There was so much to enjoy about Kevin Keegan and his time at Newcastle United. From public feuds with Sir Alex Ferguson to earning the ‘Entertainers’ nickname, it truly was an era to savour.
For five glorious years, Newcastle were arguably the most exciting team on the planet. The Magpies were 100% attacking and we loved them for it.
Having led the club to the First Division title in 1992/93, Keegan was an instant hit in the top flight as Newcastle finished third in their debut Premier League campaign.
Cult legends such as Steve Howey, Rob Lee and Peter Beardsley were prominent figures at St James Park during the era – while Pavel Srníček was a pillar between the posts.
Never fighting it out in Premier League relegation betting odds, the Toon Army finished in the top six in each of their first four seasons in England’s elite division.
Keegan was named Premier League Manager of the Month five times during his time at the club, which is testament not only to his managerial prowess but his exciting group of players.
However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Keegan – he had to make some big calls. Fans were in uproar after he decided to sell Andy Cole and buy Alan Shearer, but that didn’t turn out too bad in the end…
Keegan made the unusual decision to speak directly to Magpies fans outside the ground, providing his reasoning for Cole’s departure. It was a bold move but one that earned him plenty of respect.
Kevin Keegan talking to fans outside SJP about the sale of Andy Cole. Crazy to think how open the club used to be. pic.twitter.com/T60CblHO1D
We simply cannot talk about Keegan’s time at Newcastle without mentioning that rant. Was it simply a case or Ferguson getting to him or was this some bizarre attempt at reverse psychology by King Kev?
Either way, Newcastle were the ones who suffered as Manchester United lifted the Premier League title yet again. And with that, Keegan’s rant went down in folklore as a meltdown.
The Magpies had been clear online football bet favourites that season but squandered a 12-point lead at the top of the table to hand the trophy to the Red Devils.
To this day, Keegan is still haunted by those famous words. Supporters share snippets of the interview on Twitter while friends imitate the Newcastle boss down the pub.
Ferguson was the master of mind games, with perhaps only a peak Jose Mourinho able to hold his own against the scheming Scot. And in this particular battle of wits, Keegan certainly lost…
From Faustino Aprilla to David Ginola, this was a Newcastle side that was blessed with talent, charisma and charm – and they had a fearless leader in King Kev.
Newcastle missed out on the Premier League title, yes, but they’ll always be remembered as the Premier League’s ‘Entertainers’ and that nickname is here to stay.
Under the new regime, the sky is the limit for Newcastle United when it comes to trophies but the legacy of Keegan’s side will never be forgotten.
Memories will be made at St James’ Park for years to come but it is important to remember that Keegan’s Newcastle were once regarded as the most exciting team in the land.
Go back and watch Newcastle in the mid-1990s if you get the chance. Their games were both fast and furious, and even now – you always feel like there’s going to be another goal either way.
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
Football is an emotional game and emotions can sometimes get the better of players – even the best ones. And that is exactly what happened to Didier Drogba on 6th May 2009.
Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League in controversial circumstances after a dismal refereeing performance from Norwegian official Tom Ovrebo.
It was a shocking display and one that had a clear impact on online football betting markets, with Barcelona benefiting from several poor decisions.
The referee himself has since admitted that he had a bad day at the office but that was no consolation for Chelsea as the Blues exited the competition at the semi-final stage.
However, Drogba and a few of his teammates – namely Michael Ballack and Jose Bosingwa – lost their cool and lashed out, with the Ivory Coast man noticeably overcome with rage.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a f***ing disgrace” was just one phrase used by Drogba, directly towards the television camera. Not a smart move to say the least…
Drogba was handed a six-game ban, with two of those suspended for two years, while the club were slapped with a £85,000 fine. A harsh punishment given the injustice of it all.
Eventually, the ban was reduced to three matches but Chelsea were still required to pay the fine. In addition, Jose Bosingwa was handed a three match ban of his own.
Almost a decade on, Ovrebo has admitted his mistakes on that day and Chelsea have lifted the Champions League – ironically with Drogba scoring the decisive goal.
Things could’ve been oh so different for the Blues though, with poor officiating costing the west London side a chance to appear in back-to-back Champions League finals.
