Sports Scripted

SPORTS SCRIPTED

ISSUE ONE

COMING SOON

On the quest for a new shirt?

Secret Soccer Shirt Is Your Place

Mystery Soccer Shirts from just £30

MINI QUIZ

1.Jurgen Klopp began his managerial career at which German club?

2.Which footballer has scored the most goals in World Cup history and how many goals?

3.Which country’s rugby team is called the Springboks?

4.Which course is The Masters golf tournament held?

5.In which sport is 180 deemed a perfect score?

6.Which sport involves tucks and pikes?

7.Which England footballer was famously never given a yellow card?

8.Where is the next summer Olympics taking place

9.Which English Football League team are nicknamed The Gas?

10.In rugby union, who is England Men’s all-time top try scorer?

The National League contract

Jumping into the life of Parkour

Scripted search

The Art of the terraces

Ross double page

Ross double page

The Rise and Growth of the league in Ireland

Ewan Catt - The Trials And Tribulations of football

Brogan Evans - The experience of an Autistic coach

Moshiri Mayhem - Where did it all go so wrong

Richard Hoiles - My life as a commentator

Sinclair Armstrong - The future of Irish football

Get to know the group!

The National-League Contract Page 4

By Adam Hardy

National League Captains have called for talks over ‘shocking’ contract changes imposed by the FA. The new conditions will come into effect on 1st July 2023 and will impact players across the football leagues. The changes will see injured non-league players only paid in full for 12 weeks after an injury. Clubs can then reduce wages to statutory sick pay - £99.35 a week - until they are fit. National League Captains composed a letter for the FA in which they stated “We are writing on behalf of all National League players who are shocked and frustrated at the significant changes being proposed. Football is our livelihood and the sole mechanism for financially supporting our families.” It added “The PFA have told us they made it very clear they opposed these changes and viewed them as a

serious reduction in player rights.” The contract also states that if a club doctor rules a player out for more than four months, the contract of the player can be terminated. For players like Dorking Wanderer’s Adam Meeki the new contract is a serious reminder that life in football is not guaranteed. “As someone who has experienced their fair share of injuries, this new proposal is a disaster. This is clearly proposed by individuals who do not have an elite footballing background and think this is a sensible idea.” At 31, Meeki hopes that this new contract will not affect him, but for younger players this new contract makes the threat of injuries evermore dangerous. Within the previous contract regulations, a player’s contract could only be terminated by a club if they suffered permanent incapacity as established

by a medical examination. Amidst the storm, National League players have announced they may strike over the changes. Whilst a strike is drastic, Oldham’s Peter Clarke believes it may “be necessary” in order for the FA to understand the impacts of these changes. Players for clubs below the Non League players would be paid their full wage for six weeks after an injury, rather than up to 12 in the National League. North West Counties Football League’s Maccelsfield FC announced they would be paying the normal wage

through periods of serious injury despite the new guidelines. In a club statement they declared “our players show massive loyalty to us as a club, and we are committed to extending our loyalty back to them.”

Stephen Killen Football Trends Writer for the Liverpool Echo believes “the proposals are ridicolous from a moral and ethical standpoint.” He continued, “In any walk of life these plans would creater anger as well as stress.” This is the opinion that has been echoed throughout the leagues but the FA are yet to respond publicly since their comments

that they had “updated the standard form-non-league contract in order to better reflect current employment legislation and to provide each party with greater certainty in this area.” But Killen believes in a time like this support for players is integral. “During a cost of living crisis it’s completely wide of the mark. Footballers, especially lower down the pyramid, depend on contracts and the safety net they provide.

