The management style of Sean Dyche is accompanied by all manner of stereotypes, not all of them flattering. 

He is generally perceived to be an old-fashioned sergeant-major type who demands maximum application. He can drill a back-line into uniformed order with the best of them.

What you typically get from a Sean Dyche team is commitment, organisation and very little hesitation to revert to basics when the basics are called for.

In all of these regards, the former Burnley boss is painted as a throw-back, a non-nonsense meat and potatoes guy who stands unique amongst data geeks who can tell you the GPS stats for their reserve left-back at the drop of a hat.

Of course, all of this is a nonsense, a slight on a manager who is as tactically savvy as any of his peers, with intuitive man-management skills that are nigh-on unrivalled. 

Sean Dyche is a thoroughly modern coach, one of the very best we have. He just happens to unfortunately embody the persona of a bouncer at a working men’s club.

Still, that didn’t stop social media taking great delight in succumbing to cliché soon after the ‘Ginger Guardiola’ took charge at Everton. A video emerged of the players huffing and puffing in training, all to a backdrop of Dyche grinning from ear to ear. 

‘Good old Dychey’, seemed to be the patronising sentiment. He’ll soon whip those under-performing Blues into shape. He’ll soon have them running.

Which he has, though pertinently not to an extent particularly greater than what was evidenced under his predecessor Frank Lampard. Bar the odd exception such as Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure, the Toffees’ overall milage has remained the same.

What Dyche has done at Goodison is firstly install a structure, and a sensible one at that, before trusting his players over time to embrace an identity, one that has organisation at its core, but also allows for any number of midfielders to bomb forward and assist Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top. 

To date, the strategy is working a treat.

But back to the beginning and his appointment. On taking over at Everton last January, Dyche inherited a broken team devoid of any confidence. They had won only three games all season and somewhat inevitably they found themselves well-backed in the football betting to drop.  

Pragmatism was required. The basics. Subsequently, all of the attributes that he is associated with – those that additionally diminish him – came to the fore and it’s no coincidence that four of their following five crucial victories were achieved via hard-fought 1-0 scorelines. 

This season, however, we have seen a different Everton. There has been more adventure. More risks taken in the final third and more men advanced forward to allow these risks to be taken. 

A 4-4-1-1 formation, that can easily switch to a 3-5-2 when up against it, lies at the heart of their improvement, a system that has got outstanding performances out of James Garner and Onana.

That has seen Doucoure play almost as a second striker at times and given license to Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison to create down the flanks. 

It should be said too that the form of Tarkowski, Branthwaite and Mykolenko at the back has been central to Everton winning games. A Sean Dyche team will always be solid, no matter what.

Only then came disaster, in the form of a ten-point penalty for failing to comply with FFP regulations. 

How Everton, as a club, responded to this seismic set-back would be fundamental to the health of their short-term future.

And here we go back to Dyche’s man-management acumen, because what we’ve witnessed is a team hell-bent on immediately righting a wrong. Four consecutive victories leading up to Christmas, all to nil, is testament to that.

The Toffees still feature in the sports betting relegation markets. Due to their enforced points deduction they presently lie just a mere point above the bottom three.

Yet this is a team that is in infinitely better condition to their struggling incarnation of twelve months prior. With kinder fate, they would be fancied to challenge for a European spot.

Sean Dyche didn’t accrue the characteristics he is known for unfairly. Many of them hold true. But he is far, far more than silly stereotypes.

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

When looking at the past winners of the FA Cup, all the way back to the competition’s inception in 1872, what most jumps out is not who the tournament kings are, though of course we’ll crown them in due course.

What grabs the attention are its unlikely paupers, in modern times at least.

Take Newcastle United, a popular club that has spent 90 of its 130 years of existence in the English top-flight.

The Magpies boast a proud history competing in the world’s oldest club competition, but like the author L.P. Hartley once wrote, the past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. 

The North-East giants last lifted the fabled cup in 1955, back when the television pictures were the same two tones as their shirts, and though they have reached three finals since, it still amounts to a lifetime of falling short.

Aston Villa are another who are long overdue in upping their FA Cup game. Historically, only five clubs have won the cup more than the Villans, but again their last success was in the faraway Fifties.

Just two subsequent final appearances is simply not good enough for an institution of its considerable standing. 

In 1995, Everton upending the sports betting by beating the favourites Manchester United, courtesy of a Paul Rideout header. The years since, however, have produced only a plethora of disappointing exits, often in the early rounds.

It should be noted incidentally that the Toffees have reached 13 finals all told. They have lost eight of them.

Lastly, we come to Tottenham who famously tend to parade the hallowed trophy around Wembley in years ending in one. Or rather, that used to be the case. 

Spurs have won the FA Cup on eight occasions, a highly commendable number. They haven’t come close to improving on that figure since 1991.

These clubs will be desperately hoping to right several decades of wrongs this season as the latest chapter of the FA Cup unfolds. But to go all of the way it will no doubt mean encountering sides that have a hugely impressive and long-standing cup pedigree.

Chelsea is one such club, holders of the cup eight times over – the same as Spurs – but crucially so many of their triumphs have come in the modern era. Indeed, the Blues have participated in a FA Cup final 45.8% of the time in the 21st century, a remarkable feat.

