upper reaches of the table. Their opening day loss to West Brom remains their only defeat so far this campaign, picking up impressive points at promotion favourites Fulham and Leeds along the way.
Lewis Grabban has always scored plentiful amounts of goals at this level and he now has plenty around him to carry that burden, the squad looking a lot more balanced then it has in previous years.
Grabban will once again be expected to grab plenty of goals (Credit: Nottingham Post)
However Lamouchi’s lack of experience in English football I feel will come back to bite him later on in the campaign when it’s time to grind out results, and when I look at his squad compared to West Brom’s, I don’t see as much quality and grit. Forest will have a good year, but I expect them to be that unfortunate side who suffers heartbreak at Wembley.
QPR
The last playoff spot and one which required a lot of internal debate before I came up with an answer. As a bit of a left field suggestion i’m going to put forward Queens Park Rangers as the side to claim that last playoff slot.
A loss against high flying Swansea and a Bristol City side also expected to be there or thereabouts are no causes for concern, and their comeback against Sheffield Wednesday in their most recent game at Hillsborough was very impressive.
A side who’s troubles mainly came from throwing money at incompetent players have been more streetwise in this transfer window, building up a strong side through smart free transfers and astute loans which have made them to be looking up the table rather than down. Jordan Hugill and Nahki Wells should be able to cause problems for any Championship defence, and Eberechi Eze has shown early signs that this could be his breakthrough year, so they certainly won’t struggle going forward.
Hugill has 5 goals in 6 Championship goals so far this year (Credit: Sky)
Mark Warburton is a manager who has plenty of experience at this level, and his appointment should help steady what has often been a pretty shaky ship. I don’t expect QPR to achieve success in the playoffs, but I certainly think they will surprise more than few people this year.
Relegation: Wigan Athletic
Always one of them sides teetering on the edge of relegation, Wigan picked up some much needed late season form previously to ensure they secured their second tier status with what ended up being relative comfort.
This season has started as many predicted for the Latics, languishing just inside the relegation zone in what looks like will be another season of struggle.
Nick Powell was a big loss to Stoke City during the summer, a man who when fit was a talismanic figure for this side and behind much of their positive attacking play.
Powell was a key part of this Wigan Athletic team and will surely be missed (Credit: Getty)
As usual Paul Cook has had to operate on a shoe string transfer budget to bring in some new faces, and the additions of experienced faces David Marshall and Charlie Mulgrew will undoubtedly make sure they are well organised.
Jamal Lowe was an exciting player for Portsmouth in League One but it remains to be seen whether he can replicate that at this level, and the same question marks remain over new striker Keiffer Moore who’s come in from Barnsley.
Paul Cook has done a magnificent job at Wigan over the last couple of seasons, getting them back up to the Championship and staying there, but I think this squad maybe this year will just lack that bit of quality to go toe to toe with many of their rivals. Therefore i’m tipping them to return to the third tier after a short spell away.
Huddersfield Town
Now this one was a tough one. Logically speaking the prospect of back to back relegation’s seems ludicrous but, with the state of things at Huddersfield at the moment, it is a genuine prospect.
Jan Siewert was thrown in at the managerial deep end when taking over in January 2019 and after one win in nineteen games the German was given his marching orders after the first three league games of this season. A new manager has yet to be found and caretaker Mark Hudson has been unable to change the clubs fortunes, currently only avoiding bottom spot on goal difference.
That’s the main problem this Huddersfield side seems to have kept from last season, their inability at finding any sort of goalscoring form.
Karlan Grant ended as their top goalscorer last season despite joining in January and it once again looks as though he will be the main man Town will look to give any chance of success this year.
Grant has been one positive in a pretty grim spell for Town (Credit: Getty)
With the way they’ve performed so far this campaign his biggest achievement would be to keep this side in the second tier.
Already struggling from last year, the squad has been severely weakened by departures, with no less than 12 senior players leaving the club during the summer to leave the squad looking extremely fragile.
This team needs a manager and fast, but with the difficult circumstances it’ll be a hell of a job for whoever decides to take it on.
I simply don’t see this Huddersfield Town side scoring enough goals, and it’s for that reason i’m expecting them to suffer back to back relegation’s.
Barnsley
A bit of a yo-yo side for the last few seasons, I expect that trend to continue at Oakwell this season. Daniel Stendel did a superb job to bring the Tykes back up to the Championship last year, playing some exciting football along the way.