“We are seeing the prospects of livelihoods impacted without footballers even being considered in these discussions. With fears continuing to grow the writer is worried that “if these changes are implemented players are going to be reluctant to sign contracts and remain on non-contract terms. The likelihood is that there wont be stability at football clubs and there is the potential that we may

see a lot of these players stop playing altogether. This is a very real threat to this level of football with many calling it ‘mortgage football’ because of its integral part in providing players with their income. Though he does welcome the idea that it “may see players rushing back to earn their full pay packet .” he warns that this may run the risk of even more injuries and long term damage. Some though, dis-

agree and believe that the change is beneficial for clubs and that players must accept it. Supposed national league expert and Twitter User @ImDumbVirgo believes “its a fair contract from the club’s point of view. In normal life, SSP is common. Footballers live in an over protected world. They reap the rewards when things go well, so they should accept it when they do not.”

Players in the UK do reap rewards that greatly exceed the average in the UK. In the United Kingdom if an employee is sick for 4 days then a company is legally allowed to pay them SSP. This is not close to comparable to footballers who must still be out for 6 weeks before they recieve SSP. Whilst these footballers are more at risk of injuries and illness, people in the UK who are not involved in the game may believe these new con

trract changes reflect society and are fair. This didn’t stop former Southport Midfielder Paddy Lacey publicly brandishing the changes as atounding. “How can they expect lads to put their bodies on the line if when they get injured their wages get decreased or cancelled.”

Chesterfield captain Jamie Grimes has confirmed that the captains are in talks with the FA which “is good”.

Alex Morton: Jumping into the Life of Parkour Page 6

An insight to the up’s and down’s of training the high risk sport

For the general public, parkour is just adrenaline filled athletes jumping across high buildings, putting their lives at risk. But to Alex Morton it is way more than that, “it’s a very simple and primitive activity that allows you to reconnect with a type of movement that humans have generally moved away

from using in their physical lives” he said. Thats why since the age of 12, Morton has religously trained to improve his acrobatic skills to excel in the sort despite knowing from an even earlier age that he had a love for the thrills and tricks that come as a part of the package.

With the movement still in its infancy as the 22-yearold started out, there were few English people excelling in the world of parkour. However, like many young people in the UK, Morton had the group, 3run, to look up too. Not only were they British but “they were pioneers of a style of parkour that involved a lot more acrobatics rather than just jumping” he said. The difffernce between his inspirations back in to 2013 to Jannis Schauer and Matthius Mayer, who he looks up to now, not only highlights how he has matured but

By Matthew Buckley

also the development of free running in both its size and impact it has on different people. Along side the development of the sport, are the positive impacts it has had on the parkourists knowledge and understanding of himself. He said, “parkour is more and more becoming a creative persuit and that interests me as I love to find new ways that the human body can move.” For Morton this has been vital as it both improved his skills and reduced the risk of injuries that he faced earlier in his career.

With such a long time in the sport, the Cheshire born athlete has had his fair share of up’s and down’s. The highlights for him all stem from the freedom and lack of structure parkour has. Most recognisably, Morton has found the unique lack of competition criteria or use of appauratus and

facility makes free running produce special moments other sports can’s supply. He said, “it allow for the sport and community to grow in so many differert directions meaning everyone experiences the highs together”. His individul highlights have been the opportunites to travel the world doing

what he loves with other practitioners who have the similar goals. With the highs, he has also had the lows which began at the early age of 14 due to the repetition of high impact landing causing him long term issues in his knees and lower back. A lack of warming up or cooling down has

also attributed to the inability to prevent or recvover from his injuries. However he said, “My training now inolves alot more prehab and rehab activities aswell as mobility work like pilates and yoga.” This is all in a bid to allow his body to improve and strengthen for future training.

