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Lisbon looks set to host Champions League mini- tournament

Lisbon looks set to host a Champions League mini-tournament in August if it’s given the go ahead by the European governing body, UEFA.

BBC Sport state that UEFA are looking at moving the final from Istanbul in Turkey where it was due to take place on May 30th to allow a new format. A decision is expected on June 17th by the UEFA executive committee. Additionally, the Europa League final which was due to be held in Gdansk in Poland is now likely to be held in Germany.

Discussions have taken place over the last number to decide what format would be best. This obviously includes the original plan of the two legged games. However, BBC Sport say that recent discussions have looked more towards a type of format FIFA is aiming for with it’s Club World Cup. This would likely generate an entertainment option for both viewers and tv broadcasters.

The mini-tournament would mean the quarter finals, semi finals and final will also be played in one location behind closed doors. The Champions League final would take place on August 23rd, while Europa League take place on 21st of August. BBC have said that Russia, Spain and Germany have all been looked at as option, but given there is no teams from their countries Portugal would be the likely candidate.

Bolton relegated from League One

Bolton Wanderers have been relegated from League One and will play in the fourth tier of English football next season. It comes after the current season in League One and League Two was ended after clubs voted to cut short the season due to Covid 19.

Clubs voted for a framework which was made up by the English Football League board. This meant the final table in both divisions was calculated based on using an unweighted points per game system. Promotion, relegation and play-off positions were still all retained.

In League 1 Coventry City will be playing Championship football next season. Rotherham will also be making a return to the Championship. In terms of the play-offs, Joey Barton’s Fleetwood Town will contest along with Oxford. In addition to Wycombe and Portsmouth. Dates and times for games will announced in the coming days by the EFL. Bolton are relegated from League One, along with Tranmere Rovers and Southend United.

Looking at League 2, Swindon Town, Crewe Alexandra and Plymouth have all been promoted to the third tier in English football. Moreover, Northampton, Exeter, Colchester and Cheltenham will all play in the league 2 play-offs. BBC Sport say that these games are due to take place next week. the first legs. Relegation hasn’t been confirmed but Stevenage will  be relegated at present, however Macclesfield could also be relegated if they are found in breach of EFL regulations where a point reduction may occur.

Finally, Wembley is set to host the  League Two play-off final. This will be behind closed doors on Monday June 29th.

League One

  • Promoted: Coventry City (champions), Rotherham United
  • Play-offs: Wycombe Wanderers v Fleetwood Town, Portsmouth v Oxford United (dates tbc)
  • Relegated: Tranmere Rovers, Southend United, Bolton Wanderers

League Two (As of Now)

  • Promoted: Swindon Town (champions), Crewe Alexandra, Plymouth Argyle
  • Play-offs: Cheltenham Town v Northampton Town, Exeter City v Colchester United
  • Relegated: Stevenage

 

Martin O’Neill objects to plans for kids facilities

Former Republic of Ireland Martin O’Neill has objected to a proposed youths football pitch and facilities in Co Donegal.

Off the Ball report that the new pitch is said to be for Dunfanaghy Youths FC. O’Neill who departed his role as Head coach of Nottingham Forest last year. He currently owns the derelict 18th Century Horn Head House. The house is said to be very close to the plans of the new facilities.

The club have said to be in need of a pitch for the last two years. The new proposed development is to include dressing rooms, playing and training pitches. In addition to as a clubhouse and a stand for spectators. Writer Chris Nulty for the Donegal Daily broke the news on Tuesday in an exclusive stating O’Neill had wrote to Donegal County Council.

The Donegal Daily state that the main reason O’Neill is objecting to the  facilities are due to environment and safety issues. The letter says, “Ultimately Horn Head, a secluded and protected area, with especially high scenic amenity status is simply not appropriate for a large public gathering facility, i.e. a stadium”.

O’Neill continued, “First, the environmental impact of erecting stadia in this area of scenic beauty must be recognised. Horn Head is renowned not just locally, not just in Donegal, but also throughout Ireland and would be adversely affected by this proposed development”. He also states that access and safety will be compromised. The letter also addresses traffic pollution, noise pollution and floodlighting.

Mr O’Neill also noted the impact it would have on private residents as well as wildlife in the area. He said in the letter, “If permitted, the development would be in use on a daily basis. Long winter evenings would necessitate the use of floodlighting which will have direct impeach on wildlife and the nearby residents”.

O’Neill managed Ireland from 2013 to 2018. He took them to the Euros in France in 2018. Before been replaced by Mick McCarthy who just last month called time on his two year stint with the Boys in Green.

Cormorant wins Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial as Aidan O’Brien has 4 Leopardstown winners

Monday at Naas may have been dominated by Shane Foley, but Tuesday at Leopardstown was a Ballydoyle benefit day as Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners had a four-timer, while jockey Séamie Heffernan rode a double at the South Co. Dublin venue.