A surprise opening day victory against Fulham has been pretty much all to cheer for so far this season however, it remaining their only victory after six league games and also suffering an embarrassing first round 3-0 Carabao Cup loss to Carlisle.
The loss of defensive pairing Ethan Pinnock and Liam Lindsay has been hardfelt, and the departure of keeper Adam Davies has left them reliant on young new arrival Brad Collins between the sticks.
Collins will presumably have a lot of work to do in goal for Barnsley this season. (Credit: Richard Burley)
The emphasis in the transfer market has clearly been on youth with only one player over 23 having come through the door, which suggests more of a long term project is being planned behind the scenes. Whether these fresh faces will be ready for Championship football just yet i’m not so sure.
I expect Barnsley to be a fun and energetic side to watch as they were last year, but their limitations in the transfer market mean that I feel an immediate return to the third tier is the most likely outcome for their season.
Having finally caught their breath following Ben Stokes’ heroics of Headingley, England go into battle at Old Trafford in this 4th Ashes test.
Here are five things to look out for in the test.
1 – England’s Batting Order
Image Courtesy of Getty Images
England have confirmed that Joe Denly and Jason Roy will switch places in the batting order. Meaning that Denly will open the batting with Roy slotting in at number four. Denly started his England test career opening the batting in the West Indies, but only managed 23 runs in his two innings before being moved down the order.
Roy has struggled immensely thus far, scoring just 57 runs in his six innings. Hopefully moving down the order will allow Roy to face the older ball, meaning that his naturally aggressive game can be used to the sides advantage, as well as facing fatigued bowlers should the three batsmen above him do their jobs.
2 – The Pitch
@GeorgeDobell1: Jonathan Trott and Trevor Bayliss inspect the Old Trafford pitch.
The pitch is always a huge talking point in test cricket, will it be quick or slow? Will it seam? Will it spin? Will it wear?
Well this wicket, from the naked eye, looks very flat and very hard. Which means pace.
This of course will get England fan favourite Jofra Archer excited but it isn’t just Archer that benefits from a quick pitch. Australia also have number one ranked test bowler Pat Cummins at their disposal who can regularly bowl 90 plus. So expect to see plenty of helmets being hit again in this test.
However a flat hard pitch often means spin, especially late on in the test bringing Nathan Lyon and Jack Leach into play. Nathan Lyon is of course recognised as the better spinner of the two but Leach has performed well when called upon with the ball, and not to mention when called upon with the bat.
3 – Australian Bowling Attack
Image Courtesy of Daily Telegraph
Australia have rested James Pattinson for the fourth test, therefore Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle will compete to join Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon in the bowling attack. It looks likely that it will be Mitchell Starc who will slot in, however the destructive white ball bowler has struggled to find consistency in red ball cricket throughout the last 18 months with some Aussie fans questioning his place in the squad. But with a favourable pitch for quick bowling the left armer could be devastating.
All rounder Mitchell Marsh was once again overlooked with Australia feeling their quartet of bowlers will be enough. But should England bat for prolonged periods of time the four bowlers will tire, as they did in they did in Leeds, and England can capitalise.
4 – Steve Smith
Image Courtesy of Cricbuzz
In the euphoria that was Headingley, I was completely blown away by the heroics of Ben Stokes. Until hours and plenty of drinks later I suddenly remembered that the best test batsman in the world is back. Smith is averaging just the 126 so far this series having scored 378 runs in just three innings including two centuries, so the blokes not bad at batting.
But alas! Craig Overton has been called up to the England side for the fourth test. In the last Ashes series, Overton dismissed Smith with a 79 mile an hour off cutter. So hopefull the Somerset seamer can repeat this feat.
5 – Jofra Archer
Image Courtesy of Skysports
You can’t talk about England without talking about this man at the moment. Archer has taking 13 wickets in the two tests he has played in, but more prominently has created a battle with Steve Smith. After hitting Smith in the helmet at Lords, Smith failed a concussion test and had to sit out the Headingley test. This has sparked a war of words between the pair. Talking about Archer, Smith Said; “There’s been a lot of talk that he’s got the wood over me, but he hasn’t actually got me out.”
Archer responded by saying; “Well, I can’t get him out if he wasn’t there. But there’ll be more than ample time to get him out.
“I’m not saying I won’t get him out, but if we don’t get him out there are ten other people we can get out, and if he’s stranded on 40 that’s not helping his team too much. He can’t do it all himself. We want to win the game. I’m not here to get caught up in a contest with one man. I want to win the Ashes.”
