The Ferran Torres-to-Barcelona deal was one of the most "particular" of the last few years.

Because the Spanish winger has officially signed with Barça in a deal worth €55 million plus €10 million add ons, one of the most important sales in Manchester City's history. But how was this new signing for Barça possible? How did things go?

Fabrizio Romano articles

The Ferran idea was born in the same week that Xavi Hernandez was appointed as the new manager of Barcelona.

The president Joan Laporta chose Xavi and decided to give great strength to his ideas on the market: the plan was to focus on Spanish players, very strong and clear. Ferran was one of the first names that Xavi made to the club's board .

It wasn't easy, because Manchester City weren't planning a sale of Ferran in the January transfer market. A very, very complicated deal.

Ferran Torres statistics


With a key to unlocking the negotiation: Ferran Torres was immediately tempted by the courtship of Barcelona and made a clear decision, which was to ask Manchester City to leave the club.

Ferran has always been very professional and appreciated in the club, but his will was to be able to return to Spain, get closer to his family, find La Liga and above all fulfill the dream of playing for Barça, with Xavi Hernandez making the difference.

His ideas, his confidence and... even his calls. So the sporting director of Barcelona Mateu Alemany flew to Manchester for a negotiation at that point facilitated by the player's will: the relations between Barça and Man City management are excellent, from Ferran Soriano to Txiki Begiristain up to Guardiola there is a strong component Catalan in the English club.

There's another "secret" made the difference in this negotiation, namely the friendship between Ferran and some Barcelona players like Pedri, with whom he shares the agent.

Many phone calls, messages, signals to reach each other as soon as possible. The desire to share this "Blaugrana experience" together.

Barça decided to fly to England with an agreement on personal terms practically already made for Ferran: contract until 2027, €1B clause.

Man City were very clear: the first request was €65 million negotiable, while Xavi Hernandez's Barcelona offered €45 million.

Xavi Ferran Torres


Discussions lasted two weeks, Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech considered as plan B until the two clubs reached an agreement on 22 December after direct contact: Barcelona will pay €55 million guaranteed to Manchester City but in installments payable in the coming years, starting by summer 2022.

In addition, €10 million in add ons linked to Barcelona's victories and Ferran Torres' personal results are added.

The club has managed with a creative formula to reach an agreement with Manchester City despite experiencing a moment of enormous economic difficulty.

And Pep Guardiola chose to free Ferran Torres because the figure is very high, but above all the player's will was very clear: only Barcelona.

Done deal, a particular story ended already in December, well in advance to please Xavi: Laporta has chosen to give him the keys to the Barcelona of the future, Ferran Torres was the first gift. And he won't be the last.


Come back to read more Fabrizio Romano transfer news stories in his "Behind The Scenes" series at 888sport!


*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

January 2, 2022
Body

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.

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The Desert Orchid Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase, run at Kempton Park Racecourse on the second day of their Winter Carnival. Run over a distance of 2 miles, there are twelve fences to be negotiated in total.

The race was first run in 2006 and was named after the popular-grey Desert Orchid, who died a few weeks earlier.

Desert Orchid won Kempton's most famous contest - the King George VI Chase, four times between 1986 and 1990. His ashes were scattered at the racecourse on the day of this race's inaugural running.

This new contest replaced the Castleford Chase in the National Hunt calendar as a Grade 2 chase over 2 miles, and is a key pointer to which horses will contest the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.

This Grade Two affair has attracted some top class winners in recent years including Voy Por Ustedes, Finian's Rainbow, Sire De Grugy, Sprinter Sacre, Special Tiara and Altior who all went on to take the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Desert Orchid Chase Winners