Most importantly for Morton, parkour has opened up a multitued of opportunities, both in the sport and outside of it. Whilst training in parkour the man from Great Sutton has had the ability “to maintain a playful and physical lifestyle from a young age” he said. On top of that he has had the experience of travelling the world and interacting with different communities allowing for him to have an early insight into the independance of adulthood. The confidence both in his body and with engaging with new people has oened the door to his career choice of working as a circus performer. He said, “I owe my love for circus to parkour and to the time i spent growing up dedicated to the sport.” Through free running Morton was introduced to performance, using the techniques of

parkour but creating theatre and art instead of just practicing it fo its own sake. This led to him becomimg interested in the ability to use our physical bodies as a creative tool which opened his eyes to contemporary circus. This is as, like parkour, there are no real definitions or parameters, subsiquently drawing him into the circus even more. His career plan was also helped by his studies at Queen Mary’s college in Basingstoke followed by a year at Circomedia in Bristol where he was able to move away from home to begin his journey to joining the circus. After his year in Bristol, Morton began his University degree at The National Centre for Circus Arts in London. This is where he was able to use his skills in parkour and transfer them to his choice of degree and future career.

With parkour continuing to grow year by year, the 22-year-old can only see it going in a positive direction. He said “The sport is gaining in popularity and therefore is also gaining in commerialisation. For this reason I see parkour growing in two quite different directions at the same time.” He expects that there will be a side to free running that becomes very mainstream and coperate, ultimatelty resulting in forms of competition. The other side to the sport will be the athletes who reject competition and offcialisation, so stick to using parkour purely as a creative movement practice. With both them already in action he said “in the future i see them growing larger and becoming more well

established versions of what they are today”. Morton himself is very much on the side of orginality where there is much less commercialisation in the sport but instead sticks to its roots of no competition. He, like many other free runners, grew up with sport loving it for its simplicity and freedom so for that side of the community there is only one way to continue enjoying and expressing themselves through the way they train. He stated, “for myself, i wont get involved in the competitions, but i can understand there is a pull to try and win them especially for the younger generations just starting out in the sport”. For Morton parkour has and will always be about how he can enjoy himself.

Scripted Search Page 8

1. Mainz

6.

2.

3. South Africa

8.. Paris

4. Augusta

9. Bristol Rovers

5. Darts

10. Rory Underwood

Art of the Terraces- The truth behind fashion in football Page 9

By Matthew Buckley

Football has always had an influence on many peoples fashion across the UK. From “hooligans” to the average fan, the sport tends to have an impact on their choice of clothing.

The Walker Art Gallery recently hosted an exhibition named “Art of the Terraces” to show this off and tell the story of a movement that defined sports culture of the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. It showed the work of contempary artists and designers who have been influence by the fashion over the last 40 years whilst celebrating the cultural scene that has been overlooked by the mainstream art world. In the exhibition there was a range of paintings and displays telling the story of the changes in fashion amongst the terraces. Mark Leckey, an artist in the exhibition, said “we wanted to give people a chance to come and explore the our pieces

that really tell the story of the terraces through a creative eye.”

The gallery took you through different stages of the football fashion from away days to the north and then as far as the trainers people would wear. It showed the background of the sports shoes in Liverpool and Manchester where the football casuals shifted to wearing brands such as Adidas, Puma, Diadora and Nike in the 1970’s. This has consequently stuck and carried on in to modern day football with the trainer still being the go too footwear for the self described “hooligans”. Leckey said “most fans can connect with our work, whether that’s the shoes, or the rest beecause any proper fan from that era has once worn the same clothes.” It was clear in the gallery that the fashion of the terraces was the same throughout.

Fashion not only changes in the terraces but on the pitch. Footballers tend to change their styles regularly depending on sponsorships and brand deals. Often it seems footballers go by the saying, “look good, feel good, feel good, play good, get paid good.” However, it doesnt always tend to go right with what the players decide to rock up in.

In recent years there has been many “failed” attempts at fashion which often creates a platform for people to joke about it on social media. Two faces who have played in Liverpool this season have been at the brunt of the jokes. Dominic

Calvert-Lewin and Anthony Gordon have both encountered their fair share of criticism to do with their dress sense. This has come with their more outlandish approach to what they wear from wacky sunglasses to interesting turtle neck. It’s all just proof of the change of fashion in football. From the standard “hooligan” attire of the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, to the crazy pieces of clothing today, their has been a huge change in the way footballers and football fans dress. Despite this their are still the “hardcore” fans who grew up loving the game and the away days, dressing the way they did back in their youth.

