The City A.M. Punter Podcast EP:32 Kempton & Chepstow Christmas meetings December 24, 2020 The King George at Kempton is always the main feature at this time of the year, and we will preview this year’s renewal, along with the stamina sapping Welsh National and other top races over the Christmas period with City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile. Trainer David Pipe joins us to discuss the chances of [...]
Trevor Steven’s heroes and villains of football in 2020 December 24, 2020 From Jack Grealish to Liverpool becoming champions of England again at last, the resurgence of Everton and Leeds to empty stadiums and bad rule changes; football in 2020 may have felt different but it was still eventful. Here, City A.M. football columnist Trevor Steven picks his heroes and villains of this unique year. Greal deal [...]
Major League Cricket: Silicon Valley and Bollywood’s grand plan to make America fall in love with T20 December 23, 2020 People don’t tend to associate the game of cricket with the United States. The world’s second most popular sport has an estimated global following of 2.5bn, yet has struggled to attract an audience in the US, where American football, baseball, and basketball dominate the live sport broadcasting schedule. But a group of investors that includes [...]
Ollie Phillips: Rugby in 2020 had fairytale triumphs and falls from grace, but it could all be derailed in 2021 December 23, 2020 Rugby in 2020 has been a mixed bag, with both fairytale triumphs and causes for real alarm. The club game delivered gripping storylines in the rise of Exeter from second-tier to European champions and the demise of Saracens. International rugby has suffered, though, and questions about concussion and dementia leave the sport in a vulnerable [...]
The Big Sport Quiz of 2020: How well were you following the action this year? December 22, 2020 Roll up, roll up: it’s City A.M.’s Big Sport Quiz of 2020! Yes, a lot of it was severely disrupted and most of it happened without fans present, but there was still plenty of vintage sport and some intriguing storylines to follow. So test your knowledge on our selection of questions covering all major sports [...]
Chris Tremlett: Why Zak Crawley’s double century was my cricket highlight of 2020 December 22, 2020 How a player starts their international career can be defining, so my cricket highlight of 2020 was a young man laying down a marker. Zak Crawley’s double century for England in the third Test against the West Indies during the summer was really impressive. A performance like that should fill the 22-year-old Kent batsman with [...]
Sam Torrance: The golf year in review, from Superman Bryson DeChambeau to doyen of commentary Peter Alliss December 21, 2020 This has been a strange year and that has been true in golf as well. We all hope that normality can resume in every respect in 2021, and that tournaments will not have to be postponed or cancelled again. In the circumstances, the European Tour deserves great credit for putting measures in place to resume [...]
Triller: Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg and the TikTok rivalling video app’s big plans to shake up sports broadcasting December 18, 2020 Three weeks ago in Los Angeles, a 54-year-old Mike Tyson fought a 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr in a boxing match that was unusual not only for the age of its participants. Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Tyson showed glimpses of his old power and speed as the judges surprisingly scored the eight-round contest as a [...]
The City A.M. Punter Podcast EP:31 Ascot, Haydock & Hong Kong December 18, 2020 There’s some great jumps action this weekend at Ascot & Haydock, where the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle is the feature at the Berkshire course. Trainer Emma Lavelle is our guest, discussing the chances of Paisley Park who runs on Saturday afternoon at Ascot. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of the [...]
Jamie Peacock: Rugby league great on the importance of mindset, ultramarathons, Rob Burrow, and accepting the risk of dementia December 18, 2020 “I was never the most physically talented player,” says Jamie Peacock. It is a remarkable statement from someone who stands 6ft 5in, became a titan of rugby league and won the game’s Man of Steel award. But it reflects Peacock’s conviction that mentality and character are everything. “My ability to get the best out of [...]