With a fast pitch, potential turn, a war of words and everything to play for I can’t wait for the test to get underway.
It took a while to get out. It’s always awkward trying to bustle from your row onto the stairs. The stairs were steep. Really steep. But once you’re off them then it’s okay.
There’s no concourse like what we’re used to in this country. It’s all open when you get out of the stands. You then go down a winding ramp in those big towers, that make the stadium look like something out of an old Star Trek series, to get out.
Inter and Roma had just played-out a 1-1 draw at San Siro back in April. And, as me and my brother, made our twenty-minute walk back to the hotel, we spoke of how the draw suited the visitors from the capital more, Kwadwo Asamoah’s brilliant performance and that song.
Four times we heard it during the stadium.
“Amala! Pazza Inter Amala!,” it annoyingly goes. It’s catchy but so annoying. “Love it! Crazy Inter Love It!,” it also bizarrely translates to.
Last night however, Inter were not in action, it was the turn of the other two teams tipped for the Serie A title.
Juventus hosted Napoli in Turin. An insane fixture for the computer to throw out for Matchday Two.
And what an insane game it was.
Danilo opened the scoring for Juve, coming on for the injured Mattia De Sciglio on sixteen minutes, and scoring with his first touch. Gonzalo Higuain doubled the lead just two minutes later with a sensational, Bergkamp-esque turn-and-finish.
Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo got in on the act too. He finished well on his weaker left foot just after the hour mark after neat play from Douglas Costa.
Maurizio Sarri’s side seemed comfortable. They were rightly taking their time on the ball, happy with their lead, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side had other ideas.
Kostas Manolas, debutant Hirving Lozano and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, making just his second appearance, completed the comeback with nine minutes left out of nowhere.
Then, in the ninety-second minute, Kalidou Koulibaly sliced a deep freekick into the back of his own net. Juventus 4 Napoli 3.
It was a breathless goal-fest filled with horrendous defending and countless eyebrow movements of disbelieve and frustration, the likes of which would give Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke and run for her money, from Ancelotti on the touchline.
Maurizio Sarri was absent from the opposing technical area last night. The sixty-year-old is suffering with pneumonia, though he still refuses to give up smoking.
Yet it’s fair to say that Juve looked far from the structured, efficient side of Max Allegri that we are all used to.
They looked fluid. Ronaldo and Blaise Matuidi combined well on the left, with one going wide when the other moved infield. It’s a role the Frenchman has become accustom to for his national side.
Miralem Pjanic is the metronome (the Jorginho) in this side, playing a bit deeper and safer than he usually does.
Higuain, who is adamant that he can recapture that 2015/16 thirty-six goal season under Sarri, started upfront and ran well. Though Il Bianconeri are still looking to offload both him and Mario Mandzukic before Tuesday’s European transfer deadline.
Maurizio Sarri’s sides are not particularly known for their defensive prowess, something completely unlike “the Juventus way” of old.
Giorgio Chiellini tore his ACL in training this week and the thirty-five-year-old was replaced by £67.5m-man Matthijs de Ligt, who made his debut. He really struggled alongside Leonardo Bonucci last night, being at fault for not simply tracking his man on two of the goals.
Though Sarri has not been on the sideline for either of Juve’s matches yet this season, the Sarrification of the Old Lady has well and truly begun.
For a team that favours substance over style however, it will be interesting so see how the Juventini faithful react to the style of play if things go south.
Napoli, meanwhile, will be devastated that they didn’t get anything out of last night.
Kostas Manolas was brought in from Roma this Summer and he and Koulibaly looked like, on paper anyway, they could form one of the best partnerships in world football.
So far, Napoli have conceded seven goals in two games.
They have however also scored seven, but Ancelotti’s desire to make the side a little less raw than that of Sarri seems a way off.
They still have the terrifying pace on the counter. With Lorenzo Insigne, Arkadiusz Milik, Jose Callejon, Dries Mertens, Hirving Lozano and the probable incoming of Fernando Llorente from Spurs, Napoli will once again be some watch this year.
Ancelotti faces a similar job to what Jurgen Klopp had at the start of last season at Liverpool however. No team can simply blitz teams to a league title.
Napoli have to become more astute and foundationally solid, and in Ancelotti they have a man-manager who could do just that in his second season.
Inter Milan face Cagliari tonight (19.45 KO, Premier Sports). The Nerazzurri beat Lecce 4-0 at San Siro last week, looking superb under new manager Antonio Conte.
