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British Horseracing suspension now extended until May

The suspension of British racing, which was due to finish at the end of April, is now being extended until May after a decision by the Board of the British Horseracing Authority.

Racing stopped on March 18th before the British government introduced the current lockdown measures to protect essential emergency services and the health and safety of the public.

The BHA has not set a new date for ending the suspension but plans are in place so that the sport is ready to resume as soon as is possible.

The British Horse Racing Authority has been working with trainers, racecourses and other participants to develop a phased plan for resumption which will allow the sport to transition back to its normal fixture list later in the year.

The BHA is now aiming for a resumption in May, but that is dependent on permission from the British government. It is being assumed that the resumption of racing would be behind closed doors only, at a point when the safety of participants can be assured and the pressure on the health service allows. Tough biosecurity measures would be in place to keep any risks to a minimum.

Tour de France new start date – Saturday 29th August

Tour de France 2020 has a new start date of Saturday 29th August, lets hope they will be able to run the race then

In a statement, organisers said: “Following the President’s address on Monday evening, where large-scale events were banned in France until mid-July as a part of the fight against the spread of Covid-19, the organisers of the Tour de France, in agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), have decided to postpone the Tour de France to Saturday 29th August to Sunday 20th September 2020.

“Initially scheduled to take place from the 27th June to the 19th July, the Tour de France will follow the same route, with no changes, from Nice to Paris.

“The women’s event, La Course by le Tour de France avec FDJ, which was initially scheduled to take place on the 19th July on the Champs Elysées, will also be postponed to a date that is still to be determined, but it will take place during the Tour de France 2020.”

Players, Results and How to Watch PDC Home Tour Darts

Everyone is looking for live sport so we have the Players, Results and How to Watch PDC Home Tour Darts which launches this Friday. 

Darts fans will be able to watch PDC stars across 32 consecutive nights of live darts action as the PDC Home Tour launches this Friday.

Elite level darts will be brought from the living rooms of the pros to fans worldwide through live video calls, with players set to make history as part of the PDC’s first ever home-staged event.

All Tour Card Holders have been given the opportunity to take part in the PDC Home Tour, which will see four players in action every night.

A nightly league format will see all four competitors play each other once in matches played over the best of nine legs, with a winner crowned each night.

Following the conclusion of the initial 32 nights of league phase action, the 32 group winners will advance to the second phase of the competition.

With each night’s action commencing at 1930 BST, darts commentator Dan Dawson will be on hand to talk through proceedings, which will also include live score graphics on screen.

The 16 players who will compete across the first four nights of PDC Home Tour will be announced on Wednesday via the PDC’s official website and social media channels.

All PDC Home Tour action will be broadcast live on PDCTV for free to all registered PDCTV users.

The action will also be shown live through a series of bookmakers’ websites.

The PDC Home Tour has been introduced following the success of ‘Darts At Home’, which saw nine PDC players, including Nathan Aspinall and Stephen Bunting, competing live on the PDC’s Facebook page and YouTube channel across two nights of mini-league action.

A popular concept among players and fans alike, ‘Darts At Home’ was featured on Sky Sports News as darts was highlighted as one of a small number of sports to broadcast live action during the current situation.

PDC Chairman Barry Hearn commented: “Firstly, I would like to thank all our incredible NHS staff who continue to save lives in the most difficult circumstances, we all owe an immense amount of gratitude to our key workers.

“It gives me great excitement that we are able to deliver live darts to fans in these unprecedented times.

“We’ve spent the last few weeks planning and looking at what is possible, and I’m delighted to be able to present a concept which gives all Tour Card Holders the opportunity to take part.

“The PDC Home Tour will provide a regular supply of live sport to fans, showcasing the talent and unique characters of our players to both existing and new audiences.

“The event will also give players a chance to play competitive darts in this down period in preparation for the return to normal action, whenever that may be.”

Leinster Rugby players launch #ShaveGrowOrMo

The Leinster Rugby players have today launched a campaign aimed at raising funds for frontline workers to help them in their fight against COVID-19 and to also help their two charity partners who have seen income from fundraising initiatives decline hugely during the crisis.

Feed The Heroes is a group of volunteers working to provide HSE and front line workers with food and sustenance at a time when their time and their resources are stretched. Their efforts so far have raised over €900,000 in donations and over 55,000 meals have been served to the frontline heroes fighting COVID-19.

Down Syndrome Centre and MS Ireland are the two charity partners working with Leinster Rugby and both organisations have been impacted by the loss of income from fundraising initiatives over the last few weeks and months.