No matter where you sit on the Thierry Henry vs Didier Drogba debate, you had to feel for the Chelsea man in this particular situation.
Emotions were high at the business end of the season and the refereeing just wasn’t up to scratch. It felt like every decision went against the Blues on that night.
There is absolutely no condoning the abuse aimed at Obrebo but you can understand the anger and frustration from a Chelsea perspective.
Having fought for an entire season after losing in the previous final, to be denied a second opportunity to compete for European football’s top prize will have hurt.
13 years later, Chelsea have been crowned European champions and are now one of the biggest clubs in world football.
The Roman Abramovich era may be over but the club’s journey throughout his tenure will live on – and Drogba’s outburst in May 2009 was just one of the low points.
Still undoubtedly one of the top strikers to feature in Premier League predictions, Drogba still stands by the belief that the referee wasn’t up to scratch.
Will we see an outburst like this again? Hopefully not. Footballers are role models and, while we can understand where the anger and frustration came from, that is not the example we want to be setting for the next generation of aspiring players.
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
Cast your minds back to 10th December 2006. That day will live long in the memory because we saw one of the greatest strikes in Premier League history.
But it wasn’t Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba or Wayne Rooney who wins that honour – instead that title belongs to Ghana midfielder Michael Essien.
Two of the leading contenders in Premier League winner odds at the time, both clubs found themselves way behind runaway leaders Manchester United going into the clash.
And while the two teams had to settle for a share of the spoils, it was Essien’s goal that was the real talking point in the aftermath of the contest.
With the Blues trailing 1-0 with just over five minutes remaining, Chelsea were beginning to pile on the pressure – though Jens Lehmann had stood tall throughout.
Cue Essien and a moment of brilliance. The ball was played into Frank Lampard in midfield and there was nothing on going forward, so he simply laid the ball off for Essien.
Running onto the ball from the right back position, there was a sense of anticipation as the Ghanian opened up his body and struck the ball some 35 yards from goal.
As soon as the ball left his boot, you knew it was in. Stamford Bridge held their breath as the ball swung through the air before nestling in the far corner.
Chelsea fans erupted and there was a huge sense of relief, with jubilant celebrations among the Blues contingent on the pitch. It felt like a big moment in the context of the season…
It's Thursday, so we're throwing it back to this dreamy strike from @MichaelEssien against Arsenal! ☄️💥
The goal got even better as you saw the replays, with the behind shot proving best of all. The swerve on Essien’s effort was unbelievable – it truly was a one in a million strike.
It was an effort that defied the laws of physics. Anyone involved in betting on football online will have seen Essien’s goal at one time or another; it is an iconic Premier League strike.
While Chelsea were unable to find a late winner, that goal gave the Blues the impetus to go and push Manchester United for the remainder of the season.
They ultimately fell short in their pursuit of retaining the title but Chelsea finished 15 points clear of Liverpool in third place. Arsenal had to settle for fourth once again.
Martin Tyler and Andy Gray were the men in the commentary box that day and both were clearly taken aback by the nature of the effort.
The Ghana midfielder had scored just two goals in 31 appearances during his debut season in the Premier League but bagged a spot in the history books with that Arsenal strike.
It was a goal that you could never have called – not even the most ardent Premier League predictions follower would’ve backed Essien to score from that sort of range.
However, football is a funny old game and the stars were aligned perfectly for him on that day. Thank goodness they were as they gave us one of the great Premier League moments.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
A strong end to the 2021-22 campaign saw Crystal Palace finish 12th in Patrick Vieira’s first season in charge. The Eagles were one of the better teams to watch last term, and that trend is expected to continue in 2022-23.
Palace don’t have a favourite in Premier League top scorer odds, but the final third is loaded with scintillating talents, led by the talismanic Wilfried Zaha.
Consistency was an issue at times. For all the disappointing weekends, Palace produced marquee moments in 2021-22, including wins over Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal.
They repeatedly proved they aren’t a team to be overlooked when it comes to live betting.
Main Arrivals
Cheick Doucoure arrived from Lens for just under £20 million. The 22-year-old midfielder brings a bit of everything to a Palace midfield which needed an injection of youth after seeing Conor Gallagher return to Chelsea.
