NOW E IN ONL AYS D 365 AR! A YE T H E W O R L D ’ S F I N E S T B O O K M A K E R : TA K I N G B E T S S I N C E 1 8 8 2 • F I T Z D A R E S . C O M • E L E V E N T H E D I T I O N , C H R I S T M A S 2 0 1 9 • N O U N D E R 2 1 s
OSCARS Will The Irishman make it the year of the mob? BY JOE HODGSON
DIARY The most chaotic race in the world BY WILLIAM WOODHAMS
HIGH LIFE Rolling the dice on a Team GB gold rush
CHILD’S PLAY How stars are moulded BY THOMAS BENTLEY
BY FRANK KEOGH
G N I H S A SM ODDS E H T AT ODDS WITH REALITY You should always expect the unexpected in sport, says Rory Fairfax
HAT PRICE IS TIGER WOODS to ever win another major?” someone called from across the room. “100/1, and I’ll lay you that bet myself!” came the mocking reply from a cocksure colleague. The year was 2017 and Tiger had just been arrested at the wheel, with a heady mixture of painkillers, sleeping pills and even traces of marijuana in his system. This was an injured soul, whose mind and body had been ravaged over the previous decade. He didn’t stand a chance, but caution prevailed as it often now does in bookmaking, especially when we had laid 5,000/1 on Leicester to win the League a year earlier. The Tiger debate raged on long after we had quoted a price to our client. If you’re wondering what we offered, this isn’t the magic circle, so permission to tell you is granted. Bear in mind, no algorithm exists for this sort of wild
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conjecture. After long discussions over Tiger’s mental health and fitness, we saw it as overwhelmingly unlikely at the time that he would even pick up another club in anger, so we landed on a generous 16/1 for a fun £50 bet. However, at the same time we knew the maths was sending us down a different path. For example, if you took a finger-inthe-air price of 50/1 for Tiger at each major over the next decade and calculated the resulting probability of one or more wins, the maths suggested he was actually odds-on to win again. Contrary to popular belief, then, April 2019 was statistically no shock. But the maths can’t weigh up all the intangible mental and physical variables. Who would have backed Tiger at odds-on? Nobody. It is an imperfect science in an improbable world. What does this whole exercise say about the relationship between probability,
odds and sport as a never-ending spectacle of unpredictability? This year, in that sense, has been one of the most dramatic in memory. If you thought the pinnacle of your sporting fandom was chanting “Football’s coming home” at your cousin’s wedding last summer, think again.
By the end of the match, Stokes had hit more sixes than Donald Bradman managed in his entire Test career. It hasn’t just been Woods at the Masters either – you only have to look at Ben Stokes and Sir Andy Murray to find equally seductive stories. In 2017, Murray’s season ended at Wimbledon, Stokes’s career nosedived outside a Bristol nightclub and
Woods’s life was on the line. Yet now we have three iconic stories. If that is a touch flattering for the great Scot, don’t forget he was, at one point, almost a relic of the sport. In January, the Australian Open organisers commissioned a star-studded montage so lavish in praise that it should have guilt-tripped him into retirement. Andy Murray sits down for nobody, though. After a hip operation that no singles tennis player has come back from, he won the European Open in October. Last summer you couldn’t even get a price for him to win the 2020 Australian Open. (I would know – I tried.) Now he’s seventh in the betting. Then there’s Stokes, whose tale is so astounding that biographers have been scribbling their hands to early onset arthritis just to get his second book out. Yes, second book. And he is only 28. What were the odds of Stokes rehabilitating →
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→ himself and his reputation, and then going on to win the World Cup? If you recall the final, there was a series of in-play incidents so bizarre that even Denise Coates hadn’t offered markets for them. Then add Headingley. Oh, Headingley. That beautiful monument of cricket, an ode to the Test match. No English batsman in 25 years had taken longer to score double figures. By the end of the match, Stokes had hit more sixes than Donald Bradman managed in his entire Test career. We actually attempted to buy Stokes’s Headingley shirt at a charity auction but pulled out of the bidding at £16,000, settling on naming a race after him at Huntingdon instead – the ‘Award Ben Stokes SPOTY Now’ Handicap Chase! ACK TO THE ODDS. What significance do they really have when presented with Woods, Murray and Stokes? How can you say these are miracles when they happen so frequently? Even Liverpool’s second-leg heroics against Barcelona are now a footnote in the annals of comeback history. The truth is that they aren’t
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miracles, and they shouldn’t even surprise us. Sport has a profound habit of shrouding everyday moments in hyperbole and excitement. We revel in its unpredictability and yet, ironically, by being so consistently unpredictable, it is therefore not. That’s not to diminish the achievements of those stars, but rather to understand why we love sport. Life is unpredictable. Professor John Littlewood framed a law, eponymously named, that states the average human will experience a miracle once a month. His definition of miracle is “one in a million”. Every day millions of people experience these events, and yet somehow, sport elevates them, makes them special. Often, many are put off betting because the odds are too big, not too small. As if the price a bookmaker puts on something is shouting at you that it won’t happen. Hunches are dismissed because of the fear that the very unpredictable scenario you
believe in is almost too unpredictable to happen. Well, let the stories of these great sportsmen serve to remind you that your predictions are only as unlikely as the thoughts themselves. This is perhaps why, after a short lifetime of betting, I decided to back Andy
Yes, this is the first fully automated sporting newspaper. Simply turn the pages and you will be automatically fed world-class data-driven content experiences. Jokes aside, we are now bringing the Fitzdares Times online, so please check in at Fitzdares.com for lots of great betting insight and some timeless stories. Never fear, though: this will complement, not replace, the precious parchment in your hands. Now I know we haven’t spoken since Ascot, and deary me, a lot has happened. From a Cricket World Cup win to a Rugby World Cup final, with the greatest Wimbledon final thrown in free of charge (well, not really for us!), it has been a hectic and heroic six months of sport. We hope you enjoy this FT and we look forward to seeing you at the 1010 events we will be holding in 2020. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Rory Fairfax is head of content at Fitzdares.
