Lee Power has sold the Waterford club to R&S Holding Ltd, owned by Richard Forrest this week.
Forrest held a 33 percent stake in the club since earlier in the year and the remaining shares were transferred to him this week.
The former owner Lee Power made a statement on leaving:
“I would also like to think that I have left the club in a much better place than when I purchased it in 2016 when we were in the first division, attracting crowds of 200 and close to going out of business.”
📰 New club owner Richard Forrest wishes to release the following statement on behalf of the club, the fans, and his future ambitions for the club.#WaterfordFC#Blueshttps://t.co/EG9YKvW3PS
Mateusz Klich and Piotr Zielinski will look to improve upon impressive seasons at their respective clubs.
They will provide the midfield engine for the Eastern European side.
Centre-back Jan Bednarek and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will be the key defensive options for Sousa’s Poland but there is a considerable lack of adequate depth when compared to the bigger sides in the tournament.
Nonetheless, their first-choice eleven should do enough to progress.
SLOVAKIA
Slovakia entered the European Championships via the Nations League play-offs.
They beat both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to earn their spot.
However, their results are very up-and-down, and their star names are not enough for consistency.
Marek Hamsik, Milan Skriniar, Ondrej Duda and Martin Dubravka are all part of the current Slovakian core.
Their goalscoring threat is quite low with just 15 goals in 18 games since 2019.
The squad is not strong enough to offer a huge threat to the rest of Group E.
SPAIN
Spain, on the other hand, has brought a strong side to the Euros, albeit an underwhelming 24-man strong side.
Star defender Sergio Ramos was snubbed due to a lack of match fitness while Eric Garcia got in after making half as many appearances as the former.
Spanish boss Luis Enrique has brought the French-born Aymeric Laporte in from the international wilderness, called up the exceptional Marcos Llorente, and assembled an all-star midfield, but the forwards lack options.
Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno looks set to lead the line for the three-time European Championship winners, but Alvaro Morata does not inspire confidence and most of the options have not had consistent spells of good form this season.
Their recent stalemate against Portugal in Madrid is a clear example of their struggles in the final third.
Regardless, La Roja is a clear favourite to win this group and have a home advantage for their games.
SWEDEN
Finally, we come to Sweden.
The Swedes are bringing one of the oldest sides to the European Championships this summer with an average age of 29.2.
Their goalkeeping options inspire as much confidence as their backline would – not a lot.
Their most exciting play will take place on the wings and through the middle, where the best of their talents resides.
Emil Forsberg and Dejan Kulusevski are available on either side of their centre-midfielders while Robin Quaison, Jordan Larsson, Marcus Berg, and Alexander Isak can all play through the middle.
Sweden has failed to beat many of the heavy hitters in Europe over the recent years but poses a strong threat to their competition in Group E.
Euro 2020 Group F – Team by Team Preview, Fixtures, Betting, Group Table, Euro 2020’s final group is Group F, or ‘the group of death.’
France, Germany, Hungary, and Portugal will lock horns over the course of the group stage to determine who goes through.
There is a very high possibility that three from this group go through – which three it will be is a tougher question to answer.
FRANCE
France is the reigning World champion and will enter the tournament as favourites for the European crown.
The Euro 2016 runners-up are trying out a new formation currently which accommodates Karim Benzema.
Benzema made his first appearance for France after five years and seven months in exile against Wales.
The 4-3-1-2 formation can accommodate Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot in the centre of the pitch.
Ina addition to this, Antoine Griezmann can play as a number 10 behind Kylian Mbappé and Benzema.
This allows Benzema to play the way he does at Real Madrid.
The striker can hold up the ball for Mbappé and move into spaces to receive passes.
It was trialled in the tournament warm-up matches but we will not know how impactful it is for Les Bleus until the Euros.
Manager Didier Deschamps could lead France to a second major trophy in three years if his tinkering pays off, but they must get through this group before they even think of that.
GERMANY
Germany has been on the decline since their abysmal World Cup defence in Russia.
Head coach Joachim Löw is will leave his role after Germany’s Euro 2020 concludes.
The World Cup-winning coach has yet to fix the problems that have plagued Germany for several years.
Antonio Rüdiger has earned a starting spot for the Euros alongside Mats Hummels and Emre Can, who Löw plays often.