Unsurprisingly there is also Manchester United to consider, as is always the way.

The Red Devils have been involved in 14% of FA Cup finals going right back to the start, a percentage that is all-the-more noteworthy when its acknowledged the club didn’t even exist for the first six years of competition. 

United have won the cup 12 times but the undisputed kings of the tournament are Arsenal with 14 much-cherished successes to their name. 

From Herbert Chapman’s imperious dominance of English football in the Thirties, to Charlie George lying flat on his back after converting against Liverpool, right through to Mikel Arteta capping his first season in charge with a trophy, the Gunners have long held a special relationship with the FA Cup. It’s fair to say it’s been a very successful one, too.

We all love a giant-killing, a result that makes a mockery of the football betting and has us talking in excited cliches. 

But there is a lot to be said also, about teams that show up, year in, year out. Who consistently produce and justify over and over their elite status.

Arsenal are the kings of the FA Cup. They are true cup royalty.

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

Arsenal

The Gunners have accrued 2.01 points per game in 2023 and though a late-season collapse last spring denied them their first league title for two decades it’s only right and proper to focus on the vast successful strides they’ve made.

Mikel Arteta’s men are now title contenders, no longer top four challengers. A very decent summer transfer window that showed plenty of ambition comes into play too.

Rating: A

Aston Villa

Villa’s rise under Unai Emery has been nothing short of extraordinary, transforming from relegation candidates to a side now capable of just about anything.

They last lost at Villa Park all the way back in February. Furthermore, in a league table encompassing the entirety of 2023, they proudly reside in second spot going into Christmas, ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool. 

They have quickly and surprisingly become a force to be reckoned with these past 12 months.

Rating: A+

Bournemouth

Recent results strongly hint that the Cherries are finally getting to grips with Iraola-ball and if that is indeed the case, that bodes extremely well for their second half to this campaign.

They will likely be a fascinating proposition beyond the new year, a team looking up in the league, not over their shoulder.

As for this past year, an impressive recovery between February and April pulled them out of the relegation mire but this is nullified somewhat by a poor start to 2023/24. All told, a B-minus grade feels about right. 

Rating: B- 

Brentford

A disappointing run of results from mid-November on means there is a touch of bathos to Brentford’s year that otherwise has been extremely encouraging.

At the very least it can be said that after enjoying a brilliant opening season in the top-flight the Bees have established themselves now among the elite. Which is no small feat.

In safe hands with the criminally under-rated Thomas Frank, the West London club have coped admirably with Ivan Toney’s extended absence but if we are to be overly-critical there have been too many draws snatched from the jaws of victory. 

Rating: B

Brighton

There is a suggestion of late that teams have finally figured Brighton out, and certainly a mixed run of results from autumn onwards gives weight to that claim.

But how can we possibly overlook the seismic impact Roberto De Zerbi has had since arriving at the Amex, implementing a model of football that has made the Seagulls a second favourite team for many. 

This past year they have smashed Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, out-playing them in spectacular fashion.

Rating: A- 

Burnley

It’s been a year of two halves for the Clarets, losing only once from January to May on route to the Championship title then taking the brave/rash decision to churn their successful squad, prioritising young players to start anew at a significantly tougher level.

It’s fair to say it’s an experiment that has not worked out for them thus far, with a swift return to the second tier looking likelier by the week. They regrettably look nailed on in the Premier League relegation odds. 

When we look at the big picture, Burnley are in much better shape now to previous years. That keeps their grade high. 

Rating: B- 

Chelsea

A gargantuan summer overhaul of personnel and the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino was supposed to represent a fresh start for the Blues, after a bitterly disappointing opening season of the Todd Boehly era.

Instead 2023/24 has heralded more of the same, as one false dawn after another gives way to tepid defeats.

Only three teams across Europe’s big five leagues have lost more games this past year, this after splurging over a billion pounds across three transfer windows. 

Frankly it’s been a circus and the clowns are in charge.

Rating: D -

Crystal Palace 

The Eagles didn’t pick up their first league win of 2023 until April, mired in a slump of Patrick Vieira’s making. 

Defying all convention that says he should be tucked under a blanket watching Countdown, Roy Hodgson has come in and done a sound job, organising his troops in a manner that makes them hard to beat and pulling them clear of danger last term.

Goals however have consistently been a problem for Palace, and this was the case even before they lost Wilfried Zaha over the summer.

Last season, two of the three relegated sides out-scored them. This season only the bottom two have scored fewer. 

Rating: C

Everton 

What an eventful year it’s been for the Toffees, one that saw them survive the drop on the final day, start the new campaign brightly – especially away from home – only to then have ten of their hard-earned points taken from them due to a FFP breach.

The manner in which they have responded to the Premier League charge has impressed but they have to be marked down severely for winning only five games in the first half of the year, four of them by a goal to nil.

Rating: D+

Fulham

The Cottagers have become the great unpredictables under Marco Silva, as capable of surrendering without putting up much of a fight as dispensing a five-goal thrashing. Subsequently, this makes them hard to grade.