Speaking on behalf of the players, Leinster Rugby prop Ed Byrne outlined that the players wanted to show their appreciation for those on the frontlines and working for the HSE in particular.


“We are very aware from talking to people like our own club doctor, Prof John Ryan, of the amazing work going on in our hospitals, in nursing homes, care centres and also by Gardaí and emergency services who have been putting themselves in harms’ way to help protect the rest of us. We just wanted to do something to show our appreciation for those efforts.


“Obviously it is difficult in the current climate to do much given we are all in isolation but we saw how positively the Leinster Rugby family rallied around a few years ago when we helped out Kurt McQuilkin and his family and we thought we might do something similar.


“Our two charity partners, Down Syndrome Centre and MS Ireland, are charities that we as players helped select and we have enjoyed working with them and meeting them over that time and we know they are feeling the impact too. We just wanted to do something as a playing group.


“It’s not much but hopefully supporters at home can get involved too and can play their part and if they can, make a donation too. It’s a hard time for everyone but in particular for those on the frontlines and hopefully this small gesture will help keep them going and feed them over the coming weeks and months.”

Leinster and Ireland scrum half Luke McGrath also outlined the impact on the two charity partners.


“We have visited both Down Syndrome Centre and MS Ireland over the two seasons working with them and we have seen the amazing work that they do, people really rely on them so again, we are just trying to do something that helps them to keep on helping those in our society that need it the most.


“It’s the same with Feed The Heroes and it’s something we spoke about as players. We have all seen in the media the heroic work of all those working in the HSE and on the frontlines and we have heard their stories. It is hard not to be hugely proud of them and their extraordinary selfless work. If we can help keep a few more of them fed and help them as they set about another day’s work, then great.  


“We appreciate that this a difficult time for all but every little bit helps and hopefully we can have some fun while doing it too.”

The mechanic for the initiative is very simple and there will also be prizes raffled at the end with all those that donate eligible for the draw.

The Leinster Rugby players, using the hashtag #ShaveGrowOrMo, will shave their heads or start growing their hair or a moustache and in doing so will also make a contribution to the GoFundMe page that has been set up especially for the cause. Their progress in growing hair or shaving their heads will also be posted across social media channels for supporters to engage with them and hopefully join in!

The target is €10,000 and 50% of the funds raised will go towards feedtheheroes.com with the other 50% split equally between the two charity partners.

There will also be spot prizes for those that donate and take part with every donation entered into a draw at the end for:

  • A signed Leinster Rugby jersey
  • Attend a Leinster Rugby training session for an exclusive meet and greet with the players
  • Premium tickets for you and your family for a game staged at Aviva Stadium next season

Johnny Glynn – Back on Track but with a Different Career

As some of you may know, Johnny Glynn – known as Galway’s central cog – has been recently struck by the coronavirus and left in poor health for a couple of weeks. However, he is now reportedly back and in full health – but it seems like he feels the need for a change.

If Johnny Glynn is your favorite hurler, then you may want to keep a close eye on the Tribesmen odds for sports betting, as the 26-year-old attacker seems to be looking forward to the timely end of his career, in favor of a selector role!

Early Start

Naturally, Glynn didn’t suddenly decide to end his hurling career and become a selector. In fact, he’s already been one – for the New York’s Exiles – over last year’s winter.

It was after his Championship loss versus Dublin, in June last year, when he agreed to the role of selector with Gerry Fox, the boss/manager of Exiles.

Even though Glynn wasn’t removed from his team’s sport events for the summer, both him and O’Neill – manager of Galway – seem happy/pleased that the chapter is now done.

His History

Johnny Glynn has been New York-based since the year of 2015, where he played until 2016. Then, he started to commute between New York and Galway so that he could hurl for the latter, mainly between 2017-2019.

His last appearance was, as mentioned, in last June’s Championship, when the Tribesmen saw a defeat against Dublin, at Parnell Park. This also marked the team’s exit from the Championship.

Looking back, Glynn says that he might not have left Galway, especially given that he had to change/apply for visas on and on. But now that’s he’s about to get the green card, the hassle will soon be over. Overall, he’s content with this decision.

Future Plans

Right before the current global situation, New York was in the process of preparing for a clash with Galway, apparently. Glynn said that Connacht SFC and Galway would engage in a series of challenge games – specifically with Newtown Blues and Salthill-Knocknacarra – and that he was more than just excited for the matches.

On top of that, he was also optimistic that his team would still get on the Tailteann Cup even if they lost to Galway – but now, with the pandemic, they can’t tell anymore.