To be filled due to Ross extension-10th April

To be filled due to Ross extension-10th April

To be filled due to Ross extension-10th April

To be filled due to Ross extension-10th April

The Rise and Growth of the League Of Ireland Page 14

By Conor Mcevoy

Since what seems to be the dawn of time the League of Ireland has constanstly been over looked and almost frowned upon on the island of Ireland but times are changing! Since the covid-19 restrictions the league has gone on an upward trend with the quality of games and in particular the rise of attendences becoming a joy to see. As a passionate fan of Irish football this is a pleasant susprise as it seemed every other person on the island had a greater interest in the powerhouse Premier League just across the water, although this is still a losing battle more and more people are starting to take a bigger interest in their local club and are trurely starting to understand what it means to “support your local”.

I spoke to host of the League of Ireland podcast “Pelicast” Dave Cabrini who is a die hard Drogheda United fan and he explained as a match going fan why he feels the league has grown.

He explained to me that there is two main reason to why he feels the league has grow signifciantly mainly due to covid were he said “covid made people realise how much they like being out of the house and seeing things in person”. Interesting the second ppint Dave raised isnt something I thought of but he could be really onto something is the point he made on the European Super League scandal. Dave said “Fans of Manchester United and Liverpool etc. are realising their beloved clubs dont really give a damn about them and could be the only way to sustain this upturn in fortunes.”

There has been a 29 per cent increase in attendences with an extra 110,660 people going to Premier Division matches since 2019, as 486,365 showed up in 2022 with the weekly average jumping from 10,436 pre-pandemic to 13,510 last year. The start to this season has been even more impres

sive with after 15 games this season their has been 82,981 specators whilst after the same amount of games in 2022 73,616 attended matches.

The question now to League of Ireland fans and board members is how do they maintain the consistent rise of the league and attendences. I asked Dave how he feels we should go about this in which i explained “I think we could see a sustainable upkeep in crowds as we’re seeing people want to see live football, the best way to maintain this growth is to have better facilities. We need to improve overall facilities, im talking cleanliness, views from the stands, toilets and food. I’d love to see clubs stepping up and doing more incentives for fans, like “Kids go Free” days”. My view on this is very similar to Dave as facilities need to be priority but i also feel the social media game by the League needs to be improved. As someone who runs a twitter

account that promotes Irish football and sees the interaction when Irish play ers/clubs do well its time the league and their social media team improve promotion of the league as the standard of players continue to improve. Due to the new rule that our top talents at home cant move to England until their 18th birthday we are getting to see some potential superstars develop at home! The likes of Sam Curtis and Justin Ferjazi are two top talents who under old rules would of moved to England years ago but luckily fot the league we get top witness them week in week out at home and with the right social media push it could bring in even more eyes to the league.

I also spoke to James Coleman host of Friday nights LOI on twitter who is a big Silgo Rovers supporter who spoke to me about the serious talent in the league with alot of Internationals coming into the league.

“The introduction of so many internationals right across the league also shows just how good the quality of the game is getting.” At just james’s club this past international window they had Max Mata and Nando Pinaker in the New Zealand squad and Eanna Clancy in the Ireland u21 squad.

I also asked James and Dave for one thing they feel needs to be improved for the league to get to the next level and surpringly they had to two completely different answers. Dave feels 99% of people will say facilites but he feels “ we need to invest much more in the number of clubs in the country, we need to jump on this upturn in support and push to get new and old clubs into the league,

im talking abouthe likes of Kildare, MonaghanBelfast etc. and introduce clubs from Mayo, Leitrim and Letterkenny. We could do so much more to improve this League but I feel we need to have more clubs in the league first.” As a Monaghan man myself i would love to see Monaghan United return after we went bust in 2012 and bringing back a local club would be huge for our local community.