Doucoure was well above average in his tackles and interceptions last term, but his real standout contribution was as a ball progressor, ranking in the 93rd percentile at his position in progressive carries and progressive passes per 90.
What was an elderly Palace squad just 12 months ago has experienced something of an overhaul, and Doucoure is just the latest step in that revolution.
Sam Johnstone has arrived on a free transfer, as has teenage winger Malcolm Ebiowei from Derby. The Eagles could yet make another deal with Chelsea for defender Levi Colwill, while there’s rumoured interest in Morgan Gibbs-White.
Ball-Carrying Attack
Zaha remains one of the best dribblers in Europe.
He’s symbolic of the freedom in Palace’s attack, which is evident in the play of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze – Palace were fourth in dribbles per game last season and drew the second-most fouls of any team.
Doucoure will drive through the middle third of the pitch, bringing another player who is unafraid to run at the opposition. If they did pull off a deal for Gibbs-White, that would be another willing ball carrier.
The Palace attack is a unique challenge for opponents, and can quickly put defenders on the back foot.
How Can Palace Improve?
The remainder of the transfer market is obviously an opportunity for Palace to improve the squad at Vieira’s disposal.
Much of their progression from last season to this, though, is about player development from their younger talents like Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell and Olise. A fully fit Eze changes the ceiling of this team, too.
Advanced metrics loved Palace last season, placing them sixth in expected goal difference with only the top four teams ahead of them.
Much of that impressive xG return was down to their defence. On paper, this attack should be one of the best outside the top six, particularly if Doucoure can settle in quickly.
Crystal Palace Prediction for 2022/23:
Palace are trending in the right direction under Vieira. Several Eagles players are going to be among the best preseason tips, and there’s a solid foundation from last season.
Inconsistency is probably a continued issue such is the age of the squad and variability in their attacking performances. Expect some thrilling fixtures against the top teams, but there will be surprise losses mixed in, too.
We can’t quite envisage a push for a European place, but the Eagles should be a top half team.
Crystal Palace Premier League prediction: Top half finish
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
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Every club has players who go under the radar and Michael Carrick did just that during his 12-year spell at Manchester United.
Even as you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking to yourself – was Carrick really at Old Trafford for 12 years? And that in itself is case and point.
While Carrick moved into more of a coaching role in the final few years, it would be brutally unfair to ignore his contributions over the previous decade.
By the time he announced his retirement, Carrick had played a leading role in five Premier League title triumphs as well as an FA Cup success, a Europa League victory and of course that Champions League conquest in Moscow.
Here, we look at Carrick’s impact and influence at Manchester United and discuss just why he might just be the most underrated player to grace England’s top flight.
Following in the footsteps of Paul Scholes was never going to be easy but Carrick always felt like a natural successor and he was an iconic figure for United during that period.
Predominantly used in central midfield, his versatility and ability to read the game meant that he was often deployed at the heart of United’s defence.
At his brilliant best, Carrick’s passing was as varied and extensive as any midfielder to play in the Premier League – and that is no exaggeration in any way, shape or form.
Playing alongside Scholes for a few years, it was almost unfair on visiting teams as United’s two midfield maestros controlled proceedings, spraying the ball about like a training game.
One area that let Carrick down slightly was his goal scoring. When he did score, it was often a superb strike from outside the penalty area.
He was never regarded as a ‘box to box’ midfielder but Carrick’s goal scoring record is a tad disappointing given he played for one of the most dominant teams in English football.
With just 24 goals in 464 appearances for the club, it was a football odds shock when Carrick did find the net – but those two strikes in the 7-1 win over AS Roma will live long in the memory.
However, Carrick wasn’t brought in to score goals. It is important to remember that United had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov in this era.
Instead, Carrick became one of the best in the business at controlling the tempo of a match. If United needed to slow things down, he would be the man orchestrating that.
While Sir Alex Ferguson often labelled Ji-Sung Park as his ‘big game player’, Carrick was quite possibly United’s most important player week in week out.
He impacted Premier League Odds without getting his name on the scoresheet, providing an assured figure in front of the back four and rarely making a gaping error.
