Author Topic: A random thread for sport things that don't really warrant a thread of their own (Read 132980 times)

Basil · « **Reply #800 on:** 24 March, 2023, 01:09:18 pm »

England v Scotland will be on BBC 2.
I assume the coverage will be shared between BBC and ITV again.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #801 on:** 24 March, 2023, 01:26:43 pm »

A quick google has revealed

Quote

Every game of the Six Nations will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer and the broadcaster's regional channels, with some matches also broadcast live on BBC Two. The Women's Six Nations broke new ground in 2021 when the finale was broadcast as a standalone event on BBC Two, increasing exposure of the competition.

(Source: D. Torygraph)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #802 on:** 26 March, 2023, 08:02:01 pm »

Does anyone know where the current futbol international highlights can be found? My usual sources (bbc, sky) seem to have dried up.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #803 on:** 26 March, 2023, 08:22:15 pm »

In-ger-lund's recent Euro 2024 qualifiers were broadcast by C4.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #804 on:** 08 April, 2023, 08:20:12 pm »

Pretty impressive at the top of the premiership: each of the top 3 teams has won all of their last 5 games.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #805 on:** 08 April, 2023, 11:06:37 pm »

Maybe not deserving of putting in a Rugby thread, but today Japan beat Ireland at the Singapore Sevens. It's the first win ever for Japan v Ireland.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #806 on:** 12 April, 2023, 02:45:58 pm »

Looking at this board, we have threads on county cricket, Southend and football clubs, and rugby league (which mentions various town-based clubs). Which makes me wonder why cricket has taken a different path of development from other sports, so that its highest domestic level is based on counties rather than towns and cities. Any ideas?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #807 on:** 12 April, 2023, 03:46:45 pm »

I don't know the answer to the question, but I like to think that fixtures between Essex and Kent involve a little less needle than they did on the (allegedly) first recorded outing.

https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/lifestyle/20943607.essex-v-kent-1776-two-dead-not-ball-bowled/

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #808 on:** 12 April, 2023, 04:06:45 pm »

If that happened at Essex v Kent, I dread to think what ensued when Men of Kent played Kentish Men!

But in fact that does give a hint as to why cricket is organised on county lines; "local teams often adopted county names." Speculating wildly, could it be that cricket, requiring larger playing fields than football etc, was more likely to be played in villages and small towns, but would attract spectators (perhaps also players) from wider afield, so in the fans' minds the allegiance was more to a county than a town?

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #809 on:** 13 April, 2023, 04:14:04 pm »

Premier League football clubs agree to end gambling sponsorship. Except in places where they're going to allow it.

Quote

Premier League clubs have agreed to ban gambling sponsors on the front of their shirts from the start of the 2026-27 season. The league said the clubs had taken the measure “voluntarily in order to reduce gambling advertising”.

Good. But...

Quote

It will still be possible to advertise gambling brands in other areas, including on shirt sleeves and pitchside hoardings.

Read all about it

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #810 on:** 25 April, 2023, 07:16:57 pm »

Further thought on cricket being in counties: is it still the case that cricketers don't tend to move between counties much? Whereas footballers, rugbyists, etc, tend to move from club to club, cricketers tend to sign up with one and stay there for their whole career?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #811 on:** 25 April, 2023, 07:57:40 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 25 April, 2023, 07:16:57 pm

Further thought on cricket being in counties: is it still the case that cricketers don't tend to move between counties much? Whereas footballers, rugbyists, etc, tend to move from club to club, cricketers tend to sign up with one and stay there for their whole career?

Some do. Jim Laker spent most of his career withy Surrey, and still holds the record for the most wickets by one bowler in a test match (19). He later move to Essex. In fact, he once played in the same team in a first class county match (v Lancs) as Geoff Hurst, more famous for something else. Hurst's cricket career was short-lived.