James feels “there has to be a clear pathway between between schoolboy/girl level and the domestic league and even beyond. Without a decent underage structure leading into senior football, talented young footabllers fall through the cracks and end up pursuing other interests.

We can see the first hand with the quality of players now in the LOI and ecent results in Europe the standard of football is improving expoentially. The introduction of a third tier into LOI may be an answer to some questions and having a clear pathway between amateur, semi-pro and professional football.”

The constant rise in standard of the league with big attendences theres only one way the league will go and thats up. But saying that it will eventually plateau if the governement dont get their fingers out and invest into the leagues facilities so our

talented players can continue to develop at home!

If you reading may be interested in checking out the league of Ireland make sure to check out LOI.TV were they show every game is shown on a Friday night for absolute pennies for the season!

Ewan Catt - The Trials And Tribulations of Football Page 16

By Adam Hardy

It happened nearly 4 years ago, but Ewan Catt remembers it like it was yesterday. Coming off the bench to make his TV debut in the FA Cup with his family and friends watching on. A moment he recalls as the ‘best day of his life’. The young forward hoped this would be the kickstart of his footballing career, but life had other plans for the young centre forward. Having started playing football at the young age of 3 in Chesterfield, Ewan had never been bothered by academies. Up until the age of 13, when Sheffield United came calling. The prospect of playing for the then championship side was an opportunity he had “dreamed about”. Steve Squires, Ewan’s first ever manager reminisced on his talent “I don’t think we understood he was special un

til about the age of 12. He started to grow physically, he got very quick, he had already been a skilful footballer, but this took him to the next level.” Ewan spent the next four years at Sheffield United, “it was a different level of football there, not like anything I had experienced before. The coaching was different, it was more technical than I was used to, but it definitely helped me improve.” Everything was rosy on the red side of Sheffield for Ewan until 2015 when he was called to the manager’s office. “I was surprised, it came as a shock to me and my dad when they called us in. They told me I was done and to keep my head up and move on. They never really gave a reason; just said I didn’t fit the style they wanted anymore.” The young centre forward re-

called feeling “embarrassed and lost” not knowing how to tell his friends at school. I kept it quiet for a while and just played Sunday League football. then Sheffield Wednesday asked if I wanted to train with their U16s.” This new prospect opened new avenues for the forward. “They had a good programme, I was excited.” Despite his success in football, it wasn’t the only sport he’d had opportunities in. Ewan was a county champi

on 100m hurdler and in his younger years at secondary school he had avenues through hockey. “My PE teacher told me if I dedicated all my time to hockey, I could go professional.” Both sports were enjoyable for Ewan, but they didn’t compare to football. He knew if he wanted to make a career out of football he had to dedicate all his time to Sheffield Wednesday. “I don’t think it was just that I enjoyed football more, I

knew that football was a more attractive option for my future, and my family agreed.” A decision he is now thankful for. But he doesn’t remember his time at Wednesday fondly. “I hated football at that point, it was the first time in my life I really thought about quitting, and then I got released.” “Leaving there felt as painful as United, it definitely feels like rejection, like I wasn’t good enough and it made me think I

was never gonna make it.” It didn’t help Ewan that he had chosen to focus solely on football. “After I joined Sheffield Wednesday I let school take the back seat, I wasn’t focusing in lessons and thought that if I was going to make it I had to be serious about football and football only.” His mother noticed

the changes, “I don’t think he enjoyed school when he was younger, but I think he understood it was important.” At Primary School, Ewan was especially gifted in English, he was a part of a selected group that would visit his local high school for extracurricular English. As he progressed through school and his dream became closer to reality his grades slowly started to slip. That didn’t bother him though, and after his release from Sheffield Wednesday he was “more determined than ever”. The forward went back again to a Sunday League team and had his best season ever registering 32 goals in just 19 games in 2018. This great run of form was enough to grab the attention of Northern Premier League team Buxton F.C. He began to develop a good relationship with the coaches and made

the most progress he ever had. At 16, Ewan felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Ewan describes this time as the worst of his life, battling with depression due to both life and football. He eagerly awaited being told whether or not he was going to get a scholarship at the club. He and his then girlfriend silently waited together hoping for good news. “The gaffer came out and shouted my name, it was a quick meeting. They just told me they’d like to keep me on.”