O U R T R I B U T E TO T H E B E S T B E T S A N D C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N E R S
TOP BETS – MAY TO NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY 29 MAY INVESTED £8,000 SINGLE SELECTION England @ 5/2
COMPETITION WINNERS SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER INVESTED £3 COMBINATION TRICAST SELECTION Angel Alexander, Gulliver, Growl Ayr Gold Cup
2019 ICC World Cup
RETURNED £28,000
RETURNED £20,402
SATURDAY 8 JUNE INVESTED £25 E/W DOUBLE SELECTION Daahyeh @ 20/1
SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER INVESTED £2 E/W YANKEE SELECTION Tomfre @ 8/1 13:45 Newmarket Max Vega @ 8/1 14:20 Newmarket Richenza @ 14/1 16:45 Newmarket Feliciana De Vega @ 3/1 17:20 Newmarket
The Albany Stakes Cape Byron @ 20/1 The Wokingham Stakes
RETURNED £11,775
Welcome to the FT’s digital age!
Murray to win the Australian Open at 80/1, the moment any bookmaker dared throw me a price. He probably won’t, but I believe he can, and if 2019 has taught me anything, I won’t be put off by the odds! n
THURSDAY 18 JULY INVESTED £40 3 BALL (ROUND 1) GOLF EIGHTFOLD SELECTION Shinkwin @ 5/4 Horikawa / Shinkwin / Porteous Niemann @ 7/10 Lehman / Niemann / Jimenez An @ 13/10 An / Campillo / Wood Sabbatini @ 10/11 Cink / Sabbatini / Hwang Fox @ 6/5 Fox / Norris / Jang Fleetwood @ 11/8 Thomas / Fleetwood / Olesen Koepka @ 3/4 Koepka / Oosthuizen / Sharma Spieth @ 11/8 Spieth / Leishman / Willett
RETURNED £7,294 SATURDAY 20 JULY INVESTED £5 E/W LUCKY 15 SELECTION Who Dares Wins @ 10/1
RETURNED £15,291 THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER INVESTED £1,750 E/W SELECTION Healing Power @ 33/1 19:30 Chelmsford City
RETURNED £72,800 SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER SOLD £300 TREBLE SELECTION Templepark @ 4/1 13:35 Wincanton Technician @ 7/2 14:50 Longchamp Avarchie @ 5/1 15:55 Wincanton
RETURNED £40,500 WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER INVESTED £3 LUCKY 63 SELECTION Ainsdale @ evens 13:50 Nottingham Thomas Todd @ 9/2 15:40 Fakenham Swiss Pride @ 11/8 16:40 Kempton Queen Gamrah @ 7/4 17:40 Kempton Astromachia @ 13/8 19:10 Kempton El Misk @ 10/11 19:40 Kempton
14:25 Newbury Bettys Hope @ 28/1 15:40 Newbury Owney Madden @ 16/1 16:10 Newbury George William @ 7/2 17:2 Newbury
RETURNED £5,090 Congratulations on some fantastic picks in 2019, you all know who you are.