The Germans’ midfield is stacked but in a negative way – will Kimmich and Goretska play alongside each other or will Kroos take the latter’s place and Germany play with two 6s? It is hard to tell.
Thomas Müller and Ilkay Gündogan could also start, and their presence would provide the link between defence and attack that a double 6 midfield would need.
Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Kevin Volland are all candidates to lead the line for Die Mannschaft but it is unclear whether they will be isolated or provided adequate support to do their job.
Germany is the team that is the hardest to read going into Euro 2020 and, with home advantage for all three group games, may return to form or could go out in a blaze of glory.
They are suspect to an upset based on recent form, but they could also come out guns blazing with Thomas Müller and company back in the squad.
HUNGARY
Hungary will be looking to have another impressive European Championship after winning their group in 2016, which also included Portugal.
RB Leipzig’s Péter Gulácsi, his clubmate Willi Orban and Attila Szalai will provide Marco Rossi’s team with a solid defence.
Bristol City’s Ádám Nagy will patrol the space in front of them.
Winger Roland Sallai and captain Ádám Szalai will do what they can in the attacking third.
The side is without their best player through injury, RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai, and will struggle in attack.
What they do have, though, is a home advantage against France and Portugal.
It is unlikely that Marco Rossi’s side qualifies for the Round of 16, but it is far from impossible.
PORTUGAL
Portugal, in contrast, has their star man and have all positions covered with top-notch depth except centre-back as only three are part of the squad.
Those three in question are Ruben Dias, Pepe, and José Fonte though, so that evens it out.
However, Pepe and Fonte were born in 1983.
Selecting a fourth centre-back would have been high on any other manager’s list.
Portugal under-21-star Diogo Leite would have been an ideal inclusion, but Portugal boss Fernando Santos opted against it.
Defensive midfielder Danilo can play there if needed.
Their midfield is packed with defensive-minded players.
Fullbacks João Cancelo and Raphaël Guerreiro will play high and wide, the former acting as a playmaker when needed.
Sergio Oliveira and Renato Sanches can add attacking ability to the midfield if needed.
João Felix will cut inside from his wide role and either move through the middle or create space for Cristiano Ronaldo or Guerreiro.
Ronaldo will look to get the ball in any position in the final third and do his thing, as he so usually does.
Diogo Jota and Andre Silva provide options for the forward line if a Ronaldo-led attack is deemed to need them.
Santos’ Portugal will play defensive against fellow favourites France but may choose to be more attacking against those with weaker defences.
Ronaldo and the rest should not have a problem, much like France, unless Germany or Hungary can change their tune.
This years Tokyo Olympic Games will have five new events and 33 new events
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have added more sports and included more mix gendered events in this year’s roster.
Change is nothing new to the Olympics as the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro had the inclusion of golf and seven aside rugby.
This year will see the return of softball and baseball as well as the completely new karate, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding taking place.
Wrestling was meant to be discontinued at the Olympics, but the IOC returned the sport in September 2013.
Although there is an increase in 33 events, the number of competitors at this year’s Olympics is expected to decrease by 150 people.
Five new sports
Baseball and softball originated in the United States and last appeared at the Olympics in Beijing 2008. Six national teams will compete with Israel, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United States having qualified already.
Karate is a martial art originally from the Ryukyu Kingdom of Japan that will debut at the games in August.
Skateboarding is an urban action sport from the United States with stars like Chris Joslin and Jenn Soto competing.
Sport climbing is another action sport that finds the best athlete at three formats: speed climbing, lead climbing and bouldering.
Lastly, surfing is s water sport that will debut on the Pacific coasts of Japan this year.
New events in Tokyo 2020
Archery: Mixed team event.
Athletics: Mixed 4x400m relay.
Baseball: Men only.
Basketball: 3 aside matches, men and women.
Cycling: The Madison for men and women, BMX freestyle for men and women.
Fencing: Women’s team Foil, men’s team sabre.
Judo: Mixed team event.
Karate: Kumite, three weight classes for men and women, Kata for men and women.
Skateboarding: Park for men and women, Street for men and women.
CJ Stander, Mike Haley, Damian de Allende and RG Snyman need treatment after receiving superficial burns
Munster rugby released a statement that Stander and Haley got burns on their hands but may return to training by the end of the week.
