Watching an Ashes series without the inspirational Stuart Broad in it will be a challenge for all of us – not least for the man himself, who sums up the true magic of the occasion…
IT ’ S HARDLY A SECRET, my relationship with the Ashes. A year from now the series will be well under way in Australia, and the next chapter in Ashes history will be shaping up. I think of what I went through as a player in the heat of battle, the very same things that have been happening since the 1880s.
I was experiencing the same rivalry that was felt by Harold Larwood, Don Bradman and Sir Ian Botham. It’s that history, and the characters central to it, that make the Ashes so special to be a part of. As a player, it’s something you’re incredibly aware of.
Reflecting on my Ashes debut in 2009, I’d been part of the Test setup for almost three years, but I perhaps hadn’t experienced anything on this scale. I was
incredibly conscious that I was stepping on to the stage on which so many household names had trodden. With that, comes a lot of expectation and pressure.
During my career, I had this analogy in my head about playing international sport: when you’re driving in a car along a straight road, you’ve got to keep yourself on the tarmac. There are so many uncontrollable elements that could knock you off the road or distract you at any moment. All that chaos peaks during an
The noise was so intense, and it sounded like all the crowd was screaming was: “Kill, kill, kill!”
Ashes series like no other time in cricket.
Towards the end of my career, when the build-up was even more intense with rolling news and increased social media attention, it was almost a relief to start a series.
I could count on one hand how many times I suffered cramp in my England career, yet three of those were on day one of an Ashes series. I think that shows the heightened sense of expectation that came from playing in those occasions, which could result in some anxiety. That said, I preferred not to think of this added pressure as resulting in nerves. I’d always try to reframe ‘nerves’ so that the feeling would be of positivity or added excitement and energy. I wanted that same feeling to benefit me, rather than hinder me or my
performance. ‘Nerves’ would only be a short-term feeling. Once you got into a game, experience would see you through. That was the plan.
HOME CROWDS have always helped with that. The fans can be so influential, which explains why there is such a big difference between playing at home or going Down Under. The role the Barmy Army play – as well as the broader English fanbase –has massively contributed to Australia not winning the Ashes in England since 2001. And the more experienced I got in my career, the more I realised how much I needed the crowd; how influential they could be for energy on the field. I’d often →
BY NICHOLAS GODFREY
→ identify times to try to lift the crowd, which would help me run in and galvanise the team. One moment sticks in my mind, during the 2023 series. I managed to bowl David Warner at Edgbaston on a very slow, low pitch. I got back to my mark and started to rev the crowd up with my right arm. The Hollies was bouncing. I’ll never forget it. I turned to start my run-up and deliver my first ball to the new batsman, Marnus Labuschagne. Honestly, I just wanted him to think: “Wow, this noise is mad.” Anything to distract his concentration on that proverbial straight road. I ended up getting him caught behind first ball, with Jonny Bairstow taking an amazing diving catch. ‘The Hollies’ should have been jotted down on the scorebook; the fans were so instrumental.
Yet the very reverse happened to me earlier in my career, during the 2010-11 Test in Brisbane. The crowd well and truly got the better of me. I came out to bat, after Peter Siddle had removed both Alastair Cook and Matt Prior in consecutive
PLUS ÇA CHANGE
Every six months, I discuss the significant improvements we are making to the business. It often seems like change is all we need. However, as with UK Racing and Jaguar, change for the sake of it can sometimes be counterproductive.
With that in mind, we are doubling down on a few of our non-negotiables. We have just opened a brand-new Fitzdares Club in Chester, extended our Windsor Racecourse sponsorship for three more years, and have given the Private Office a massive upgrade — albeit after some hiccups!
That said, there are a few things that do need to change. You’ve spoken. We’ve listened. In 2025, we will roll out a new, state-of-the-art app that we hope will hugely improve your experience.
Have a great Christmas, and we can’t wait to see you at the Fitzdares Winter Millions at Windsor in January.
William Woodhams, CEO
deliveries. Walking out to the crease at the Gabba, all I could hear was 45,000 Aussies letting their support be known.
As Siddle ran in to bowl, it felt like a scene from Gladiator. The noise was so intense, and it sounded like all the crowd was screaming was: “Kill, kill, kill!” In that moment, I completely lost my concentration and the ball hit me on the toe. Siddle had his hat-trick. I’ve well and truly experienced both sides of the crowd!
My dad won the Ashes in 1986/87, so while I’ve grown up with family history on our side, I’d also not seen England win the Ashes until 2005. It was because of this that I didn’t just have a goal of playing in an Ashes series, but of winning Ashes series.
MY MIND WAS VERY FOCUSED on putting in performances against the Aussies, and when I look back now, a lot of my best ones were against Australia. Trent Bridge in 2015, to help us retain the Ashes would probably be the number one.
Finishing my career against Australia in the way I was fortunate to do would also be right up there. I wanted to make sure my last game of cricket was in an Ashes series. There was something about Test cricket that brought out the best in me.
The Ashes wasn’t always a high, though. One of the biggest challenges in my career also came at Trent Bridge, during the 2013 series. At the time it felt like such a non-event, nicking the ball but not walking when the umpire gave me not out. I didn’t think about it again until the end of the day, when I was asked to do the press. It was all anyone wanted to speak about. I think in ten back-to-back Ashes Tests that year, there were 20-odd instances of players nicking the ball and not walking – but I was the only one criticised.
I was quite surprised it had become a big story, but that’s the hype of Ashes cricket. I even had to deal with Darren Lehmann, the Australian head coach, calling for the Australian public to send me home crying, calling me a blatant cheat.
Looking ahead to next year, I think England will be the best prepared since the last tour we won there in 2010/11. The mentality that Brendan McCullum and Ben Stokes have brought to the group means the batsmen will be able to take on the
I didn’t just have a goal of playing in an Ashes series, but of winning Ashes series.
Australian bowlers and score on those pitches. Duckett, Crawley, Root and Brook are the cornerstone of that batting line-up. Their style could really suit playing on those wickets.
While Australia are still a world-class team, they are a slightly ageing team. Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are not getting any younger, and I’m not really sure of who is behind them in terms of talent coming through. The same with their batsmen; Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja are world-class, but we haven’t seen much of the next wave of talent coming through. David Warner even threw
his hat back in the ring recently, didn’t he? Australia will always be a difficult place to go and win, but I feel like England are building something and have picked a group of players in recent times that will suit playing in Australia. Jamie Smith behind the stumps has shown his class with the bat. Shoaib Bashir was also picked on his attributes, it being favourable to bowling leg spin on pitches that bounce a bit. If you plotted England’s momentum over the past year or two on a graph and overlaid it with Australia’s, I’m confident we’re moving in the right direction ahead of next winter. Hopefully an opportunity for England to write their name into Ashes history once again! n
Stuart Broad is our global Ambassador, and England’s second highest Test match wicket taker.
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FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER
Celebrating with Joe Root during the 2015 Ashes Series vs Australia
TSPEAKER’S CORNER Jeremy Chapman
UNEASY RYDER
HE RYDER CUP MEANS THE WORLD TO ME , always has done, always will. Ever since Jack Nicklaus’s famous concession of a 30-inch putt to Tony Jacklin in the 1969 dead-heat, this biennial showdown between the best of ours and the USA has provided many magical moments, not only in golf but throughout the entire spectrum of sport.
That Nicklaus-Jacklin encounter came when it was just GB & Ireland taking on the all-conquering Americans and it was no contest until Jacklin came along. A tie was like a win for GB&I in those one-sided days as USA had won the previous five, often by a gaping margin, and went on to win the next seven too.
The Americans were tiring of the ritual slaughter and the US captain, the legendary Sam Snead, was livid with the Golden Bear when he had to go home and face the music as the first non-winning US captain since 1957.