RETURNED £9,708
William Woodhams, CEO © FITZDARES
2019
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04 SPEAKER’S CORNER Ed Seyfried
GOLDEN SAVIOURS HE PROBLEM FACING OUR BELOVED SPORT is that there is a growing hole in racing’s finances. Racehorse owners are responsible for the largest inflow of revenues into racing, spending £369 million a year (33 per cent of all UK racing expenditure). But they are a dwindling bunch: their numbers dropped by 15 per cent between 2012 and 2016. Annually newly registered owners are declining too. There are 6½ percent fewer horses in training than in 2008. Although reforms in 2017 required all betting operators (including offshore) accepting bets on British racing to pay 10 per cent of their gross gambling yields back to British racing, the net figure is still less than pre-internet, having dropped to £78 million in 2018-19 from £95 million in the levy’s first year. The Daily Telegraph has suggested that these shortfalls could lead to the closure of one in five UK racecourses – something I am determined to prevent from happening. It is my firm belief that everybody who enjoys racing should have at least one share in a multiple-ownership syndicate. It is completely thrilling, costs as little as a moderate pub hamburger for two washed down with a palate-busting New World tongue-dyer – and it could stop them closing that muddy little racecourse down the road from you. Racing syndicates will get more people experiencing the heart-jiggling palpitation of cheering hoarse your own horse across the line. The British Horseracing Authority is rightly on to this – one of its stated aims is to “promote the thrill of ownership with a focus on syndicates”. My company, Old Gold Racing, has seized the opportunity to create a business from the desire to guarantee the future of the sport we love, based on a unique approach to racehorse ownership. First off we are on a mission to increase the number of owners. Six million people attended UK race meetings in 2018, yet according to the latest publicly available figures the number of owners is only around 40,000 (including syndicates and racing clubs). That’s a conversion rate of less than 0.7 per cent of the race-going public. This could be drastically improved with an ownership product built for the mass market – just look at Australia, which has a much, much smaller population than the UK yet boasts 82,600 racehorse owners, thanks in large part to the popularity of syndicates there.
The mass market has now become highly accustomed to an excellent customer and user experience. The likes of Amazon and Apple have raised the level and are now the benchmark against which other businesses are judged. We are going to allow up to 4,000 people to share one horse (or horses), with our apps providing a daily stream of informative content. We are going to give our syndicate members more knowledge of their horse than even a sole owner would. Imagine having a webcam in a racehorse’s stable that you could log into in the middle of the night if you had a bit of insomnia: “There’s Nobby chomping on his hay; aaahh, sleepy now!” Or, on the day your horse is running, imagine your card marked with a fistful of tips and information from Britain’s finest racing experts while you whistle into the racecourse on a discounted premier enclosure badge, thereby increasing racecourse revenues by attracting more visitors.
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Racing syndicates will get more people experiencing the heartjiggling palpitation of cheering hoarse your own horse across the line.
HERE IS A WIDE AUDIENCE of people who have not yet even considered owning a share in a racehorse. The ownership problem can be resolved by tapping into this market, which incumbent syndicates are yet to reach. We will manage racing syndicates with an array of customer ‘touchpoints’, from social media and apps to events and race meetings. We are bringing in some of racing’s most celebrated writers and film-makers to create content that will be available to members at the tap of a button. And this is all powered by owning a very small share in a very real racehorse. Through this process, we hope to make British racing more relevant to a lot of people who have become accustomed to interacting with businesses digitally. Racing is already moving forward with the return of ITV Racing, which is generally considered to be a huge success. The new team contains experts who educate the viewing public as to the nuances and idiosyncrasies of each race, racecourse and skill. Old Gold Racing is seeking to be part of this change, which could radically alter the fortunes of British racing. n
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Ed Seyfried is CEO of Old Gold Racing. If you would like to own a share of Old
Gold Racing’s first horse, Bob Pebble, which has just gone into training with Paul Nicholls, you can pre-register at www.OldGoldRacing.com.
Ownership syndicates enable more people to enjoy racing from within the industry
10 -13 MARCH 2020 C H E LT E N H A M
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OLYMPICS, A DOUBLE & A ROLL OF THE DICE A gift from a dearly departed pal brought a slice of fortune for Frank Keogh in the 2016 Olympics T ’S MARCH 2016 – CHELTENHAM EVE and anticipation is high. On the windowsill of my bedroom is a square silver die. It was sent to me out of the blue by a friend a year earlier and had stood in the same spot unused ever since. Six sides, six results: accumulator, place, on the nose, favourite, evens, outsider. I should give it a whirl, I thought. Sprinter Sacre was back, Victoria Pendleton was having a crack, and then there was Thistlecrack on the attack. Rolled it. Accumulator. Rolled it again. On the nose. For whatever reason, I decided that meant a win double. And for some reason, I decided now was not the time, that it would come to me. This was a sign, and all would be revealed at some time in the future. Sprinter Sacre and Thistlecrack won; Pendleton didn’t.