  • 2011 – Finian's Rainbow 4/11 fav (Barry Geraghty/Nicky Henderson)
  • 2012 – Sanctuaire 11/8 fav (Ruby Walsh/Paul Nicholls)
  • 2013 - Sire de Grugy 4/1 (Jamie More/Gary Moore)
  • 2014 - Special Tiara 5/1 (Barry Geraghty/Henry De Bromhead)
  • 2015 - Sprinter Sacre 8/11 fav (Nico De Boinville/Nicky Henderson)
  • 2016 - Special Tiara 8/11 fav (Noel Fehily/Henry De Bromhead)
  • 2017 – Politologue 8/15 fav (Sam Twiston-Davies/Paul Nicholls)
  • 2018 – Altior 1/8 fav (Nico De Boinville/Nicky Henderson)
  • 2019 – Bun Doran 4/1 (Jonathan Burke/Tom George)
  • 2020 – Nube Negra 20/1 (Harry Skelton/Dan Skelton)
  • Age: 8 of the last 10 winners were aged between 6 and 8. Sprinter Sacre and Special Tiara were both nine when they won in 2015/16 respectively.
  • Price: 6 of the last 10 favourites have won, 9/10 winners came from the top three in the horse racing odds.
  • Last Run: 5 of the last 10 winners won on their last run before the Desert Orchid Chase, 8/10 winners ran within the last 48 days. 4/11 winners ran in the Tingle Creek Chase (Sandown) on their last run, 3 of the 4 won, 0 placed.
  • Previous Course Form: 9/10 winners had at least one previous run at Kempton, 6/10 winners had at least one previous win at Kempton.
  • Previous Distance Form: 9/10 winners had at least seven previous runs over 15-17 furlongs, 9/10 had at least three previous wins over 15-17 furlongs.
  • Previous Chase Form: 8/10 winners had at least seven previous chase runs, 8/10 winners had at least three previous chase wins.
  • Rating: 8/10 winners were rated 156 or higher.
  • Graded Wins: 8/10 winners had at least one previous win in a Grade 1-3 race.
  • Season Form: 8/10 winners had at least one run that season, 4/10 winners had at least one win that season.

Leading Trainers

Nicky Henderson leads the way with four victories to his name in this contest, those being: Petit Robin (2009), Finian’s Rainbow (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2015) and Altior (2018).

To check out whether Nicky Henderson has any Desert Orchid Chase chances this season, please take a look at our 888Sport Nicky Henderson stable tour.

Alan King, Henry De Bromhead and Paul Nicholls all have two winners apiece.

King saddled Voy Por Ustedes to win in 2006/7, De Bromhead sent out Special Tiara in 2014/16, whilst Nicholls’ two came with Sanctuaire (2012) and Politologue (2015).

Leading Jockeys

The now retired Barry Geraghty was victorious in this race a total of three times, all for trainer Nicky Henderson. Geraghty’s winners were: Petit Robin (2009), Finian’s Rainbow (2011) and Special Tiara (2014).

Of the current crop of jockey’s, Nico De Boinville is a two-time winner of this Christmas contest, having guided both Sprinter Sacre (2015) and Altior (2018) to victory.

Desert Orchid 'Trial' Races

Potential runners at Kempton are likely to have run in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham or the Tingle Creek at Sandown with the cream of the crop likely to have appeared in those two contests.

The Tingle Creek would is the biggest race of the season for this division outside of the Festival so rather than being a "trial" for the Desert Orchid Chase, it is more the next stepping stone after Sandown.

Starting Prices

This race has been a particularly kind race for favourite backers since its conception with six of them obliging in just the last ten years alone. The favourite always figures prominently in any horse racing tips for this feature race.

The winner generally comes from the first three in the betting, which is no surprise really as the field is often a small one with an average of six runners.

Nube Negra (20/1) became a rare blip in the stats/trends last season when the Dan Skelton-trained runner returned the joint-outsider of six.


*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 22nd December 2021

December 22, 2021

By Steve Mullington

Steve Mullington
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    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. 

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    • Some of the funniest ever England memes celebrated 

    • So many Three Lions memes focus on football ‘coming home’ 

    • Social media wags can be more entertaining than the football


    Few instances unite a nation more than a major footballing tournament and when England are involved, social media is usually ablaze with memes, gifs and hot takes.

    It can be a lot of fun to scroll down a timeline when Harry Kane and the lads are playing. Frankly, it’s sometimes more entertaining than the actual football.

    The tone of this content can differ dramatically depending on how the Three Lions are faring, but whether it’s celebratory, insightful, or angry, typically humour lies at the heart of it.

    We thought therefore, it was about time that we rejoiced in some of the best England memes in recent years, some of which take us right back to balmy summers of optimism, when we really believed football was ‘coming home’. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

    So True

    Isn’t it annoying when people talk about songs or films ‘working on different levels’? It sounds a bit clever, but it also doesn’t really mean anything.