Then Europe came along and learned how to win. Nicklaus, noting a young Spaniard called Ballesteros was going places, came up with a solution to waning audiences – bring in the Continentals! – and suggested it to Lord Derby, the president of the European PGA Tour, at the 1977 Ryder Cup. Lo and behold, two years later the Europe vs USA contest was born and developed into what it is today, with almost every edition a nail-biter. It has become a must-see.
In its 97 years, the Ryder Cup has been about passion, team spirit, excellence and good sportsmanship, not just from the players but from partisan spectators too. Money is rarely if ever mentioned. It is always a privilege to witness such exciting theatre. With almost a year to go to the next one, at Bethpage Black on Long Island, the M-word is the hot topic at 19th hole and beyond, first of all because of an alarming increase in ticket prices (but even at $750 they’re sold out, though the touts might let you have one for $1,000), then with the news that the US Ryder Cup team, horrors of horrors, to be PAID.
The $400,000 question (the rough 12-way share-out of the $5 million pot): is tradition to be thrown out of the window along with the Ryder Cup as we know and love it? Each player will get that sum, half going into his own bank account and the rest to a chosen charity. At least, that’s the mooted plan. The exact deal has yet to be unveiled, but it will put unwanted pressure on the Europeans to do the same. This is not a new idea but a tweak on an old one in place since 2000, a year after the USA regained the trophy in a stormy renewal at Brookline, Massachusetts. That week, US stars Phil Mickelson and David Duval broached the money topic with the PGA of America, the club-pro arm of the tour in charge of
To keep reading about the astounding profits this event generates will have stuck in the craws of athletes
the Ryder Cup, with the view to helping a charity of choice. Since then, each team player has received $200,000 from the vast profits but has had to give it away. Europe’s Rory McIlroy understands where the Americans are coming from “because the Ryder Cup does create a lot of revenue”, but he argues that it is important to retain the “purity” of the competition, placing it alongside the Olympics and adding he would actually pay to play in it. Shane Lowry has chimed in with “I just want to play in the Ryder Cup; not interested in the money”, and Tommy Fleetwood has expanded: “Pay me nothing or pay me 10 million, I’m still going to play it. Whatever the Americans are doing is their prerogative. I’ve never thought about getting paid.”
II THINK I UNDERSTAND WHY and how this has happened. The ticket prices will have been a red rag to a bull. And to keep reading about the astounding profits this event generates every two years will have stuck in the craws of athletes who have worked long hours to thrill us… and then got paid less than their worth. It’s not about the money for these multimillionaires, but the principle. Along with the players, the two captains do it for love, the pride and the glory. Good exes, though. Luke Donald, a former world No. 1 and current European captain, was talked into taking the gig again by the heroes of Europe’s 16.5-11.5 triumph in Rome in 2023. Cool-hand Luke left no stone unturned in an immaculate performance. The message is: when you find a good one, hang on to him as long as possible.
Nobody is under any illusion it will be easy for Europe in front of a tough, hard-drinking New York crowd next September, but it’s hard to see that paying one side and not the other (if that is to be the case) will affect the result. It won’t make Bradley’s battalions play better, and if they lose on home ground the savaging by the media for their greed will be well worth reading. Not one of the US team will need that $400,000. Scottie Scheffler alone won $62 million this year. But at least troublemaker Patrick Cantlay can afford a new cap now!
Disappointment rather than disgust is my own reaction to the pay issue. I’m not against change – without it we’d still have stymies, persimmon drivers and the 1.62-inch small ball, but if something’s good, why risk diminishing the one edge it has? n
Jeremy Chapman is the Fitzdares Times golf correspondent.
Tommy Fleetwood entertained Roman crowds at the 2023 Ryder Cup free of charge
JUSTINE ROBERTS ON WORK, LIFE, LEADERSHIP... AND BEING A KOPITE
IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO WORK OUT WHAT I WANTED TO DO I went into the City after university because I didn’t really have a clue about what I wanted to do. I did a multitude of different jobs, from economist to trader, trying to find my thing, but I can’t say I was ever very fulfilled. I realised the problem wasn’t so much the jobs as the culture – there didn’t seem much purpose to what we were doing, aside from making money.
As soon as I got pregnant, I got out and followed my passion, turning my hand to football and cricket writing for the Times and then the Telegraph, but it also wasn’t very familyfriendly because it was full-on at weekends and evenings. So, I figured at least if I started my own business I could embed a culture where family comes first. And despite the fact that running your own business is pretty full-on, I think we’ve mostly achieved those values at Mumsnet.
I don’t really believe in work-life balance. For me it’s impossible to separate life from work, especially in the age of the smartphone, when everything is so intertwined and you’re running your own business . But you need to take time out to recharge regularly – I strongly believe in holidays! Plus I think you also need to change things up periodically – challenging yourself to take on and learn new things which might be a bit out of your comfort zone.
Bill Shankly was my first hero. Bill understood that without the fans, football was nothing – he was all about putting ordinary people first. I believe that Mumsnet is still here today (nearly 25 years after the first version went online) because we value and listen to our users. Frankly, we take a lot of guidance from them, they are stakeholders in our business as they create the content. It’s not about stars, it’s not about celebrities, it’s about real people and their real lives. There is no Mumsnet without them.
I’m not brilliant at being the person who creates all the energy in the room. I am between being an extrovert and an introvert. I would say that Jürgen Klopp and Shankly were both clearly extroverts, and Bob Paisley and probably Arne Slot are a bit more introverted. I think you can be a good leader regardless of which category you fall into; you’ve just got to know what you lack and what you need to dial up. I quite like being on stage, but it also drains me and I need time to regroup afterwards. Leadership is sometimes knowing when to rely on your team to provide the spark, if you’re not naturally someone who’s always upbeat.
I’d be in the Kop every day over the director’s box. Being able to sing along with passion is what it’s all about for me. Some of the most wonderful moments of my life are when I’ve been there for those big games and we’ve all gone wild. There’s just nothing like being part of that incredibly supportive and emotional crowd, it’s a privilege.
It’s not about one person; culture comes first. Klopp is clearly brilliant at building culture. Everywhere he’s been, his clubs have continued to thrive after he left. That’s a sign of someone who sets a culture and strong values that permeate the whole organisation. At Klopp’s Liverpool, even though he was an extraordinary personality, it was all about the team. I think Slot has been very clear that not only has he inherited good players, but he’s also inherited a good culture.
Inspiration is exhausting. I always thought it must be exhausting being Jürgen Klopp – and I think ultimately this is why he left, being the inspirational leader who put so much of himself into every game. Slot feels like he’s holding a bit more in reserve, and so is his team. The team isn’t always playing on the edge of emotion. I think that’s a little bit easier over the course of season after season; maybe it’s less draining. You can’t be inspirational every day, year after year, even when you’re blessed with Jürgen’s messianic talents.
I was bereft when Kevin Keegan left, but not for long. Along came King Kenny and he was my great love for most of my formative years, and I didn’t think that could be in any way surpassed. I don’t think it was quite with Stevie G – but I did really fall in love with him too because he was the archetypal Liverpool hero and stepped up when for many years we weren’t a very good team. He lifted us to places we had no right to be, but still, just for sheer class and because of how much he helped us win, I’ll go for Kenny.
I switch off by watching football and I’m developing a passion for golf. I find golf very mindful; you can’t really think about much else when you’re knee-deep in a bunker trying to get the flipping ball out of it.
Justine Roberts is the the founder of Mumsnet.
“You’re still good to carry at the pro-am, aren’t you?” Stuart asked me at roughly the halfway point during our shoot with Fitzdares at the Oval. Er, yes please. “Nice. Remind me to put some bricks in the bag and make it that much heavier to carry.” It wasn’t until later in the week that I realised this wouldn’t just be any pro-am. It’s one thing to carry Broady’s bricks and clubs around Wentworth; it’s another thing when you’ve got two of the biggest stars in world sport for company.