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The sign came four months later, reading an interview with
the English golfer Justin Rose. “I see it as an incredible opportunity to do something different, something cool, something
that will always stand alone,” he said. This was Rose talking about golf’s return to the Olympic Games in Brazil. Several elite players were swerving the tournament, citing fears about the Zika virus, but not the 2013 US Open champion. He was embracing it, had done his homework on the course, and was determined to enjoy every aspect of the experience. It can pay to follow enthusiasm in sport. I was reminded of
trainer Paul Nicholls and his belief in the ability of his staying chaser See More Business, bedraggled in the King George and then winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup at 16/1 in 1999. The bookies were going to see more business from me, as Rose was begging to be backed. He was going to be plan A in my Olympic double, and plan B involved a sport I’d known little about a year earlier: hockey. On the opening day of the 2015 Ashes Test in Cardiff, I’d bumped into some of the Great Britain women’s hockey squad, who had been invited to the game. It was noticeable how well they got on. Their enthusi-
asm for all sport, but their own in particular, was infectious. They were determined. “The Olympics is a chance for us to show we are the best team in the world and we can win gold,” forward Lily Owsley told me in an interview for BBC Sport a few months later. In 2014, Owsley had put England ahead in the Commonwealth Games final and they were just 11 seconds from gold before an Australia equaliser, followed by defeat on penalties. The players were heartbroken, but they had turned their form around after finishing 11th out of 12 teams at the World Cup less than two months earlier, and they went on to win the 2015 European Championships. At 7/1 they were worth a flutter, and so was Rose at 14s. The double was 120/1. We were on. While the hockey players arranged a social media blackout for the Olympics, Rose revelled in the chance to meet competitors from other sports. He tweeted a picture in the weights room with British boxers, took selfies with flag bearer Andy Murray and soaked up the occasion of the opening ceremony. He took the Rio joie de vivre into the tournament: Swede Henrik Stenson provided formidable opposition as the pair swapped the lead before going up the 18th on the final day locked together at 15 under. Stenson’s wayward approach handed the Englishman the initiative, and he sealed the deal. Leg one in the bag. Leg two hinged on the hockey. The TV
evening news was delayed as the women’s hockey final between Great Britain and the Netherlands reached a dramatic conclusion. GB goalkeeper Maddie Hinch saved four penalties in a shootout as GB triumphed. Nail-biting penalties and finalhole drama – no one said doing the double was easy. I got to tell Rose my own small story of Olympic success when we chatted in the parade ring at Royal Ascot this summer. “That’s so cool. You were on a roll,” he said. Yes, Justin. A roll of the die. Although I didn’t tell him the story behind the story. My pal Charlie sent me the die. He had leukaemia, and died in March 2015, aged 39. The fee for this article is being donated to a fundraising campaign he set up to help the bone marrow transplant team that helped him. n Frank Keogh is a journalist with BBC Sport.
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08
MILLING IN SIENA
A Fitzdares members’ trip to the Palio in Siena in August proved that there are some races we will simply refuse to take a bet on. The Palio, for those who don’t know, is a vicious horse race run at a breakneck speed through the main piazza of the city, witnessed by tens of thousands. The riders represent ten of the 17 Sienese districts (contrade), and a friendly affair it is not. It was my first time at the Palio, and no amount of watching the brilliant Cosima Spender documentary, deftly titled Palio (and a hit on Netflix), could prepare me for the out-and-out corruption – or as it is politely now known in racing, integrity issues – of this most Italian of spectacles. First of all, the jockeying doesn’t begin on the start line, or in the week-long negotiations that prelude the two annual Palio races in Siena. It starts with simply getting a ticket. There are three, shall we say, options for viewing: crowd into the centre of the track with the bulk of the public, pay for an expensive seat in the stands courtesy of a well-connected friend, or take your seat on the balcony of a private house, thanks to a very well-connected friend.
DIARY by William Woodhams
STARTER FOR TEN
Starting positions are crucial in this three-lap race, and these are allocated literally seconds before the official start. There’s a reason for that: to prevent bribery. It doesn’t work. What then ensues is one of the most amazing spectacles you will ever see. Multiple false starts allow for desperate haggling, bribing, pleading and negotiations between the jockeys. Those with the deepest pockets barter to persuade their rivals to throw the race or clear their path. Into this mix is thrown the greatest hand grenade of any sport. The tenth position is given to the “runner-in”, a rider and horse that start the race by running from behind the other horses. As they pass, the enormous start rope is dropped (do you remember the 1993 Grand National? This was worse). The tenth rider will not run until he is happy with the positions of the other horses – in other words, when his bribe has been paid in full. Through mass tomfoolery, this process of false starts and jockeying can last hours.
SHADY BEGINNINGS
A small caveat was that as we watched from our shaded stand seats (the best Fitzdares could do), a tourist who had elected to stand in the centre desperately clambered out on to the track while suffering from the crush and heat exhaustion. We saw him being struck by a horse. That should give you a steer on where to watch from. Once this hurdle is navigated, it’s time to plan accordingly. Staying in the city is not advised. We found refuge in the Tuscan countryside for the long weekend and were ferried to the city walls before the race. The centre is locked down to traffic for the Friday evening spectacle. In fact, it’s well advised to leave the city before sunset, as the evening can become quite raucous. Rival contrade can take the results quite personally and the occasional scuffle, jockey lynching or riot has been known to break out. Not to put you off, of course. In general, you will be warmly welcomed by the city that is deeply proud of a spectacle that has run since 1633. HARD GRAFT
The pre-race negotiations and bribes are as important as the race itself – it is in essence a game, not a race. My phone started ringing at 10am. Some of our members were in Siena wanting bets on the contrade they had pulled out of hats. We can’t legally take bets in Italy, but honestly, we wouldn’t if we could. For the Fitzdares members, we were lucky on our visit to see the last ride of the greatest and most Machiavellian hustler of them all. Luigi Bruschelli (‘Gigi’ to his legions of fans and equal number of enemies) is the most successful jockey of modern times – not entirely as a result of his riding prowess. Out of the saddle, Gigi is a master of negotiations, dealing with each contrade’s
captain (the people appointed lead negotiators and money movers for each contrada the week before). He also deals directly with the other jockeys just seconds before the off. There is a huge back story here about the allocation of horses (random) and jockeys (purchased at premiums), but this falls into insignificance. After the two-hour-long procession of giant oxen, ornate carts, the Palio (a large flag), stunning local horses, bands and 5,000 extras dressed in medieval finery, the real action begins.