    Yet here is a deceptively straightforward tweet that covers so many bases.

    First off, when posted, England were busy competing in a Euro semi-final against Denmark, after reaching that juncture amidst all manner of criticism of Gareth Southgate’s team selections from a country of armchair experts.

    We thought we knew better than one of the most successful England football managers of all time. We didn’t.

    And in this context, the meme also hits plenty of nails on heads when broadening our scope to football in general.

    It’s also a perfectly chosen pic too, with snacks and pyjamas de rigour when shouting at Southgate to make the substitutions we want.

    Playing Up To Stereotype

    It is July 2018 and England are about to take on Sweden in a World Cup quarter final.

    With the Three Lions just three games away from replicating their fabulous feat from half a century earlier, understandably a good deal of excitement is in the air, with belief growing that the greatest prize of them all is up for grabs.

    Celebrating a trope that pops up a few times on this list, we are under the firm impression that football is coming home.

    Here stereotype is deployed and wonderfully so. As rich and diverse a country Sweden is, let’s face it, the only viable options for parody were to reference IKEA or make a pun on an ABBA song title. The right one was chosen.

    What’s Scottish For Schadenfreude?

    Three years after England suffered semi-final heartbreak in Russia, they were once again deep into a major tournament, once again making a nation believe something very special was possible.

    The online betting markets were awash with punters backing Southgate’s men to go all the way. Optimism was sky high.

    Only alas, someone always has to take things too far, and ahead of a tricky clash with Croatia in the last four, along came what is seemingly these days a compulsory premature tattoo plastered around the internet.

    This Scottish lady was strangely unsympathetic when the ink ultimately lied.

    A Classic Of The Genre

    Comedic pie charts have been a staple of the meme game for many a year and any best of list simply wouldn’t be the same without one.

    This example is clean, immediately apparent, and all the more impactful for it. A marvellous piece of work.

    A Sterling Contribution

    When this meme appeared, England had just dumped their historical foes Germany out of Euro 2020 so unsurprisingly timelines were choc-a-bloc with pictures of beach towels draped over aeroplane seats.

    Funny for sure but also a bit obvious dare we say?

    This tweet banged because it instead focused on the hero of the hour, the striker who may not have scored the most goals for England in the tournament – that honour fell naturally to Kane – but who time and again was the difference-maker.

    Step forward and take a bow, Raheem Sterling.

    Leave It Six Months 

    One of social media’s biggest appeals lies in its immediacy. A forward scores a worldy and you can respond in an instant. A thought can be shared in the time it takes to have it.

    The internet though can also be timeless, and here is a perfect illustration of that.

    Because last summer England lost to Italy in a Euro final and one of its enduring images was of the veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini cynically grabbing hold of Bukayo Saka. Many memes were created at the time, the bulk of them amusing.

    Then, six months later a completely unrelated video went viral, showing a guy ‘accidentally’ slipping on ice and pairing these two events together was brave given how one was ancient history by the internet’s standards.

    It was a gamble that paid off handsomely.

    Local Boy In The Photograph

    Ah, the Harry Maguire meme, a thoroughly British cultural monument that’s up there with Nelson’s Column and Made In Chelsea.

    So widespread was this pic shared that picking out just the one favourite version was a difficult task. This effort skewers the player’s cocky pose and northern demeanour better than most though.

    You can really imagine the Manchester United defender saying precisely this.

    Twitter In A Nutshell

    Not an original meme in the strictest sense, but still, this is a minor work of art because it’s all there on the page, rendering a description of it redundant. Let’s do so anyway.

    After Harry Maguire made a big show of scoring against Albania recently, defiantly cupping his ears to mounting criticism of his poor form, a clearly appalled Roy Keane naturally had something to say on the matter.

    Relaying the news that a Manchester United legend had waded in on a present-day Red and garnishing the tweet with laughing emojis and a #YNWA, well, that’s Twitter in a nutshell.

    Not Dead Just Yet

    The ‘Stop, stop, he’s already dead’ meme from The Simpsons has become somewhat old hat these days. Over-used and on the cusp of becoming a cliché.

    It still has its uses however, and when England recently walloped perennial international whipping-boys San Marino 10-1 it was nigh-on obligatory.