Conte turned down the Roma job in the Summer, stating that he needed to be somewhere where he could win Serie A in the first year, and that well and truly could be here at Inter.
Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez have been added to the already impressive squad. English fans might think that those two are a gamble, though there is a sense in Europe that Manchester United themselves are the problem.
Think Daley Blind, Angel Di Maria and now potentially Chris Smalling, who has gone on loan to Roma, who have thrived after moving away from Old Trafford.
Of course, Conte is playing three-at-the-back. In Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij and Diego Godin, Inter should be completely sound at the back. Ex-Hull man Andrea Ranocchia even came in last weekend and was superb.
Antonio Candreva could be set for a new lease of life too. He played right wingback immensely last time out, thriving in the amount of space created by the 3-5-2 system.
Lukaku was joined by the ever-unselfish, intelligent Lautaro Martinez against Lecce. The two played really well considering the awkward situation of Mauro Icardi still looms constantly in the background.
The Argentinian striker, who’s agent and wife, Wanda, criticised some of former manager Luciano Spalletti’s decision last year, has been left in the wilderness for months.
It’s believed that he does not want a move away however, unless it’s to Juventus. The latest is that he might even take Inter to court for their treatment of him.
The title race in Serie A this season looks set to be the best in Europe. And last night’s fixture between Juventus and Napoli just proved as further evidence to that claim.
The superstar-laden Juventus now have a coach with a progressive philosophy; the potential pretenders Napoli continue to blow teams away but have the ideal manager to make them champions; whilst Inter have a serial winner in charge of an ever-improving squad.
I’m not saying Inter will win the Serie A title this season, but that song, “Pazza Inter Amala!“, has been ousted by Antonio Conte as the club tries to move away from old traditions and mentalities of being second-best challengers to title winners.
Few people are giving Luke Campbell a fighting chance against three-weight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko on the Ukrainians fight on English soil since his second Olympic gold medal victory at London 2012. Can the Briton upset the odds and pull off a shock result at the O2 Arena?
There are a few similarities to draw from the two starts to the fighters’ careers. The pair both won gold medals at the 2008 European Championships in Liverpool and the 2012 Olympics in London before debuting professionally in 2013. As they stand face to face six years on, it’s fair to say they’ve had quite different journeys in the professional game.
Lomachenko, with a current record of 13 wins and one defeat has the most deceiving of records to date. Following an amateur career of almost 400 fights and only one defeat, the 31-year-old has won featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight world titles in his relentless pursuit of the #1 pound-for-pound spot.
Campbell, on the other hand, has had 22 fights in his six years as a pro, winning 20 times and losing twice. All in the lightweight division with one world title fight that ended in narrow defeat.
That defeat came via a split decision against Jorge Linares in a fight that Campbell controlled at stages and came within an inch of dethroning the Venezuelan. Linares only held the belt for eight months longer however, a spellbinding performance from a certain Ukrainian put him to bed in clinical fashion.
Linares feeling the power of a Lomachenko body shot. (Credit: Top Rank Boxing)
El Nino de Oro stands as the only common opponent between Campbell and Lomachenko to date, and the contrast in the two performances reflect the gulf in class between the two. On one hand, Lomachenko was dominant and controlling yet patient from round one and never looked back. On the other, Linares’ second round knockdown forced a slow start out of Campbell, who used his reach well throughout but struggled to consistently nullify the counter threat.
The Yorkshireman will need to use his height and reach advantage impeccably from the off if he is to really give ‘The Matrix’ something to think about. Campbell has shown signs of his ruthless nature in recent encounters with Troy James and Adrian Yung that both lasted five rounds, as well as his patient, methodical style displayed in the Mendy rematch. If he is to win tonight, he needs to channel both of these styles in a combination of explosiveness and efficiency before Lomachenko can install enough information into that ‘Hi-Tech’ robotic mind to pick him apart.
Campbell celebrating the victory in the rematch against Yvan Mendy. (Credit: Boxing Sphere)
Despite being optimistic about Campbell’s chances, there is one surprising factor that sways the fight further in Loma’s favour: the venue. Upon his arrival in England, the Ukrainian has been given a hero’s welcome and rightly so given its comparisons to Muhammad Ali’s appearances on these shores in the Sixties. But this is Campbell’s home country, and he will be given a disappointing level of home advantage due to the admiration and respect his opponent obtains.