Cormorant (12/1), a 1.05m Guineas son of Kingman, lead from start to finish to win the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial by half a length over 1m 2f. The winner, under jockey Pádraig Beggy, brought home a Ballydoyle clean sweep of the places, as the 11/8 favourite Russian Emperor (Séamie Heffernan) failed to peg back the leader, with Iberia (5/2) finishing another length and a half back in third place.

Tiger Moth (16/5), a half brother to Coach House, won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden under Wayne Lordan, a race where O’Brien trained the first four home. Tiger Moth got the better of stable companions Dawn Patrol, the 5/4 favourite, by half a length, with Order Of Australia (11/2) third and Amhrán Na Bhfiann (22/1) fourth.

Ennistymon (11/8f) and Séamie Heffernan won the first race of the day as the full sister to Seán O’Casey got off the mark when bravely edging out Shamiyna (9/2) by a head, with 100/1 shot Astadash a further half length behind in third in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

Heffernan later claimed a double when a brilliant front-running performance from Love Locket (6/1) saw her avoid trouble in the Leopardstown (Fillies) Trial Stakes (Group 3) over 7 furlongs. The daughter of No Nay Never beat Know It All (5/1) from the Johnny Murtagh stable with Precious Moments (11/1) in third.

With Aidan O’Brien and Ballydoyle having taken the first four races on the card, Jim Bolger broke the Co. Tipperary stranglehold on proceedings when Kevin Manning drove Ten Year Ticket (8/1) home to win the Holden Plant and Rental (C&G) Trial Stakes over 7 furlongs.

The Rock Of Gibraltar gelding held off King Of Athens (10/1) by a neck with Prince Of Naples (16/1) another length and three-quarters behind. A sad postscript to the race was confirmation that the favourite, a three-year-old son of Galileo, Year Of The Tiger (6/5f), who went wrong in the home straight, suffered a fatal injury.

In the Leopardstown Handicap, Confidence High (28/1) was a good winner for Andy Oliver and jockey Billy Lee. Another big price runner, David Garrick (18/1) was runner-up for trainer Edward Harty, with Star Of Cashel (10/1) in third.

Divisions 1 and 2 of the Leopardstown Handicap went to Lady Savanah (22/1) for Tom McCourt and jockey Andrew Slattery and Palabres (20/1) for trainer Peter Fahey and Colin Keane respectively.

Wednesday sees racing at Navan where the 7-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes over 1m 2f will be the feature of an 8-race card which starts at 1.00pm.

“Anyone in racing would dream of having a horse like him” – Tom Hogan’s tribute to Gordon Lord Byron

Trainer Tom Hogan has paid tribute to Gordon Lord Byron who died this morning following routine exercise as the 12-year-old gelding was preparing to make his seasonal bow at The Curragh this weekend.

Hogan spoke of his sadness at the loss of his stable star, stating:

“It happened this morning. He wasn’t a horse that would have liked retirement – he died with his boots on. We’re gutted but he was pampered every day of his life and was never as happy as he was at the moment. He hates wet weather and had a great spring.”

The Group 1 winning-handler continued:

“He was a great horse and we had great times with him, but all good things come to an end. He was in super form. He did a great piece of work at the Curragh last Thursday and he was in great form — real happy in himself.”

The gelding, an intended runner at The Curragh this weekend, was working well, according to the Nenagh, Co. Tipperary-based trainer:

“He was just doing a routine bit of work ahead of his intended run this weekend at The Curragh. He’d actually been working better than he was last year. He looked superb and was in great form.”

Photo credit: David Betts.

In reflecting on an incredible career for the son of Byron, Hogan spoke about the outstanding achievements of Gordon Lord Byron:

“He was the first Irish-trained horse to win a Group 1 in Australia. He won the Haydock Sprint Cup and finished second in it twice. No other Irish horse has won the race since Vincent O’Brien’s Abergwaun in 1972.”

The Cheltenham-winning handler continued:

“He also won the Prix de la Foret and was second in it twice. No Irish-trained horse has won that race since Pas De Seul in 1982. He created history and it was wonderful to have a part in it. He took us to Hong Kong five times, Australia, Dubai, Qatar and France, introducing us to places and people we’d never have met.”

In summing up the effect Gordon Lord Byron had on both his career as a trainer, and his life in general, Tom Hogan admitted:

“He took us places that we’d never have been. He did things that no other Irish horse had done for a long time. Anyone in racing would dream of having a horse like him.”

Globe-trotting legend Gordon Lord Byron dies

Photo credit: David Betts.