BONUS QUESTION
The Palio is a vicious horse race run at a breakneck speed through the main piazza of the city. The riders represent ten of the 17 Sienese districts, and a friendly affair it is not.
On this occasion, we had the most exciting added bonus: Gigi was the runnerin. There ensued negotiations so explicit that it was clear to the thousands what tactics were being drawn. The riders also happen to carry crops made from bulls’ penises (you read that correctly), so these heated exchanges can often become weaponised. Eventually, after three hours sitting on wooden benches, the drama started. The 90 seconds of action were truly spectacular. I think Selva won, but I’ll let you discover what it’s like when you attend. We immediately decamped to a bar, where Sienese TV reruns the race for five hours. All the drama and excitement is picked over in minute detail. As for Gigi, he didn’t win, but no doubt he got what he wanted from the race. But why was it his final race? A four-year investigation into doping, removing microchips and cruelty had finally concluded that June, and Gigi was off for a five-year prison sentence after the race. One wonders if he will find his stretch tough? Doubt it. n William Woodhams is CEO of Fitzdares.
WHERE TO STAY Villa Cetinale A historic English-owned villa that sleeps 27. Weekly rental from £55,000. Villa Bordoni A stunning hotel near Greve with cookery school and accompanying restaurant and wonderful Scottish owners. Rooms from £170. WHERE TO DINE Osteria Le Logge Considered one of the best resteraunts in Siena. Expect a set menu on their busiest night of the year. It’s worth sitting outside to watch all the fans crowd past – but do leave after dinner as things hot up. Cantinetta di Rignana You’ll find the best Tuscan beef and and wine in this low-key but exceptional restaurant hidden away in the middle of nowhere, a few miles outside Greve. HOW TO GET THERE Pisa airport accepts private jets. Racing Breaks offers flight, hotel and Palio ticket packages at £2,000-£3,000 per person.
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OSCARS HITLIST Gangsters will slay the opposition at February’s Academy Awards, predicts wise guy Joe Hodgson
OSCARSODDS As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster… T WAS EITHER THAT OR become a lollipop lady. But I soon realised that I hated children, I have terrible eyesight, and I’m also not a lady – so that potential vocation was nixed pretty quickly. Fortunately, for many years, my preferred career as a gangster worked out rather well for me. Until a few months ago, that is, when it finally dawned on me that the title of the film Goodfellas was actually slightly ironic. “They weren’t really good fellas,” I suddenly thought to myself as I put the finishing touches to another pair of enormous concrete shoes. “In fact, in many ways, they were actually rather unpleasant fellas.” So I promptly told my godfather I’d had enough (an offer he couldn’t refuse), removed the scar from my face, stopped accusing everyone of being a dirty rat, put my drug habit to sleep (alongside some fishes), and embarked upon my third career as the writer of Oscars preview articles.
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Imagine then, if you can, the
fathomless, operatic profundity of my horror when I learned that the film that will be dominating Best Picture discussions in the lead-up to the Oscars ceremony on 9 February 2020 is a whopping great gangster movie called The Irishman, directed by “Johnny Gangster-Movies” himself, Martin Scorsese. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in… The Irishman has a lot going for it. Not only does it see Scorsese return to the genre with which he has become
Joe Pesci, Robert de Niro and Al Pacino will be one big happy family if The Irishman prevails at the Oscars
The Irishman is a Netflix release. Hollywood bigwigs do not like streaming services.