Have it in Hull, Leeds or even Manchester and you can promise a much different atmosphere come fight night which would be rightly in Campbell’s favour. Boxing is a sport fuelled by emotion and a packed out KCOM Stadium or First Direct Arena may well have given Campbell the 10% boost he needs.
Nevertheless, the fight will take place in London, and it is a fight I believe Lomachenko would win resoundingly regardless of the location. I expect Campbell to put in a fantastic performance and do about as much as he can, but there’s no stopping Lomachenko.
BehindClosedDoors’ prediction: Vasyl Lomachenko to win by KO/TKO in round eight.
Racing takes place on ITV4 with live racing from Sandown, Beverley and Chester.
1:50 Sandown:
The opening race at Sandown is a wide-open looking sprint handicap. Saaheq looks to have a decent chance after his run last time at Doncaster. He met trouble in running when finishing 2nd behind Orvar and if he had a bit more luck last time, he probably would have won. He is also a course and distance winner last year. Any market support for this horse would be welcomed as when Mick Appleby’s horses get backed, they normally take a lot of stopping.
Another rival would be Justanotherbottle who has been running against higher rated animals. Stepping down in class should show him in best effect and I think he’s a solid each way chance.
Gracious John is looking dangerously handicapped after dropping to a mark of 84. He last won of 98 and had his first run for his new stable last time out. Maybe the change of scenery will do the old boy some good and a decent 7lb claimer takes of his back.
Verdict – Gracious John 12/1
2:05 Beverley:
Dark Vision looks to put his head in front for the first time since blitzing the field in the Vintage Stakes last year at Goodwood. He was subject of a big gamble last time at York when punting from 16/1 into 4/1 favourite but could only finish 6th. Personally, he’s a horse still of interest as Mark Johnston has a great strike rate at Beverley as his horses normally have a front running style which suits the track. However, this horse tends to be held up so would be interesting to see how they ride him.
Good Birthday has finished behind the Johnston horse this season off the same weight. He ran in the London Gold Cup and as usual the form of that has come out to be strong. He’s been off for nearly 2 months now and when Andrew Balding sends his horses north they normally mean business. Ben Curtis books and I think he’ll run a big race at the prices.
Verdict – Good Birthday 3/1
2:25 Sandown:
Country looks to make it a 4-timer under Liam Jones after absolutely hosing up in two northern maidens and a northern handicap. He’s gone up 5lb for his win last time and he has a low weight in this but is on the improve and could be special.
Migration won over course and distance last time and won well under a great ride from SDS. He also is still relatively unexposed for a trainer whose horses have been running really well this season. He’s gone up 6lb for that win and runs off a career high mark but if he gets let loose on the front who could be dangerous.
Mordin would be each way play especially with 7lb claimer Marco Ghiani on board and he sets the standard but could be found out by unexposed rivals.
Verdict – Country 5/2
2:45 Chester:
First bit of graded action at Chester sees a tricky looking Listed race over a 1M 6Fm. Strivers is interesting having joined Dermot Weld from Argentina and running in Dr Lambe’s colours (Winner of Gold Cup – Lord Windermere). I don’t think Dermot Weld would send a horse over unless it has a chance and with Chris Hayes booked is interesting.
Outbox heads the market but has been slightly disappointing in his last two starts. Andrea Atzeni gets the leg back up after two quick runs.
Persian Moon’s form from early this year looked very good at the time but has taken knocks since. He is very exposed, but this is a race he could dominate and steps up in trip for the first time. Jason Hart booked and you can expect a power packed ride from the front.
Verdict – Strivers 3/1
3:00 Sandown:
Jubiloso looks to get back on the side of the punters after a horror run last time at Goodwood. She ran excellently in a Group 1 at Royal Ascot after her 3rd start and a reproduction of that run would see her fly in here.
Duneflower won a listed race last time which looked a strong renewal of the race. She was held up and came from last to first. She is clearly in good form and when fillies are on a roll at this time in the season, they are normally difficult to get past. She could be competitive under Frankie Dettori.
Lavender’s Blue is a horse I’ve always had a bog interest in after she won well at Newmarket. She flopped in the Oaks when far too keen and I’d keep her on your side. Could be decent value each way at 12/1.
Verdict – Jubiloso EVENS
3:15 Beverley:
The Beverley Bullet is Beverley’s marquee race meeting of the season. Draw is crucial in this race and market leader Tis Marvellous has been drawn ideally in 2. He won very impressively at Ascot and this has clearly been the target as he hasn’t run since July. I think he sets a solid standard here.
