We all enjoy placing our horse racing online bets, but have you ever stopped to think what happens to your favourite jockey when he/she sustains an injury?

Have you ever thought what happens to them after they retire? Do you know where they can turn to in times of mental and financial need?

Well, fortunately there are several organisations that support people that work in horseracing as a whole, and what is good enough for the human participants in the racing industry is good enough for the horses too as they also have their own welfare equivalents.

The Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF)

The charity was founded in 1964 following career ending accidents to Tim Brookshaw, and then to Paddy Farrell in the 1964 Grand National.

Both falls resulted in severe paralysis which meant they needed ongoing assistance for the rest of their lives.

Medical support is delivered to injured jockeys via three rehabilitation and centres - Oaksey House in Lambourn, Jack Berry House in Malton, and Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket.

Racing Welfare

Racing Welfare is a charity that supports the workforce of British horseracing.

They offer professional guidance and practical help to all racing people – including stud, stable, and racecourse staff, as well as those working in associated professions – whose roles are vital for smooth running of racing

From recruitment right through to retirement, Racing Welfare is there to help with any day-to-day issues that may arise in an individual’s life.

Jockeys Education & Training Scheme (JETS)

JETS was set up in 1995 to help current and former professional jockeys plan and achieve a secure future. It is part funded by jockeys’ own prize money contributions and with some support from the IJF.

Around 800 former jockeys have already gone through JETS in order to acquire skills for meaningful employment after their race-riding days are over.

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR)

RoR is horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of horses which have retired from racing.

The organisation raises funds to help support the retraining and rehoming of former racehorses and helps to get retired racehorses into other equestrian disciplines.

Two recently retired stars of the National Hunt scene, former dual Grand National (current Grand National betting here) winner Tiger Roll and Cyrname are relatively new RoR inductees. Both have proved to be big hits in the show ring.

Greatwood

Now in its 30th year, Greatwood was the first charity to use former racehorses to educate disadvantaged children and young adults with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

It is universally recognised that former racehorses have so much to offer after a period of rehabilitation and Greatwood makes every effort to match horses up with a long term owner.

Greatwood’s management team carefully vet all applicants to ensure that both horses and carers have a long and happy life together.

You can read just a handful of the many successful testimonials at Greatwood HERE.

---

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

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 28th December 2022

Purely in pantomime terms Bruno Fernandes makes for a great footballing villain.

For starters, who better to boo and hiss at than a Manchester United or Liverpool player, both clubs eliciting extreme responses, whether that be passion from a passionate fan-base, or resentment, and no little hostility, from everyone else. 

At a push, Arsenal and their players can also be included in this equation. But only at a push.

When one of these household names in question also put themselves front and centre, figuratively beating their chests, routinely quarrelling with officials, and overtly displaying devotion to the cause, then all the better in bringing out the worst in us.

It is these traits after all that separate, let’s say, a Marcus Rashford and a Fernandes; or Thiago at Anfield from Virgil Van Dijk, because while one routinely goes about their business, being excellent footballers, the other makes a big, dramatic show of who they are, and who they play for. 

They put themselves forward as leaders, in doing so becoming symbols of clubs that, let’s be honest, are not exactly popular beyond their faithful fans.

Comparing Van Dijk and Fernandes, however – the two current captains of the respective Reds – takes us to the heart of why the latter is so thoroughly irksome. 

Because while it is undoubtedly true that Van Dijk irritates, in the manner in which he preens and poses through contests, playing centre-back as if he’s 007 in boots, he at least shows up and fronts up against anyone and everyone.

Whether Liverpool are playing inferior fare or are in a Champions League final, the Dutchman is a pivotal presence, leading from the back. He’s a General, if you will. 

Fernandes also has form for this, putting himself right at the heart of proceedings, scheming and bewitching with the ball at his feet, all while making himself a favourite of the live betting community for his ability to conjure up a moment from nothing.

Out of possession too, he is often a protagonist, heavily involved.

Crucially, though the 28-year-old is selective in his grasping of responsibility, doing so typically when his side are at home to a relegation struggler, or any side really who still hold United in the highest esteem. 

Elsewhere, when coming up against equals, the Portuguese attacking midfielder tends to become anonymous and ineffective. As quite as a mouse and about as impactful as a chocolate teapot. 

Failing this, he self-combusts, revealing to all the world his heightened petulance and this we saw in evidence at Anfield recently with an extended hissy-fit for the ages.   