    It’s Coming Home!

    Let’s end on a positive note with a meme that could be hung in the national gallery.

    On securing qualification to Qatar 2022, the official Team England Twitter account released this impressive collage featuring every member of Gareth Southgate’s squad.

    Football odds today have the Three Lions down as one of the favourites to win the World Cup next year. Maybe, just maybe, all those earlier tweets may be proven right after all.


    *Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

     

    FIRST PUBLISHED: 21st December 2021

    December 21, 2021

    By Stephen Tudor

    Ste Tudor
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    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.

    Stephen Tudor

    Originally known as the Feltham Novices' Chase, The Kauto Star Novices' Chase is the first Grade One race to be staged during the Christmas Festival at Kempton Park Racecourse.

    The race was named in honour of Kauto Star in 2012. The legendary horse won the Gold Cup twice for Paul Nicholls, and lifted the King George VI Chase trophy at Kempton on a record five occasions.

    It was only befitting that Kempton should acknowledge his contribution to the race’s history.

    Famous trainers like Fred Winter, Fulke Walwyn and David Elsworth have all trained winners of the Feltham/Kauto Star. Nicky Henderson won this Grade One for the first time in 1990, and has gone on to saddle the winner four times since.

    Nicky Henderson's most recent winner in this came in 2009 when Sam Waley-Cohen scored aboard Long Run. The same horse would go on to beat Kauto Star in the King George in 2011, and again in the Cheltenham Gold Cup that same season.

    AP McCoy was successful on three occasions, riding winners for Martin Pipe, Henrietta Knight and Charlie Egerton.

    Coneygree won the Kauto Star in 2014. Mark Bradstock's star horse then became the first novice to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the following March.

    Popular winners in recent times have included, the grey Dynaste who won under Tom Scudamore in 2012 and Tea For Two, who helped Lizzie Kelly become the first female jockey to ride a Grade One winner on British soil when they brought home the silverware in 2015.

    The top three quickest run Kauto Star Novices Chase over the last 20 renewals are:

    • 2016 - Royal Vacation (5:54.20)

    • 2003 - Strong Flow (5:57.00)

    • 2020 - Shan Blue (5:58.85)

    The slowest was in 2007 when Joe Lively won in a time of 6:27.80.

    Kauto Star Winners

    • 2020 - (5:58.85) Shan Blue (IRE) 6-y-o 11-7 7/4F (Harry Skelton/Dan Skelton)

    • 2019 - (6:17.15) Slate House (IRE) 7-y-o 11-7 3/1 (Robbie Power/Colin Tizzard)

    • 2018 - (6:01.50) La Bague Au Roi (FR) 7-y-o 11-0 8/1 (Richard Johnson/Warren Greatrex)

    • 2017 - (6:09.40) Black Corton (FR) 6-y-o 11-7 4/1 (Bryony Frost/Paul Nicholls)

    • 2016 - (5:54.20) Royal Vacation (IRE) 6-y-o 11-7 33/1 (Paddy Brennan/Colin Tizzard)

    • 2015 - (6:10.00) Tea For Two (GB) 6-y-o 11-7 9/4 (Lizzie Kelly/Nick Williams)

    • 2014 - (6:07.70) Coneygree (GB) 7-y-o 11-7 100/30 (Nico de Boinville/Mark Bradstock)

    • 2013 - (6:17.10) Annacotty (IRE) 5-y-o 11-7 12/1 (Ian Popham/Martin Keighley)

    • 2012 - (6:25.20) Dynaste (FR) 6-y-o 11-7 8/13F (Tom Scudamore/David Pipe)

    • 2011 - (6:02.20) Grands Crus (FR) 6-y-o 11-7 6/5F (Tom Scudamore/David Pipe)

    • Age: 9 of the last 10 winners were aged either 6 or 7. Annacotty was aged 5 in 2013.

    • Price: 4 of the last 10 favourites have won, 8/10 winners came from the top three in the horse racing betting.

    • Last Run: 8 of the last 10 winners won on their last run before the Kauto Star Novices Hurdle, 10/10 winners ran within the last 57 days. 3/10 winners ran in the Berkshire Novices Chase (Newbury) on their last run, 3 of the 3 won.

    • Previous Course Form: 4/10 winners had at least one previous run at Kempton, 4/10 winners had at least one previous win at Kempton.