Michael Carrick deserves more credit than he gets. If you’re ever in the pub discussing the most underrated Premier League players, make sure you throw his name in the mix.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
Joan Laporta's Barcelona revolution has just begun. One deal in particular is the new face of a project that restarts with Xavi as a manager and man at the center of negotiations: Robert Lewandowski.
One of the best strikers in the world has chosen Barcelona, he did it with conviction and without ever disrespecting the club in a very long negotiation.
The secret of this deal is the start date of the contacts: at the end of February, in those days Robert Lewandowski definitively decided together with his agent Pini Zahavi to try a new experience after many years at Bayern.
The reason is linked precisely to the strategies of the German club: Robert has been disappointed since August 2021.
During the last summer transfer market, in fact, Chelsea had approached Bayern for Lewandowski while Paris Saint-Germain considered making a bid for the Polish striker in the event that Kylian Mbappé had signed with Real Madrid.
But there have never been any real negotiations with Bayern: the German club did not even want to negotiate with Chelsea or PSG, considering Lewandowski untouchable for the 2021/2022 season.
Robert was happy to stay in Munich, but he expected an important proposal for a new contract: this is how it works in the transfer market, when super offers for great champions are rejected, the procedures to extend the contract are automatically activated.
But Bayern's times were very long, Robert reflected with his family and chose to say stop in February: it's time for a new experience, La Liga has always been his priority over Premier League or Ligue1 because Robert and his wife are in love with Spain.
A matter of life and football, kind of the perfect mix.
▫️ Salary around €9m net per season.
▫️ First call with Xavi, end of February.
▫️ Bayern receive €45m plus €5m add ons.
▫️ Robert’s contract to be signed on Sunday.
▫️ Pini Zahavi-Laporta relationship, key for this deal.
This is how Barcelona entered the race: the key man in this story is called Pini Zahavi, one of the most powerful agents in the world who has been assisting Robert Lewandowski for years.
Zahavi has had an excellent relationship with Joan Laporta for years, at the end of February they started discussing Lewandowski and it only takes a few days to get a promise: Robert will play for Barça, he was the striker that Xavi needs to rebuild the team in the 2022 season / 2023.
The verbal agreement was ready from March: three-year contract until 30 June 2025, with an option to extend it until 2026. All agreed between Lewa and Barça, but things are not always as easy as they seem.
Because the financial situation of Barcelona is not easy and it took a long time to approve that transfer: we arrived until July, more than four months with the word of Robert Lewandowski at the blaugrana club but also the attempts to insert Chelsea, of Paris Saint-Germain and other English clubs that have explored this possibility.
Direct contacts with Pini Zahavi, but always the same answer: Robert has decided, only Barcelona. There is no way for any other club, a question of respect, relations with Laporta and personal decisions.
This is not always the case in football, as some agents often prefer bidding wars to respecting their word; Lewa had no doubts and his public and private pressure on Bayern took effect.
Because the German club did not want to sell him this summer, they preferred to arrive in June 2023 and lose him as a free agent; but Lewandowski until the last day asked the Bayern board to be released.
Barcelona will pay € 45m plus € 5m in add-ons, so they found the final agreement with Bayern to complete one of the most important negotiations in the club's history.
Fantastic news for Xavi Hernandez who called Robert several times during these months to explain the Barça project, the same he did with Ousmane Dembélé: he wanted to keep him in the team at all costs and he succeeded.
Because agent Moussa Sissoko had approaches from Paris Saint-Germain with Leonardo director since January, then from Chelsea where Thomas Tuchel has always been a big fan of Ousmane.
Attempts, requests, verbal negotiations went on for months but Barcelona have always remained in the race to try to keep Dembélé on good terms for the club's finances.
In the end, both sides won: Barça extended Dembélé's contract for two years, Ousmane remained in the club he wanted. Yes, because the player has insisted a lot to stay in Catalonia and continue to be part of the Barça project.
With Xavi as an absolute guarantee: the Spanish coach has been pressing since the first day of February to keep calm around Dembélé, not to upset the situation between Ousmane and the fans, finally telling the club's board to make an effort to keep the French in team with Raphinha, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Aubameyang and now Lewandowski from stars of an incredible attack.