Bob Willis started his career with Surrey, but moved to Warks early on. I had it in my mind that he had a row with Fred Titmus over racist remarks about a team-mate, which led to him leaving the county. But I can't find proof online for that, but it seems Jonathan Agnew, another England fast bowler, did have such a row with Titmus. It seems that Willis just couldn't get into the Surrey first team regularly enough.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #812 on:** 25 April, 2023, 08:28:49 pm »

I always think 'Fred Titmus' sounds like a TV gardener.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #813 on:** 25 April, 2023, 10:09:03 pm »

Regarding Fred Titmus & racism, I found this:

Quote from: Barney Ronay

Also contains a story about 16 year old Jonathan Agnew standing up with Lonsdale against racist abuse from a very senior figure in English cricket. Nobody else in the dressing room did. Lonsdale never forgot it. 👏👏 to young Aggers for that

Barney Ronay is a Graun sports correspondent.

https://twitter.com/barneyronay/status/1287306534930849799

No mention of Willis, so I think my memory is faulty. Apparently as a Sky commentator, Willis was frequently heard berating the English cricket establishment for allowing so many overseas players into the English game at the expense of locally produced ones, to a degree that some seemed to regard his rants as bordering on racism. I have never watched Sky cricket coverage so I don't have a view of these claims.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #814 on:** 25 April, 2023, 11:56:33 pm »

We know a song about that, don't we, Nigel? https://youtu.be/4LaMIYxDZ28

Wowbagger · « **Reply #815 on:** 26 April, 2023, 06:38:39 am »

Small interesting fact for cricket geeks: FT was one of a very select band of cricketers whose careers spanned 5 decades. His debut in 1949 for Middlesex was at the age of 16 and something, the youngest to represent them; and Mike Brearley persuaded him to come out of retirement at the age of 49 when he knew the pitch was taking spin.

Peter · « **Reply #816 on:** 26 April, 2023, 11:40:13 am »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 25 April, 2023, 07:16:57 pm

Further thought on cricket being in counties: is it still the case that cricketers don't tend to move between counties much? Whereas footballers, rugbyists, etc, tend to move from club to club, cricketers tend to sign up with one and stay there for their whole career?

Just having a cursory think about this Cudz (unlike my usual considered and well-thought out responses!), I think you are broadly right but probably not so much on the "whole career" bit (Ray Illingworth was a "died-in -the-wool Yorkshireman and England captain who played the later part of his career at Leicester). Footballers belong in the commodities market; cricketers less so. This may be partly due to the duration of the matches: If all your home matches are going to last for 4 days then it would make sense to be living within easy reach of your home ground. Even if a county has several "home" grounds, that would still apply. This might make players and their families more reluctant to move than a footballer, who will usually be paid astronomically more than a cricketer at the same level and can afford to live where he likes and travel for training and playing.

Interestingly in football, Newcastle Arabia, in 3rd place currently in the top division, regularly field 6 or 7 British players in a match, whereas the two teams above them regularly field no British players. It would be nice to think that such a statistic might lead to sides becoming more relevant to the local population again - but I doubt it!

Deano · « **Reply #817 on:** 01 May, 2023, 11:06:29 pm »

Ah man, that snooker final

Peter · « **Reply #818 on:** 02 May, 2023, 12:44:51 am »

Terrific, wasn't it!

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #819 on:** 02 May, 2023, 01:20:33 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 25 April, 2023, 07:16:57 pm

Further thought on cricket being in counties: is it still the case that cricketers don't tend to move between counties much? Whereas footballers, rugbyists, etc, tend to move from club to club, cricketers tend to sign up with one and stay there for their whole career?

That was very much the case, but I think in these days of franchise cricket it is not so much so. Chris Gayle is listed in Cricinfo as having played for 37 different outfits, including both Somerset and Worcestershire. For top players there is more of a guns for hire view. There is also a degree of movement for those trying to get an international call up - Sam Northeast went from Kent to Hampshire and then to Glamorgan where he scored his defining quadruple century, and Joe Denly went from Kent to Middlesex and back, where he had a belated international career. Even Kent's much beloved Darren "Stevo" Stevens originally played for Leicestershire and had a loan spell at Derbyshire.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #820 on:** 02 May, 2023, 01:51:27 pm »

Quote from: CrazyEnglishTriathlete on 02 May, 2023, 01:20:33 pm

Sam Northeast went from Kent to Hampshire and then to Glamorgan where he scored his defining quadruple century,

But he never went to Yorkshire or Durham? Missed opportunity!

Peter · « **Reply #821 on:** 02 May, 2023, 02:48:54 pm »

For nominative determinism?

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #822 on:** 02 May, 2023, 03:33:08 pm »

Wowbagger · « **Reply #823 on:** 08 May, 2023, 10:03:29 pm »

Some entertaining fupbol this evening in the Permiership: 21 goals in 3 games.

Peter · « **Reply #824 on:** 08 May, 2023, 11:07:14 pm »

Certainly! I bet Brighton are a bit stunned!