    • Previous Distance Form: 9/10 winners had at least two previous runs over 23-25 furlongs, 9/10 had at least one previous win over 23-25 furlongs.

    • Previous Chase Form: 9/10 winners had at least two previous chase runs, 10/10 winners had at least one previous chase win, 7/10 winners had at least two previous chase wins.

    • Rating: 8/10 winners were rated 146 or higher.

    • Graded Wins: 6/10 winners had at least one previous win in a Grade 1-3 race.

    • Season Form: 10/10 winners had at least two runs that season, 10/10 winners had at least one win that season, 7/10 winners had at least two wins that season.

    Leading Trainers

    Two trainers lead the way in the Kauto Star Novices Chase over the last 20 renewals, those being Paul Nicholls and Colin Tizzard who have both won the race three times.

    Paul Nicholls winners were Strong Flow (2003), Breedsbreeze (2008) & Black Corton (2017), with Colin Tizzard’s scorers being Joe Lively (2007), Royal Vacation (2016) and Slate House (2019).

    Check out Nicholls’ latest contenders in our Paul Nicholls Stable Tour.

    Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Kauto Star Novices Chase are Nicky Henderson (2 wins) & David Pipe (2 wins).

    Leading Jockeys

    The leading jockey in the Kauto Star Novices Chase over the last 20 years is Tom Scudamore who has won the race twice with Grands Crus (2011) and Dynaste (2012).

    Unfortunately, to a £1 level stake you would be -£4.18 from Scudamore’s eight rides in the contest.

    Paddy Brennan has ridden in this race three times and his profit to £1 is +£31.00. Nico de Boinville, Bryony Frost, Robbie Power and Mr Sam Waley-Cohen are all in positive figures too.

    Cold jockeys in this include Sam Twiston-Davies, Daryl Jacob and Harry Cobden.

    Kauto Star 'Trial' Races

    There are no real trial races as such but many of the horses from this race head to either the RSA Chase or the Marsh Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

    Starting Prices

    Looking back over the last 20 renewals, the biggest priced winner was Royal Vacation at 33/1 for Colin Tizzard and Paddy Brennan.

    At the head of the market and over the same period there have been a total of 8 winning favourites in the race. Many of those figured prominently in our 888sport horse racing tips.


    *Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

     

    FIRST PUBLISHED: 21st December 2021

    August 8, 2023

    By Steve Mullington

    Steve Mullington
  • ">
  • Body

    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. 

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    • As football became organised in the 19th century, the first clubs sprang up in England.
    • Many of these clubs laid the foundations for what became the world’s most popular sport.
    • Amazingly, many survive to this day and remain vital members of their community.

    The history of association football is long and illustrious and dates to the middle of 19th century England.

    A select number of clubs that were formed at the time shaped how the game would be played, and their influence is evident to this day.

    Here we pay our due respects to the oldest clubs in the world, and acknowledge how their founding provided inspiration for millions.

    1) Sheffield FC – 1857

    Both FIFA and the English FA recognise this club to be the oldest in the world, even if others may disagree.

    It was founded over 160 years ago by two men – William Prest and Nathaniel Creswick – and the importance of the club cannot be underestimated, as its founders created the Sheffield Rules.

    From this were devised the first set of laws for football as we know it today.

    Sheffield FC and another club on this list, Hallam FC, played the first ever football fixture, and they maintain a rivalry known as the Rules Derby.

    In 1878 the club adopted the FA’s own rules, but they continued to have a profound impact on the sport around the world, their stature recognised when introduced into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2007, and when awarded FIFA’s Order of Merit in 2004. 

    2) Cambridge University AFC – 1857

    Another club that may have claims to be the oldest is Cambridge University AFC, as historical evidence points to them being formed around 1856 to 1857.

    The city had notable football links during this period, after the Cambridge Rules were devised in 1846 by university footballers, setting the foundations for much of the laws adhered to in the modern era.

    The club was additionally at the forefront of the advancement of tactics and their immense contribution to the national game cannot be understated.

    Almost fifty of their players have been promoted to the England team and they still hold a seat on the Football Association Council.

    3) Lima CFC – 1859

    Both a football and cricket club, Lima CFC are comfortably the oldest club in Peru and the Americas.