Twelve-year-old multiple Group 1 winner Gordon Lord Byron, who won over €2m in prize money, died suddenly following routine exercise this morning.

The winner of 16 races from 108 starts, the Tom Hogan-trained horse won at the highest level throughout the world and still had a rating of 105 at the age of 12.

At home in Ireland he won both The Minstrel Stakes and The Greenlands Stakes at The Curragh, but had notable globe-trotting successes, becoming a winner of three Group 1s in three different countries and on two continents.

The Cahalan family-owned horse cost just €2,000, but suffered a fractured pelvis when leaving the stalls on his racecourse debut at Dundalk. Following a full recovery and an outstanding career, the son of Byron went on to win over €2m in prize money.

The gelding’s first Group 1 victory came in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp under William Buick in 2012, before Johnny Murtagh guided him to victory in the Sprint Cup at Haydock in 2013.

The following year he won the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill in Australia, under jockey Craig Williams, while he also won the 2014 British Champions Sprint at Ascot.

Shane Foley dominates with Naas four-timer

Jockey Shane Foley was the star of the show at Naas this afternoon as Irish racing returned from its Covid-19 enforced break.

The Kilkenny rider completed a four-timer with wins on Lucky Vega (9/2), Parkers Hill (18/1), Punita Arora (22/1) and Masteroffoxhounds (9/2).

Foley began with a winner for his boss, Jessica Harrington, when Lucky Vega was a half-length winner of the 6 furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden.

He followed up an hour later when giving trainer Leanne Breen a winner in the Clinton Higgins Accountants Handicap (Div I) with the Airlie Stud-bred Parkers Hill.

Foley was back in the winners’ enclosure after the next race, the Listed Kuroshio At Compas Committed Stakes, when bringing up a double for Jessica Harrington’s Commonstown Stables with the victory of Punita Arora.

The day got even better for both jockey and rider when Masteroffoxhounds completed a Harrington treble and a Foley 13,218/1 four-timer when claiming the final event of the 8-race card, the 1m Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden.

Owners James McAuley and Jim Gough’s £2,800 bargain purchase, Sceptical (3/1jf), was an impressive winner of the Listed Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Woodlands Stakes for trainer Denis Hogan.

The former Godolphin horse, who prior to today had notched up three wins at Dundalk, passed his biggest test to date with flying colours, taking a comfortable three-length success under seven pound claiming Joey Sheridan.

Sheridan pushed the four-year-old Exceed And Excel gelding, Ireland’s highest rated sprinter, into the lead a furlong and a half out and easily dismissed the remainder of the 11-runner field.

“He’s a special horse and so easy to train” said winning trainer, Denis Hogan. “I’m delighted for Jim Gough and James McAuley. They picked him out. Jim’s gutted he’s not here as he loves his racing but he has a good horse and he’ll probably go to Ascot next week for the King’s Stand.”

Aidan O’Brien and Séamie Heffernan had a double on the day as More Beautiful (11/4f) and Elfin Queen (13/8f) were both eye-catching winners.

More Beautiful took the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden in scintillating style as the daughter of War Front out of Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Maybe stretched away from the field in the race’s latter stages to win by an easy three and a half lengths.

Elfin Queen, a $1.2m three-year-old daughter of American Pharoah, the 2015 US Triple Crown winner, had six and a half lengths to spare over the late-finishing Aunt Bee (18/1) in the 18-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The second division of the Clinton Accountants Handicap went the way of Donagh O’Connor and John Levins as 14/1 shot Nordic Passage stayed on strongly in the closing stages to win for owner Hugh P Ward.

Racing on Tuesday is at Leopardstown.

Doherty exits Championship League

Irish snooker player Ken Doherty has exited the Championship League after an agonising final frame defeat to Ashley Carty on Sunday. Carty, who is ranked 83rd in the world beat Neil Robertson before beating Doherty to progress to the next stage.

Carty beat former World Number 1 and world champion Roberston 3-1 in Sunday’s opening match. He then drew with Kurt Maflin 2-2. Neil Robertson drew with Doherty 2-2, which then set an intriguing battle between Doherty and Carty to see who would progress to phase two. Ken needed a win, although a draw would have been good enough to see Carty through.

Carty won the first two frames of the match. However, the former 1997 World Champion, Doherty stormed into the games with a break of 90 to pull it back to 2-1. So, it came down to the final frame, a win for Doherty would see him through on a 2-2 draw, but a win for his opponent would obviously mean he would go through. Carty was 21 ahead with one red left on the table, Doherty needed a snooker and the remaining colours to sneak the frame. However, luck wasn’t to be on the Ranelagh man’s side as Carty fluked a brown which put the match beyond reach.