With Liverpool making a mockery of the football betting by racking up a record-breaking score-line, no-one expected the United contingent to take it well, not should they have. 

Yet still, his behaviour at Anfield that Sunday afternoon was nothing but pathetic, kicking out at opponents, feigning injuries – something he is known for above and beyond his peers – and pushing officials.

At a late juncture it was believed that Fernandes requested he be taken off and though that wasn’t the case, that people assumed this says a great deal. 

The attacking midfielder wasn’t a leader that day, when his team really needed one to stabilize matters amidst a crisis. He was a problem and a cry-baby. 

Since joining the Premier League in 2020, Bruno Fernandes has repeatedly shown himself to be a flat-track bully, one who delights in punching down but throws tantrums when challenged. And no-one likes or admires bullies.

---

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

Match Information

• Gillingham Town 3-2 Radstock Town

• When: Saturday 4th March 2023

• Kick-off: 3pm

• Where: Woodwater Lane, off Hardings Lane, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4WL

• Competition: Western League Division One

• Attendance: 42

---

The Dorset town of Gillingham houses 11,700 residents and is pronounced with a hard ‘G’ as in in the gills of a fish. This is different to the more famous Kent town which everyone knows sounds like “Jillingham”.

Anyway, I had previously been to Gillingham Town’s old ground at Hardings Lane in 2017 just before they vacated it.

On that occasion, I had a stroll 200 yards down the adjacent dusty track called Woodwater Lane to look at where their new stadium was being built and noticed a railed-off playing area was already in place.

The entire venue was subsequently completed to Step 6 Non-League grading standards. So for this latest groundhop, I decided on a 300 mile round trip back to Gillingham via the M25, M3 and A303.

To my delight there were no traffic problems en route, even when I passed Stonehenge where a lengthy delay is normal at the main roundabout.

Ground Description

Neat and tidy. Ample car parking spaces are available. A metal prefab grandstand containing 100 seats in four rows lies alongside the pitch plus covered terracing for 100 behind one goal.

Some grass banking stretching the length of the far touchline provides elevated viewing for spectators. The dressing rooms, clubhouse, tea bar and toilets are all located in converted portacabins.

Unusually for modern Non-League football, there are four corner pylons for the floodlights. These are powered by a noisy generator. I liked the gentle semi-circular curve of the perimeter railings at either end.

Trains rumble past close by on a busy railway line. I also had a pre-match browse around the old Hardings Lane ground which is still partially intact. Three young lads were having a kick-around whilst I carried out my impromptu inspection.

The exterior fencing has been removed as has the roof of the original grandstand, although the seating remains along with pitch railings, goal posts and the floodlights.

However, it was sad to see the dug outs have been heavily vandalised. I understand the playing surface can be used for Gillingham Town youth fixtures when necessary.

Programme Details

On sale at the entry hut for £2. Plenty of good reading material which provided a nice matchday souvenir for me. 

The Match

Radstock dominated early on and raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of strikes by Jacob Bird (4 minutes) and Matthew Curnock (37 mins). The result seemed done and dusted at half-time.

Yet to my great surprise, Gillingham battled back grabbing three second half goals from Jordon Clapp (61 mins), James Boyland (68 mins) and Max Westlake (80 mins).

The home side defended frantically late on but they were roared to victory by excited supporters yelling: “Come on Gill”.

The People

The chairman Patrick Fricker has been involved at Gillingham Town for 20 years. He gave me a warm welcome on the day and spoke very proudly about his club. They were originally founded in 1879 thereby claiming to be Dorset’s oldest football team.

Patrick told me the recent ground move was necessary because they only had a year-to-year lease from a local farmer on the old pitch so it was difficult to develop the facilities there.

The new site had to be entirely levelled before football could take place. He also said he wants to grow the club’s profile within their town because “many nearby people don’t even know that we are here”. 

In addition, I received an interesting tweet after the match from @IsaacStatue reminding me of a totally unique football twinning exercise between Gillingham FC and Gillingham Town FC… 

“April 22nd 2006, Football League/Kent Gillingham played Yeovil Town away, then a number of Gills fans, me included, went to support Gillingham Town in their home game, which had been scheduled to kick off later for our benefit."

---

*Credit for photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 9th March 2023

Presently all thoughts concerning Manchester United are heavily informed by their seven-goal mauling at Anfield. 

It was a seismic result that made a mockery of the online betting odds beforehand and threatens to undo the good work that has been implemented at the club since the arrival of Erik Ten Hag.