South African pair, de Allende and Snyman sustained more serious burns to their legs, hands and face.
The two SpringBok players will be meeting a specialist to help them with their recovery during the week.
Munster head coach Johann van Graan said about the accident: “We are hugely relieved that the lads are all ok.
“The players have all been treated and are being well looked after with Damian and RG meeting the specialist again later this week to review next steps of their recovery.”
Player Update | The medical department have issued an update for Mike Haley, CJ Stander, Damian de Allende and RG Snyman following an accident at the weekend.
Allianz FL Division 2 relegation play-off
Down v Laois, Pairc Esler, 6.15pm – GAAGO
Cork v Westmeath, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 2pm – GAAGO
Allianz FL Division 3 semi-finals
Derry v Limerick, Carrick-on-Shannon, 4pm – GAAGO
Offaly v Fermanagh, Bord na Monda O’Connor Park, 6pm – GAAGO
Allianz FL Division 3 relegation play-off
Cavan v Wicklow, Pairc Tailteann, 2pm – GAAGO
Allianz FL Division 4 semi-final
Carlow v Louth, Netwatch Dr Cullen Park, 4pm – GAAGO
Allianz HL Division 1 Group B round 5
Clare v Kilkenny, Cusack Park, 3pm
Antrim v Laois, Corrigan Park, 3pm
Wexford v Dublin, Chadwicks Wexford Park 3pm
Allianz HL Division 2B round 5
Derry v Roscommon, Celtic Park, 2pm
Mayo v Kildare, Elverys MacHale Park, 2pm
Allianz HL Division 2B round 4
Longford v Monaghan, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park 2pm
Tyrone v Sligo, Healy Park, Omagh 2pm
Allianz FL Division 4 shield final
Sligo v Wexford, Portlaoise, 3pm – GAAGO
Allianz HL Division 1 Group A round 5
Westmeath v Limerick, TEG Cusack Park, 1.45pm
Cork v Galway, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 1.45pm
Waterford v Tipperary, Walsh Park, 1.45pm
Allianz HL Division 2A round 5
Down v Meath, Ballycran 1pm
Carlow v Kerry, Netwatch Cullen Park, 1pm
Wicklow v Offaly, Aughrim 1pm
Saturday 19 June
Allianz FL finals (if participants are not playing championship on 26/27 June)
Division 1
Division 3
Allianz HL Division 3A round 5
Armagh v Tyrone, Athletic Grounds, 2pm
Monaghan v Sligo, Inniskeen 2pm
Group C of the 2020 UEFA European Championships sees some old faces return and new ones attempt to stand out in the crowd.
Austria, Netherlands, North Macedonia, and Ukraine make up the third group of Euro 2020 this summer.
The group may be the least exciting on paper but there are reasons to be excited about it.
AUSTRIA
Austria will be hoping to live up to expectations this time around after a bitterly disappointing Euro 2016 campaign saw them finish bottom of their group.
The Austrian squad for this summer’s championship is full of players at the height of their career.
Austria’s talisman David Alaba will be very important for the side.
He is expected to play a more attacking role than he did for Bayern Munich this past season.
A stacked midfield also includes Bundesliga stars Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer.
Former West Ham star Marko Arnautovic will lead the line for the Austrians, possibly alongside Sabitzer or Sasa Kalajdzic.
An experienced defence will sit in front of Watford’s Daniel Bachmann, who is heading to the Euros after a successful season with the Hornets.
A ball-dominant display against England gave fans a sneak-peek at their attacking intent.
NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands is in a major tournament for the first time since their 2014 World Cup run which saw them finish third.
The side had looked to be one of the tournament favourites when Ronald Koeman was in charge, but with the loss of both him and Virgil Van Dijk, that idea has faded.
A 4-2 loss to Turkey in March exposed their weaknesses.
There are still many world-class players involved in the squad – Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mathijs De Ligt to name a few – but they tend to make it look harder than it needs to be.
Young talents such as Owen Wijndal and Ryan Gravenberch could shine if given the chance, but the tactical shortcomings of their current manager Frank de Boer handicap the side.
Nonetheless, their home advantage in all three group games will help them along the way.
