Sport July
Football News Golf
Sports Personalities
Boxing Tournaments
Premiership Predictions Champions League
Fixtures
Golf Lessons
Football
English Premiership – Closed Season So we’re in July and let’s face it, we’re all bored to tears. No World Cup, no European Championships, we might even have to resort to watching...well anything basically. We’ll become experts in Wimbledon, religiously watch the games and for the rest of the year never even think about Tennis. There will be the Ashes, the British Lions down under, hell, we may even have got into a bit of the Tour de France but nothing comes close to our first love, aka football. Thankfully this closed season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting in decades. So many of the top clubs are changing their managers that it might be a while before new formations and new ideas takes shape at these top clubs.
78
the past 26 years. With no Fergie time, no influencing referees and no media favouritism it will be interesting to see how many points are dropped during the season.
David Moyes has taken over from Fergie at MANCHESTER UNITED and will hope that he can continue the success. With an aging squad and talk of Rooney, Nani and Hernandez wanting to leave, then it might take time for Moyes to get United back into shape. He’ll bring Felliani and a few others because he’ll need to. Giggs (40), Ferdinand (36) and Evra and Carrick (32) aren’t getting any younger. With no Fergie at the helm, the team might just find it a lot tougher than for
MANCHESTER CITY were going to sack Roberto Mancini before the FA Cup final, which seriously affected the mood of the camp. That may be the reason why the team just didn’t turn up allowing Wigan to sneak it at the death. In comes Manuel Pelligrini, from Malaga, and before
that, Real Madrid and Villareal. Pelligrini is a very good coach and as long as he learns English quickly, ideally over the summer, then he could hit the ground running. His teams play good football and anyone watching Malaga for the last 2 seasons and before that, the Real Madrid teams and Villareal ones, then City fans could be in for a treat. Was it right to sack Mancini? Probably. But the arab owners need to learn a bit of tact because it can affect the team and that in turn affects results. Despite winning the Premiership last season, Mancini came up with some odd tactics during this one. His patience with the brilliant but mad Balotelli, affected team morale until they sold him in January, his strange substitutions throughout the season seemed more about proving a point than winning games. End result, he let Manchester United walk the league with a weaker squad. City will be stronger with Pelligrini at the helm.
ARSENAL started badly last season but slowly got better and better and were well worth their top 4th position (for the 16th year in a row under Wenger). With a couple of good buys in the summer, Wenger is canny enough to challenge again for the title. That’s if he stops selling his best players to his nearest rivals that is.
and made them the kings of Merseyside (above Liverpool) for the last 2 years running. But with Moyes, Baines and Felliani leaving then they may struggle to get in the top ten in the future. The man to take over is Roberto Martinez who guided Wigan to the Fa Cup and er...relegation. He’s regarded as a good coach but I have my doubts that he can steer Everton to previous heights. And then comes LIVERPOOL. Rated number one in Europe 4 years ago and now nowhere near it this season. Manager Brendan Rodgers has a lot to prove and if he doesn’t bring signs of promise in the first months of the year, he may find himself surplus to requirements. Suarez will go this summer and if Rodgers can’t find replacements, then don’t expect a challenge for any cups next season either. WEST BROM should strengthen next season under Steve Clarke and SWANSEA should do the same with Michael Laurdrup.
And as for the rest?
CHELSEA welcome back the ‘Special One’. Jose Mourinho returns to the space vacated by Rafa Benitez who won the Europa League Cup in May. There is an insane amount of expectation with the return of Mourinho and whether he can repeat his success. Whether he’ll last a season if he doesn’t bring success, remains to be seen. If he spends a lot then he might be able to take advantage of the rest of the rivals around him.
SPURS just missed out on the Champions League places, and with that, any chance of keeping Gareth Bale next season. Baleless but with 60-odd million in the pocket, Spurs can strengthen their squad, but no one will fill the boots of Bale.
STOKE might improve under Mark Hughes brought in for the sacked Tony Pulis, but Hughes was awful at QPR so the juries out on that one. WEST HAM should buy Andy Carroll for peanuts and might improve a few places. NORWICH, SOUTHAMPTON, FULHAM, VILLA and SUNDERLAND will flirt with relegation and newcomers CARDIFF, HULL and CRYSTAL PALACE face a tough job to not go straight back down. All in all, it will come down to the managers. If they buy well and with the right balance to their teams then you will see surprises and you will see disappointments.