Danzeno has been drawn in the car park in stall 9. He’s been in good form this season and if the race falls apart, he could sweep up the pieces late on.
Copper Knight ran well last time in the Nunthorpe when finishing 5th at his beloved York. He could be dangerous if going off from the front. He has run at Beverley before and was disappointing but I’m willing to put a line through that.
Judicial is 2-2 over course and distance and the stiff track is ideal. Stall 3 is great, and I think he could come late on the seen and pick up the pieces under Joe Fanning.
Verdict – Judicial 8/1
3:35 Sandown:
The feature race of the day, the Solario Stakes sees two top class juveniles lock horns. Positive ran well behind Pinatubo who is the leading juvenile this season. He beat the rest of the field well last time at Goodwood and I think he will be very difficult to beat here.
Al Suhail is his main rival who won impressively at Yarmouth last time. He was just touched off in a hot maiden at the July Meeting. He is very promising and has a Dewhurst entry but for me Positive has the form set in higher graded level whereas the Appleby runner has to step up to this level.
Visinari has been the talking horse of the season after his win at Newmarket was thought to be the best thing since sliced bread. He has disappointed since and has to find something extra to be competitive with the front two. Kameko looked as green as grass and a big gangly type when winning last time out. The form of that race has been boosted with the winner winning this week. He will have improved from that run and could be each way value.
First welcomes second this weekend to Elland Road in a top of the table clash that sees Leeds United play host to Steve Cooper’s Swansea City.
The Welsh side have arguably been the Championship’s surprise package so far, as they have started the post Dan James and Ollie McBurnie era in fine form.
The Swans come to the party with a near-identical record with Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites; level on points and with a goal difference inferior by one.
United, buoyed by the return of skipper Liam Cooper, head into the game after bowing out of the League Cup on penalties to Stoke City; days after putting three past the Potters on their own turf in the league.
If Leeds’ start under Bielsa was exciting last season, the attacking play this term has been devastatingly scary for opposition defences.
Whilst ten goals in five games may not appear too out of the ordinary, the intensity of United’s press and amount of chances created under El Loco this season has been a level above the Argentine’s debut foray into the English game.
In Pablo Hernandez, the league leaders have the most creative player in the league bar none, whilst Patrick Bamford has hit the ground running with Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah hot on the ex-Chelsea man’s heels.
The stand-out player for many Leeds fans this time though has been 21-year-old Ben White. Having huge shoes to fill in that of cult-hero Pontus Jansson, the Brighton loanee has looked assured and confident in a defence that has kept three clean sheets in five league games.
Borja Bastón is the one to watch for the visitors; the Atlético Madrid academy product has hit five so far this term – one more than Bamford and is the league’s top marksman.
The Swans hit League 2 side Cambridge United for six on Wednesday night in a mightily impressive performance, as Bournemouth loanee Sam Surridge netted a double at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea will be hoping for more celebrations like on Saturday at Elland Road. (Credit: @SwansOfficial)
Leeds are set to have a fully fit squad, bar long-term absentees Tyler Roberts and Luke Ayling, but Marcelo Bielsa is wary of the threat the visitors will offer.
“Swansea City are showing a good level, they have a very clear idea on how to play. They are a solid team; they know how to defend and attack,” he told club media.
If Leeds’ trio of Kalvin Phillips, Adam Forshaw and Poland international Mateusz Klich can stamp their authority on the game and dominate the midfield then the home side have enough to beat anyone in the division; but they will need to watch Bastón and contain former Man City starlet Bersant Celina.
Out of the twenty meetings at Elland Road between the two clubs, Leeds have won 16 with the last ten meetings in LS11 all going the way of the Whites.
Swansea’s one and only win came way back in September of 1949. Can they repeat that feat 70 years on?
Behind Closed Doors’ prediction: Leeds United 3-1 Swansea City
The 2019/20 English Football League season is now up and running, five games in and teams are starting to hit their stride. The season wont start for League One Bury however, who have devastatingly been expelled from the EFL.
Owner Steven Dale took charge of the club last year for £1. Since then Bury have been promoted and should have been looking forward to challenging themselves at a higher level. This has been far from the case as players and staff alike haven’t had their wages paid either on time, or in most cases – at all, while various companies and creditors have been left out of pocket through negligent ownership of the club.
Bury’s successful squad and management team have largely cancelled their contracts and gone on to pastures new. The club has been run into the ground and subjected to countless winding up orders, deadlines and sanctions.