Should they be praised for maintaining a mid-table berth for the entirety of the year? After all, this is not a squad packed with superstars and expensive signings, far from it.

Their easy-on-the-eye football is a plus too.

Or should it count against them that they began 2023 chasing a wholly unexpected top six spot before almost immediately falling away?

The latter feels too harsh, especially factoring in the goals Aleksander Mitrovic took with him to Saudi Arabia. 

Rating: B-

Liverpool

The established trope has it that Jurgen Klopp’s side was a broken machine last season, in need of overhaul after exhausting itself from chasing down Manchester City several times over.

A new-look midfield has subsequently revived them, prompting a title challenge from a team getting back to its best.

This narrative overlooks that from February onwards, Liverpool’s results notably picked up, putting in some vintage performances too. 

They’ve been getting back to their best now for some time with the summer additions of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai cherries on top.

Rating: A-

Luton Town

Winning promotion to the top-flight, just nine years after emerging from the Conference, has to be our biggest consideration here, much more than anything that has transpired since August. 

That’s because, without wishing to downplay what they’ve done in the big time to date, everybody expected the Hatters to be difficult to beat at Kenilworth Road and everybody expected them to be scrapping near the bottom throughout. Both of these things have come to pass.

They’re still lacking a famous win over a top six giant. Let’s hope that occurs in the near-future. 

Rating: A- 

Manchester City

After several near-misses and some outright failures, City became kings of Europe last June, a Champions League triumph that additionally secured them a famous treble. 

It was the high point so far of a formidable and sustained period of dominance enjoyed under Pep Guardiola, one that has pinned English football down in a stranglehold. 

The FA Cup was comfortably won while a fifth Premier League title in six years was attained via a ruthless chasing down of Arsenal that used up every bit of their considerable resources. 

A recent blip or two, as a degree of complacency inevitably creeps in, takes away their plus in the grading. Make no mistake about it though, this is a generational team doing generational things.

Rating: A

Manchester United

Erik Ten Hag’s opening season in charge at Old Trafford was a highly encouraging one, the latter half of last term bringing the Reds a first trophy in six years in the form of a League Cup.

They also reached the FA Cup final while eight wins in their concluding 11 league fixtures brought Champions League football back to the Theatre of Dreams.

What could have gone wrong since however, has gone wrong, with poor recruitment over the summer bleeding into a campaign that has consistently veered between crisis and calamity. 

How they are currently sixth, and just six points off Manchester City, is a mystery even the great fictional detectives would steer well clear of.

Rating: C+

Newcastle United

Securing Champions League football was always a pivotal part of the Magpies’ plans post-takeover.

That it was attained ahead of schedule is testimony to the terrific work Eddie Howe has done – and is doing – in the North-East.

A seemingly never-ending injury crisis has placed all manner of obstacles in their path this term but a formidable record at home has kept them on track while looking beyond the results - impressive mostly, though a recent downturn must be acknowledged – it can be said that the good times are back at St James Park with every moment being savoured by its faithful.

That counts for a lot.

Rating: B+

Nottingham Forest

It’s been all told a tough year for Forest and this has especially been the case away from the City Ground where they have picked up a measly 14 points from a possible 63 on the road.

At home, their passionate fan-base played a big part in the Tricky Trees guaranteeing survival last term and they will likely be needed again in the spring.

Across the past 12 months, Forest averaged 1.02 points-per-90, a hardly bountiful tally that has meant they have resided between 16th and 18th for 46% of 2023. 

Like we say, it’s been a tough year. 

Rating: B-

Sheffield United

The Blades commendably shrugged off their Play-Off pain from the previous May and managed to mount a successful promotion campaign last season.

Forged on a parsimonious defence that conceded only 0.8 goals per 90, Paul Heckingbottom’s side were residents of the top two from early November on.

Clever use of the loan market brought in Manchester City youngsters Tommy Doyle and James McAtee who were both key.

The reality check of 2023/24 however has been one almighty slap across their face, an eight-goal demolition at the hands of Newcastle amounting to the worst of it. 

Rock-bottom at Christmas and under new management, it’s going to take a great escape to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

Rating: B-

Tottenham Hotspur

Nobody really believed Spurs could threaten the Premier League odds outright market and win a title in Ange Postecoglou’s first season.

Inheriting a side that finished eighth in 2022/23, and then losing Harry Kane six weeks into the job, made anything but a chase for a Champions League spot an impossible feat.

Let’s be honest though, when the North London giants flew out of the blocks, unbeaten in ten, and playing a far more adventurous brand of football to what we had become used to, such a far-fetched thought did flicker across our minds. 

That alone represents significant progress.

Rating: B 

West Ham 

Winning their first European honour for 58 years – unless we include their Intertoto Cup success in 1999 and let’s not – was a substantial achievement for the Hammers, one that has given their fans a special memory to cherish forever. 

In the league however they’ve become a model on inconsistency under David Moyes this past year, by turns impressing and frustrating, often on a weekly basis. 

They are the closest side in the top-flight to ending 2023 with a zero goal difference, which says a lot about their Jeckyll and Hyde nature.