They should progress past the group stage, but an upset is always possible against this Dutch side.
NORTH MACEDONIA
North Macedonia are the lowest-ranked side in the European Championships this summer.
Entering through the Nations League’s bottom-tier playoff, they will be cast aside by many pundits before kicking a ball.
However, their recent victory over the German national side shows what they are capable of.
Manager Igor Angelovski sets up his side in a defensive 5-3-2 formation but they can be lethal in attack.
Napoli’s Elif Elmas and 37-year-old Goran Pandev are very important to the side.
Although it is a slimmer chance than the other three teams, the North Macedonians could enjoy some knockout international football this summer.
UKRAINE
Ukraine is the final team involved in Group C.
The side has crept back into the spotlight of European football under the management of Andriy Shevchenko.
Wins against Portugal and Spain have given the side a lot of attention.
Furthermore, the side cruised to the top spot in their qualifying group.
Their squad for the Euros is a youthful group with several veterans also present.
The side is one of the dark horses at the tournament and could impress neutrals.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mykola Matvienko will be crucial in defence with Gregory Bushchan in goal behind them.
Ukraine soaks up pressure against the stronger sides in Europe and unleashes their attacking force of Yarmolenko, Yaremchuk and Malinovskyi on others.
Shevchenko’s side can progress, but this group is tighter than it appears.
Group C Fixtures: Austria v North Macedonia Sunday, 13th June 17:00. Netherlands v Ukraine Sunday, 13th June 20:00. Ukraine v North Macedonia Thursday, 17th June 14:00. Netherlands v Austria Thursday, 17th June 20:00. Ukraine v Austria Monday, 21st June 17:00. North Macedonia v Netherlands Monday, 21st June 17:00.
The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship begins in under two weeks and 24 national sides are gearing up for their chance at European glory.
Six groups of four will be battling it out for their place in the knockout stages.
After the group stages conclude, a maximum of three from a group can progress.
Two groups will only have two teams progress because only four third-place sides are needed to make up the last 16.
Group A is up first – Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, and Wales.
ITALY
Italy has been one of the standout national sides in Europe recently and is unbeaten in 27 games.
Roberto Mancini’s men are favourites to win Group A with a resolute defence and strong attack.
Veterans like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci will be part of the side but younger players will also prove important if Italy live up to expectations.
In particular, Nico Barella, Federico Chiesa and Gigi Donnarumma will help to create a fine mix of young and old Azzurri.
In addition, many players in the squad are in their prime years.
Marco Verratti, Ciro Immobile and Jorginho are among those at the top of their game.
The talent of Barella, Verratti and Locatelli in midfield will be tough for the opposition to suppress.
All their group games will have home advantage as they are at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Therefore, the Italians will have a pre-emptive edge over their group stage opponents.
Switzerland is looking to make a statement at the Euros this summer.
In recent years, their defence has been impressive, conceding only six in eight games to qualify for the competition.
Specifically, Bundesliga stars Yann Sommer and Manuel Akanji will be key in maintaining this.
However, they have lost to some of the top sides in Europe recently.
Now is the perfect time to change that with Haris Seferovic in his prime and Xherdan Shaqiri looking to make a point this summer.
Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler will be among those who will look to connect defence and attack.
Furthermore, Djibril Sow and Denis Zakaria will give the national side options in midfield.
Therefore, Switzerland’s final group game may be the decider for second place as they face a young Turkey side in the closing round.
TURKEY
Turkey is one of the dark horses of the European Championships this summer because of their strong squad that has flown under the radar.
Manager Senol Gunes is in his second stint with his home country after a successful period at Besiktas.
The 2002 UEFA Coach of the Year has a talent-filled squad once again ahead of Euro 2020, the youngest at the tournament.
The legendary Turkish manager took the side to third place at the 2002 World Cup.
Above all, Gunes will want to be a part of another strong tournament with this new generation.
Ozan Kabak and Caglar Soyuncu offer a strong defensive partnership with Zeki Celik providing width at full-back.
The chemistry between Celik and strikers Yusuf Yazici and Burak Yilmaz will be important for the Turks.
The trio won Ligue 1 together with Lille this season.
As a result of this, they will be hungry for more success this summer.