    English immigrants who spread the sport to the continent led to the club’s creation, and they still exist as a member of a local league in the Peruvian capital, the club participating in a wide range of sports.

    Their first recorded match was not actually until 1892, though many games will surely have been played prior to that date.

    It is over a century ago since their glory days, when they won two national titles, though they have had success more recently at a lower level.

    4) Hallam FC -1860

    They may not be the oldest club in the world, but Sandygate Road their beloved home, is recorded as the oldest active football ground in the world.

    Another club from Sheffield, one of the best football cities for shaping the modern game, they were founded in Crosspool in 1860 by John Charles Shaw, and play in the Northern Counties League.

    Hallam won the first cup competition, the Youdan Cup, in 1867, and defiantly remained an amateur outfit when much of football turned professional.

    5) Cray Wanderers – 1860

    The precise date when this London club was born is not known but is thought to be between 1858 and 1860.

    Workers kicked a ball around in their free time in the village of St. Cray and in due course a team was formed, their first games being played on a piece of land that is now a cemetery. These days they cohabit with Bromley.

    The Wanderers began the 2021/22 season in the Isthmian League Premier Division, as a semi-professional outfit, and have been a force in county football throughout their existence.

    6) Notts County – 1862

    County are a well-known name in English football, with their famous black and white striped kit proving an inspiration for Juventus, making their retro football shirts a popular choice for many footy fans.

    The team has played its home games at Meadow Lane, in Nottingham since 1910.

    The club was formed in 1862 and has a long-standing rivalry with fellow founding club Nottingham Forest. After a tough few years on and off the pitch, in 2019 they fell out of the Football League for the first time in their history.

    7) Stoke City – 1863

    Stoke City FC are one of the most successful football clubs on this list, with recent Premier League experience. Founded in 1863, they did not add the ‘City’ to their name until 1925.

    As one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888, they played at the Victoria Ground for much of the 20th century, moving to their new stadium in 1997.

    With recent good form in the Championship, Premier League odds suggest they could be back in the top tier of English football soon.

    8) Royal Engineers Association FC – 1863

    Sadly, no longer a familiar name to many, this club was formed as an army team, representing their engineers, or “sappers”.

    It had plenty of success in its early days, winning the FA Cup in 1875, and reached four finals in the first seven years of the cup’s existence.

    They were pioneers of the “beautiful” game, beginning a lineage that is steeped in pure genius, from Hungary’s ‘Mighty Magyars’ to Liverpool’s ‘pass and move’ sides of the Seventies and Eighties. 

    9) Civil Service FC – 1863

    One of the original eleven clubs that founded the Football Association in a London tavern in October 1863, the Civil Service FC have the rare distinction of also being instrumental in the forming of the Rugby Football Union as both pursuits were enjoyed there.

    They proceeded to be founding members of some of the oldest amateur leagues in the world and have played at their current ground, Duke’s Meadow in Chiswick, since 1925.

    Their early influence and touring teams ensured they were pivotal in spreading the footballing word across Europe and beyond, helping the sport became a global attraction.

    10) Wrexham FC – 1864

    After being bought and owned by globally-known actors, Wrexham are rarely out of the news these days but beyond the Hollywood glamour the ‘Red Dragons’ have a rich and proud history.

    They are the only club from Wales to appear on this list but have played in English leagues since 1921, while their home stadium, the Racecourse Ground, is the world's oldest stadium that still hosts international games.

    With their new financial backing, those who enjoy football betting online may wish to back a sharp rise back up the football pyramid for one of the world’s oldest football clubs.


    *Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

     

    FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th December 2021

    December 20, 2021

    By Stephen Tudor

    Ste Tudor
  • ">
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    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.

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    • Flashscore provides up-to-date scores on football, basketball and other sports
    • Available on Apple, Google and alternative platforms, Flashscore mobi live scores are used around the world
    • Read below for more on the Flashscore mobile app and website

    One of the most popular livescore platforms in the world, Flashscore mobi is already loaded onto millions of phones and tablets on every continent.

    Www flashscore mobi is primarily known for its football, but it isn’t limited to the Beautiful Game with live scores on hockey, handball, basketball and numerous other sports.

    The speed of flashscore mobi live scores has attracted praise from fans. It’s an app and website with almost universally positive reviews, such is its reliability and simple, yet effective, interface.