synonymous; it also marks the first collaboration between him and The Godfather star Al Pacino. It reunites the celebrated team of Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci; and, to the relief of many, it also reunites de Niro with credibility. It is Scorsese’s 25th film as director – which is a jolly nice number for a celebration – and its pioneering use of digital de-ageing is another hook to ensnare Academy voters. Should we all pack up our shineboxes, get the papers get the papers, and send flowers of condolence to the families of the other nominees already? Well, maybe not just yet. There are a number of factors that could interrupt the procession. Firstly, at 3½ hours, it is very long. Too long for some, perhaps. Secondly, it’s a very white and male-oriented film, which will no doubt offend certain quarters of social media – a mysterious realm where hashtags have real meaning, and where counting the number of lines a character delivers is deemed a good yardstick by which to judge the overall quality of a movie. But, thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, The Irishman is a Netflix release. Last year, this was a big factor in scuppering the anticipated coronation of Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma. Hollywood bigwigs do not like streaming services. In order to subdue any potential negative feeling, therefore, The Irishman has been given a longer release in cinemas before it eventually appears on a Netflix screen somewhere in your front room. Will that be enough for everyone to fall in line, give Scorsese’s remarkable career another rubber-stamp, and in the process anoint the first non-studio
Best Picture The Irishman 2/1 Marriage Story 4/1 Joker 5/1 Once upon a Time in Hollywood 7/1 Jojo Rabbit 7/1 Best Director Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) 5/4 Quentin Tarantino (Once upon a Time in Hollywood) 10/3
which must be dispiriting news for her fellow nominees. Her performance in Judy – as Judy Garland – transcends the rainbow, leaving the competition all the way back in Kansas praying desperately for a pair of ruby slippers. Should anyone’s pleas be answered, back Lupita Nyong’o (Us) to make a late burst. The Oscar for Best Actor looks to be a more closely contested scrap. Joaquin Phoenix is currently odds-on favourite for his visceral display in the lucrative Joker – a film that successfully combines intense, gritty character study with accessible comic-book origin story. You don’t need Joe Pesci around to tell you that there is very little amusing about this particular clown. But if the predicted surge of The Irishman transpires, then de Niro could wind up back among the Best Actor nominees (for the first time since Cape Fear in 1992). Adam Driver should improve upon last year’s Best Supporting Actor nomination on the back of his turn in Marriage Story, connoisseurs of ageing beefcake will be able to sate their hunger on Antonio Banderas (Pain & Glory), and don’t be too befuddled if Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems) unexpectedly gatecrashes the party – perhaps it will be this joker who gets the last laugh?
Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) 4/1
The Best Supporting categories are
Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story) 7/1
where the real A-list party is this year, though. In the male category the likes of Brad Pitt (Once upon a Time in Hollywood), Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), Pacino (The Irishman), Anthony Hopkins (Two Popes) and Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse) could potentially be seen propping up the bar in the early hours. And in the Best Supporting Actress lounge, prepare yourself for a round of louche cocktails with Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers), Laura Dern (Marriage Story), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), and about half the cast of Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated new version of Little Women. So that is my Oscars 2020 vision. Let’s see how the chips fall next year, shall we? Right, time to turn off my bedside lamp and get some sleep. As I drift off, I can’t help thinking it was extremely nice of my old gangster chums to let me leave the industry on such good terms. Maybe they were good fellas, after all, eh? And... hmm, what’s this? I don’t remember leaving a horse’s head here…? n
Sam Mendes (1917) 9/1 Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) 4/11 Adam Driver (Marriage Story) 4/1 Robert de Niro (The Irishman) 8/1 Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn) 9/1 Antonio Banderas (Pain & Glory) 9/1 Best Actress Renee Zellwegger (Judy) 8/11 Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story) 4/1 Charlize Theron (Bombshell) 5/1 Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) 6/1 Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) 8/1
Best Picture Oscar winner? My wiretapped informant says it will. Possible challengers include Quentin Tarantino’s Once upon a Time in Hollywood (though it was possibly released too early), Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story (another acclaimed Netflix production), and Bong Joon-ho’s lauded international wildcard Parasite. The Best Actress statuette would
appear to already have Renée Zellweger’s name etched upon it,
Joe Hodgson is a writer who blogs at
www.fitzdares.com and tweets @fitzdares
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12 Afghanistan remains a country in crisis – yet amid the chaos one sport has captivated the nation.
CRICKET’S LAT ESPITE ONLY JUST BEING GRANTED TEST STATUS, never having played a home international and facing more challenges than any other country in sport, Afghanistan have risen stratospherically in the cricket world. In just 12 years they have climbed from the fifth tier of international cricket (mixing it with the likes of Jersey and Guernsey) to become a significant player. They achieved international status in 2009, qualified for the World T20 in 2010 and took part in their first World Cup in 2015. On the back of this, they were granted Test status in 2017. Cricket was first played in Afghanistan as far back as 1839, when British troops contested a match in Kabul. However, the colonial legacy didn’t bite, and it took more than 150 years for the game to re-emerge. For many years, the only cricket pitch in the country was at the British embassy, and even that became a car park in the 1980s.
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Not long ago, Afghanistan was a cultural powerhouse. However, through its strategic proximity it became a country torn by invasion, war, insurgency and uncertainty from the dawn of the 1970s. This period begun with the collapse of Afghanistan’s monarchy, which created a power vacuum, resulting in a Soviet invasion and the country becoming the landscape for the cold war to manifest. This led to the rise of the Taliban and an exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the US. The country’s fraught journey is brilliantly illustrated in Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 masterpiece The Kite Runner. In the wake of 9/11, the Taliban’s emergence and the country becoming a hotbed for al-Qaeda (and then Isis) led to British and US intervention. British troops finally withdrew in
It all began to change for Afghanistan in 2000, when the Taliban relaxed their rules on recreation and allowed cricket to be played. Quite incredible, really, when you consider that reading literature was still prohibited at the time.