So Barcelona have rebuilt a top level team, Ousmane stays and now there is Robert: this is a statement by president Laporta, the board and once again Xavi Hernandez.
*Credit for all the photo in this article belongs to AP Photo*
Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.
He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.
The life of a football supporter can be tough but some are better at handling ups and downs than others - here, @SteTudor123 looks at the best online fanbases in the Premier League...
So much of football fandom is played out across social media these days, often creating a toxic environment where tribalism is rife.
Merely debating the price-tag of a new player to a rival club can instantaneously turn into an argument of biblical proportions.
A dodgy refereeing decision, meanwhile, can result in a nuclear meltdown that lasts for days. Frankly, we are all guilty of being a little too prickly on occasions.
Thankfully, there are always exceptions to the rule though in the interests of full disclosure we should make clear that even the ten fanbases listed below are not exclusively reasonable, nor amiable.
In fact, a more accurate aim here is not to determine which club has the best online fans in the Premier League. It’s who has the least bad.
10) Bournemouth
There isn’t a great deal to say about Cherries fans beyond that in the main they’re a decent bunch.
Their general good form can partly be explained away by a troubled past with memories still stark of the club’s slide into administration in 2008, a financial mess that almost saw them cease to be.
Being called rubbish by @Saints35225 on Twitter doesn’t really cut deep compared to that.
9) Fulham
Widely regarded as one of the most congenial fanbases ‘in real life’, this translates to the interweb and if you’ve ever fallen out with a Fulham fan, and you’re not a Chelsea supporter - the Blues being their nearest and archest rivals – then consider this: It was probably you in the wrong.
The Craven Cottage faithful vigorously hold their club to account but elsewhere possess a healthy security in who they are, recognizing and accepting their team’s limitations when pitted against the big guns.
This is the second recently promoted club to have its fanbase lauded. Perhaps experiencing relegation grounds expectation?
🤷♂️ 𝗦𝗮𝗺: “You must be happy with how things are run at Fulham?”
❌ 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗺𝘆: “I don’t think so!”
⬇️ 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻: “Without Al-Fayed, Fulham would be in League Two!”
The only top six side to make the cut, it’s telling that City’s elite status is still a relatively new thing. Indeed, give it a few more years and social media Blues may be demoted to our worst-of list instead.
For the time being however, the old guard hold sway, shushing the younger contingent who have only known success, thereby coming across as entitled.
Usually called ‘Frank’ or ‘Colin’ these seasoned vets have gone through the very rough and the very smooth, leaving them with a surprisingly balanced outlook given their remarkable transformation post-takeover. The latest Premier League odds inevitably has City down as strong favourites to retain their title this year.
Just don’t mention the media and you’ll be ‘reet’ when interacting with them. And steer clear obviously from calling Pep Guardiola a ‘chequebook manager’.
7) Newcastle
Had this list been compiled a year ago, the Toon Army might very well have inhabited the top three. They’re fun and funny. Self-deprecating too.
And so obsessed are they with all things black and white they have little time for forging online beefs, unless you count Sunderland fans and, bluntly speaking, that’s no longer a fair fight.
Yet, a year from now this likeable bunch may be nowhere to be seen on this good eggs top ten and that’s because of the takeover of their club in 2021 by a Saudi-led consortium.
The controversial nature of the takeover inevitably put Newcastle supporters on the defensive and while there is no judgement in them backing their club’s reputation, it has resulted in a fun and funny lot becoming a touch touchy of late.
6) Nottingham Forest
The last of the three promoted clubs in 2021/22, what sets Forest apart is their extended exile from the top-flight, with the Tricky Trees returning after a 22-year absence.
Subsequently, a trawl of Forest fans’ timelines reveals nothing but excitement at what awaits them, plus the obligatory sharing of transfer rumours, largely discussed in a measured manner.
Whether this cordial tone is maintained after Arsenal score a last-minute winner courtesy of a highly dubious decision that Gooners-at-large insist was correct, remains to be seen, but what Forest have in their credit is that so many of their high-profile accounts are run by agreeable folk who are well worth a follow.