None of this seemed to bother Steven Dale however, who remained unconcerned and disinterested by the demise of a historic, two time FA Cup winning football club he’d seemingly bought with the sole intention of making money out of, one way or another.
The situation reached a head as the club were given a deadline of midnight on 23rd August to find a buyer which could guarantee Bury’s financial future and allow the club to start playing fixtures. If this did not happen, the club would cease to exist. Unfortunately, even with an extended deadline of August 27th, the club could not be saved – Bury FC, founded in 1885, are no more.
Bury players celebrate during their 2018/19 promotion season. (Credit: @buryfcofficial)
The loyal supporters and people who care for the club are already talking of starting up afresh next season at the base of the English football pyramid, but at the same time, realistically, we could have seen the last of a wonderful, community driven football club.
At the same time, League One compatriots Bolton Wanderers are in dire straights financially too. Though they have managed to fulfill some fixtures, it has been with few senior players. Youth players aged between 16 and 19 have mainly took to the field as, like Bury, the wages to senior pros have been repeatedly unpaid, leading to players moving on or refusing to play.
Owner Ken Anderson has been accused of reckless ownership and dereliction of duty as club custodian. Again subject to countless winding up orders and sanctions, Anderson’s methods and decisions have regularly looked to be against the needs of the club, with conflicts of interest aplenty in regards to where and to whom club funds have been distributed.
Bolton are a footballing institution, one of the 12 founder members of the English game and in existence for 145 years. The club has numerous FA Cup victories to it’s name and was playing European football against the likes of Bayern Munich not too long ago. To see the club handled in this manner is difficult from the outside and must be heartbreaking for everyone with an attachment with to ‘The Trotters’.
Manager Phil Parkinson, who resigned recently, worked tirelessly to get a team on the field but with the welfare rules regarding under 18’s playing so many matches, the situation and future of Bolton Wanderers needs urgent attention and action before it reaches an unrecoverable level and they too are unable to meet fixture requirements. They have been issued with a deadline of midnight on September 12th to satisfy the authorities of their financial position, otherwise they too will face expulsion from the EFL.
Bolton’s young squad celebrate a goal at Rochdale. (Credit: @OfficialBWFC)
Although clubs have sporadically gone to the wall in the past, financial insecurity appears to be becoming a regular occurrence now, in times when the game has such wealth by comparison to yesteryear; though unevenly spread wealth causes its own problems. Wages at the top level are growing more and more astronomical by the season and teams feel the need to spend more to compete. But if the revenue isn’t trickling down, owners and boardrooms can make hasty decisions in a gamble to keep apace with the competition.
Suffice to say that clubs first and foremost need to live within their means. They should be safeguarding their own future and form a plan that allows them to be as self sufficient as possible. This will not happen if you have the wrong people allowed to take charge and manoeuvre the club to their own ends.
The likes of Charlton, Leyton Orient, Macclesfield and recently relegated Notts County have all reached worrying levels of unacceptable ownership and financial sustainability in recent times and it’s a situation that needs urgent protocols put in place by all concerned, both internally and externally.
People being allowed control of football clubs when their morals, aspirations and way of thinking is clearly to the detriment of what the club requires or needs should be governed and evaluated far more thoroughly than it is currently. It requires effective, strong and responsible leadership from the game’s governing bodies, which puts the clubs’ viability and future at the heart of their decisions.
To the towns of Bury and Bolton (and everywhere else around the country), the football clubs are huge parts of the community, passed down from generation to generation. They are something that should be protected, providing a social outlet and a source of local, regional and national pride. From the pre-match routine of supporters to the nearby local businesses that rely on the custom, football, and it’s connections and ties, is a way of life. An emotional attachment which takes people away from their worries elsewhere.
English football has the best pyramid system in the world, it needs looking after, sustaining and regulating properly. The EFL, along with the FA (with more thoughtful assistance from the Premier League) need to put together a clear plan and structure before it is too late for any more football clubs. There’s many – and some obvious – options open to them to allow better transparency, ownership and financial infrastructure all round.
When a potential owner is involved in the purchase of a football club, they must pass a ‘fit and proper’ persons (buyer) assessment. It has become obvious that this ‘test’ is not fit for purpose, inept and without thorough investigation. There is no way an individual who has an awful track record of business failures, both within and outside of football, and no knowledge of the necessities involved should be handed the reigns to a community/national asset on a whim.