2014 (although 500 still remain), while US forces are very much still present on the ground. Against this backdrop, the rise of cricket in Afghanistan is all the more extraordinary, especially when you consider that the game used to be illegal. In fact, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) was founded abroad, in Pakistan in 2005, due to the Taliban’s prohibition of all recreational sport. The origin of its popularity comes largely from being introduced in refugee camps in Pakistan, as the country lurched from one conflict to the next. Rwanda is undergoing a very similar experience, as displaced populations (from the horrendous genocide against the Tutsi tribe) have fallen in love with the game from refuge in Kenya. It all began to change for Afghanistan in 2000, when the Taliban relaxed their rules on recreation and allowed cricket to be played. Quite incredible, really, when you consider that reading literature was still prohibited at the time. In 2001, the ACF (Afghanistan Cricket Federation) became an affiliate of the ICC and the national team was invited to play in Pakistan’s domestic competition. Cricket quickly became the fastest-growing sport in the country, with the development of 320 clubs. Now 32 provinces have a cricket team who play within five playing regions, each region with 4-10 provincial teams; 11 of the provinces have their own cricket stadium. The development has been sup-
ported extensively by third parties, not least by the MCC and numerous UK private donors (introduced via Afghanistan connections), who have supported grassroots cricket for more than 100,000 children in 22 provinces. More than 100 pitches have been built since 2008. October saw the conclusion of the sixth edition of Afghanistan’s domestic T20 competition, the Shpageeza Cricket League, held in Kabul. The recent edition was the first since 2017, when the tournament had to overcome a bombing halfway through, killing three people at a checkpoint outside a stadium. They completed the tournament, but it was then suspended in 2018. However, it returned to huge acclaim and success this year with all the centrally contracted players involved, alongside the best domestic players and a few overseas stars (such as Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe), spread across six teams contesting the title. Mis-E Ainak Knights were crowned champions. They were fittingly led by the legend Mohammad Nabi, who, in his 15-year international career, has played at every stage of the Afghanistan journey. To pull off the event in a city that has insurgent and terrorist challenges at every turn is a triumph in itself. Its successful delivery has brought the vision of staging a first international at home one step closer. Back in England, October also saw the inaugural draft of the Hundred, the ECB’s answer to the Big Bash and IPL, which
13 Johnny Barran tells the story of its extraordinary emergence as a force in world cricket
TEST FRONTIER takes place next year. At the front and centre of those snapped up were a host of Afghan players, with the number one pick being Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan. As the first player to be drafted he is likely to be the tournament’s most valuable asset, alongside Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad and Nabi, who were all selected. “Afghanistan cricket has really blossomed in recent years after many years of hard work behind the scenes at the ACB,” says Tom Harwood of Insignia Sports, who represents Afghanistan cricketers including Rashid Khan, Hazratullah Zazai and Javed Ahmadi. “The skill level of these players is right up there with the best in the world and they are getting recognition for those skills by way of worldwide playing opportunities that weren’t previously attainable. To be able to assist a few of the Afghanistan players with such opportunities and watching them mix it with the best makes us very proud.”
Cricket writer Tim Wigmore, the co-author of Cricket 2.0: Inside the T20 Revolution, tells me: “Afghanistan have been leading beneficiaries of the democratisation of cricket. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi were the first players to go from the associate circuit to the IPL when they were drafted in 2017. Their success has encouraged other franchises around the world to look to other talent from emerging nations, including a number of other Afghan players, and players from Nepal and the USA too.” It’s not just the short form of cricket that has developed in the country. Afghanistan beat Pakistan in the buildup to the World Cup, and they were within a whisker of toppling India in the tournament itself. Then, in only their third Test match, they completely dismantled Bangladesh in their own back yard in Chattogram. It was a remarkable vic-
tory against a Bangladesh team that had lost just one Test series at home in the past four years. Having witnessed and called the game at first hand, two things struck me. Firstly, the Afghan players were completely unfazed by playing against one of the most experienced sides on the circuit, in only their third Test, having only limited first-class experience. Secondly, all the players – especially Rashid Khan – were treated like gods by the Bangladeshi public, despite being the away side. It’s incredible that in the harshest, most impossible conditions, Afghanistan have achieved such great international success and public adoration. They have some of the most valued talent on the circuit and continue to thrive. For the romantic, it is the ultimate underdog story. n Johnny Barran is a cricket presenter and commentator.