Rating: B- 

Wolverhampton Wanderers 

The arrival of Julen Lopetegui in November of last year resulted in Wolves climbing out of the bottom three and ultimately securing a mid-table berth. The future looked promising at Molineux.

Only then, their poor financial affairs necessitated sales over the summer, and when these players were not replaced, their Spanish saviour upped sticks in protest, leaving the club managerless just six days prior to the new season’s curtain-raiser.

What Gary O’Neil has done in the West Midlands warrants acclaim, orchestrating wins over Manchester City and Chelsea, and guiding them to 11th at the time of writing. 

Wolves will not be in the relegation conversation this season and back in August they would have taken that gladly. 

Rating: B+

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

In the next couple of weeks the British establishment will once again seek to officially recognise the very best of this small isle, from long-serving volunteers to glamorous film stars, in the form of the New Year’s Honours list. 

A tradition that dates back centuries, the giving out of such gongs aims to celebrate those who have shown dedication to – and excellence in - their craft and though football is always acknowledged, some deserving souls will inevitably be over-looked. 

May we therefore humbly put forward these fine footballing names, should the higher-uppers happen to be online and struggling for suggestions. 

Steve Speed MBE

It is typically MBEs that are allocated to the ‘ordinary’ people. Us. From lollipop ladies who play a pivotal role in their community to bin men who go that extra mile. Basically, if you don’t have a stylist or PA, this is the highest honour on offer.

‘Speedy’ was head groundsman at Port Vale for 31 years and worked at Vale Park for 43 years, retiring in 2022. 

A deserving candidate in his own right, he is included here to represent the thousands of loyal and diligent individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes at clubs all over the land, to ensure we have a game of football to watch on a Saturday afternoon. 

Jamie Vardy OBE

At the risk of going all ‘class warrior’, the vodka-skittling Vardy is unlikely to ever be bequeathed an OBE. Frank Lampard has one. So has David Beckham. 

These are respected pillars of society. Company men.

The consistently prolific Leicester striker meanwhile has always been distinctly anti-establishment in everything he does, punking the Premier League for a decade and more while terrorising centre-backs into the bargain. 

Now a seasoned 36, retirement is surely on the horizon, so what more fitting time to honour a player who once made a mockery of the football odds by firing the Foxes to a fairy tale title. In 2020 he became the oldest player to win the Golden Boot merit.

Anarchic and brilliant, Jamie Richard Vardy is thoroughly deserving of having letters after his name. 

Pep Guardiola CBE

Excluding knighthoods and damehoods, this is as grand an honour as it gets, CBEs usually given to those who have not simply excelled in their field but innovated; changed the field in which they work. 

Previous recipients include Stephen Hawking and the playwright Harold Pinter. 

Granted, Guardiola being Catalan presents something of a problem but exceptions can be made for individuals who ‘bring distinction through their work to the UK’.

Given that half of English football now plays an inferior version of Pep-ball, and factoring in Manchester City’s continental success and outright dominance of the sports betting, that makes the follicly-challenged genius a shoo-in.

Sir Richard Keys  

Of course this isn’t a serious suggestion, and of course there are literally countless others in the footballing sphere who are more worthy. 

Off the top of the head, how about Martin Tyler, the voice of the game to two separate generations?

But consider how pompous and self-important ‘Keysy’ is. Now imagine what he’d be like if everyone had to address him as ‘sir’. The delusions of grandeur alone would be hilarious. 

Dame Gabby Logan 

Let’s not give a former failed Bristol Rovers manager the oxygen he craves but via his social media meltdowns, women in football has sadly become a conversation again.

The tired, old sexist tropes were belched out anew when Mary Earps recently won the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.

Gabby Logan has encountered such ignorance many times over, always rising above it to impeccably present World Cups, Champions League finals and Match of the Day.

Supremely good at her job, she puts every viewer at ease because they know they’re in safe hands.  

Starting out as a presenter on Sky Sports in the mid-Nineties, she has amassed a remarkable C.V. that has taken in every major network and covered not only football, but rugby and athletics.

Indeed, Dame Gabby Logan is everything that the failed Pirates boss is not, an ‘everything’ that can be boiled down to a single word. She is class.

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

The forming of the Premier League in 1992 saw money pour into the game like never before.

Television revenue made up the bulk of it, with BskyB putting a whopping £304m into club coffers, to secure the exclusive rights to broadcast their games.

But the clubs themselves weren’t exactly slow to capitalise on football’s sudden rise in popularity. In addition to financially benefiting from bumper crowds, merchandise sales, along with other commercial gains, soared. 

It's fair to assume therefore that players also reaped the rewards of this rebranded version of English football becoming an immediate success, and they absolutely did. 

The highest paid player in the top-flight during that inaugural season was Liverpool’s John Barnes on £10,000 a week and that is not to be sniffed at given the era. Just a few years prior it was still common for footballers to take up second careers post-retirement to make ends meet.  

What is fascinating and staggering in equal measure however is the extent in which this sudden bonanza has risen in the years since. It has exploded really. That is a more accurate description.

Ten years after Barnes was taking home ten grand a week, Manchester United’s Roy Keane became the highest paid player in the Premier League.