The call came from Sophie at BMW, the sponsors of Wentworth’s Wednesday showpiece. My natural fear was that there’d been an admin error, and that I was going to be told they’d double-booked and Stuart could no longer be part of their team. She said they’d been going through their tee times (cue more panic from me), and that they’d love Stuart to play with Rory McIlroy and Gareth Bale in Group 1A.
The day was a 6:30am start. The first golfer I saw on site was Luke Donald, who I’d played with a few weeks before at Wentworth, and barely broken 100. Me, not him! He looked confused, seeing me at that time of the morning, and when I said I was caddying for Stuart, he looked sympathetically to Broad. I bumped into Stuart, Gemma (sister), Carole (mother) and Chris (father) as they were driving into the car park. I was so in my own world that the car park barrier hit me on the back of the head on its way down!
We headed to the driving range at Wentworth, which is famously small. When you have pros and celebrities trying to fight for a place on the range, it’s a real squeeze. First come, first served. On that note, it was Ben Stokes first on the range, learning from previous years that it’s best to get in early. We had a quick coffee but no food for breakfast. I picked up the Pro V1s and the caddie bib and went out to the range, sneaking in next to Stokes.
A few minutes later I looked over to the left and saw Harry Diamond, Rory McIlroy’s caddie, wandering over, and he put Rory’s bag near Stokes. Then the camera crews arrived. The pressure cranked up a notch. As if that wasn’t enough, another star burst on to the scene, placing his bag right between Rory and Ben. Spider-Man: Tom Holland.
Off to the putting green we went. It was 7:50am, and on a crowded green stood Rory, Tommy Fleetwood, the Holland brothers, Stuart, Gareth Bale and the final member of our group. Quite a surreal mix. I felt pretty nervous, and I was only carrying a bag! We then wandered up to the tee, with the announcer welcoming Rory McIlroy. The noise was incredible.
The fourth member of our group was invited by one of Rory’s sponsors. Three big names from the world of sport, and a lucky amateur. He was one of the friendliest guys, living the dream day out. I had so much respect for the fact he was playing. For a 16-handicapper to tee it up with arguably the biggest name in golf, a footballer with 53 million Instagram followers, and
DIARY
by Tom Ainscough
Gareth Bale is a golfing nut. He hits the ball as far as the pros and was keen to absorb as much information from Rory as he could.
Stuart – well, I couldn’t have done it. I’ve only played Wentworth once, and that first tee shot was so daunting even with no one watching.
First off, Gareth Bale is a golfing nut. He hits the ball as far as the pros and was understandably keen to absorb as much information from Rory as he could. He’s also a member at Wentworth and was such a good host of his fellow amateurs – he’d give insights on where to aim off the tee, the distance to hit, and any hazards to be looking out for. The crowds watching the group were as much in adoration for him as they were for Rory.
However, it was Rory who I was most in awe of. Watching one of the world’s best right up close was such a treat. He was incredibly friendly with it too. He introduced himself to me on the putting green and double-checked my name. He was so generous with his time. We talked about his experiences of playing in other pro-ams, including the week before at Royal County Down, and how much fun he’d had then. It was also really interesting to speak to Harry Diamond about what a real caddie does during a practice round. He knows the course inside out, but it’s more about getting a feel for the pace of the greens, the run-off, where pins might be during the week.
The third green at Wentworth is two-tiered. Unfortunately for Stuart, the flag was at the top and he was down at the bottom. To make me feel involved in the proceedings, he asked me what the line was for the putt. As if I knew! I gesticulated that it was left to right, or was it right to left, without committing to any meaningful words.
On the 18th, Stuart pushed his approach alongside the famous water in front of the green and left himself a shot no amateur would ever want to play in front of ticket holders and hospitality guests. Now there’s one handy rule in the pro-am: your pro can take a shot for you. We frantically waved at Rory to come all the way back round, over the bridge and jog over to hit the chip shot for Stuart. To his credit, he ran all the way over and floated it beautifully to about eight feet, bailing us out of a tricky situation.
This ended up being quite a reflective moment four days later, when Rory had the same chip on the final day of the tournament. If he’d got up and down, he’d have won the tournament. Sadly, he couldn’t better his pro-am shot and he just missed out on the win.
Honestly, outside of actually teeing it up and playing in the event, it’s the best invitation in sport. I’ve had two amazing days at Wentworth caddying for Stuart, but I know he’ll have a whole host of friends and family who’d love to carry the bag. If Rory and Gareth ever fancy a nets session, I’ll be sure to give them some terrible advice on how to face one of Stuart’s 90mph inswingers. It swings left to right, Rory. Or is it right to left? Good luck! n
Tom Ainscough is Stuart Broad’s agent.
…watched by a star-struck Tom Ainscough
Bale, McIlroy, Broad – and one lucky amateur…
HOT TIPS, FAST DATA. EVERY MORNING.
CHAMPING AT THE BIT
As global financial systems flounder, cryptocurrencies are set to change the world, says Max Rangeley
SIn October 2008, a person or group using the pseudonym “Satoshi Nakamoto” published the Bitcoin white paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-toPeer Electronic Cash System”.
HORTLY FOLLOWING the Global Financial Crisis, a new idea emerged that is now changing the course of financial history.
It outlined the conceptual framework and technical mechanisms of Bitcoin, which aimed to create a decentralised, peer-to-peer and secure system for digital transactions that eliminates the need for intermediaries such as banks or payment processors. The white paper was just nine pages long but is considered a revolutionary document that laid the foundation not only for Bitcoin itself but also the cryptocurrencies that followed.
Bitcoin appealed to people who were disillusioned with government and bank control over money and who advocated for financial freedom, privacy and self-sovereignty. To this day, Nakamoto’s identity remains unknown, adding to Bitcoin’s mystique
At the moment, the world’s financial system is largely centralised – we deposit our money at banks, which keep reserves at central banks, forming a pyramid structure. In the euro area there is also the suprana-
tional European Central Bank. The Bank for International Settlements, sometimes called the central bank of central banks, hosts the regulatory structures, such as the Basel Accords.
Bitcoin serves to decentralise this system. It operates on a distributed ledger that anybody can view, with no single person or group in charge of the system. All transactions are confirmed on this ledger, called the blockchain, with “miners” being rewarded in newly minted Bitcoin for confirming transactions, all without the need for banks or other intermediaries.
Messages can also be embedded into transactions on the blockchain.
On 3 January 2009, Nakamoto mined the Genesis Block (Block 0) on the Bitcoin blockchain. The first peer-topeer transaction occurred in January 2009, when Nakamoto sent Bitcoin to developer Hal Finney. In 2010 Laszlo
Central banks’ policies have served to double the size of the global debt bubble since 2008.
Hanyecz made the first commercial purchase using Bitcoin: 10,000 BTC (currently worth around $950 million) for two pizzas.
Following Bitcoin’s conception those who followed it closely began to see how the same technology could be used for other purposes. Blockchain technology could theoretically be used for anything from finance to asset tracking to private messaging – even social networks could be built using this technology. What was required was a blockchain that served effectively as an operating system for building these types of applications
The first of these was Ethereum, launched in 2015. On Ethereum you could build a money-lending system with its own integrated token, or a social network where people have control of their own data, or indeed just about any other type of application. Since then, Solana, Avalanche and other “layer 1s” have been created on which decentralised applications can be built.
The term “Web 3.0” has been used recently to describe this, and is worth explaining. Web 1.0 was the internet of the 1990s, where companies and people uploaded content such as text and photos to their websites while we, as the users of the internet, were passive consumers of this content.
With Web 2.0, from the early 2000s onwards, websites such as YouTube, Facebook, Wikipedia and Flickr allowed people to upload their videos, photos and other content to the internet – the consumer therefore also became the creator.