Okay Yokuşlu and Hakan Calhanoglu will offer support for both ends of the pitch in midfield and Ozan Tufan will provide some individual magic.
The side has adequate depth – with Merih Demiral and Orkun Kokcu among those waiting in the wings.
WALES
The final side in Group A is 2016 semi-finalists Wales.
The Wales hierarchy will be hoping for a similar tournament this year and have chosen a squad that reflects this hope.
Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu will play in central defence and Neco Williams and Ben Davies will play on either side of them.
Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen will supply a strike force that includes Gareth Bale and Harry Wilson.
David Brooks and Ben Cabango are also included in the squad but the strength of Wales’ opponents may prove too powerful, in contrast.
However, caretaker manager Rob Page has won four games and drawn two since taking the reins.
Their form could carry over into the tournament and turn Group A on its head.
Group A Fixtures: Turkey v Italy, Friday, 11th June 20:00. Wales v Switzerland, Friday, 12th June 14:00. Turkey v Wales, Wednesday 16th June 17:00. Italy v Switzerland, Wednesday 16th June 20:00. Italy v Wales, Sunday, 20th June 17:00. Switzerland v Turkey, Sunday, 20th June 17:00.
Are you torn between sports betting and casino gambling and not sure which one you want to spend your money on? Are you looking to try your hand at a bit of gambling but aren’t sure if you should try out casino gambling or give sports betting a shot?
Whether its casino gambling or sports betting, the gambling industry in general has grown massively as a whole, but each industry individually has also grown immensely. Some have many bonuses, while online casinos like Casino Secret have automatic cashback so there is massive variety. Although both are forms of gambling, casino gambling and sports betting are actually quite different from each other and you get a vastly different experience from each. Sports gamblers want to place their bets on a team or player and hope for a win, while casino gamblers prefer to play the odds with various dice, card, roulette wheel, slot machine, or other game combinations.
The biggest difference between them is that you can’t legally bet on sports at an online casino. If you are new to gambling, then you might not know which form of gambling is best for you, so here are a few things to consider.
Long-term odds of winning
When it comes to odds of winning, it’s all up in the air a bit because most of the time gambling is based purely on luck and chance, especially when it comes to casino gambling. Casino gambling odds change from game to game and from casino to casino so it can be difficult to decipher which games will have better odds of winning than others. It’s common knowledge that when it comes to casino gambling, your best odds of winning will be at the table games as these games actually require skill and strategy, whereas games such as slots are completely based on luck and chance.
On the other hand, when it comes to sports betting, you might actually have a better chance of winning here because you can make informed bets and decisions based on previous games or rounds and the history of the game, just by doing a bit of research.
Betting options
Online casino gambling is revolutionary, not only because they are online, but because they offer so many more game options than a regular casino. Here you will find all of the regular games you will find at a casino such as slots, roulette, poker, blackjack, and craps, and then even more on top of that such as gamified version of these games or different themes for each game.
When it comes to sports betting especially in Betastic , the opportunities are endless. There are so many different sports that one can bet on such as horse racing, dog racing, football, baseball, and more. There are more sports to bet on than games to play at an online casino which means there is a bit more variety.
level of entertainment
if you are looking for some entertainment, both are a good option, however, they offer different kinds of entertainment. When it comes to casino gambling, other times this is just mindless fin if you are playing luck-based games. It offers fast paced entertainment which payoff quickly. Whereas, when it comes to sports betting, you have to put time and effort in to choosing the right game to bet on and the right player, team or horse to bet on, and this process is a lot slower and a bit more meaningful. When sports betting you need to do a bit of research which means the entertainment lasts much longer for one bet.
Level of strategy
Although some casino games depend on strategy, a lot of them can be played without nay skill or strategy and you will still get the same level of entertainment. When it comes to sports betting, the basis of the games its strategy and you need to go into the bet with a well thought out plan if you are wanting to win. There is a lot of research involved in sports betting but once you understand the game, it is much easier.
Cost
While sports betting may look more expensive at face value because the price of one bet it a lot higher than gambling at a regular casino, this is actually not the case. In fact, casino gambling actually comes out to be quite a bit more expensive that sports betting because of just how fast paced it actually is and how many games you can bet on in a short space of time. Sports betting comes out to be cheaper because on bet takes quite a long time to carry out from start to finish.
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