888sport ambassador Neil Callan (@neilcallan78) gives his thoughts on the whip rule changes, as well as a glimpse at a busy book of rides at Haydock on Saturday...

---

New Whip Rules

Obviously, the big news this week has been to do with the new whip rules. From my point of view, I’m not really sure what was wrong with them and a change didn’t seem needed.

I think it’s a bit of a joke to be honest and it’s pretty baffling why they are so focussed on areas around the education of racing instead of improving the sport in actually useful ways.

British racing would be in a much healthier position if we did that as opposed to these rule changes, which some way down the line the powers that be will change again anyway.

Of course as jockeys we’ll learn to adapt and we’ll figure out the best way to do it under the new regime, but the point still remains that this is something that really didn’t need addressing.

There are far more pressing issues in the sport, such as small fields and low prize money, that need looking at, and this is only being done to please those people that quite frankly have no idea about horse racing. The whole thing is laughable.

I’m on the PJA Advisory Board and when I got word of these rule changes, I told them that this was a joke and the response I was given was that this was the best outcome given they wanted to take the whip away.

Jockeys can no longer use the whip in the forehand position once the new whip rules are implemented in the autumn. 

PJA Flat President P J McDonald gives a demonstration of how this will look and outlines the benefits of adopting a backhand position for both horse and rider pic.twitter.com/PzrmlE3XUi

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 12, 2022

If they take the whip away none of the jockeys will ride, it’s as simple as that. It’s happened in other countries and the jockeys have refused to ride and it will happen here too.

Unfortunately, the way I see it is that this is the first step from those who don’t want racing as a sport really putting their foot down. If that were to happen, what do the thousands of people employed within the industry do?

They can’t just walk into another job in racing because there won’t be any. As I’ve said, there are far more important issues in the sport than the whip but it’s pretty clear that those in positions of power don’t agree.

Rides At Haydock On Saturday

I’m up at Haydock on Saturday evening and my first ride is NIGHT BEAR in the 1m2f handicap (6:30). He’s been running consistently enough but hasn’t got his head in front for a while.

It’s not the strongest of races and he has been dropped another three pounds since his last run, so let’s hope this is the day his luck changes.

Night Bear gets up to win under @PMulrennan in the 100% @RacingTV Profits Returned To Racing Handicap for @edvaughan1 👏 pic.twitter.com/j4Kg6LLHxE

— Redcar Racecourse (@Redcarracing) June 27, 2020

 

---

I rode the winner of the race LORD UHTRED finished third in on his debut at Yarmouth and it was pretty clear he was very coltish that day.

He was running all over the place in the early stages but when the penny dropped he flew home in quite eye-catching fashion.

The Godolphin horse that finished second has subsequently won, so the form looks solid and you’d like to think we’ll see plenty more improvement from him in this novice contest (7:00).

---

SPANGLED MAC looks a very nice ride to pick up in the seven-furlong handicap (7:30).

He’s won his last two starts, including at Yarmouth on Wednesday where he looked to have a bit in hand, so with any luck we can make it a hat-trick.

He looks one of my better rides on Saturday.

Talk about timing it to perfection! 👏 

Check out this ride from @ConnorPlanas aboard the @gbougheyracing-trained Spangled Mac at @kemptonparkrace 👀 pic.twitter.com/6jdGNMW31x

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 6, 2022

 

---

Next, I’m on RUSSELLINTHEBUSHES in the five-furlong handicap (8:00).

I don’t know too much about her but she’s been running okay for a while now which is always encouraging.

She’s four pounds below her last winning mark, so is handicapped to be competitive.

---

I’m back onboard SAVROLA in the mile handicap (9:00) and hopefully he can go well.

He was pretty green when I rode him at Doncaster on his second start and hopefully he’ll be a bit more streetwise now after a further run at Newcastle.

I’d like to think he’ll be quite progressive as his career unfolds, but whether he can win first time up in a handicap, I’m not sure.

---

FIRST PUBLISHED: 14th July 2022

It’s been all change at Chelsea over the past few months but things have started to settle down in the Todd Boehly era.

The Blues clinched third place last season, securing Champions League qualification for the fourth year in a row.

Priced at 16/1 in Premier League outright betting markets ahead of the upcoming campaign, Chelsea are arguably still some way short of competing for the title.