But with this development into Web 2.0, there was still a significant downside that persisted: the centralisation of the platforms themselves. YouTube, Twitter and Facebook can delete your content, or even your account, if they don’t like what you are saying. They can also “shadow ban” content they don’t like, whereby it receives less exposure to those watching videos or reading articles.
Bitcoin, on the other hand, does
not have a CEO or board of directors who can delete your account; it does not even have any offices that the FBI can raid to get hold of your bitcoins. Web 3.0 takes this principle and thereby allows for the process of decentralisation and democratisation to be taken a step further than YouTube and Facebook – the applications themselves can be built in a decentralised manner on platforms like Ethereum, with the users in charge of governance. Thus far, we have seen some exciting projects built in such a fashion; decentralised finance (DeFi) allowed peer-to-peer lending, trading of assets and even bond issuance to take place without the need for an intermediary. DePIN, or decentralised physical infrastructure networks, allow for asset tracking on the blockchain. Decentralised betting platforms have been built, with their own integrated token and such that the users themselves are in charge of the governance of the platform.
The current global financial system presents other problems. From roughly the early 1980s onwards, we have seen a series of larger and larger debt bubbles created as central banks around the world responded to each recession by setting lower and lower interest rates. But far from bringing about a return to prosperity, central banks’ policies have served to essentially double the size of the global debt bubble since 2008. As the global economy bursts at the seams with debt, Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies more broadly, allow for a monetary system that is based on decentralisation, self-sovereignty, transparency and freedom. Now that blockchain technology has developed wide uses, from finance to the tokenisation of “real world assets” to social media to betting markets, we can expect its challenge to the current financial system to be thorough.
Max Rangeley is the manager of The Cobden Centre, an economics think tank.
OPTA-MISTIC
‘WE TALK A LOT about trying to make the chance bigger.” Brentford men’s manager Thomas Frank is talking to Sky Sports on Monday Night Football ahead of his side’s game against Fulham. He’s been asked about Brentford’s shooting habits. Frank continues: “I think we have the shortest distance to goal when shooting, which I am very happy with.”
It’s not the first time the Bees manager has featured on the show; he appeared as a guest at the start of last season. Although it’s more common for the show to have former players on as guests, it was no surprise to see Frank involved. At Brentford he is an integral part of one of the most
progressive and data-literate organisations in football. And Monday Night Football has embraced the use of data in its coverage perhaps more than any other British sports show. It’s a match made in heaven.
What Frank is referring to – without explicitly mentioning it by name – is the intuition at the heart of expected goals (xG), a metric that has taken the footballing world by storm. Put simply, Frank wants his Brentford side to get the ball into the best possible position before shooting.
Jamie Carragher then turns to a giant projector screen to explain this idea in more detail. Using different clips of Brentford’s goals this season, he explains that they like to play an extra pass before shooting, trying to turn a half-chance into a good one, or a
good chance into a great one.
Data populates the screen to highlight the xG value of each of Brentford’s chances. Carragher expertly talks the audience through the clips, showing how Brentford can amplify their chances of scoring by being patient and looking for an extra pass. He then talks through a table filled with data that shows Brentford have taken the highest proportion of their shots from inside the box of any Premier League team since their promotion in 2021. Data is right at the heart of this segment.
Monday Night Football is the gold standard when it comes to using data to cover football. Sky have two dedicated statisticians to assist with each broadcast. The presenters use a giant projector screen
to present graphs and tables. Even the floor is a digitised, interactive ‘chalkboard’, allowing guests and pundits to explain formations and tactical concepts. It’s quite rightly praised as one of the most innovative shows in football.
But it hasn’t always been this way. In 2001, ITV won the rights to host Saturday night football highlights, temporarily displacing the BBC’s iconic Match of the Day. It was a huge coup. To differentiate their broadcast, ITV introduced data-driven concepts such as ProZone and the Tactics Truck. Those experiments proved so unpopular that broadcasters were scared to innovate for the next decade.
REEPING THE SEQUENCES
In 1928 Charles Reep arrived at RAF Henlow as a new recruit. Born in Cornwall in 1904, Reep was an avid Plymouth Argyle supporter, but posted to Henlow as an accountant, it was too far to travel to Argyle home games, so he headed instead to Highbury to watch Herbert Chapman’s Arsenal.
A visit from then Arsenal captain Charlie Jones sparked Reep’s passion for number crunching and he began to experiment with analytical notations, calling his first attempt a ‘Tactic Crime Chart’. Then his biggest innovation: after watching a wasteful Arsenal performance, he contrived a system of grading goalmouth chance difficulty – a primitive version of the expected goals (xG) metric used today.
While data was supplemental to football coverage in the late Noughties and early 2010s, it wasn’t really until 2017, and xG’s first appearance on TV, that data started to become commonplace in the broadcast space. Expected goals (xG) – introduced in 2012 by Opta – is usually the starting point for when many believe the ‘data revolution’ in football began. xG is a measure of chance quality and calculates the likelihood a chance will be scored by using information on similar shots in the past.
Prior to that though, there had been a degree of data adoption in the sport, most notably in the form of Prozone, which provided data to clubs in the early Noughties. Among its first notable customers were Sir Alex Ferguson, Sam Allardyce and David Moyes.
OUTLOOK
In fact, football analytics can be traced back as far as 1950 and the work of Charles Reep. Armed with just a pen and a notepad, Reep invented a method of manually recording what happened in every possession by both teams during a game of football. Reep’s eventual notion that one in every 10 shots is scored is sort of like a primitive version of xG.
But it’s clubs like Brentford and Brighton, with their well-documented use of data for player recruitment, and betting companies’ early adoption of advanced
The media have realised that modern-day sports fans are increasingly data-savvy and want to cater for that.
metrics to gain an edge – each facilitated by data collectors such as Opta, Statsbomb and Wyscout – that have really shown the benefits that can be unearthed with data.
In 2017, analytics hit the mainstream. The flashpoint? xG’s usage on Match of the Day. It was purposely introduced in a nottoo-intrusive way, appearing at the bottom of the screen among the rest of the postmatch stats. That didn’t stop it being controversial at first.
Originally dismissed as too abstract for mainstream consumption, xG is now commonplace. Its introduction marked a turning point, demonstrating how data
could contextualise team and player performance in a new way. Pundits have embraced data not only as an added tool but also as a storytelling device, shaping narratives that can captivate audiences.
The modern-day fan is increasingly exposed to data. Traditional stats such as possession, shots on target and passing accuracy are complemented with more complex metrics such as xG or its distant cousin, expected assists. Those numbers power digital conversations about the sport.
Data is now commonplace on podcasts; it helps people get an edge playing Fantasy sports; it powers screens in stadiums; and it is used by fans and clubs on social media to brag about their favourite player’s performance. It’s been introduced to video games like FIFA/EAFC and Football Manager. You can even physically place a bet on it.
While media coverage has partly fuelled this change, it now needs to keep up with a whole new generation of fans that have grown up on a diet of data. They want more and more of it. Opta’s helpdesk editorial service captures this idea nicely. A decade ago, they would perhaps get a handful of emails a day from clients asking questions. That number is now more than 100. The media have realised that modern-day sports fans are increasingly data-savvy and want to cater for that.
But while xG might be the poster child of football analytics, it’s far from the only metric worth discussing. Ian Graham,
Liverpool’s former director of research, used a ‘possession value’ model to inform decisions in recruitment during his time at the club. Designed to calculate how much each player improves their team’s chances of scoring with every touch of the ball, possession value proved revolutionary. It played a direct role in Liverpool’s decisions to sign Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Virgil van Dijk. Those players were the bedrock of a successful Liverpool team, and Graham was a key influence during their Champions League and Premier League triumphs in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
ANOTHER METRIC THAT has gained traction in the media space is Field Tilt, which can be useful in quantifying the territorial dominance between teams. It measures the share of possession a team has, considering only touches and passes in the attacking third. While possession doesn’t tell us where on the pitch the ball is, Field Tilt does.