Or at least that’s how some are understandably interpreting a staggering afternoon that produced a staggering score-line.

Others insist it was just a very, very bad 45 minutes spent at the office.

However their season’s nadir is viewed though it doesn’t detract from the fact that United are recovering extremely well from a sustained period of struggle that followed the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

Across a tough and drawn-out decade, a behemoth of English football lost their way, misplacing their identity in the process, and – as so often happens when a big club freefalls – a litany of managers ultimately pulled them in different directions, all of which led to under-achievement. 

In just nine short months the Dutchman has restored order at Old Trafford, that’s his most fundamental feat to date, before we even get to the Reds’ vastly improved performances.

By ruthlessly rooting out the disruptive influences in the dressing room and getting the rest of his players fully invested in his ways he has ensured that United are united again. All pulling in the same direction. All singing from his hymn sheet.

And naturally, given the quality of individuals within the squad, when this transpires, more wins occur than defeats, but the club’s renaissance goes far beyond eradicating abject showings against inferior opponents. 

Their recruitment has been excellent, bringing in Lisandro Martinez at the back who was exactly the kind of combative centre-half they needed, a player who fronts up to, and clearly relishes, a challenge.

In midfield, Casemiro has stamped his class on an engine room that used to hopelessly flail at times under the limitations of a ‘McFred’ pairing. 

In the attacking third the jury remains out on United’s £82m purchase of Antony but to compensate for this – cliché incoming, and a bad one at that – the stunning rejuvenation of Marcus Rashford has been like a new signing for United and the coaching of Ten Hag has to take some credit for that.

Across all competitions, the England striker has scored 30% of his side’s impressive haul, and moreover provides a genuine threat.

We could go further of course, highlighting the dramatic improvements seen in numerous players who looked to be previously coasting, while United are tactically flexible now, and crucially are capable of executing each mandate to a high standard. 

From this, their form going into a shocking collapse on Merseyside amounted to the second best in the top-flight from two games in. From this, we can deduce that Manchester United are becoming a force to be reckoned with once more.

It will be fascinating come the summer to see where Ten Hag’s emerging creation is priced in the Premier League betting to win next season’s title. It is reasonable to expect them pitched among the favourites. 

And that reveals infinitely more than a heavy loss to a hated rival. 

---

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

At the beginning of this campaign all of the Premier League betting that concerned Fulham focused on the possibility of relegation and this was hardly a surprise.

Despite greatly impressing last season in coming up from the Championship, the same was true of two years ago and four years ago when similarly they secured promotion. On each occasion they immediately dropped, becoming in effect a yo-yo club.

There was no compelling evidence that this time would be any different.

Soon enough though, indeed right from their tremendous opening-day display at home to Liverpool, it became apparent that Marco Silva’s side had serious designs on breaking this cycle, an inkling partly based on Aleksandar Mitrovic grabbing a brace that afternoon.

Having gained an unwanted reputation for being prolific in the second tier but shot-shy in the top-flight, two goals from the outset boded extremely well for both the burly Serb and Fulham.

The Cottagers were fearless, fluid and well-organised against the Reds, ceding most of the possession but little else. They looked like they meant business.

Losing just one of their first five games – and that to a late cruel blow at the Emirates – was a flag planted into the sand and even when gravity began to take hold and the defeats came Fulham continued to give a good account of themselves, scoring in each of their six losses leading in to the mid-season break. 

By the time Qatar 2022 eventually honed into view, Fulham proudly resided in ninth. That’s not too shabby for a team widely tipped in the online betting to drop before a ball had even been kicked. 

Once Premier League action resumed it got better and better for Silva’s men, winning four on the bounce, their latter victory coming at the expense of their neighbours and long-time superiors Chelsea and you would think at this juncture that praise would be widely lavished on the over-achievers from West London, a popular club at the best and worst of times. 

Instead, for whatever reason, Fulham’s unexpected charge into the European spots has been somewhat overlooked, with Brentford and Brighton getting all the love.

Regardless, they play on, exceeding expectations on an almost weekly basis and doing so by virtue of attractive but carefully-orchestrated football.

At the back Tim Ream, their leader-in-chief, has been consistently superb, aided on either side by flying full-backs in Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson who are both so criminally under-rated their general regard should be jailed with the key thrown in the Thames.

In midfield, summer signing Joao Palhinha has bossed many of the stats attributable to his position and ahead of the Portuguese tackling-machine Willian is enjoying a career renaissance, adding some genuine class to Fulham’s attacking mandate. 