Here, we take a closer look at Thomas Tuchel’s side and discuss expectations at Stamford Bridge ahead of what could be a troublesome season for the club.

Major Summer Departures

With Romelu Lukaku now out of the Stamford Bridge exit door, Tuchel has taken care of one of the biggest problems in the Chelsea dressing room.

However, the Belgium international’s departure leaves a gaping hole in attack – and I’m not convinced that Raheem Sterling is the man to directly replace him.

As the Sterling Chelsea transfer rumours continue, our man @SamRCox_ looks at a potential move...

👀 A good deal for both parties? https://t.co/2bv1Boob4B

— 888sport (@888sport) July 3, 2022

In addition, Antonio Rudiger has moved on to join Real Madrid while Andreas Christensen will don the famous colours of Barcelona.

While the latter was viewed as more of a squad player, Rudiger will be sorely missed despite Chelsea’s continued efforts to invest heavily in defensive names during the summer.

Defence Is King?

Sterling’s arrival will give the Blues a lift in the attacking third but Tuchel has chosen to focus mainly on improving Chelsea’s defensive stability.

Despite finishing the campaign with the third best defensive record in the league, the Blues manager has placed great emphasis on Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

A supreme talent, Koulibaly will bring stability to the Chelsea defence and his arrival at the club may swing Premier League predictions in favour of the Blues once again.

Another defensive-minded signing or two may not appeal to fans but Tuchel has a grand plan and it would be sensible to buy into it for the time being.

How Can Chelsea Improve?

Ultimately, a proven centre forward would make Chelsea more dangerous in the final third and that is exactly what the Blues need.

Time is running out for Chelsea to go chasing a striker, especially as Tuchel has ruled out a potential move for Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mason Mount and Kai Havertz were the only Chelsea players to score more Premier League goals than Lukaku last season and that is a worrying statistic in itself.

Shutting up shop will help Chelsea’s structure but it is hard to envision the Blues matching their 76-goal tally in 2022/23 unless they make a marquee signing.

Chelsea Prediction For 2022/23:

The football betting odds have Chelsea’s position spot on – the Blues are not only underdogs for the title but Tottenham are better placed to lead a serious challenge.

Tuchel’s position at the helm isn’t under any immediate threat but the new regime will be demanding quick results, no matter how unfair that may seem.

For me, Chelsea are the most likely top four club to miss out this time around. Unless the Blues can sign a competent striker, it could be Europa League time in 2023/24.

Chelsea Premier League prediction: 5th place

---

 

I DON’T remember any of my childhood birthdays. And I don’t recall those Christmas get-togethers either. But I do have vivid memories of FA Cup Final Day.

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970’s and 1980’s, it was the biggest day of the year for me. A truly iconic national event.

Apart from the yearly England versus Scotland game in the ‘Home Internationals’ and an end of season England Schoolboy fixture at Wembley, the FA Cup Final was the only domestic football match that was televised live back then.

My own preparation began when I would buy the official match programme from my local newsagent a few days before the Final. I would read this from cover to cover so that I was fully clued up on the two teams involved.

On to the much anticipated Saturday itself where I would get up at the crack of dawn to purchase all the national newspapers.

These had four to eight page FA Cup Final “Pull-Outs” to preview the big match. I liked how the journalist involved would give a score prediction and I would replicate this by writing down my own forecast for the result and goalscorers.

I would then sit in front of the television all day watching the Cup Final build-up which commenced on the two main channels at 9am.

It was a case of switching to and fro from BBC1 ‘Grandstand’ presented by Frank Bough to ITV ‘World Of Sport’ where Dickie Davies was the host. My mum would keep popping in and out of the room with an array of drinks and snacks.

The TV cameras would show:

• The two teams relaxing at their respective hotels in North London whilst having breakfast.

• Goals from the Road To Wembley. This was essential viewing with so little football on television in that period.

• FA Cup Final songs by both clubs. In particular, the simple but effective lyrics of Chas ‘n’ Dave stick in my mind:

Tottenham Tottenham,

No one can stop them,

We’re gonna do it again,

We won’t give it up, 

We’re gonna bring the Cup, 

Back home to White Hart Lane…

• FA Cup Final It’s A Knockout. This was a hit slapstick TV show where contestants supporting the Cup Final teams would participate in absurd games across obstacle courses. They wore large foam rubber suits which often depicted giants, penguins and damsels in distress. The games were popularly described as school sports days for adults. Those taking part would get muddy and soaking wet while tackling greasy poles, log-rolling and bungee runs.