The Bottom Line

With a fortunate return from quarantine/self-isolation, Glynn is now in full health and ready to return to the world of sports – but as a selector, and not a hurler. While he said he was quite afraid for his health, he also mentioned that he was more terrified of giving the virus to someone else, before knowing that he had it!

All in all, he and his fiancée now feel much better – and he’s ready to tackle, or at least look into, his and his team’s plans for the future.

Therefore, if you’re a hurling enthusiast and like to bet on sports, you may want to check Glynn and his new team!

GAA – Hurling and Football suspended until July

The Senior inter-county championships, scheduled to begin in May, will be postponed until further clarity on the current situation is available.

However, it is the Association’s view that it is highly unlikely these will be rescheduled any time before the beginning of July, at the earliest.

When sporting activity recommences, the GAA will accommodate both club and county games. The Association also intends to complete the Allianz Leagues, or at least those games that have a bearing on next year’s divisions, where possible.

A Special Congress, held remotely, will take place this Friday to propose decision-making flexibility to allow us vary competition structures, if required, in advance of resuming games.

In keeping with the approach of the Association since the start of this crisis, all of our decisions will be based on the advice of the medical professionals and the government.

Finally, the GAA would again like to thank our members and units for their support at this time and for continuing to adhere to the government guidelines.

Confirmation of 2020/22 UEFA Pro Licence participants

Twenty different coaches have been accepted onto the 2020/22 UEFA Pro Licence course that will be run by the Football Association of Ireland.

The 2020/22 UEFA Pro Licence participants are:
Tim Clancy, Dan Connor, Carlo Cudicini, Kevin Doherty, Daire Doyle, Tom Elmes, Anthony Hayes, Ruairdhi Higgins, Denis Hyland, Graham Kelly, Andy Keogh, Ian Morris, Alan Murphy, John O’Shea, Sean O’Shea, Aidan Price, Matthew Ross, John Russell, James Scott

Amongst the group are nine coaches currently working in the SSE Airtricity League, two managing in the Women’s National League, three involved with Republic of Ireland international teams, while others are thriving in their respective careers further afield.

One of the participants is former Ireland captain John O’Shea, who earned 118 caps during a playing career that saw him lead his country out at EURO 2016. He is currently first-team coach with Reading in the English Championship, having previously completed his UEFA B & A certificates with the FAI, and was recently appointed as assistant coach to the Ireland Under-21s.

Another international player, Andy Keogh, is also on the course having worked his way up the coaching ladder. The 30-times capped Ireland forward had been coaching in Perth, Australia whilst playing in the A-League for Perth Glory and recently played in India for North East United FC. He is now getting ready for the next challenge in his career.

Also working abroad is Anthony Hayes, who is Lead Professional Development Phase Coach for Charlton Athletic’s Under-17 / U-18s. In Sweden, Sean O’Shea is assistant coach at AIK Stockholm, while Matthew Ross is assistant coach for the Republic of Korea Women’s National Team – working alongside former Ireland Women’s Team manager Colin Bell.

FAI High Performance Director Ruud Dokter feels that Irish football will gain from having more highly-skilled coaches complete their education and transfer that knowledge back to the players that they work with on a daily basis.

“The UEFA Pro Licence is the highest coaching certification in Europe and is recognised all around the world. Its holder is amongst a select group of the very best coaches. It is fantastic to have 20 excellent participants come through the application process to be part of our next group and I would like to congratulate them and wish them the very best of luck,” said Dokter.

“The course has been upgraded and improved greatly since the FAI first hosted it in 2009, which is in line with modern-day coaching practices and UEFA guidelines, It is great credit to Niall O’Regan and his team in our Coach Education Department for continuing to raise the standards for our coaches.

“We are excited to help this group of coaches reach the next level in their respective careers and we believe that Irish football, as a whole, will benefit from the experience and skills that they gain from participating on this course.”

In total, 90 coaches applied for the course with 35 coaches completing the theory exams and interview process. The course will be delivered with contact blocks over an 18-month period, which will include international club visits, a study visit to UEFA HQ, and individual club assessments.

The calibre of coaches coming through the FAI Coach Education continues to improve with 92 UEFA A Licence coaches, 78 UEFA B Licence coaches, and 36 UEFA Elite Youth A Licence coaches all graduating in 2019.

With his department engaging with over 10,000 coaches each year, FAI Head of Coach Education Niall O’Regan believes the progression of coaches through the system can be reflected in the group confirmed for the UEFA Pro Licence.

“I am delighted to see the number of coaches within the next UEFA Pro Licence group having completed a number of our UEFA Licence courses previously,” said O’Regan.