Then there’s Mitrovic, the king of Craven Cottage and adored by its faithful. To date, the 28-year-old has scored 0.57 goals per 90. 

At some juncture it has to be properly recognized what Marco Silva and his well put-together collective are achieving this term and perhaps that starts here. 

The Cottagers are fearless, fluid and well-organised, happy to cede possession but little else. They truly mean business.

---

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

 

We are all very aware of who the established 'big six' are, the clubs in question being Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal.  

These are the marquee names who have come to define the Premier League, dominating the conversations, dominating the winning of silverware, and so elite is their stature compared to the distinctly everyday Wolves and Southamptons of this world they have been given a practical shorthand term, to denote their supremacy. 

They are the established ‘top six’, aside from the few occasions when another club dares to briefly muscle in on their turf. Then, to make it clear who is being referred to, they are the ‘traditional’ big six. 

Really though, how odd all of this terminology is, when it’s accepted there is nothing traditional about their perceived aristocratic standing at all.

As for their established hegemony, in 24 of the Premier League’s 30 years of existence at least one of these sextuplet have finished seventh or lower come May. 

Granted, Manchester City pre-takeover does a lot of heavy lifting in this statistic, but still.

🔴 According to Sportico, #ManUtd are the most valuable club in the #PremierLeague, worth $5.95bn.

The #PremierLeague’s ‘Big 6’ teams have a collective value of more than $25bn. 💰

More: https://t.co/qYFVpILoq4 pic.twitter.com/JW30eSjHqo

— Tifosy (@tifosy) March 3, 2023

Furthermore, when the Premier League first came into being back in 1992, this celebrated cabal consisted of five clubs, with Everton included and City and Chelsea nowhere to be seen.

The story goes that two years prior, representatives of Liverpool, United, Arsenal, Spurs and Everton kicked up a hefty fuss about television revenue being shared out equally and from this resulted a breakaway league, the one we know, love, and hate to varying moderations now. 

From this too came the first accepted cabal at the top. The ‘big five’.

A decade on, Everton were mercilessly ejected from what was perceived to be a closed shop at the top, and soon after Spurs also lost their place as Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Arsenal qualified for the Champions League pretty much each and every year. 

Across 11 seasons, only three other clubs got a look in, by finishing fourth or better – Newcastle (twice), Spurs and Everton.

The rest of the time this ruling quartet dominated proceedings, swapping titles like Pass the Parcel and finding themselves short-priced in the sports betting every August. So it was, the ‘top four’ was born. 

In due course, Manchester City were – very reluctantly – invited into the VIP enclosure, their sustained success necessitating their entry. At some point too, from a succession of high finishes, Tottenham were invited back and this brings us to the present.

To an established top six that isn’t especially established. To a traditional ‘big six’ that were first grouped together about ten years ago. 

The potted history above is designed to illustrate that gaining, and retaining, royal status in the Premier League is not something that is set in stone.

That it is, to an extent, fluid and from this a discussion can be had about the current health of the ‘big six’ and how it is generally regarded. 

Certainly, for the time being its future appears to be secure, an appraisal based on Arsenal finishing eighth two years running in recent seasons yet still able to renew their membership without any complaints.

Both Leicester and West Ham meanwhile have made daring forays into the highest echelons of late but found themselves blackballed as potential appointees. 

In hindsight, that was the correct decision, with both now battling relegation.

The wage bills from the Premier League's Big Six shows the scale of Arsenal's achievementhttps://t.co/zI9mYDc7Yu

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) March 1, 2023

Because what we have learned from Manchester City’s circumstances is that the criteria needed to join the elite comes from sustained and consistent success and when we consider how their rise happened all eyes inevitably turn to the north-east, to Newcastle and their transformational takeover.

Might the newly-minted Magpies break into the top six/big six sometime soon? And if they do, who drops out to make room, or will the phrase be broadened to a seven?  

Elsewhere, beyond the influx of vast fortunes, what is particularly interesting is the challenges being made by fearless upstarts, clubs that have got their recruitment right and are busy making inroads into the ‘established’ elite via damn good football.

At the start of this season, Fulham’s Premier League betting odds centred only on the possibility of an immediate return to the Championship. Eight months on, they reside a lofty seventh, pleasantly surprising on a weekly basis. 

Brentford too are impressively staking a claim for some heightened real estate, as good a run club as they come.

As for brilliant Brighton, should they continue to defy gravity and produce outstanding fare for the next couple of years, perhaps a debate will be had about the fairness of Spurs being viewed as a ‘top six’ entity, and not the Seagulls.