The Football Association and the EFL need to rectify this immediately. They need to take responsibility for their member clubs, the institutions that are the bedrock of our game and are their responsibility to help maintain and sustain. If this is not the case, then what is the role of the EFL? What is the aims of a governing body if it is not to oversee and guide its members and stakeholders?
Surely, with the money involved and invested in our game nowadays, an independent regulator needs to be set up to oversee the financial running of football clubs, with the objective of helping and ensuring clubs ‘cut their cloth’ accordingly to their situation, aswell as ensuring the correct individuals or groups are allowed to take charge of clubs; people that have the club’s interest at heart and are working in the club’s benefit.
The aforementioned regulator could have correspondence and links to football’s governing bodies, but remain independent, unattached and working with the sole aim of safeguarding the clubs’ financial future at whatever level they ply their trade.
A salary cap has been mentioned many times previously and would be an option to help clubs to stay within budgets and limit players and agents asking for over inflated wages and bonuses. With football being such a huge part of the history, heritage and culture throughout England, I find it surprising that football clubs over 100 years old are unable to claim the same stature as listed buildings, which would put off anybody looking to purchase a football club for nothing more than personal gain as the assets and land attributed to football clubs would not be available for sale on the say-so of one individual or company.
Charlton manager Lee Bowyer has done a superb job under difficult circumstances at The Valley. (Credit: @CAFCofficial)
I think it’s fair to say there are ways the Premier League could do more too. As said previously, clubs need to live within their means first and foremost, but they are hampered in some ways by rules which blatantly favour the bigger clubs at the expense of the lower leagues. Clubs in non-league and the lower echelons of the football league set up academies, bring through talented players which are then hoovered up by the bigger clubs for miniscule amounts of compensation. Big clubs also regularly charge loan fees for their players to gain first team experience, which, with the money the top flight is engulfed with, seems a little unnecessary and self-serving. Ultimately many minor rules and loopholes are there for the good of the top teams, with little thought of the impact lower down the pyramid.
The football idealist in me recognised the Premier League were quick to reward Richard Scudamore with a £5m bonus upon his departure as CEO, yet squabble over allowing any of the incredulous finances they have to trickle down and support the game as a whole. This, along with a constantly nonchalant attitude from the top level towards the needs of those further down the ladder, leads to so many questions from lower league supporters and people who love the game as a whole. Does this seem appropriate? Do they care? Have they forgotten where they came from before the riches arrived? Is this the way the leaders of our national game should see things? For something to flourish and prosper at the top, surely the foundations need to be solid and well maintained aswell.
I fully understand looking at this from an emotional viewpoint is naive, but isn’t football an emotive sport? One who’s structure seems broken, unbalanced and increasingly based on greed. I think it’s fair to say an awful lot more could be done to protect it for future generations.
Many of the Premier League’s and England’s national teams biggest and most notable stars gained the necessary experience and development at lower league clubs, both adding to their quality and value, and I’m sure the top clubs would like that relationship to continue. We have a vast amount of resources in the game in this country, but it’s set up on a very top heavy basis at the moment and for the game to flourish for everyone, this needs balancing up a little.
In terms of helping the governance of club ownerships, perhaps English football could implement the ’50+1′ rule which was set up to protect German football. This allows clubs to have 51% fan/club stakeholding, meaning no club can fall under the control of unscrupulous individuals or commercial enterprises. It is a law which puts the clubs first before any personal interests and motives, protecting their future and allowing natural growth and progression. This is the kind of forethought needed from the FA and the EFL if we are to believe they’re acting for their member clubs and not for individual/corporate gain.
The organisations that control our game seem very reactive rather than proactive in terms of taking actions and providing guidelines that help our game progress. However they are quick to remove areas of the game from their traditional standing, taking the League Cup draws to various parts of the world to be done and trying to cater for an overseas market/sponsor to the detriment of the fans at home.
Many people feel the EFL requires a complete reform. It certainly needs to readress it aims, purpose and structure. Ultimately, the governing body for the 72 (now 71) football league teams needs to look out for and act in the interests of it’s clubs more. It needs an understanding of what these clubs mean, from both a practical and emotive standpoint, and need from a more proactive setup, one which isn’t controlled by and dictated to by the Premier League. The EFL need to take responsibility, be firm but helpful and put in place some accountability measures in terms of the financial control and ownership of it’s member clubs.
One club lost is one too many, shameful for English football at every juncture . Lessons need to be learned quickly to protect more clubs and communities from a very bleak future.
BehindClosedDoors 