Speaking after the match, Carty said, “I got off to a really good start against Neil, quite surprisingly beat him. I know I am capable on my day but fortunately for me he struggled”. He continued, “I should have beaten Maflin really, I had a few good chances, and then against Ken I was in shreds towards the end. I don’t know how I missed the green but fortunately for me it didn’t matter.”

Barry Hawkins topped group 16. The English man advanced to the winner’s face which includes Judd Trump, Ryan Day and Dave Gilbert. Hawkins won his opening two games 3-0, he would also beat Anthony McGill 2-1.

Rugby World 2023 qualifying process revealed

The process for qualifying for the 2023 Rugby World Cup has been revealed. World Rugby announced the decision on Monday saying that qualification process will promote a genuine opportunity for all unions.

Teams that have already qualified due to finishing in the top three in their pools at last year’s World Cup competition include, Ireland, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Wales, Japan, France, Australia, Scotland, Italy, Argentina and Fiji. Seven spots from the remaining eight will likely be finalised by regional and cross-regional qualifiers. A four team round robin tournament will determine the final team that will qualify for the tournament which will be held in France.

Bill Beaumont chairman of World Rugby said in a statement on Monday, “The process that has been developed via full consultation with our regional associations and member unions will provide a genuine opportunity for full member unions to qualify for our showcase men’s 15s event”.

Mr Beaumont also revealed details regarding the South Americas qualification, Asian Qualification and Oceania qualification. Two teams from the South Americas will deliver two direct qualifiers, the third best team will enter the final qualification. Rugby Europe Championship will have two qualifying places, with the two best teams qualifying in march 2022. The third place team will enter final qualification tournament. The Rugby Africa Cup 2022 winner will get automatic qualification for the World Cup, while the runner up will go into the final qualification tournament.

A home and away play-off between Samoa and Tonga in 2021 will determine which team for the Oceania region will qualify for the World Cup. The loser of this game would go in as Oceania 2 and would play the winner of the Asia/Pacific on a home and away basis.This game will based on aggregate score.  The winner will qualify for the World Cup and loser side will play in the final qualification tournament.

The Final qualification tournament will take place in 2022 and will feature 4 teams who play in a round robin format. The winner will qualify for France 2023. Chairman of Rugby World Cup France 2023, Claude Atcher said, “This qualification process gives emerging unions an opportunity to take part in our sport’s biggest competition”. He continued, “The success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan and performances by the host nation is a testimony of rugby’s expansion globally. As the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is about to be won, I welcome this optimistic prospect of reconnecting with the excitement of our sport. This is the start of our journey towards France 2023, which will be the best tournament ever delivered”.

Full qualification process:

  • Americas: the Americas will qualify two teams by September 2022. The third best team in the region will enter the Final Qualification Tournament – Americas 1 and Americas 2
  • Europe: the existing Rugby Europe Championship will have two qualifying places, with the two best teams in March 2022 qualifying directly and the third placed entering the Final Qualification Tournament – Europe 1 and Europe 2
  • Africa: the Rugby Africa Cup 2022 winner will qualify directly and the runner-up team will go to Final Qualification – Africa 1
  • Oceania: a home and away play-off between Tonga and Samoa in 2021 will determine the direct qualifier for the Oceania region. – Oceania 1
    The loser will then play the Oceania Rugby Cup 2021 winner in the highest ranked team’s country with the eventual winner contesting Asia / Pacific (see below) as Oceania 2
  • Asia / Pacific: the winner of the Asian Rugby Men’s Championship 2021 will play Oceania 2 home and away. The winner on aggregate will determine the qualifier and the loser will go to Final Qualification – Asia / Pacific 1
  • Final Qualification Tournament: the tournament in November 2022 will feature four teams playing in a round-robin format with the winner qualifying for RWC 2023 – Final Qualification winner

Chinese players banned for breaking lockdown rules

Six Chinese players have been banned for breaking lockdown rules. The players are said to be Chinese U19 internationals and have been banned for six months for breaking lockdown rules. The players also have to write self-criticism essays after they broke rules and went drinking late at night.

The Chinese Football Association handed down six month bans to the players. The players were hit with additional penalties after they were discovered leaving the team base in Shanghai on the 30th of May without permission. The Xinhua news agency said, “It was a severe violation of the team’s epidemic control regulations and negatively affected the whole team,”.

The players will not be allowed to return to action until November 30th. This is including club and international games. Shanghai SIPG have suspended three of the players wages. These players are Ren Lihao, Peng Hao and Liu Zhurun. The U19 Chinese international team coach, Cheng Yaodong said, “We used the harshest language at the time, gave them a dressing-down and said a lot of harsh words.”

He continued, “While the rest of the squad trained, the six players were made to write self-criticism essays”. “Some had to do it twice.”After writing, we helped them sort out and recognise the mistakes they made”.

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