For the time being however the status quo of the current landed gentry will remain. History tells us though that change is always around the corner.

---

 

Horse racing can be a thrilling sport to watch, both on TV and live in the stands. Cheltenham is a popular course in the racing calendar and is a favourite among punters thanks to showcasing the very best in jumping.

Meanwhile the Grand National is one of the famous races in the world, viewed by a whopping 600 million people each year. 

But what makes horse racing a great social event? Research, commissioned by 888sport, polled 2,000 adults and discovered how popular horse racing actually is for us Brits. Read on to find out more about the races and other sporting trends.

The Three Big Meetings

There are the big three races on the calendar: Cheltenham Festival, Grand National and Royal Ascot.

Our research found that as many as 90% of followers of the big three racing events will have a flutter, typically placing a stake on six races – but it’s not just the betting which attracts viewers and visitors.

In fact, nearly 4 in 5 (79%) horse racing fans make events like Cheltenham and the Grand National a social occasion.

It should come as no surprise that racing is seen as a social event, given that 20% of respondents said they become a fan just for the duration of these sporting occasions, despite not typically watching the sport.

Piquing Interest

The big annual events in horse racing are a great way to pique interest in a sport they may not have previously considered.

Although 44% of people interested in horse racing only follow the main events such as Grand National and Cheltenham, our research found 40% of all those surveyed are interested in going to a live horseracing event in the next 12 months. 

This is a phenomenon we see beyond horse racing events – our research found 35% only ever follow tennis during Wimbledon.

A quarter (23%) only watch rugby when the Six Nations are on, 18% only tune in to Formula 1 when the British GP takes place and 39% of people only watch football during a major competition such as the World Cup or Euros.

But 34% enjoy watching sports they haven’t viewed before, so such events can sometimes be great gateways into new interests.

A spokesperson for 888sport says: “The fact that so many people are interested in these events despite not typically following the sport shows the appeal that Cheltenham and other events held.

“Across the 28 races there will be twists, turns, and upsets galore – spectators will be on the edge of their seats – we can’t wait.”

Becoming experts in the field

Have you ever started watching a sport and transformed into an expert? You’re not alone!

Our study also found, of the 34% of adults who follow horseracing, 51% claim to become an expert in it, but only for the duration of the events – the Grand National, Cheltenham, and Ascot in particular.

Despite over half of people claiming to be an expert, only 21% always research details around the best horses, trainers and other details. So how does one pick a winner?

It’s all in the name.

The top methods used when choosing which horse to place a stake on include:

• The horse’s name 
• The odds 
• Past successes of the thoroughbred
• Weather conditions 
• Tips from racing supplements and blogs 
• The colour of the jockey’s uniform.

With 59% of all adults having bet on a horse race at one time or another, only 21% claim to have a good instinct for picking out a winner.

Backing the favourite

So is there method in the madness of backing a horse based on a name? Looking at the odds can highlight how the bookmakers think a race will go, however, the favourite doesn’t always win.

In fact, 3 in 10 Cheltenham races (30%) see the favourite take the crown. And if the favourite doesn’t win every time, could the name make you a winner? 

Well back in 2022, Commander Of Fleet crossed the line a champion in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham with impressive odds of 50-1. 

• Global Citizen finished first in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase with odds of 28-1.

• The impressively named Ahorsewithnoname didn’t come first, but with 50-1 it came pretty close in second place.

• The Nice Guy was declared the winner with 18-1 odds.

Whether you have a connection to a name, think it’s funny, or love to back an underdog – there might just be something behind a name. 

The horse racing calendar

With Cheltenham Festival around the corner, you can start to plan for the year ahead.

The three major racing events take place in the first half of the year, so there are plenty of opportunities to take some friends to a day at the races or grab the girls for ladies’ day:

• March: Cheltenham Festival
• April: The Grand National
• June: Royal Ascot

So who’s attending? People in the 18-24 age group appeared to be the most interested in attending a horseracing event in the future.

While the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups are also the most likely to plan their year around one or more key events of the UK sporting calendar – not just horse racing!

The research discovered 81% like to watch major sports events – the likes of the Superbowl, the Boat Race, and the Ashes. With 35% of those passionate fans planning their entire year around them.

A spokesperson for 888sport says: "There are those who like to stick to one or two sports and follow them closely, those who watch everything going, and those who just watch the big events.

“Whatever your preference, there are plenty of events to choose from and enjoy.”

---

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