But for all the proliferation of data, and its fierce integration within most modernday football clubs, it is not the word of law. Nor does it claim to be. Speaking to Sky Sports in August, Graham said he was often asked whether Liverpool used data to sign players. He responded: “The answer was no. Liverpool used data to help sign players.”
The ‘eye test’ is still a very important tool in an analyst’s toolkit; something that
data needs to support and enrich. Metrics can struggle to capture intangibles such as leadership and composure or measure the impact of a player’s off-ball positioning. That’s where the eye test is needed.
With the increased technological capabilities of optical tracking data –basically what is happening off the ball –those mistakes might one day be a thing of the past. Computer vision already means scouts can use tracking-derived insights to profile recruitment prospects in previously unavailable depth from all over the world. Ultimately, the power of data in football relies heavily on people’s ability to diagnose it. Dimitar Berbatov was the guest on Monday Night Football for the Fulham vs Brentford game I mentioned before. After Carragher’s analysis of Brentford, the erudite Berbatov then added his perspective as a former player: “Me? I hated shooting outside the box. I knew my strength: inside the box. Give me the ball there, man. I am good there!”
Anchor David Jones then proceeded to tell the Bulgarian that his career shot conversion rate was 16 per cent –considerably higher than the average Premier League player. It was a data point that backed up Berbatov’s intuitive knowledge. You see, data and tradition don’t have to be enemies.
Oliver Hopkins is the Managing Editor at Opta Analyst.
Nicholas Godfrey takes us on a gallop through what might be the world’s ten strangest horse races
WACK Y RACES
HORSE RACING EXISTS in varied forms all over the globe. Many of the events on this list, however, are unusual hybrids that actually feature under the official rules of racing, or form part of a ‘conventional’ racecard. Albeit with a few notable exceptions.
Generally speaking, the events included are horse races – ‘gallops’ as opposed to harness racing, trotting or pacers – wherein a field of horses and jockeys compete against each other to find a winner. Even the Indian relays sometimes take place on traditional racetracks like Canterbury Park or Emerald Downs. Others do not…
SKIJORING
If racing thoroughbreds on the ice of a frozen lake wasn’t enough, the famous ‘White Turf’ meeting at St Moritz has another string to its bow in the shape of skijoring, wherein a ‘rider’ is pulled along behind a horse on a pair of skis, from which they do the steering. Think water skiing. On snow. With a horse instead of a boat.
Derived from the Norwegian for ‘ski driving’, this sport debuted at the Nordic Games in Stockholm in 1901, with reindeer doing the honours. An American version, kind of a combination of wild-west horsemanship and slalom skiing, is also popular at various wintersports venues, while there are also straight-line races at Canterbury Park in Minnesota.
At St Moritz, however, they start from a set of stalls guided round the same circuit as conventional races, each runner identified by a flag draped over the rein in their owners’ colours. Britain’s record-breaking trainer Mark Johnston saddled Luberon to finish third in 2010.
BAN-EI
With origins in agricultural work dating back a century and more, ban-ei (‘pull play’) racing resembles an equine version of the truck pull popularised in World’s Strongest Man contests.
Staged only at the suburban racetrack of Obihiro on Japan’s ‘horse island’ of Hokkaido, it involves draft horses twice the weight of thoroughbreds pulling heavy sleds along a straight 200metre sand track featuring two small ‘hills’. Jockeys control them from the sled, and competitors keep to lanes after exiting widened stalls in a starting gate. Weights are assigned in a manner similar to conventional racing, with concessions for mares and younger horses; the horses involved, bred specially for the task, are purebred or crosses of Percheron, Breton and Belgian-breeds.A race takes about two minutes, allowing spectators to follow alongside.
OMAK SUICIDE RACE
Held annually in August as part of the Omak Stampede in Washington state and promoted as
the ‘World Famous Suicide Race’, this ‘Cowboys and Indians’ contest is notorious for the section of the race where the field hurtles down Suicide Hill, a steep 62 per cent slope that runs for about 225 feet to the Okanogan river, which they then cross before sprinting 500 yards into the rodeo arena.
Riders are required to wear helmets and life jackets. The race is particularly important in terms of cultural preservation to the Native American folk on whose land it is held; first staged in 1935, it was inspired by Indian endurance races and reflects their traditions as horse warriors.
For understandable reasons, the Suicide Race is not a favourite of animal-welfare groups.
INDIAN RELAYS
A staple of various Native American fairs from Washington state to Minnesota, Indian relays have been described as “the most exciting ride on the reservation”. Teams consisting of one rider –sometimes face-painted, with traditional garb and headdress –plus three horses, two holders and a ‘mugger’ (horse catcher) compete for honour alongside cash and prizes.
According to the ‘World Championship’ version staged in Wyoming at the Sheridan Rodeo, the race starts in front of packed grandstands before bareback riders complete a lap and then vault off their mounts and jump
on another one, before repeating the exercise until they have covered three laps altogether.
Other celebrated contests are those staged at the Crow Fair in Billings, Montana, and the Championship of Champions at Walla Walla in Washington.
MONGOL DERBY
Modelled on the horse messenger system developed by Genghis Khan in 1224, the Mongol Derby is an equestrian endurance event billed as “the longest and toughest horserace on earth”. Founded in 2009 by a British charity organisation labelling themselves ‘The Adventurists’, the race lasts up to ten days and recreates 1,000km of the ancient equine postage route through the Mongolian Steppe, featuring mountain passes and valleys, river crossings, wetland, sand dunes and open plains.
After paying $11,375 for the privilege of spending 13 to 14 hours a day in the saddle, riders partner a succession of semi-wild Mongol horses, changing mounts at horse stations located at various intervals on the route.
Only about half of those who start make it to the finish. In 2009, they did not include British jumpracing legend Richard Dunwoody, who started the race but had to drop out in the early stages when he was called back for commitments to Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC.
IL PALIO
Once seen, never forgotten. To witness Il Palio di Siena is to be transported back to a medieval age of jousting, pageantry and passionate centuries-old rivalries between neighbours settled in an unlikely horse race around a picture-postcard Tuscan citycentre piazza with a circumference of 339 metres.
Anything goes as bareback riders (fantini) partner mixedbreed horses representing one of Siena’s 17 contrade (wards) going hell for leather around three circuits of the Piazza del Campo. The ten horses sprint around the treacherous corners (a couple of them right angles, albeit with padded crash barriers) in front of thousands of frenzied spectators. Bribery is common; fists and whips are also much in evidence. Indeed, they are seemingly positively encouraged, as fantini are allowed to hit other horses as well as their own, and riderless horses can still win.
SEEJAGDRENNEN
Germany may stage fewer than 25 jump races ayear, but even such a truncated programme includes a novel contribution to the steeplechasing world in the shape of ‘Seejagdrennen’, or ‘lake chases’, in which horses have to run or even swim through a body of water.
Perhaps the best-known of the four annual lake chases are the two at held at the Bad Harzburg
February: Skijoring in St Moritz
July, August: Il Palio di Siena
festival in Lower Saxony in July, though the field can usually get away with just splashing its way across. The lake is deeper at Hamburg and needs a bit of equine doggy paddle during the Deutsches Derby meeting; Quakenbrück also hosts a lake race at its point-to-point-style meeting on a single day in September.
Seejagdrennen are included in official past-performance lines, though one can only guess how reliable the form might be.
BEACH RACING
It doesn’t matter how often you see it, it still takes the breath away watching a full-scale race meeting on a beach, run under rules with professional jockeys and proper thoroughbreds who normally race on conventional tracks.
