Blog

Football, and then Arsenal, were my first real loves when it came to sport. I remember asking my mum if it would be okay to get married in an Arsenal shirt instead of a dress… I loved all the kits, I loved that Arsène was called Arsène, I loved Highbury, and I loved most of the players, Henry above all. Nearly all those thing s have changed or gone, and I’m much of a quieter fan these days, and it plays less of a role in my life. That being said, this season has felt quite fu

Even if you are not into golf, it’s easy to root for Rory McIlroy, and to see him slip on the Green Jacket yet again at The Masters, was brilliant. Not because he wins everything, but because he has a human story that has never been about perfection. Instead, it has been about recovery, and what happens after things go wrong. In golf – perhaps more than any other sport – mistakes are inevitable. The aim is not to avoid them. Rory hits errant drives and misses short putts even

This week saw The Hundred’s first ever auction. The draft has been replaced by an IPL-esque auction format, following the significant private investment into the competition’s eight franchises that has dramatically shifted the financial landscape of the tournament. For the players it has represented huge opportunity: massive contracts awarded, squads built, and a number is suddenly placed on the months or years of performance. Team salary caps have increased substantially, cr

Every February sees the Super Bowl: the annual American Football game that determines the champion of the NFL for that season. There is a trophy, a fair amount of money, and a hell of a lot of pride at stake. Over here in the UK it’s probably not the sporting highlight of the year, however, we increasingly see people getting involved, either by throwing "watch parties” or through clever brand advertisements. As someone working in sport, the Super Bowl can also teach us a grea

Back in December I heard the news that Venus Williams would be making her return to tennis, at the age of 45, via a wildcard entry to the Australian Open. This led me to reflect on comebacks more generally: why do athletes return to competition when the chances of objective success are so low? And what separates comebacks that are adaptive and cathartic, to those that are destabilising? While we have seen comebacks play out for years in elite sport, we also see it in recreati

Prior to the start of this Ashes series, Stuart Broad said: “it’s probably the worst Australian team since 2020 when England last won, and it’s the best English team since 2010”. This was a bold statement, but one I think many agreed with at the time. On paper, England looked strong, their individual players perhaps better, and there was real hope from England. I had the privilege of watching the Adelaide test with a bunch of West Londoners, and I think we all felt rather she

So, the Women’s 50 over Cricket World Cup has just finished, and it saw India crowned as the champions. We know, and see, that celebrations will last days, weeks and maybe even months. It’s a huge moment for the players, the fans, and the nation, but what next? While from the outside it may look like the Indian women’s team will be immensely satisfied and happy with the outcome of the competition, after such a win, many athletes and players are often left thinking “what next?