6 minute read
Offside
OFFSIDE The not so serious side of the industry
UK golf club to install a toboggan run
A Nottinghamshire golf club has been granted permission to build a 120-metre toboggan run on its grounds.
Leen Valley Golf Club will also build an 18hole adventure golf course, with information boards and landscaping installed to celebrate a local mining heritage. The toboggan run, constructed on a natural slope near the 137-space car park and existing clubhouse, will follow a zig-zag route, descending downwards using artifi cial liners before dismounting at the bottom of the slope. It will be accompanied by a pathway to provide access back to the start of the run. Both facilities have been put forward as the club looks to make its grounds “more attractive to customers” of all ages.
Dopey groundsman
There were recent reports labelling a groundsman ‘dopey’ as he failed to see thirteen horses charging at him mid-race.
As the rain-battered down at Sandown Park, the horses charged down the straight at 35mph and the groundsman was shown ambling through the centre of the track. Quite how he had no idea a race had started is a mystery. But, fortunately, he saw them just in the nick of time, jumping into action and sprinting out of harm’s way. The dangers are clear though and it is a minor miracle no one; horse, jockey or groundsman were injured.
A slippery pitch invader in Russia
There was an unexpected visitor to a Russian Premier League match recently, as a snake in the grass entered the home box, tried to evade stadium staff and forced a referee to temporarily stop the action at Chechnya’s Akhmat Arena.
Little more than six minutes of the topfl ight league match had been played when the ophidian intruder was spotted lurking deep inside the penalty area. A man wearing an accreditation lanyard around his neck ventured onto the turf in an attempt to deal with the slippery situation - to no avail. In a fl ourish of skill and control, that the most adroit of playmakers would be proud of, a member of the grounds team entered the fray and scooped the snake up on a pitchfork. VAR confi rmed the snake was clearly off side.
The toughest, weirdest race you’ve never heard of
Think you can run 4.16666 miles in an hour? Probably. Could you do it again the following hour? Quite possibly. How about the hour after that? The legs might be feeling it by now.
It’s hard to say exactly how long you’ll be running for - because this race only fi nishes when there’s one person left standing. The trouble is, some runners can keep going for quite a long time. The current record - held by a Belgian dentist - is 75 hours, or 312 miles. Welcome to Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, held in Tennessee, the toughest race you’ve never heard of. I think I will pass on this!
As seen on social media ...
Camels were reported to be wandering the fairways looking for water at Shiskine Golf Club, Isle of Arran. When you go to cut a club’s ground and someone’s left the line marker out.
DIARY DATES
2nd: Horseracing - Racing League Race Day, Newcastle (newcastle-racecourse.co.uk) 2nd-6th: Cricket - England v India, 4th Test, The Oval (icc-cricket.com) 4th-6th: Golf - Solheim Cup in Toledo, Ohio (solheimcup.com) 10th-14th: Cricket - England v India, 5th Test, Old Traff ord (icc-cricket.com) 14th-16th: Horseracing - Eastern Festival, Great Yarmouth (greatyarmouth-racecourse.co.uk) 24th-26th: Golf - Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin (rydercup.com) 27th-1st Oct: Cricket - Bob Willis Trophy fi nal, Lord’s (lords.org) 29th: Horseracing - Floodlit racing, Kempton Park (thejockeyclub.co.uk/kempton)
8th-9th: Horseracing - Dubai Future Champions Festival, New Market (thejockeyclub.co.uk/newmarket) 9th: Rugby League - Super League Grand Final at Old Traff ord (superleague.co.uk) 16th: Horseracing - QIPCO British Champions Day, Ascot (ascot.co.uk) 18th-15th Nov: Cricket - Men’s T20 World Cup in India (icc-cricket.com) 23rd-27th Nov: Rugby League - World Cup, St James’ Park, Newcastle (men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments) (rlwc2021.com) 29th: Horseracing - Floodlit racing, Kempton Park (thejockeyclub.co.uk/kempton) 30th-27th Nov: Rugby Union - autumn internationals (autumn-internationals.co.uk/2021)
3rd-4th: GMA Saltex - NEC Birmingham (gmasaltex.co.uk) 12th-14th: Horseracing - The Open –The November Meeting, Cheltenham (thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham) 15th: Football - World Cup qualifying fi nal group games: San Marino v England; Northern Ireland v Italy; Scotland v Denmark (fi fa.com) 16th: Football - World Cup qualifying fi nal group games: Wales v Belgium (fi fa.com) 23rd-8th Jan: Cricket - Australia v England fi ve-Test Ashes series (australia.com) 26th-27th: Horseracing - The Ladbrokes Winter Carnival, Newbury (newburyracecourse.co.uk) 27th: Rugby League - World Cup Final, Old Traff ord, Manchester (rlwc2021.com) 29th: Horseracing - Wolverhampton Dunstall Park (wolverhampton-racecourse.co.uk) “When we arrived from Brazil, there was no one who could tell us apart. You would arrive for training and, in the space of a few minutes, people would say ‘good morning’ twice.” Fabio da Silva revealed that Sir
Alex Ferguson got him confused with twin brother Rafael, and ended up giving the wrong Brazilian his famous hairdryer treatment.
“I want to play for England. I want to open, or play top order, for England, across all formats. I want to go as high as I can.”
Alice Capsey, aged 16, has more than just impending GCSE results in her sights after starring in the Hundred. Head coach Jonathan Batty had to ring her mum to get permission for the teenager to play.
“I’ve never tried so hard in my life to fi nish third. It’s not a position I’ve found myself in very often, but I gave it my all out there, but I’m looking forward to having a crack at it again.” Rory McIlroy admits his perception
of participating in the Olympic Games has changed after missing out on a medal in the men’s golf tournament in Tokyo.
Alice Capsey
“If you don’t like The Hundred, you are wrong!!!” The Manchester Originals’ Alex
Hartley has zero time for the doubters.
“It’s strange that someone so successful reacts this way from time to time, but in the end he’s very competitive and reacts like that. It is important to avoid this, especially as a role model for many children. He is the No. 1 in the world and one of best in history.” Rafael Nadal admits he found
Novak Djokovic’s outburst in the Olympics ‘strange’ after the Serb took out his anger on his racquet.
“Do you want to join a club that was formed ten years ago? City are a small club, mate. They’ll ruin you!” Aston Villa supporters
took matters into their own hands to convince Jack Grealish to stay whilst at their pre-season training camp.
“It’s been great fun so far. To be honest I think it’s worked even better than I anticipated. I think everyone was wondering whether it would be easy to get the fl ow with ten balls from each end and whether the game would fl ow in the same manner.”
Former England bowler Steven Finn on the fi rst ever men’s Hundred match.
“There are other sports which are the traditional Olympic sports we are used to watching and we are not under the spotlight. But I feel there is an immense sense of responsibility.” Golf’s Paul Casey on the