• Meet The Players’ Wives where the ladies concerned would talk about in detail about their hopes and expectations for the FA Cup Final.

• FA Cup Final Question of Sport. A tailored version of that popular quiz show featuring questions about the FA Cup Final. 

Around 1pm, we saw the two teams on their respective coaches travelling down the North Circular Road to Wembley with cameramen in helicopters overhead tracking their routes.

After arrival at Wembley Stadium, the players were interviewed on the pitch in their special Cup Final suits before the game.

As the clock ticked down, the timeless anthem Abide With Me hymn was sung just before kick-off at Wembley.

• The cameras would pan around the crowd at this stage and I would notice the rudimentary home-made banners created from bed sheets that were being held aloft on the Wembley terraces. My original favourite was a felt tip tribute to Manchester United striker Stuart Pearson:

“Jesus Saves But Pearson Nets The Rebound” 

However, some witty QPR supporters managed to surpass this at the 1982 FA Cup Final by referring to the midfield battle between their hero Tony Currie and Tottenham’s maestro Glenn Hoddle:

“Currie Gives Hoddle The Runs”

Then it was the traditional 3pm kick-off with live commentary by David Coleman on BBC1 and Brian Moore on ITV. The best line I remember came from Coleman at the 1974 Final: 

“Keegan two, Heighway one, Liverpool three Newcastle none”. 

We were also treated to goals from Scottish Cup Final at half-time and full-time. This was played simultaneously at 3pm and usually involved Celtic and Rangers.

Everyone would pick either of those clubs as their favourite Scottish team. Occasionally we might get a glimpse of someone else in the final such as Hibernian.

Commentary was by Archie Macpherson on BBC1 and Arthur Montford on ITV. Both men invariably yelled: “Sensational goal!”

I recollect how deep the stanchions were at Hampden Park in Glasgow so it appeared to take an absolute eternity for the ball to hit the back of the net after passing over the goal line.

Hampden also had square goalposts back in those days which seemed unique to me!

• After the final whistle at Wembley, there were post-match interviews with the winning players who were always drinking from bottles of milk for some reason. Maybe it was a sponsorship arrangement.

After watching all of that, I would race out into the back garden around 6pm to personally re-enact the FA Cup Final goals with a plastic football.

It's the FA Cup Final tomorrow

As a kid, I would sit in front of the TV from 9am on Cup Final day watching all the build up

*Teams having breakfast at their hotels

*Road to Wembley goals

*Cup Final It's A Knockout

*Cup Final Question of Sport

*Team buses going to Wembley

— Tony Incenzo talkSPORT (@TonyIncenzo) May 13, 2022

Then on the Saturday evening, BBC1 would screen ‘How the Cup Was Won’ live from the victorious team’s post-match celebration dinner.

The next day, I would be back at the newsagents buying all the Sunday papers so that I could cut out and keep the FA Cup Final match reports. 

Fantastic times! I don’t think modern football fans could ever imagine how big an occasion the FA Cup Final was back in the good old days.

---

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*

• Read below for why cricket is the best sport in the world

• Cricket is widely acknowledged as the second-most popular sport in the world

• Played all over the planet, cricket attracts vast audiences everywhere from Delhi to Durham

---

An estimated 2.5 billion people follow cricket around the world.

It is second only to football in its audience, and the sport continues to post massive viewing numbers despite scepticism about the game’s health. The 2019 World Cup was the most-watched ICC event of all-time.

Here are 10 reasons why cricket is the best sport in the world.

Different Formats

Illustrated by the range of cricket betting tips, this is a sport which comes in various formats. The five-day battle of Test cricket is favoured by traditionalists, but cricket is constantly evolving.

Once a controversial invention, 50-over white-ball matches are now a staple with that form of the game being challenged by The Hundred, 6ixty and T10.

Cricket can be whatever you want it to be. There are leagues and tournaments for those that favour the crash-bang-wallop of the shortest formats.