Just north of Dublin on the North Sea coast, the sleepy village of Laytown has hosted its raceday since 1868. Now, once-a-year, Brigadoon-style, a racetrack emerges seemingly from nowhere as running rails, a winning post and furlong markers are erected on a section of the shoreline.
Pony racing with teenage riders on the beach at Omey Island on the western edge of Connemara has been described by the Irish Times as “an alternative
CHURCHILL DOWNS
Opening its doors in 1875, Churchill Downs is home to the Kentucky Derby. Famous for its mint juleps, legendary horses and soundtracked by My Old Kentucky Home rolling down the famous twin towers of the Grandstand on Derby Day.
HAPPY VALLEY
The only racecourse in the world to have a MacDonalds on track, it was built on an old stretch of swampland back in 1845. Unique for the towering skyscrapers that cluster all around it, it is a small green oasis amidst the buzzing metropolis of Hong Kong.
MEYDAN
Opened in 2010, this racecourse in Dubai is the world’s most futuristic racing venue. At 7.5 million metres squared, it’s complete with an infinity pool on top of the kilometre-long Grandstand.
LAYTOWN
Where once the Irish attempted to push back hordes of attacking Vikings during the Medieval period, this coastal track brings racing to the beach in County Meath for one September day every year.
FLEMINGTON
Rose gardens flourish among the lush green paddocks against the Melbourne skyline and the ‘race that stops the nation’ arrives on the first Tuesday of November.
Galway for those who prefer sandals to stilletos”. Spain’s answer to Laytown is the Hipodromo de Sanlúcar at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Cádiz. With massive crowds lining the beach, two three-day full-scale race meetings are held as the sun goes down at low tide from Friday to Sunday on the second and fourth weekends in August.
DUHNEN MUDFLATS
Here’s mud in your eye! Beach racing is one thing, but what about racing on what is effectively the seabed? That’s what happens at Duhnen, a North Sea resort on the outskirts of the port city of Cuxhaven in Germany. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Elbe estuary, an international shipping lane, an annual mixed racecard (also featuring trotters) is staged on mudflats exposed by the ebbing tide. About 30,000 spectators attend the meeting in July, watching a remarkable spectacle unfold from the nearby dyke. Jockeys be warned, though: the kickback is mighty.
KIPLINGCOTES DERBY
Reputed to be Britain’s oldest race and said to date back to 1519, the Kiplingcotes Derby takes place on the third Thursday in March at a
tiny hamlet near Market Weighton in Yorkshire’s East Riding. Anyone who shows up with a horse by 11am at a signpost on a footpath and pays the £4.25 entry fee is eligible (as long as they carry the minimum 140 pounds).
The race, which starts near a disused railway station, involves a virtually straight, arduous fourmile journey along roadside verges and farmers’ fields and tracks. The rules state that if for any reason the Kiplingcotes Derby is not run in a given year, it must never be run again – a potential problem as the course is easily waterlogged. No matter: when the weather intervened in 2018 – and when Covid prevented the race from being held in 2020 and 2021 –a local farmer walked a horse over the course to ensure the event continues. n
Nicholas Godfrey is the editor of Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, where this article originally featured.
July: Duhnen Mudflats on the North Sea
July: Seejagdrennen (Lake Chases)
Small-budget hit
Anora might just take the big prize
A BUZ Z-LIGHT YE AR
Where is the buzz about likely Oscar-winning films this winter? Joe Hodgson explores a wide-open market
HOW DOES A FILM win the coveted Best Picture gong at the Oscars?
Well, like the scene in Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2001: A Space Odyssey – which, incidentally, wasn’t even nominated in that category back in 1969 – the planets have to align in your favour.
Firstly, you need broad support from the critics. You don’t have to be the most critically lauded film of the year: Green Book (2018) was unloved by many major publications yet still took home the big prize at the 91st Academy Awards. Because, sometimes, the profound love of audiences can swing things in your favour. Films such as Rocky, Forrest Gump and Titanic would also not have won their Best Picture trinkets if the critics had their way. But bigger audiences mean more money, and Hollywood loves that stuff.
Sometimes you win because you really ought to have won in the past. Slightly embarrassed by the fact that the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and (yes, him again) Stanley Kubrick never won a Best Director Oscar, in 2007 the Academy hastily gave Martin Scorsese a Best Picture and Best Director statuette for The Departed – a film which may not even make it into a list of the top ten films directed by Scorsese.
Then there is a final, slightly nebulous category that can propel a film towards Oscars glory: the impact of real-world events. When Tom Jones, starring Albert Finney, brought a rare Best Picture win for a comedy in 1964, it was seen as an attempt to lift the gloom in post-JFK-assassination America. Which brings us to this year’s developing Oscar race, and the big, real-world event that could
Films such as Rocky, Forrest Gump and Titanic would not have won their Best Picture trinkets if the critics had their way…
influence what goes on to win at the 97th Academy Awards ceremony on 2 March 2025. Chiefly, the re-election of Donald J Trump as the President of the United States.
While he may have won the popular vote nationwide, Trump most certainly would not have won it in Hollywood. A-list actors such as George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson, along with other major figures from the wider entertainment industry, were prominently featured in the Harris campaign. So how does Hollywood, collectively, respond? Does it respond at all?
A further conundrum for Tinseltown is that, looking at the current state of the Oscar race, even if they wanted to send a message to the President-elect, they don’t appear to have much to respond with. Unlike 2024, where Oppenheimer ticked every possible box mentioned above with the thickest possible magic marker, there are very few films developing unstoppable momentum. Where are the big films? Where is the buzz?
At the time of writing, the film with its nose slightly in front is Sean Baker’s Anora. One might try to see the film – which depicts a workingclass girl’s brief interaction with the son of a billionaire – as a commentary on societal gulfs in America. But will the fact that it is mostly played for laughs work against Anora? And is the film simply too transgressive to represent the values that progressive Hollywood would like to present to the world?
Baker is due some major awards love, but a more likely outcome is a Best Actress win for the star of the film, Mikey Madison, in what could well be her breakout performance. Will the Academy voters seek
suitable solace and distraction in a film portraying a different kind of election? The fraught decision to elect a new pope underpins the lauded drama Conclave – though a Best Actor nomination for Ralph Fiennes also appears to be its best chance of success.
Epic drama The Brutalist is also building buzz, and a film examining the American Dream is always going to resonate with a large chunk of Academy voters. But a buttocknumbing 3½-hour run-time may prevent it from finding the necessary favour to win Best Picture. The architects of this campaign may choose to focus their efforts on nudging Adrien Brody towards a
ODDS
BEST PICTURE
The Brutalist 9/4
Anora 5/2
Emilia Peréz 11/2
Sing Sing 7/1
BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) 6/4
Sean Baker (Anora) 2/1
Ridley Scott (Gladiator II) 7/2
Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez) 5/1
BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) 4/6
Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) 2/1
Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) 2/1
Daniel Craig (Queer) 10/1
BEST ACTRESS
Mikey Madison (Anora) 4/6
Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Peréz) 9/4
Angelina Jolie (Maria) 5/1
Demi Moore (The Substance) 7/1
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second Best Actor Oscar. With no movie currently making an outstanding case to be prominently featured at the 2025 ceremony, is there a chance that the ‘people behind the people’ in Hollywood, in a flurry of mild desperation, start to rally their troops behind some more unexpected movies? Big, old-fashioned musicals haven’t been a regular part of the Oscars fabric for a long time, but could the film adaptation of longrunning West End show Wicked reverse that trend? Is another outlandish musical, Emilia Pérez, with its genre and gender-bending plot, going to receive a sudden push?
Or is the compass about to point in a much darker direction? Body-horror satire The Substance has quietly built a devoted fan-base, and its star, Demi Moore, is in position for a classic, transformative comeback narrative that could lead her towards a Best Actress nomination.