“It is also great to see coaches who received very specific feedback having not been accepted in the previous course, implementing that feedback and now entering the 2020-2022 course, which really identifies their engagement but also how successful the process of providing feedback to coaches has been.

“This area of feedback and self-reflection/evaluation is a significant component of all of our coaching courses, and it is great to see it come to life in situations like this.

“The course group has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the game and I am looking forward to working with them over the coming 18 months on their completion through the course.

“It was great to meet with each of the coaches last week via video calls, with Craig Sexton (Coach Education Coordinator) also involved as we mapped out the journey between now and working to completion. Also, this will be the platform for the design of the micro groups and the coaches will have further online one-on-one sessions to aid them in shaping their own learning plans in relation to completing the course assignments and requirements.”

This latest UEFA Pro Licence course had an individual online induction last week with the group set to get together for the first block in November 2020.

FAI UEFA Pro Licence Graduates

2009
Paul Ashworth, Packie Bonner, Joe Boyle, Paul Clement, Tony Cousins, Pat Dolan, Paul Doolin, Pat Fenlon, John Gill, Don Givens, Brian Kerr, Mike Kerley, Noel King, Pete Mahon, Tony Mannion, Alan Mathews, John McDonnell, Noel O’Reilly

2011
Bobby Browne, Michael Browne, Liam Buckley, Paul Cook, Kenny Cunningham, John Devine, Tommy Dunne, Curtis Fleming, Eddie Gormley, Steve Harrison, Jeff Kenna, Harry McCue, Brendan Place, Damien Richardson, Martin Russell

2013
John Brennan, Gerry Carr, Mick Cooke, Trevor Croly, Declan Devine, Adrian Fitzpatrick, John Glynn, Shane Keegan, Harry Kenny, Keith Long, Dave Mackey, Paul O’Brien, Tom O’Connor, Pat Scully

2015
Stuart Ashton, John Caulfield, Dave Connell, Jason Donohue, Eileen Gleeson, Tommy Griffin, Niall Harrison, Owen Heary, Ollie Horgan, Robbie Horgan, Peter Hutton, Tom Mohan, Mick Neville, Colin O’Brien, Don O’Riordan, Sue Ronan, Leo Tierney

2018
Tommy Barrett, Stephen Bradley, Adrian Carberry, Jim Crawford, Gary Cronin, Ger Dunne, Stephen Henderson, Frank Kelleher, Gerard Nash, Graham O’Hanlon, Colin O’Neill, Paul Osam, Alan Reynolds, Greg Yelverton

2020*
John Andrews, Keith Andrews, Jim Brennan, John Cotter, Damien Duff, Neale Fenn, Paul Hegarty, Robbie Keane, Paddy McCarthy, Kevin Maher, Ger O’Brien, William O’Connor, Vinny Perth, Andy Reid, Stephen Rice, Dave Rogers, Szilard Suto, Srdjan Tufegdzic

*This group have yet to graduate

3 Greatest Goalkeepers of All Time

Many say that the goalkeeper is the most important player on the field. Their performance can have a dramatic effect on the outcome of a game. And any hesitation or delay on their part can mean the difference between a win or a loss. With this in mind, here are the three greatest ball custodians in soccer’s history. 

 

Lev Yashin

 

Nicknamed the Black Spider for his black attire (he even used to wear goalkeeper gloves in the hue) Lev Yashin played for Dynamo Moscow from 1950 to 1970 (unlike many other soccer stars, he only ever played for one club). Throughout his career, he played 395 games for the club and represented it at three World Cups, winning gold for the Soviet Union at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne (the first World Cup to be broadcasted internationally). Yashin is known for his offensive style of defense—instead of waiting for the action to come to him, he would leave his line to intercept crosses and meet oncoming attackers. Yashin has received numerous accolades, including the Ballon d’Or—he has been the only goalkeeper in history to receive one. He has also been named the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS. When questioned about the secret of his success, Yashin famously responded: “have a smoke to calm your nerves, then toss back a strong drink to tone your muscles.” 

 

Oliver Kahn

 

The only goalkeeper to ever win the Golden Ball, which he was awarded at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Kahn spent 14 years playing for Bayern Munich. While playing for the club, he won the 2001 Championship League, eight league cups and six national cups. Kahn was frequently nicknamed The Titan or King Khan due to his stamina, discipline and aggressive playing style. Probably the best known moment in Kahn’s 21-year football career came when he saved a penalty shot in the 2001 Champions League final, helping Bayern secure their first European Cup in 25 years. Another highlight was his performance at the 2002 World Cup finals in South Korea/Japan where his skills ensured his team’s spot in the finals.