The red-ball game is still going strong at the international level, too, providing a dramatically contrasting alternative.

Which other sport can provide such variation?

Star Power

Ben Stokes, Jasprit Bumrah, Jos Buttler, Pat Cummins, Trent Boult, Babar Azam, Andre Russell, Kagiso Rabada.

Cricket sports betting pages are littered with star names – the aforementioned octet are just a small selection of the world’s most iconic cricketers in 2022.

Each country could contribute multiple other players to add to that list, and that’s before we get to the T20 specialists excelling in the IPL, Big Bash and other leagues.

Debates like Tendulkar vs Kohli are bound to fire up fans, but that shouldn’t distract from the depth of talent in world cricket right now.

Players are capable of things previous generations didn’t even dream of, and their workload is unlike any era before.

They might not be marketed like their peers in the Premier League, NBA or NFL, but cricket has plenty of its own star power in the 2020s.

Variety of Skills

A cricket match can be turned on its head in numerous ways. It can be hefty hitting, it can be a well-paced knock, it can be a grinding 50 off 150 balls. That’s only batters.

Bowlers can grab a match by the scruff of the neck with a string of wickets or they can strangle the scoring rate. Perhaps a wicketkeeper pulls off a stumping or a leaping catch.

Fielders can create a wicket with sharp ground fielding to force a run out, with exquisite reactions in the slips or with supreme athleticism for a leaping grab.

Every cricket match is a theatre for players to exhibit a range of skills in every discipline.

Rich History

The first Test match was played in March 1877 between England and Australia. Cricket has come a long way since then, of course, but the history is a fundamental part of the sport.

Tradition can/should enhance the appeal of cricket, though an adoration of the past can see the sport edge towards pomposity and conservatism.

However, cricket’s history is a net positive for the sport as a whole.

Stunning Venues

From the historic stadia like Lord’s and the SCG to picturesque venues like Galle, Mount Maunganui and Newlands, cricket is played in some spectacular surroundings.

That’s just a selection of the grounds we see on television with professionals involved, let alone some of the beautiful club pitches around the world.

No other sport can rival cricket’s assortment of stadia.

Always a Match Somewhere

The worldwide nature of the sport means there’s no dead period in the cricketing calendar. International matches take place pretty much everyday of the year, headlined by the Boxing Day Test.

Domestic white-ball competitions provide intense periods on the schedule with multiple matches per day.

Quality Analysis

Cricket is ahead of many its sporting peers when it comes to analysis. Data has changed sports across the board over the last couple of decades, and this has been embraced by cricket teams and analysts alike.

The pace of the game, particularly in red-ball formats, lends itself to in-depth discussion.

Some will be content with appreciating the heavy-hitting of the Blast, but others can get stuck into the technical merits of a change to a backlift or adjustments to the field.

Friendly Atmosphere

Cricket crowds, in general at least, do not have any animosity. Sitting alongside a fan of the opposing team is not a problem.

In most cases, it is a welcoming, good-spirited environment to enjoy a day’s play without the sort of aggression associated with attending some other sports.

Alcohol-fuelled stands aren’t for everybody, but most grounds have dedicated family areas, too. A day out at the cricket is appropriate for all ages – there aren’t many better ways to spend a summer’s day.

Sheer Drama

The rhythm of a cricket match, and the time it takes, is an ideal recipe for sporting drama.

Where other sports can be rapidly changing with a flurry of goals or points, cricket is a different kind of tension. It’s unique emotion, a stress that builds through hours or even days.

In certain instances, each delivery is a combination of nerves and excitement for fans. Emotions simmer as a bowler runs up with a collective intake of breath awaiting the outcome.

It isn’t accurate to say cricket is necessarily more dramatic than other sports, but it is a different kind of drama. Which other sporting events can compare to a match like the 2019 World Cup final?

Always Changing

Cricket is constantly evolving. New formats and regulations change how teams approach an innings.

Sports science and ever-increasing data analysis are changing how we think about the game, from optimal lengths to field placings and risk evaluation.

The players of the 2020s are playing shots that weren’t even invented 15 years ago. Bowlers are inventing new deliveries on an almost weekly basis.

Fielding, though, is perhaps the most dramatic change, such is the athleticism and quick-thinking on display in the modern game compared to their predecessors.

---