5) Brighton
There are three unwavering truths concerning Brighton, the first being that the Seagulls are eternally damned to sign interesting attacking talent who are incapable of consistently finding the net.
Should you bet on football you will have discovered this the hard way, no doubt backing Graham Potter’s side to win at some point only to see them strike the woodwork several times and fall short.
The second is that the Amex is one of the best awaydays in the Premier League. Book Monday off work and make a weekend of it.
Lastly, you will be unfortunate indeed to encounter a Brighton fan you don’t like. That their popularity extends to the fierce environs of Facebook and Twitter is commendable indeed.
Imagine the nerve of an away fan in the Seventies or Eighties, visiting a Leeds hostelry and discussing the merits – or otherwise – of the Yorkshire giant. The response would have been forthright, to put it mildly.
Yet ironically, it is the no-nonsense ways of this fan-base that makes them oddly liked online. They have no time for silly banter.
They hold no stock with childish jibes or one-upmanship concerning net spend. They just want to talk about football, like actual adults.
Their recent charitable send-off of Kalvin Phillips, with all their well wishes, was also great to see.
3) Crystal Palace
Woe betides anyone daft enough to criticize Wilfried Zaha within distance of a Palace fan online. They also tend to react sharply to any transfer link involving their star winger.
These minor transgressions aside, Palace have one of the most approachable and fundamentally fair fanbases going, a claim they appear to be aware of and rightly take pride in, largely because it differentiates them from their London rivals.
Passionate and loud at Selhurst Park on matchdays, but friendly and pragmatic Monday to Friday. They’re an example for all.
2) Everton
It’s somewhat inevitable that Evertonians spend a chunk of their time on social media winding up Liverpool fans as one of the biggest rivalries in British football transfers online.
That aside however, it can be said that the Toffees fanbase are predominantly a self-contained lot, infinitely more involved in their own club’s interests than the misfortunes of others.
Knowledgeable about the game and never short of a wry put-down on how their club is run, there is a down-to-earth streak that is endearing, which makes it a genuine shame they have so much to complain about at present.
These are supporters who deserve a break.
1) West Ham
A typical Hammer has little interest in highlighting your club’s wasteful summer spending, focusing instead on praising the numbers you brought to Upton Park in 1986.
That’s because, in a similar vein to Leeds, there is an old-school authenticity that is prevalent within the Hammers’ fanbase, one that is refreshing and entirely at odds with the kneejerk hysteria we see so much of across the internet.
Conversing with one of them is a welcome reminder of how football conversations used to be, and could be again.
Stephen Tudor is a freelance football writer and sports enthusiast who only knows slightly less about the beautiful game than you do.
A contributor to FourFourTwo and Forbes, he is a Manchester City fan who was taken to Maine Road as a child because his grandad predicted they would one day be good.
MODERN supporters can instantaneously follow all the football scores on a Saturday by using the internet on their mobile phones.
But when I was a young kid growing up in the early 1970’s, the best way to keep up to date with results and match reports was to buy a Saturday evening ‘classified’ football newspaper.
Both the Evening News and the Evening Standard produced classified editions where I lived in the London area. These went on sale around 6pm on a Saturday evening.
So there would invariably be long queues of people waiting in eager anticipation outside my local newsagent for the little white delivery van to arrive.
Due to the extremely tight timescale in getting the newspapers written and finished, they would be quite rushed and higgledy-piggledy in presentation.
But that didn’t matter to me as I was just so pleased to access my vital diet of Saturday football facts and figures.
Looking back, this information was superb in view of the fact that matches used to finish at 4.40pm (there was only a 10 minute half-time in those days and very little injury time).
The front and back pages would display all the results plus the latest League tables. If there was any delay in a game finishing, that scoreline would be listed as “L-L”.
For example, “QPR L, Arsenal L”
The papers would then have a tiny ‘late’ column where these delayed results were squeezed in.
There were also reports on the matches played that afternoon. Journalists at the grounds would phone these in over landlines to copytakers at the newspaper offices.
The reports contained ball-by-ball detailed analysis up to about the 60th minute and then briefer facts after that due to print deadlines.
Elsewhere in the papers, there were feature articles on each of the London clubs which had obviously been prepared during the week. Some of the star players had their own columns which were ghost written by journalists.