 

Peter Schmeichel

 

Hailing from Denmark, Peter Schmeichel is probably most famous for his eight years with Manchester United, where he won the 1999 Champions League Final, five Premier League titles and three FA Cups. Over his career, he has also played for Brondby and Sporting Lisbon. Significantly, the Dane has also won the 1992 European Championship with Denmark and holds 129 national caps. Rather intimidating in the penalty area, Schmeichel is well known for what some refer to as ‘starfish,’ or star jump, saves. The IFFHS voted Schmeichel the World’s Best Goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993, and ranked him among the top ten goalkeepers of the 20th century in 2000 and 2001. He has also won the accolade of the best goalkeeper ever in a 200,000-participant poll held by Reuters. Interestingly, Schmeichel often ventured into the opposition’s area when his team was losing and even scored 11 goals throughout his career.

 

Tour de France 2020 set to be postponed

The Tour de France looks set to be postponed following the French government’s extension of a ban on mass gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that restrictions on public events would continue until mid-July.

Cycling’s biggest race, won by Team Ineos’ Egan Bernal last year, is due to run from 27 June to 19 July.

Liverpool’s Greatest European Comebacks – Luck or Skill?

The team at Liverpool are people who have been playing football. Some of them are professionals, others are new talent, and the club itself has seen some incredible players pass through its halls. Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, and others have all graced Liverpool with their skills, their experience, and some have built their careers around this club.

Understandably, when looking at Liverpool’s greatest European comebacks, there are quite a few options to pick from. But the question on the minds of people both internationally and even in the hometown of Liverpool themselves is this. Is it just skill that gets them out of these jams, or are they just flukes?

No Star Players?

If you wanted to find an instance where Liverpool overcame incredible odds with a slim chance, one needs only to look back at 2018 to 19, with a match against Barcelona. This was a game that the team is expected to lose, and the manager even confessed that if they were going to lose, they would do it their way. However, what no one ever thought possible was for Liverpool to come out and have an incredible 4 – 0 victory. 

What was interesting about this match is that the team were absent two of the star players at the time. There were three linchpins in the Liverpool machine at that point, and with two absent, you can begin to understand why people were skeptical that the victory was even on the cards, let alone possible. Some could argue that this was a fluke. Everything aligned in the right way, there was a four leaf clover on the lapel of every fan in the stand, but the truth is that this could just be an instance of skill. 

The Right Players?

Some people would argue that the ability of Liverpool to make European comebacks is down to what players are on the team at that point. In 2005 and 2006, they played off in the Champions League against Olympiakos. 

Victory was an impossible here, because the team had already lost the previous encounter. However, thanks to some precarious plays in previous matches and the current state of the tournament at the time, Liverpool had to score 3 goals to come out on top. In fact, they needed to get a clear two-goal advantage to progress to the knockout rounds, so there was a lot of tension riding on this. For Liverpool, it was to go big or go home. 

Perhaps what ultimately won for the team was the presence of Steven Gerrard. An incredible player, and a legend in Liverpool, Steven Gerrard is widely known as being one of the best players England ever turned out. His skills were legendary, and so when he scored a goal quite early on that was nothing short of miraculous, things began to look up. In fact, Steven Gerrard managed to score two of the three goals which ultimately netted the team to win, as they went home on a clear 3-1 lead. 

Some people would argue that players like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were what made Liverpool the powerhouse that they were known to be. These were players who always seemed to step up in moments of crisis, and achieved some absolutely incredible sporting feats to keep Liverpool within their desperation for the top slots. 

Our Thoughts

So there is absolutely no denying that some of the different options which are available when it comes to the European comebacks that Liverpool has made to raise the question of whether or not there is an element of fluke or skill involved. 

In absolute truth, we think it is a question of skill. These players wanted to win. They put everything into the game, so for them to come so far and thrive is an indicator that this was going to be their season regardless. Sometimes, everything just comes together. The human factor, the drive to win, and the skills of the players all marry up and create the perfect victory. 

Liverpool is a club which has always done well. They have always had a very fair reputation as being professional and capable players. Even when Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, and players like them left to go and pursue other passions and do other things within the industry, Liverpool still continued to thrive. Perhaps we will see more incredible European comebacks like the ones which we have been witness to recently. It’s obvious that the new generation is holding its own, because both Torres and Gerard have not been present for the last five years at least, and so their departure has left a hole which can’t be filled easily. This is perhaps an indicator that the new blood is not as bad as people think, and does lend credence to the theory that their comebacks are down to skill and not luck. 

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