Everything began to go Ewan’s way at Buxton he was soon moved into the senior team and began to make substitute appearances. It wasn’t paradise at Buxton though, Ewan recalls again “falling out of love with football” during his time there despite experiencing the best day of his life at the club. His

2nd round debut in the FA cup against League One’s Morecambe. But he knew he had turned a corner and began looking at other opportunities. Ewan considered University and having deferred the year before to focus on football this was a drastic U-turn. “It was just paralysing, I would wake up everyday dreading playing, I just hated it that much” As a young boy football captivated his life, “My dad was my inspiration, he’d tell me stories from when his playing days and that just made me want to succeed, not just for myself but for him too. I wanted to accomplish things in the game that he hadn’t.” That is why it came as such a shock to the footballer’s father when he let him know he was going to university and was contem plating dropping football completely. In the summer of that year, Ewan was

struck with illness and admitted to hospital. Here the player had to have his appendix removed and this ruled him out of football for 14 weeks, seriously limiting his play time and his growth. This was the deciding factor for Ewan and the striker enrolled into a sports science course and decided to press on with football. He joined Litherland Remyca, where he scored four in his first three games. But his nightmare continued, and soon after his good run of goals Ewan found himself on the bench again feeling the same way he had before. He felt the decision to leave the team was made for him and he left. He is now training with Marine U23’s and beginning to enjoy his football again. Only the future knows what will behold of Ewan’s once frightening footballing potential.

Brogan Evans - The experience of an Autistic coach Page 18

By Gracie Hill

Brogan Evans is the Salford Red Devils number 13 but also a coach for several of her local teams and clubs and with her alongside her day job, but the 27-year-old isn’t any ordinary coach. Six years ago, she was diagnosed with autism and has faced challenges as both a player and coach, that others haven’t.

Whilst her diagnosis was late, she already knew she was different, and her process was a positive one. She said, “They gave examples of people in the sports world who also have autism, for example the lead statistical analysts for Manchester United football club has autism and because of the way his brain works, he is amazing at his job.”

Although she was given positive advice, she is quick to criticise herself adding “

I’ve found it even more challenging being a coach, I think. I have a really high frustration level, if there’s something I think is really simple or common sense and a player just isn’t getting it, I find that really challenging. I know it’s not their fault, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. It’s hard sometimes to control my own emotions and not let them affect the people around me.”

The Cheshire County captain went on to explain that she knows she’s not the only one suffering due to her neurodevelopmental disorders. She explained “I do wish there was more awareness for neurodiversity in sport. I coach an additional needs football team and I have a young lad there who is incredibly talented, he’s tried to play for several mainstream teams but been let go each time.

Not because he’s not good enough, but because he struggles to follow instructions. He has ADHD, so when all the other lads were stood still listening to the coach, he’d still be kicking his ball around. There are so many ways to accommodate someone like him into a team and it’s about sitting down with that person, asking what they struggle with and coming up with an action plan together. Change your coaching style to support someone, but unfortunately, it’s easier to just let him go.”

Moshiri Mayhem: Where did it all go so wrong for Everton Page 19

By Danny Atherton

Most Everton fans regardlesa of their age have witnessed a fair few ups and downs following the club but never has the club been this down and with no sign of that changing.

The club currently sit 15th in the Premier League. Sean Dyche has changed certain aspects at the club but results still remain very inconsistent.

