Too much of a good thing: Are round-the-clock matches giving you football fatigue? February 16, 2021 As I’m sure most readers of this publication will be aware, one of the characteristics of money is that there is a limited supply of it. Scarcity equals value, and that’s something which the football world might soon need to take into account. The pandemic’s impact has condensed the football season and, for many of [...]
Uefa snubs Israeli offer to stage Euro 2020 matches and reaffirms commitment to 12 host nations February 16, 2021 Uefa says it is not pursuing an offer from Israel to help with hosting Euro 2020 and European club competitions. Israel’s world-leading Covid-19 vaccination programme means it would be well placed to welcome fans to matches. The Israel Football Association confirmed it had offered Uefa the use of three stadiums for staging matches at this [...]
Why are English clubs playing Champions League and Europa League matches at neutral venues? February 16, 2021 Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are all playing Champions League fixtures at neutral venues this month. The same is true for Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the Europa League. So why is it happening? Why have both legs of Arsenal’s tie been moved? Why is Leicester’s trip to Prague unaffected? And what does [...]
Henley Regatta at risk of cancellation for second year in a row after plans for June start are scrapped February 15, 2021 The Henley Regatta is in danger of being cancelled for the second year running after organisers said it would not start in June as planned. Organisers hope to stage the regatta in August instead, if not in Henley itself then at Dorney Lake. The five-day rowing spectacular on the Thames last year suffered the first [...]
Why Manchester City’s 16-game winning streak is even better than you think February 15, 2021 Let’s start with what is indisputable: Pep Guardiola has turned Manchester City back into the best team in England. Through the flames of the dumpster fire that is Liverpool’s title defence, City have marched to the summit like a team of indestructible terminators. Seven points clear and with a game in hand, only a monumental [...]
Angels in America, now on-demand, is more relevant than ever February 13, 2021 In the same month Russell T Davies’ It’s A Sin has become the most talked-about TV show in the world, the National Theatre has made its own dramatisation of the AIDS crisis, Angels in America, available to watch on-demand for the first time. Both begin in the 1980s, just as the virus is taking hold [...]
Is Liverpool’s defeat by Manchester City a sign that history is repeating itself for Jurgen Klopp February 13, 2021 To paraphrase Liverpool owner John Henry, what do you think they’re smoking at Anfield? Because something is up with the champions. Losing to your main domestic rivals is one thing. Losing to them 4-1 at home is another. And losing to them when you are 27 points down on your tally at the same stage [...]
RFU: No relegation from Premiership or Championship this season February 12, 2021 The Rugby Football Union has confirmed that there will be no relegation from either the Premiership or Championship at the end of the current season. One team will be promoted from the Championship, meaning next year’s Premiership will consist of 13 teams, and the Championship 11. That team is widely expected to be Saracens, who [...]
WandaVision Episode 6 review – a spooky special February 12, 2021 *** WARNING: This review contains spoilers for all current episodes of WandaVision *** Episode 5 of WandaVision was a huge info dump, as events both sides of The Hex began to run parallel to each other. Episode 6 has its own share of explainers, but we do get a big departure in terms of aesthetic. [...]
The TV shows that kept us sane through lockdown February 12, 2021 As we approach the anniversary of the first lockdown, it’s becoming hard to remember a time when we did anything besides working all day in our pyjamas and settling down for yet another evening of TV. More than ever, the things that we have watched have helped to define and reflect the public mood, either [...]