Darker still is Robert Eggers’ as-yet-unseen Nosferatu. The horror genre has always provided strong box office but has rarely been allowed to get close enough to sink its fangs into an Academy Award. Could this be the year for a lurking vampire to finally get its time in the sun?
Or perhaps the season will be saved by another late release, A Complete Unknown – a film buttressed by a more tried and tested award-hogging formula: pop a hot actor (Timothée Chalamet) into the biopic of a famous musician (Bob Dylan) and hope for the best. Perhaps, all along, the answer to Hollywood’s problems, was right there… just blowin’ in the wind? n
Joe Hodgson is a regular contributor to The Fitzdares Times in print and online
Arsenal fan: The man in the middle has completely lost all his power. Offside? Wait for VAR. Potential red card? Wait for VAR. Penalty? Wait for VAR. Refs subconsciously shift authority to Stockley Park. But the mandate for overturning decisions is whether a ref has made a ‘clear and obvious’ error. Ultimately, a ref ducking a decision, is a decision itself.
Chelsea fan: There’s never been a harder time to be a Premier League referee. Player simulation is at an all-time high and every decision is scrutinised to the nth degree. Consequently, it seems to me that referees are often scared to make a decision, passing the buck on to the VAR, safe in the knowledge that it’s someone else’s job to make the big calls. That being said, one cloud doesn’t bring a storm, and, on the whole, we’ve got to keep the faith in the PGMOL.
Sunderland fan: As a fan of a non-Premier League club, I haven’t been stung by poor refereeing decisions and VAR, so I don’t have a conspiratorial vendetta against the likes of Anthony Taylor. There are problems with PGMOL, but disgruntled fans have blown these out of proportion. The level of refereeing has dropped well below the standard of other European countries, but the hate and abuse that is directed towards the PGMOL by salty fans is completely unwarranted.
Man United fan: PGMOL seem decent overall, although VAR isn’t working as well as it does abroad or in international tournaments. The worst decision I’ve seen was disallowing the Luis Diaz goal for Liverpool against Spurs, which was a complete shocker, but having listened to the recording it seemed like poor communication in a high-pressure moment, rather than a corrupt organisation or corrupt individuals. We’ve got rid of the majority of horror ricks, but at the cost of fans being able to celebrate properly, which is a major drawback. Can we find a middle ground?
Liverpool fan: The PGMOL, Howard Webb and the referees in this country are a disgrace. Why? Because they’ve let ego ruin football. When the Shed End serenaded Michael Oliver with chants of “It’s all about you”, it struck a pretty uncomfortable truth for the men in black who’ve taken our
Premier League refs have never been so under the microscope. We ask fans and a referee
beautiful game and sullied it with hubris. Sure, mistakes used to sting, but there was genuine belief in the maxim that what goes around comes around. Now, with thousands of angles and precious minutes absorbed by drawing wonky lines, only to come to the wrong conclusion, my patience has snapped. Get rid of VAR and stop making it all about you, and let us celebrate a goal while you’re at it!
Chelsea fan: There’s no doubt that PGMOL and the refs have the hardest job in the game – a job that only gets the negative reviews, never the positive ones. Yes, recently they have been pretty woeful, and a certain video hasn’t helped, but I’m nowhere near using words like ‘corrupt’ or ‘lack of trust’. I think VAR is shocking and needs to either be improved massively or scrapped completely, but in terms of the on-pitch refereeing I think a bit of extra training, some sharpening of rules and a few individuals getting a grip, we’ll be right as rain.
Aston Villa fan: The PGMOL dining at English football’s top table is the equivalent of Souness giving Ali Dia a run-out. Miles off it. I don’t believe there is corruption, just pure incompetence. Time for a complete overhaul.
Leyton Orient & Arsenal fan: VAR has completely changed the viewing experience of football. The raw joy of a goal going in does not exist any more. You can never be sure your team has scored until the ball is back on the centre spot. Compare this to going to a lower league game, when after a quick glance at the linesman you know you can indulge in the moment. Add to that the micromanaging of small features of the game, the modern top echelons have never been further away from grassroots, proper football.
Charlton fan: VAR feels like a distant drama we can laugh at from the lower leagues. Watching Premier League fans rage over decisions is entertaining, but it also highlights how technology has overcomplicated things. Football should be about passion, not forensic analysis of armpits. If VAR ever trickles down to League One, I’d hope it’s used sparingly – clear errors, nothing more. For now, I’m happy with the chaos and raw emotion of proper, human refereeing.
the question: is the PGMOL doing its job?
Wycombe fan: As a former badge holder with Middlesex FA, I have sympathy for referees and the harsh treatment they endure. Being a referee can be a lonely and thankless. But by the time referees progress to the Premier League, their behaviour often appears to change drastically. Many adopt a narcissistic approach, prioritising their own prominence over the essence of the game. It’s baffling how Premier League referees frequently overlook blatant fouls such as kicks, punches and pushes. The introduction of VAR has only exacerbated the situation. Most concerning, however, is the trickle-down effect of poor officiating standards. When top-level referees tolerate players screaming and swearing without consequence, this behaviour is mirrored in grassroots football the very next Sunday.
THE JUDGE DERMOT GALLAGHER
Refereeing is as good as it always was. The coaching and support is immense, ensuring the referee’s preparation is always firstclass. Both physical and mental preparation is catered for. On the debit side everyone’s idea of a referee now seems to be at the start they must be perfect and then get better. There seems to be little sympathy for a decision a viewer perceives as wrong.
Football is a difficult sport for video technology. The technology appears to work better in other sports as there are so many more natural stoppages. If the ball goes dead in football and a VAR check is in place, everyone knows. What is not so apparent to fans is how many times a check is made with the ball in play and cleared with no stoppage needed.
VAR only seems controversial when it makes a decision you don’t agree with. While it will never be the panacea, it has improved accurate decision-making. There will always be a few decisions people feel are wrong, but focus should really be on the overturns that have corrected what would have been on-field errors.
Taking away VAR would not stop controversy – far from it. It’s worth remembering it was actually what fans, coaches and players wanted – remember the famous Charlie Austin rant of “give them all the help they need”. It will never be perfect, and due to the subjective nature of the game it will always fuel controversy as people only accept it when it gives them the decision they want.
Human error has to be accepted, as the decision-making process in football is so subjective. People also must realise that an error in one person’s eyes is not the same error in another’s. It’s that reason football fuels so much debate and fills so many media outlets so regularly. With the advent of professional referees came almost an aura of perfection – which we all know is impossible. Add to that the intense scrutiny we now have on every
refereeing decision. My own Refwatch show has moved from 30 mins to 60, and most other productions significantly and forensically analyse decisions. This was never to that extent during my on-field days.
Howard Webb coming in has been a breath of fresh air. He’s brought transparency and communication. He’s already done so much work with broadcasters to ensure they’re aware of work being done, how decisions are analysed and the benefits of this. I don’t think trust has been lost. Howard and his workforce have worked tirelessly to raise standards. To that end, more Premier League referees have been selected for FIFA and UEFA finals over the past six years than any other top league in the world.
I’m not sure we need an independent regulator, as to a certain extent referees already have independent regulators at the top. All games have a delegate who is an ex-player or manager, and all key match incidents are analysed weekly by a panel of five, including three ex-players.
Uniformity is interesting.
When I was involved in a FIFA or UEFA tournament, I met a week before with referees from the other countries. We discussed uniformity and often it was me who had to bend – the Premier League is faster, more physical and lends itself to the referees here.
To improve standards, I would continue to pursue young talent and push them on. The knock-on effect would be someone at the top looking over their shoulder, which would keep them at the top of their game or be overtaken. Premier League standards are driven by life blood. To that extent there is now a talent-spotting programme –referees with potential are identified earlier, coached, and given opportunities to express their talent. It’s the way forward – a conveyor belt of talent. n
Dermot Gallagher is a former Premier League referee.