What does the future hold for EVERTON? David Moyes did wonders with a limited budget
The 2013-2014 Season might be a vintage year for surprises! 79
Boxing
Golovkin Vs Macklin
On June 29th, 2013, Marbella’s finest, Matthew Mackin (29 wins, 4 losses, 20 KO’s) faced defending WBA/WBO Gennady Golovkin (26 wins 0 Losses 23 KO’s) at the MGM Grand Theatre in Connecticut. The scary looking German, Gennady Golovkin, met Marbella’s finest Matthew Macklin. Macklin predicted war and a KO against the German who just happened to hold the highest KO ratio in middleweight history (124 years). Some critics had feared that the Golovkin fight meant that Macklin was out of his league, but others had serious doubts over Golovkin as he has yet to face a serious Middleweight contender. Those doubting Golovkin were silenced tonight. The fight started well for Macklin as he avoided many of the Germans power shots but as the round progressed the sounds of Golovkin’s blows hitting Macklin said it all. Macklin had said that he thought previous foe and current Middleweight champ, Martinez was a better fighter. Tonight though, Golovkin showed his class with incredible power shots and great footwork. The first 2 rounds went the German’s way and he was leading 20-18 and at the end of the second, Macklin had a bleeding cut above the left eye. In the third though, Macklin didn’t avoid one of Golovkins power shots, a left hook to the body and he went down
80
and never got up again. Mackin is a fighter who never gives up and for him not to get up showed the class of the Germans blow. It was Golovkins 14th consecutive KO. Macklin gave due credit to the German saying that he was the toughest fighter he’d ever fought. “He never really let me get started,” Macklin said. “It was a great shot he landed. I tip my hat to him. He’s a great champion. He has plenty of clubbing, solid power, and you can feel the weight of every punch he throws.” So whats next for Golovkin? The obvious fight would be against Sergio Martinez to unify the belts, but Martinez had been injured and is not expected to fight again til 2014. Golovkin is certainly up for the challenge. “I want to fight again very soon,” Golovkin said. “I want to fight any belt-holder, any champion, and any top fighter, anywhere.” And as for Matthew Macklin? What happens now? He’ll keep battling, and with his desire and determination he’ll want another shot at the middleweight crown.
MGM are proud to announce that our 2013 charity white collar boxing event is to be held on Friday 30th August at the H10 Andalucia Plaza, in Puerto Banus. The weigh-in will be held the day before on Thursday 29th August at MGM. Tel: +34 952 817 219 | Email: info@mgm.com.es | www.mgm.com.es | www.facebook.com/macklinsgymmarbella Avenida de Manolete 10, CP 29660 Nueva Andalucia, Marbella. 81
Golf
The 2013 Open Golf Championship Muirfield, Scotland 14th - 21st July 2013
Last year’s winner, Ernie Els
82
The Open Championship returns to Muirfield in July 2013 which will be the 142nd Open Championship. Once again the worlds’ greatest golfers will gather to do battle for the famous Claret Jug on the east coast of Scotland and one of the country’s finest links courses. Past winners of The Open at Muirfield have included Ernie Els most recently in 2002 and Sir Nick Faldo in 1992.
t s n e m a n r u o July T The Greenbrier
l The Greenbrier Classic 1st - 7th July
The Greenbrier (The Old White TPC) White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Le Golf National
l A lstom Open De France 4th - 7th July
Le Golf National in Paris, France TPC Deere Run
l J ohn Deere Classic 8th - 14th July
TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois
l A berdeen Asset Management Scottish Open 11th - 14th July Castle Stuart Golf Links, Inverness
Castle Stuart Golf Links Annandale Golf Club
l T rue South Classic 15th - 21st July
Annandale Golf Club, Madison, Mississippi
lT he 142nd Open Championship 18th - 21st July
Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
l R BC Canadian Open 22nd - 28th
Muirfield
Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Glen Abbey Country Club 83
84