Fans who were the saviour last season are still totally disillusioned with the clubs board and so fed up of their incompetent and delusional “leadership” that protests and banners are seen each week, pleading with the clubs boardroom to leave. Farhad Moshiri, Bill Kenwright, Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Graeme Sharp have taken Everton away from its fans

and into new lows and yet despite the world of football criticising and being left baffled by their actions, they still seem to think they’re capable of doing the job and are a model other teams want to follow.

Since Moshiri invested in Everton in February 2016 the clubs fortunes have dwindled and it has seen us go from challenging for European places to last year just surviving relegation.

Twelve managers, permanent or caretaker have sat in the Goodison hot seat since the Iranians investment.

Over £600 million has been spent on new signings, the majority of them have seriously under performed and been well over paid and there has been very little in return on the pitch or in the bank.

The same mistakes have been consistently made on transfers and managers and despite numerous promises from the boardroom that things will change, we are yet to see it.

Meanwhile Kenwright, Barrett-Baxendale and Sharp continue to remain tight lipped and pick up their pay cheques while Everton Football Club sinks to new depths.

It is fair to say you won’t find a more passionate bunch of fans than the Goodison faithful. They will do anything for the football club, it is ingrained in them and for the majority, it is their life. Yet a boardroom full of smug, arrogant, delinquents who have no idea how to run a football club think it is ok to take that away from the very people they are supposed to serve.

How they can continue to turn up for work everyday knowing they’re the problem, knowing they are ruining one of the most historical football clubs in the Premier League and knowing they are letting fans down every single day is something I just can’t

fathom.

What type of people can take a club like ours away from its fans and continue to

show up like nothing is wrong. They even had the audacity to make up lies about violence and threatening behaviour they say was aimed towards them from fans after the home defeat to Brighton.

Merseyside Police have since released a statement saying they have never received any complaints from anyone at Everton.

These type of actions continue to show the type of people in charge of our beloved football club. Of course there are problems on the pitch.

We have a group of players devoid of any heart, any desire and any talent. However, until the people in the boardroom are removed then nothing will change. For the future of Everton and to protect this clubs history it is time for them to do the right thing and walk away.

Reports of the club being put up for sale tonight are a step forward.

Richard Hoiles:My Life As A Commentator Page 20

By Danny Atherton

It’s often spoken about how much time jockey’s spend on motorways and how many miles they clock up each year but no meeting takes place without a racecourse commentator. These guys also have to put in the hard miles. ITV’s lead commentator Richard Hoiles explains what its like and how he prepares before he steps up to the mic.

“Since getting the ITV job I am back up to about 35,000 miles a year.” That’s a lot considering motorists on average drive 7,900 miles per year according to the national travel survey. “I don’t really mind driving as long as it is not on a Friday night up the M6 and a lot of driving in the dark in the winter can get tiring. In the summer the variety of courses and journeys can be actually really enjoyable.”

As well as travelling the length and breadth of the country Richard has to be prepared for the actual job of commentating knowing

the runners, riders and colours for each race as well as describing the action to people in a sport where literally anything can happen in a split second. It seems like an impossible task for most of us but Richard is the best in the business and he prepares like it.

“Most of the groundwork is done the night before, printing off cards, researching any info or stories and adding basic information like jockey’s names, any headgear, prices and ratings.

“If it is a flat race then I will write out the draw as I will see it from the commentary box and if it’s a jumps race I will draw a diagram of the course with hurdles/fences and the number to be jumped etc.

“For me personally the key is to keep the routines the same and stay relaxed far more phrases flood through your head when you are not getting worked up about knowing every single fact.”

As for meetings like Royal Ascot where the racing is constant for five days and most races generally contain large fields Richard said: “A large number of back to back days can make for late nights but I always sleep far better if all the work is done.” As for the large fields “In many of the handicaps the horses are quite well-known so they can actually be far easier than some of the two-year old races.”