    What is Flashscore mobi? 

    Wap flashscore is simply a live scores, standings and fixtures platform. Whether using flashscore. Mobi on your phone or scrolling on a laptop, the information available on Flashscore is the same.

    This is a site that does what it says on the tin with quick updates and an easy-to-use interface, omitting the additional content that can get in the way when just looking for live scores.

    We’ll get on to the sports covered later in this article, but first and foremost, the flashscore mobi livescore website and apps is best-known for football.

    It’s the world’s favourite sport, and with matches being played at every hour of the day, there’s always something going on in the football betting market.

    Where to get Flashscore mobi

    Flashscore mobi is available on all mobile devices. Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store both have flashscore mobile. The app has over 130,000 reviews on Google Play, with an average rating of 4.5 stars.

    The app description is as follows: ‘The most up-to-date live scores, results, stats and other info from football, tennis, basketball and 30+ sports and more than 6000 competitions from all around the world.

    With FlashScore, you won't miss a single goal ever again. Just select your favourite matches, teams or players, and our notifications will let you know about every important moment of the match.’

    Apple users are even more complementary about Flashscore, with an average mark of 4.9 stars. There are fewer reviews of flashscore. Mobi, however, with just 52,000 ratings as of December 2021.

    Wap flashscore falls short on the Apple App Store in the ‘sports news and scores’ category.

    Despite missing out there to apps like BT Sport and OneFootball, Flashscore mobi ranks highly in the ‘top free sports’ apps, sitting 13th, ahead of big betting brands, the Formula One app and Sky Sports Scores.

    Downloading the app has made it easier to check the flashscore mobi soccer live score updates. It loads quickly, and all the information is at your fingertips within seconds.

    As the reviews show, flashscore mobile does the job as well as any fan can hope for.

    Flashscore Mobile Sports

    There are places to get the latest football scores. Others can tell you what’s going on in the snooker. NBA predictions and EuroLeague results are always easy to find.

    Not many apps have you covered for a range of sports, though. Lots of people are multi-sport fans. For those that fall in that category, having access to flashscore mobi livescore is a must.

    Flashscore mobi live scores span from tens of football leagues to kabaddi and beach volleyball. Here’s a complete list of the sports you can expect to find when you load up flashscore mobile.

    • Football
    • Hockey
    • Tennis
    • Basketball
    • Handball
    • Volleyball
    • Baseball
    • American Football
    • Rugby Union
    • Aussie Rules
    • Badminton
    • Bandy
    • Beach Soccer
    • Beach Volleyball
    • Boxing
    • Cricket
    • Darts
    • Field Hockey
    • Floorball
    • Futsal
    • Kabaddi
    • MMA
    • Netball
    • Rugby League
    • Snooker
    • Table Tennis
    • Water Polo

    As evidenced by this list, www flashscore mobi really does have you covered. From the Champions League to Futsal World Cup, it’s the place to look for up-to-the-minute scores and results.

    Not many sites can rival the selection of sports at Flashscore. It’s far more than a place to find flashscore mobi soccer live score, catering to interests across the sporting spectrum.

    Flashscore Mobi Alternatives

    The popularity of flashscore mobi livescore is clear, but this is a crowded marketplace. While the upsides of Flashscore are strong, lots of similar apps are available if you’re trying to check the latest scores on your phone.

    LiveScore ranks higher than Flashscore in the App Store. Its reviews and ratings are very similar across Apple and Google.

    SofaScore is of a similar ilk to Flashscore mobile, offering a comparable selection of sports.

    Flashscore mobile


    This has almost 650,000 reviews on Google Play and goes much further in depth into the statistics of bigger matches, including average positions, heatmaps and basketball score graphs.

    Of course, away from the apps specialising in schedules, scores and results, the usual big names can provide that information alongside their broader coverage.

    Specific league apps are generally very good, while sites like Sky Sports, ESPN and BBC tend to deliver quick score updates.

    Flashscore mobile has earned its place in a competitive sector. It’s a question of what you’re looking for really, but among the apps providing the purest rapid score updates, it’s hard to argue against Flashscore mobi.


    *Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

     

    FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th December 2021

    December 23, 2021
    Body

    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.

    Sam Cox
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