Dermot Gallagher hosts Ref Watch every Monday on Sky Sports
WE LOVE CHESTER
YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING – and you might well ask – what a West London bookmaker has to do with a small city in the North West of England. Well, as you know by now, at Fitzdares we cherish antiquity. No, not in the motheaten, sepia-toned, dusty cardboard boxes in the attic sort of sense, but in the celebration of timeless values: sportsmanship, courage, and a certain respect for doing things properly.
THE ORIGINALS
This is why we love Chester. It reminds us, well, of us. Horses have been tearing up the Roodee since 1539, making it the oldest racecourse in Britain, if not the world. And we’ve been plying our trade since 1882. Longevity, as it turns out, is something we both understand rather well. Chester, much like Fitzdares, moors its sense of self to its history. Consider the Virgin Mary statue intriguingly buried at the heart of the racecourse, or the legacy of Henry Gee, the pioneer who not only introduced racing to the city but also lent his name to the term “gee-gees”. These unique touchpoints remind us that originality is a rare and remarkable quality – one that deserves celebration in the present as well as the past.
THE FITZDARES TOUCH
So, when our friends at Oliver Brown decided to open a store in Chester, we thought we’d join them in bringing a touch of our unique hospitality up north. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the racecourse in the iconic half-timbered buildings of the Rows, you’ll find us at 32 Eastgate Row South. Here, you can settle into one of our armchairs with a Horse’s Neck Martini, follow the racing on ultra-HD screens, or challenge someone to a game of pool. You could even try on a suit – because, let’s be honest, looking sharp is half the fun of race day.
WHY CHESTER? WHY NOT?
In truth, Chester’s charm lies in its contradictions. Just like us, it’s historic but lively, grand yet unpretentious, steeped in tradition but with a mischievous streak. So, here we are, blending our own brand of understated luxury with the rich heritage of this remarkable city. Because at Fitzdares, we believe the finer things in life are meant to be savoured – with good company, a good drink, and a well-tailored suit. Or even a Roodee double-breasted covert coat… n
Bobby Burns has launched our Club in London, Windsor and Naunton.
The Fitzdares Club is an oasis of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy raceday
Chester
St James’s Chelsea
As National Hunt racing made its long-awaited return in October, we headed down to South Somerset to host the Jumps season opener at WINCANTON. Pictured is the winner of the Fitzdares Handicap Chase – whose lucky owners didn’t just enjoy a great day out, but a congratulatory Somerset cheese board.
Ahead of Royal Ascot we headed to NEWSELLS PARK STUD for an evening of stallions, sparkling wine and some of the biggest names in racing as we hosted our Royal Ascot preview night. We were treated to a sneak peek at the stars of the future as well as some choice insights from the one and only John Gosden. Not to mention Charlie Fellowes and George Scott topping up our glasses!
A group of our golf-mad members enjoyed an unforgettable outing at the iconic ROYAL TROON, testing their skills just weeks before The 152ND Open Championship. We were treated to breath-taking coastal views and a day to remember at one of golf’s most historic locations.
In customary Fitzdares fashion we hosted our annual ROYAL ASCOT PICNIC, topped with Champagne by the gallon, caviar by the ton and, of course, canapés galore. We will see you all again next year!
We flew across the pond to TORONTO for our Euros Final launch party. Sadly, matters on the pitch didn’t quite go to plan, but at least the food tasted delicious. Nobody cried in front of the camera, anyway!
Our sponsored amateur jockey ELEANOR WELLESLEY put paid to the word amateur with an expertly ridden winner on the George Boughey-trained Brasil Power. She has since added to her tally with another winner aboard Maysong at Newbury.
Stuart Broad, Fitzdares Ambassador
For years, we’ve been looking for someone to be the face of the business and at last, we’ve got our man! He’s all about pedigree, sporting excellence and loves a bit of mischief, so we’ve found our perfect partner at the crease. Expect monthly blogs, personal appearances and much more. We’ve also given Broady a £500 charity free bet pot every month, which he’s using to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease. You can also support The Broad Appeal at www.mndassociation.org
WINTER READ
Lola Katz Roberts reviews Miguel Delaney’s exposé of football’s rise into a global juggernaut
There are books for football fans, and then there are books about football that football fans should read. This book falls into the latter category. It doesn’t make for comfortable reading. In fact, everyone should read it because it’s another parable of corporate greed, but instead of being about things you don’t want to spend time thinking about, it’s about the game you love.
Let’s go back a few steps. Ask any football fan why they love the game and they’ll come back with some iteration of glorious unpredictability – the masochistic thrill of putting your mental wellbeing into the hands of 11 men who you will never meet and who will never know your name. It’s probably the only thing on which you’ll find unanimous agreement across fans of all colours. But what if someone told you that’s not true and hasn’t been for a while?
It’s not ‘just sportswashing' – it’s more profound than that. It’s the sad truth in discovering that “virtually every major governance decision over 40 years has further eroded that delicate, but essential quality that is competitive balance”. Resource, prestige and most importantly glory have been concentrated in the hands of a select few, because God forbid, we have “too many Leicester Cities”, as one Premier League executive was quoted as saying.
It’s death by a thousand cuts, which is why Miguel Delaney’s contribution is so timely. Across 436 pages of unadulterated truth, Delaney explains when and why the game you love has been systematically undermined, but worse than that, how it’s got absurdly out of control. The horse hasn’t so much bolted as found itself rampaging across the motorway and causing a ten-car pile-up.
Delaney begins with the bare facts: Silvio Berlusconi’s takeover of AC Milan in 1987, leading to the demise of the European Cup and its replacement in 1992 with the “European Television League”. Glasgow Rangers were also part of that original cartel that piggybacked football’s progress into the 21st century with self-interest, advocating for a tournament structure that guaranteed games in the form of a group stage.
In a nutshell, that’s what this is: self-interest driving decision-making dressed up as progress. And look how it’s turned out. Those original
agitators – AC Milan and Rangers, part of football’s founding family –can hardly compete financially with the likes of Brentford. To borrow the old cliché, the game has well and truly gone.
Perhaps the only just criticism that can be levelled the way of Delaney is one of earnestness. He offers little by way of solutions, not afraid to go in two-footed on the likes of UEFA and FIFA but only
The horse hasn’t so much bolted as found itself rampaging across the motorway and causing a ten-car pile-up.
poking gentle criticism in the direction of the characters around whom this soap opera revolves.
The book opens with the vista of Lionel Messi hoisting the World Cup trophy into the Qatar night sky, only for his magic moment to be corrupted, the “blue and white stripes” of his jersey “obscured” by a bisht, an Arabic garment, draped over him by the Emir of Qatar.
Delaney portrays this incident as a moral hijacking – the innocent superstar appropriated by dark
political forces – but ignores the fact that Messi could have thanked the Emir profusely and taken off the bisht.
Another ex-Barcelona hero –Pep Guardiola, an ambassador for Qatar 2022 – is spared proper interrogation for having “never offered many thoughts on Abu Dhabi’s human rights record”. Turning a blind eye, in other words. Lastly, and perhaps most egregiously, another to escape scrutiny is former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who traded Anfield for the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium, despite vocal support for LGBTQ+ initiatives, only to return to Europe with his tail between his legs less than six months later without an explanation. Therein lies the crux of the issue. Football is a beast created by men in suits and sustained by the celestial force of star power. So, while his book is timely and well-written, Delaney too in his own way enables it, because there is only one group of people who can stop this inexorable march towards the belly of the beast – and that’s those already inside its stomach, gorging on the glorious bounty of the monster’s prey. Another jarring truth among a litany of others.