I would of course read every word from cover to cover. Then my elderly Nana would have a quick look as she had to check her weekly football pools coupon. I don’t think she ever won anything though!
Sadly the London classifieds died out in the late 1970’s due to increasing distribution costs in getting these papers across the capital by 6pm.
However, similar publications continued to thrive around the rest of the country for many years and were often named after the colour of paper they were printed on.
Getting the train home. I miss the old classified football evening newspapers that used to be on sale at 6pm on Saturdays @fcbusiness
These included the Aberdeen Green Final, the Birmingham Sports Argus, the Bristol Evening Post ‘Green Un’, the Cardiff Football Echo, the Coventry Evening Telegraph ‘Pink’, the Derby Evening Telegraph ‘Green’, the Glasgow Sports Times, the Ipswich ‘Green Un’, the Leicester Mercury Sports Final, the Liverpool Echo, the Manchester Evening News ‘Pink’, the Newcastle ‘Pink’, the Norwich ‘Pink Un’, the Nottingham Football Post, the Sheffield ‘Green Un’, the Southampton Southern Evening Sports Echo, the Stoke Sentinel, the Sunderland Football Echo, the Wolverhampton Sporting Star and the Yorkshire Evening Post.
In my teenage years, I would buy these various newspapers at train stations when I was travelling back from matches far away on Saturday evenings.
The content was slightly different to the London format as it also included excellent Non-League reporting - not only from around local semi-pro clubs but from the realms of grassroots football too.
It was good fun to swap classified editions with other football fans I met on trains.
For example, if I was coming back from Sheffield and someone boarded at Derby then we would exchange our newspapers to get a different slant on the day’s football news. That kept me going until I arrived back in London!
However these provincial Saturday night papers have also ceased publication in recent seasons due to the huge expansion of football material on the internet.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
The old Grand National fences were the ultimate test but today's race is much changed - with safety and welfare rightly at the heart of the sport. Here, @Mulldog takes us on a trip down memory lane...
For many hardcore Grand National fans and historians the current National fences are a shadow of what they used to be and they believe the Merseyside feature is not the test it once was.
Following BHA safety reviews after both the 2011 and 2012 renewals, a number of changes were made to the Grand National course.
This included some reductions in the size of the fences and the measurement of the drop after them, plus the levelling up of various landing zones.
The start of the race is now 90 yards closer to the first fence, the idea behind this being that the horses needed to be slowed down as they were approaching it at a dangerous rate of knots.
Subsequently this reduced the race to four miles and three-and-a-half furlongs, down from the traditional four-and-a-half miles.
It was also thought that the new measures taken around the start area would help to prevent the horses getting caught up in the starting tape.
Moving the start further away from the crowd has in theory reduces the noise that can sometimes spook the horses and it helps them remain relatively settled.
All of the Grand National fences changed significantly in 2013. The latest fences are still covered over with the Lake District spruce, but the wooden posts have been replaced by an imitation birch made of flexible plastic.
On top of that plastic core, there are fourteen to sixteen inches of loose spruce that the horses can brush through and knock off.
The outward appearance of the Grand National fences remains the same but the horses can basically skim the tops off them now which makes it an altogether different race from what is was previously.
These elements have significantly changed the yearly antepost prices and the whole structuring of the Grand National betting.
Other measures introduced in the 2013 changes were changes in the course irrigation to produce the safest jumping ground possible on a raceday, plus a new bypass and penning area to catch the riderless horses.
Aintree Not Adverse To Change
The Grand National certainly has not been adverse to change over the years, with walls, deep ditches etc all gone from the makeup of the course. All those changes were minor however compared to the sweeping changes to this great race in 2013.
The safety of the runners and riders had always been the main priority of the race organisers, however an ugly statistic of 11 equine fatalities in the race between the years of 2002 and 2011 – including two in both the 2011 and 2012 races – accelerated the momentum to bring about some radical changes to the course set-up.
The following video tells you all you need to know about the changes that were made at Aintree Racecourse and to course safety in 2013. It may even influence your future horse racing online bets.
Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.
He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.
Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?
He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations.