His weekly wage was £94,000, an increase of 900%. Keane was unquestionably one of the best Premier League midfielders of all time but was football in danger of detaching itself from all reality? 

It was, and it hasn’t found its way back since.

That’s because a decade later, the biggest earner in the top-flight was Carlos Tevez at Manchester City. He was making do with £250,000 a week, and at least this time the rise is ‘only’ 300%. At least there’s that.

So jumping forward another ten years, to the present day, who is the player with the bulgiest pay packet and what is he on?

That would be City’s Kevin De Bruyne, whose annual salary of just shy of £21m equates to a mind-boggling £400,000 a week. 

That’s a four-bed semi-detached house in Didsbury every seven days. That’s 800,000 Freddos every matchday.

Moreover, it only gets more bewildering when it’s acknowledged that such a colossal amount doesn’t even include bonuses, a considerable income booster for every player.

Indeed, should we include appearance bonuses and other guaranteed top-ups it has been reported that Erling Haaland receives an eye-watering £865,000 per week, a figure that easily makes him one of the best remunerated players in world player.

Interestingly, that still leaves him miles behind Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr. 

Like Keane, the Norwegian superstar is a unique talent who directly effects the sports betting, thus greatly improving his team’s chances of success, so no doubt City will insist he’s worth every penny.

They certainly wouldn’t have agreed to such staggering sums otherwise. But still, these are numbers that are hard to compute. 

For the record, Haaland’s ‘basic’ wage is £375,000 a week, making him the second best paid player in the Premier League, with Mo Salah and Casemiro joint-third, scraping by on £350,000.

It feels an awfully long time ago when John Barnes was king and paid what was perceived to be a king’s ransom.

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

All sports have their own jargon. Cricket is no exception, and has more than its fair share of terminology to learn. Even regular frequenters of the cricket betting pages might hear the occasional phrase that doesn’t make much sense to them. 

Cricket fielding positions bring up some curious wording. Sure, it’s not something that will be at the forefront of your mind when making sports betting decisions, but where fielders are placed is a fundamental part of the game whether watching a T20, ODI or Test.

Knowing the names of the cricket fielding positions is useful to understand commentary – commentators will throw out the oddest names and phrases on the assumption everyone knows what they are talking about.

Here is our educational guide to cricket fielding positions…

Wicketkeeper

The wicketkeeper is the only player on the fielding team allowed to wear gloves and external leg protection. It is commonplace for keepers to wear helmets in the modern game, too.

At the professional level, wicketkeepers will spend much of their time stood a long way back from the stumps, taking the ball high on their body from quick bowlers.

An important part of the skill, though, is to be able to come up to the stumps to spinners and deal with varying pace and bounce.

Wicketkeepers are the most visible fielder when watching cricket on television. They are in place to take catches off fine edges and catch the ball when the batsman does not play a shot or plays and misses.

Quality glovemen have gone out of favour in the 21st century, but the value of a high-class wicketkeeper remains a hotly debated topic.

Slips

Standing next to the wicketkeeper on the offside, the first slip is positioned next to the keeper in a catching position. Slips are still as the bowler runs in, with their knees bent ready to take a reaction catch.

They are numbered outwards from the wicketkeeper, and teams will often have multiple slips in place in Test cricket – this is referred to as the ‘slip cordon’.

Variants on the position include a fly slip (positioned closer to the boundary) and a leg slip (alongside the wicketkeeper on the leg side).

Rahul Dravid and Mark Waugh are widely considered to be the best slip fielders of all-time, excelling to both seamers and spinners.

Gully

Moving around towards square, you find the gully fielders. These are also in a catching position, but they are in position for a thicker edge off the bat or for a ball which pops high into the air.

Invented in the 1880s, gully has gone in and out of fashion. It’s a place for fielders with great hand-eye coordination, as they will often be required to make reflex run-saving dives as well as taking highlight-reel catches.

Judging how deep to stand at gully is part of the skill – Richie Benaud, one of the best fielders at the position, always stood incredibly close to avoid catches dropping short.

Point

Further square, we find point. The standard point is a fielder on the ring looking to stop the run. Point is deeper than gully and directly square of the wicket on the offside.

There are variants of point fielders – primarily backward, silly and deep. Backward point is shaded behind square towards gully, while deep point is out on the boundary stopping fours and sixes.

Silly point (amusingly named) is tight in to the wicket, often standing right by the cut strip. This position is most common to spinners – it’s an attacking fielding position, looking for catches off the bat or gloves.

Covers

The covers are the area from point round to mid-off. Cover is equidistant between point and mid-off. Cover point is closer to point, unsurprisingly, and extra cover is between cover and mid-off.

Short cover or short extra cover can be used as a catching position by captains looking to force batsmen into an airy drive.

In one-day cricket, captains will often deploy a deep fielder on the boundary in the covers – this is often referred to as an offside sweeper.

Athletic fielders, who aren’t great catchers, tend to be put in the covers. It’s a position for reactions more than safe hands.

Mid-off

Mid-off is stationed down the ground on the offside. The position can vary from tight to the bowler out towards the covers – this will sometimes be called wide-mid-off.

Like other positions, there are several variations for mid-off. Silly mid-off is when the fielder is up, close to the stumps, in a catching position. They will often be standing right alongside the pitch.