For most of us who watch racing we would think a race like the Hunt Cup at Ascot or one of the Cheltenham handicaps would be the most difficult races to call through the year but for Richard its the Redcar 2yo trophy or one of the other big juvenile races

like the super sprint at Newbury. “You just haven’t seen enough of the horses or know their run styles to really do much more than just call out names.”

In my opinion that’s what makes horse racing so special whether it’s a jockey, trainer or commentator the ability these guys show in being able to adapt to different horses, distances and venues is amazing.

Richard has plenty of experience having commentated all around the world including Cape Town in South Africa, Hong Kong and Japan where he called home Piludski in the 1997 Japan Cup. Zealand.

Commentators do a great job describing the action on the racetrack to us everyday of the week and they put in some serious hard work to be able to provide us with some great insight and excitement during a horse racing and they play a big part in making the sport what it is.

We all have our favourite commentators and moments that stick with us and even got us involved in this

great sport.

Whether such as Richard’s call at York when Marsha got up to beat Lady Aurelia in the Nunthorpe despite Frankie punching the air aboard Lady Aurelia believing he had won. Whatever your highlight is we should appreciate what these guys do and hope for many more great moments in the future.

Could Sinclair Armstrong be the future of Irish football? I most definitely think so!

The former Shamrock Rovers striker is now one of the biggest wonderkids in the championship with potential to go to do BIG things in football within club football and with his country Ireland.

I managed to have a chat with Ireland’s future star and the nicest lad in football!

Did you know?

Sinclair went on loan to Aldershot Town for 3 games last season and scored 2 goals!

“When im on top form I know what I can do” Sincalair Armstrong told me! Sincalir has had a hit and miss first season in Championship football as he is yet to score his first goal for the club but his work rate and enthuaism to constantly drive at defenders with his pace and power has instantly made him a fan favourite at Loftus Road.

Sinclair has that something special about him when you watch him play, he has that real wow factor were you want to get up off your seat every time he picks up the ball. I asked Sinclair how he would he describe himself as a player and he said “im fast,strong and I work very hard give absolutely everything for my team”. This point was empashsised back in October when

on his first start he picked up the ball on the half way line and drove at the Wigan defence beating a few men and winning a penalty to give his side the lead! Sinclair described what it was like to hear the fans chant his name. “When you first hear them chant you rjust wanna pinch yourself because it all feels like a dream”.

Sinclair made his Ireland u21 debut on Sunday were in just 30 minutes he lit up Turners Cross and helped take his side to a 2-1 win against Iceland.

Despite speaking to Sinclair about himself he also spoke to me about Andrew Moran and the most underrated player hes played with Cian Hayes. On Andrew he said “ What a player, he is so so

By Conor Mcevoy

good. Some of the things he does with the ball are like Messi and if he gets a chance at Brighton he will honeslty go on to become world class.” On Cian Hayes he said “hes the most underrated player ive played with definitely, hes small but has such a lower centre of gravity and is rapid. He’s unreal!

My favourite thing about Sinclair is his humiltiy which is hard to find in a modern footballer. I spoke to him for over two hours which I never would of expected and we only ended the conversation as he had to catch a flight a few hours after! I must say its a credit to his parents and his coaches how humble and respectful he is.

What a player and man!

G

E T T O K N O W U S

Ross Hughes - rosshughessj

Ross is a West Bromwhich Albion supporter who follows them home and away aswell as playing football socially where he can.

Conor McEvoy - conormcevoy12

Manchester United fan, Conor also plays football aswell as his home nations version, gaelic football.

Danny - DAracinghorse

Everton supporter with football and horseracing as his favoiurte things to cover. Avid Aintree goer.

Adam Hardy - adamhardy17

Liverpool supporter who also enjoys covering the game and a proud scratch golfer.

Gracie Hill - graciehillll

Sheffield united supporter but rugby union is Gracie’s main sport. Her favourite side is Sale Sharks.

Matthew Buckley- matthewbuckley03

Another Liverpool supporter with a passion for rugby league where he supports Bradford Bulls.

Sports Scripted