A deeper mid-off can be hanging towards the circle, and in one-day cricket it is common to see a long-off, which is effectively a mid-off on the boundary.

Bowlers will regularly field at mid-off to communicate with other bowlers and captains will sometimes field there for the same reason. Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson spent much of their careers fielding at mid-off to each other.  

Mid-on

Mid-on is the same as mid-off on the leg-side. Some cricket fans will interchange the use of ‘short’ and ‘silly’ for the catching positions of mid-on and mid-off, others would claim they are slightly different areas of the field.

Just as there’s long-off and mid-off, there’s long-on on the legside boundary down the ground. This position will move anywhere from almost straight behind the bowler round towards deep midwicket (or cow corner).

Midwicket

Just as cover splits point and mid-off, midwicket is the same area on the legside. This isn’t a popular position for fast bowlers, though it can be used when bringing the ball in to the batsman.

Short midwicket is used as a catching position for batsmen with a tendency to clip the ball off their pads in the air.

Deep midwicket is sometimes referred to as ‘cow corner’. Some cricket fans would claim cow corner is a slightly different area, straighter down the ground.

Ben Stokes, arguably the best cricketer in the world, was fielding out at deep midwicket when he took one of the greatest catches in World Cup history.

Square leg

Square leg is the legside equivalent of point. Short leg is the close-in catching variety of the position, which is sometimes called ‘bat pad’.

This is primarily used by fast bowlers and spinners – quick bowlers will be looking for a glove to pop to short leg, while spinners will be hoping variation in spin or bounce will create an opportunity.

The standard square leg position is alongside the umpire. This is a run-saving spot for shots off the pads or mishits to the legside.

On the boundary, there’s deep square, forward and backward. Forward is in front of square, closer to midwicket, and backward square is behind square.

Forward square will sometimes be used when there is already two fielders behind square on the legside.

Third

Not the first position you think of when constructing your field on cricket video games, third man is a point of contention among cricket commentators. The absence of a fielder on the boundary behind square on the offside can be frustrating for bowlers.

Third man is behind the slip cordon, protecting the boundary. It can occasionally become an attacking position if batsmen are playing upper cuts or risk top edging a hook shot. Primarily, it is to stop the ball running for four from late cuts or edges.

Captains can tweak from square or finer with third man – it’s an impossible task, which can often result in the captain chasing the ball with his field placings.

Third man is often taken on by a bowler during a spell.

Fine leg

Fine leg is behind square on the legside. It is usually thought of as a boundary position, though short fine leg can be used as an attacking position for spin bowlers.

Having a fine leg on the boundary is protection against balls bowled down the leg side and can be an important position when fast bowlers are peppering batsmen with bouncers.

Generally, fine leg is where captains will hide their weakest fielder. The fine leg to fine leg slog is the nightmare for any cricketer.

Unorthodox Positions

The vast majority of cricket fielding positions fall under one of the titles listed above. Bold captains will occasionally mix it up with something a bit different, however. 

One recent example was Ben Stokes utilising a player on the boundary behind the wicketkeeper during the 2023 Ashes series. It was part of England’s short-ball ploy in the hope that a top edge would find the fielder. 

It is often short-pitched bowling that will produce the most peculiar field placings. White-ball cricket can also see fielders in unusual places.

Ultra-attacking Test teams will experiment with catchers in different spots, whether by packing the slip cordon or trying to catch a player out on the drive.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

• Miroslav Klose is the all-time leading Men’s FIFA World Cup goal scorer

• 13 players have scored 10 or more goals in World Cup history

• Read below for the highest World Cup scorers of all-time

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The World Cup is the biggest event for football betting. While there might be changes coming to its structure and regularity, the competition which pits the best national teams in the world against one another will remain the pinnacle.

It has millions (or billions) of eyes from every continent. It’s a chance for players and managers to write their name into the sport’s history books forever. Around 1.5 billion people tuned into the enthralling 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina. 

Betting on the World Cup can start years before the tournament in outright markets. Football associations plan the development of their team in line with the World Cup cycle, and managerial contracts often run between tournaments.

Fairly or otherwise, legacies can often be influenced by how players perform with the weight of their country on their shoulders. It is a chance to become a national hero and, in some cases, a villain. 

It is the defining month or so of the international game. Here are the players who have shone brightest in World Cup competition, leading the all-time goal scoring charts.

Grzegorz Lato – 10

Playing in the 1974, 1978 and 1982 World Cups for Poland, Grzegorz Lato took 20 matches to score his 10 World Cup goals, giving him the worst goals-per-game ratio of any player in double figures.

Lato amassed 100 caps for the Biało-czerwoni between 1971 and 1984, while winning a couple of Polish top flight league titles with Stal Mielec in his club career.

He finished third at two World Cups and won two Olympic medals with Poland, including a gold at the 1972 Games.

Thomas Muller – 10

The only player in this group to feature in World Cup predictions in 2022, Thomas Muller could well climb this list by the end of the tournament in Qatar.

Muller reached the double-digit mark in his first two World Cup appearances (2010, 2014), and failed to score at the tournament in 2018. He’s bound to play a role for Germany in 2022 too, however, after a late-career resurgence at Bayern.

Teofilo Cubillas – 10 

Lima native Teofilo Cubillas played in three World Cups for Peru. He scored 26 times for La Blanquirroja, with 10 of those coming across the 1970 and 1978 World Cups.

Cubillas, who played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Porto during a journeyed club career, also featured in the 1982 but failed to score with Peru knocked out as bottom of their group.

Gabriel Batistuta – 10

Simply one of the greatest strikers of his generation, Gabriel Batistuta scored 10 World Cup goals in just 12 appearances. He never lifted the famous trophy, however, despite securing a couple of Copa America wins with Argentina.

Batigol, an icon of the late-1990s, was a force to be reckoned with in his pomp, combining power with elite technical ability.

Gary Lineker – 10

Winner of the World Cup Golden Boot in 1986 and runner-up in Ballon d’Or voting in the same year, Gary Lineker was a prolific goal scorer long before he was a popular presenter on BBC and BT.

Lineker’s six goals at the 1986 tournament made up the majority of his World Cup contributions, though England’s efforts came to a controversial end due to Diego Maradona’s Hand of God in the last eight.

Helmut Rahn – 10

Playing for Germany in the 1954 and 1958 tournaments, Helmut Rahn scored 10 goals in 10 appearances.

He’s one of just four players in World Cup history to have reached double digits and averaged a goal-per-game or better.

Rahn’s greatest moment was the World Cup-winning goal over Hungary in the 1954 final. Der Boss earned a Ballon d’Or second place finish a couple of years later.

Jurgen Klinsmann – 11

A World Cup winner in 1990, Jurgen Klinsmann spread his 11 goals across 17 appearances at three tournaments.

He was the first player to score at least three in three successive World Cups, and was pivotal in their 1990 win, including playing alone up front against the Netherlands.

The former Tottenham forward has since tried his hand at management, and even led Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.

Sandor Kocsis – 11

Scorer of 11 goals in five appearances at the 1954 World Cup, Sandor Kocsis was a prolific goal-getter for club and country throughout his career.

His 11 goals at one tournament was a record at the time as Hungary made it all the way to the final. A four-time champion in Hungary and twice in Spain with Barcelona, Kocsis also won a gold medal at the 1952 Olympics.

Kylian Mbappe – 12 

Dazzling as a teenager in 2018 on the way to France’s World Cup win in Russia, Kylian Mbappe was even better in Qatar four years later.

The Frenchman starred throughout the tournament, culminating in an outrageous hat-trick against Argentina in the final. Mbappe won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball for his efforts, and moved level on all-time World Cup goals with Pele.

His hat-trick was the first in a final since 1966, and he’s already got the most World Cup final goals of any player. Only a penalty shootout (which Mbappe scored in) stopped him from winning a second World Cup.

Pele – 12

Arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport, Pele played at four World Cups, scoring 12 times in 14 appearances. He won three of those tournaments and was given the Golden Ball for his performances at the 1970 edition.

Of course, Pele’s goal scoring was just one string to his bow. He was so much more than a finisher for those wonderful Brazil sides, which was perhaps best demonstrated by his assist for Carlos Alberto for what is the greatest team goal of all-time.

Lionel Messi – 13

After failing to score at the 2010 World Cup and suffering a heart-breaking defeat in 2014, the 2022 World Cup was Lionel Messi’s last shot at World Cup glory. He did not disappoint.

Messi had six goals through his first four World Cups. He scored seven in Qatar, finishing as runner-up to Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.

The Argentine became the first player since the current format was adopted to score in every round of the competition, including two goals in the final. He’s the only player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice. 

While some thought Messi might retire after lifting the trophy, he has extended his international career. Qatar also saw him break the records for the most World Cup appearances and goal involvements. 

Just Fontaine – 13

Just Fontaine made only 21 appearances for France. Six of those were at the 1958 World Cup, where he scored 13 times. That record for goals in a single World Cup still stands and will take some beating.

On the efforts of just one World Cup, Fontaine resides fourth in the all-time scoring charts. Four of his 13 came against defending champions West Germany, too. A true World Cup legend.

Gerd Müller – 14

As clinical as they come in front of goal, Gerd Müller is one of the best finishers the sport has ever seen. Among a record of 68 goals in 62 Germany caps, Der Bomber netted 14 in 13 World Cup appearances.

Gerd Müller won the 1974 edition of the tournament, and also picked up the Golden Boot. His 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup were three more than the next highest tally.

Ronaldo – 15

Fittingly breaking Gerd Müller’s record in Germany, Ronaldo finished his international career with 15 goals in 19 World Cup matches.

O Fenômeno was majestic at the 1998 tournament before the mysterious circumstances surrounding Brazil’s loss to France in the final.

In 2002, he was a different player, but he was every bit as dominant as Brazil lifted the trophy and he finished with the Golden Boot.

Miroslav Klose – 16

A player who saved his best for when World Cup betting rolled round, Miroslav Klose was an effective player at club level, but his World Cup record is the greatest achievement of his career.

Klose scored in four World Cups, suffering heartbreak in 2002, 2006 and 2010 before Germany’s triumph at the 2014 tournament.

The Opole-born striker scored 10 goals across the 2002 and 2006 editions, winning the Golden Boot at the latter.

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

Snooker’s Champion of Champions is a non-ranking event, but it still attracts significant snooker betting attention. It’s a chance to see the world’s best players battle it out in a quickfire tournament. 

Fans tune in from around the world to see 16 of the game’s elite talents come together for Champions of Champions snooker. There are still underdogs, of course, but there’s no chance of an unknown player toppling one of the sport’s biggest names.

Players earn an invite to the Champion of Champions based on events won throughout the year, including the winner of the previous year’s tournament. 

First played in 1978, there have been 13 Champion of Champions events so far. The snooker referees and players have changed since then, and its format might not be familiar to all fans.

Champion of Champions Format

Unlike the straight-forward knockout of the World Championship or Welsh Open, Champion of Champions snooker is more comparable to UEFA’s Champions League.

For the 2023 edition, the 16 entrants were split into four groups of four. Each group includes two ‘semi-finals’, played over quick, seven-frame matches. The winner of those matches go head-to-head in a ‘final’ over 11 frames.

That process decides the four group winners, who then move onto the semi-finals. These are again played over 11 frames, which were played over the Friday and Saturday in the 2023 tournament.

The two winners of those matches go through to the showpiece final. This is a much longer match at best of 19 frames and takes place across two sessions.

The schedule for the entirety of the 2023 Champion of Champions was played in less than a week, starting on the Monday and playing all of the final on the following Sunday. The winner of the final becomes the ‘Champion of Champions’.

Champion of Champions History

In 1978, boxing promoter Mike Barrett threw four players together for a sharp knockout. This was a way to bring the world’s best together for a tournament which could be consumed over a couple of days.

The semi-finals were on the first day, followed by the final played the next. ITV showed short highlights of the first Champion of Champions snooker as Ray Reardon toppled Masters champion Alex Higgins in the final.

Missing from the schedule in 1979, Champion of Champions appeared like a one-off. That wasn’t the case, however, as it returned in a different guise in 1980.

This time there were 10 entrants. Similar to the modern format, they were put into two groups, and played a round-robin. The winners of each group went through to the final.

Doug Mountjoy got the better of John Virgo in 1980. Unfortunately, that was the last of snooker Champion of Champions for a long time. The venture was not financially viable and failed to really capture snooker fans.

Replacing Premier League Snooker, Champion of Champions resurfaced in 2013. ITV4 have the broadcast rights for the whole tournament.

Fittingly, given his stature in the modern game, Ronnie O’Sullivan won the first two events before opting not to defend his title in 2015. The Rocket has appeared in four more finals since then, winning two.

Neil Robertson and Mark Allen are the only other players to win Champion of Champions snooker more than once – Robertson’s most recent success came against Judd Trump in the 2019 final before he lost to Mark Allen 10-6 in the 2020 final.

Allen followed up his 2020 success by defeating Trump in the 2023 decider. 

Champion of Champions Venue

In the Mike Barrett era, Champion of Champions snooker was held in London. The first competition was at the Wembley Conference Centre. This switched to Drury Lane and the New London Theatre for the 1980 edition.

Over three decades without an event meant a change of location for its return in 2013. Coventry’s Ricoh Arena was the Champion of Champions’ home from 2013 through to 2019. The event is expected to stay in Coventry long-term.

However, the 2020 tournament, like many others, took place at Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

Since 2021, Bolton has played host to the Champion of Champions. There was also a change of dress codes with players sporting shirts with their nicknames on the back. 

Champion of Champions Prize Money

There was £440,000 in the total prize fund for the 2023 edition of snooker Champion of Champions.

This is £35,000 more than the Home Nations events, which all have total prize funds of just over £400,000.

While that’s a useful sum for anyone, the total prize money is still £60,000 below what the winner of the World Championship receives.

The winner of the Champion of Champions pocketing £150,000 holds up well against other events, though. Only a handful of events hand out a bigger prize to the competition winner.

Champion of Champions Winners List

• 1978 – Ray Reardon

• 1980 – Doug Mountjoy

• 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan

• 2014 – Ronnie O’Sullivan

• 2015 – Neil Robertson

• 2016 – John Higgins

• 2017 – Shaun Murphy

• 2018 – Ronnie O’Sullivan

• 2019 – Neil Robertson

• 2020 – Mark Allen

• 2021 – Judd Trump

• 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan

• 2023 – Mark Allen

Champion of Champions Betting Tips

In an event packed with former snooker world champions, betting on Champion of Champions snooker can be tough. The standards are incredibly high, but the short matches can lead to surprise winners.

Other than obvious trends like recent form and head-to-head records, it could be worthwhile to look at how well players start matches. A slow start in the early rounds of the Champion of Champions can be enough for a betting upset.

Mark Allen was an example of what is possible in 2020. Few will have backed him before the tournament, but he toppled the top three seeds. It took nine frames to see off O’Sullivan, seven for Selby and 16 for Robertson.

Even in a draw of established names, don’t overlook the lower-profile players. All it takes is getting hot at the right time to get your hands on the hardware.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*