MA K I N G T HE I R P R OM OTION PITCH THE NEWEST TEST NATIONS Bangladesh (Nov 2000) The old guard of the new gang are well established on the international stage, but they have had more joy in one-day and T20 cricket than Tests. Out of 116 Test matches, they have just 13 wins, and six of those have come against Zimbabwe. Ireland (May 2018) There are concerns over how Test status affects the Irish – their players no longer
WHO’S NEXT IN LINE? count as domestic players in county cricket, for instance, making it harder to develop via that route. Their three Tests to date have all been defeats, against Pakistan, Afghanistan and England. Afghanistan (June 2018) Wins over Bangladesh (away) and Ireland (in India) and a solitary loss to India have left Afghanistan buoyant. Next up, the West Indies…
Scotland The Scots have been knocking on the Test status door for longer than most, and a host of one-day victories over leading nations in recent years mean elevation could be imminent. Netherlands Currently the highest-ranked non-Test nation in the ODI rankings, the Dutch have also notched up wins against Test
nations – including England (left) – in both one-day and T20 matches. United Arab Emirates The team has been holding its own against other second-tier nations – and the UAE’s immense wealth won’t hurt… Nepal Cricket is a big deal in Nepal, and while the infrastructure needs to develop, its long-term future looks promising.
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16 Bournemouth-based Leeds fan Peter Wikeley visited all 92 league grounds between August 2014 and March 2016. We asked him about his experiences on his travels… Best food? That would have to be one of the West Midlands clubs, probably West Brom or Aston Villa – although I suspect that’s because I’d been travelling for three hours each time. At Villa I had a burger outside the ground that was wonderful; then they were beaten by Spurs. Best atmosphere? It was at a cold Tuesday night game at Burnley, who were playing against MK Dons. Their fans were fantastic. Norwich is always good, too, especially when they’re going well. In London, it would have to be Crystal Palace. They have a corner in the stadium that is wild. Least safe? Luton, for an Oxford away game. It’s a really compact ground with terracing, and when we were let out after the game the police corralled everyone. One PC actually came right up to my wife and me and said: “There there, dears, I don’t think you should be here. Head off to that shop and you’ll be safe.” One thing I learnt over the course of the 18 months is that Friday night games can get way more out of hand than on a Saturday, as everyone has just left work for the week. Cheapest pint? Banks’s Stadium, which is the home of Walsall. I got a pint there for £2.40 – it was like going back to the students’ union! Most expensive pint? Wembley must have been more than £5 – and this was in 2014/15, bear in mind. That, specifically, was the England v Norway game, which was also the most boring match that I watched. Funnily enough, I’d been to Wembley the week before for the Rugby League Challenge Cup final – it was Hull against Warrington, or something like that – and you’d been able to bring your beer into the stadium. My wife went off at the England game to bring a few beers in and we almost got kicked out. Best pub? The Peacock at Elland Road in Leeds – no bias there whatsoever! After a long drive, I had time to get my wife into the driver’s seat and grab a homecoming pint. Most expensive match? My West Ham ticket was £56, back when they were still at Upton Park. The Emirates was expensive too, as you can’t get tickets unless you’re a Red Member. If you add the price of membership to the ticket, I probably spent about £100. I went back a few times to make the most of it and remember when they beat Villa 5-0 – it was brilliant football. Favourite ground? Accrington Stanley, who looked after me fantastically. I met a friend there, went for a beer beforehand and then into hospitality. We had to go through two Portakabins into a barn tacked on to
COMFORT BRIGHTON the back of the ground. Yet the people there were so charming – £36 per hospitality ticket was an absolute bargain. Least exciting match? Aside from that Norway game at Wembley, it was Stevenage vs Maidstone in the FA Cup, ending 0-0. Nothing at either end. Miserable. Most exciting match? I’m not sure you can call this the most exciting, but Manchester City down at Bournemouth was the best quality football. It was absolutely sublime, although not much of a contest. Likewise, the Arsenal 5-0 Villa game. Lowest attendance? Morecambe had 970 fans. I remember a few surreal conversations with people who were my age thinking of retiring and heading to London. We spoke about ballet and opera in the middle of Morecambe in the cold! What did you learn? All this was done prior to Brexit. If David Cameron had spent more time going around the football stadiums, rather than renegotiating in Warsaw, he would have realised how far in trouble he was in terms of persuading people to stay. Speaking to people, especially up north, it was really, very apparent it was going to be very close. They all had a totally different take from the politicians in London. I can only imagine that the parties didn’t really go out and canvass people up in the north properly, to gauge opinion.
Least comfortable? Brentford or QPR. Best players? Silva, Aguero, Hazard, De Bruyne. And the worst? Anyone Leeds put in goal! I don’t really want to mention any names, though, as it’s not fair – it’s a team game, live and die together. Any more tours on the agenda? There’s nothing in the pipeline at the moment. I did do a pre-Brexit tour of the EU capitals, though – all 28 (if you include London). The only game I saw during that was a rugby game, France vs Australia in Paris. We did that in about 18 months. Any interesting bets you had? Rather than going to a football match and betting, we do as a family go to Aintree. My favourite memory from that period was backing Many Clouds to win the Grand National at 25/1 – that paid for the trip! n
Anything dangerous happen? The Bristol City fans at Peterborough had obviously had a few pints before the game, but they’re great at home. Some of them were out of control. The Luton game I mentioned was quite scary, but amusing and good if you wanted to shop! Given some teams have been promoted to the league since 2016, are there any grounds you haven’t been to? Forest Green Rovers, who I’ve heard do the best pies: from vegan to whatever. They have an all green stadium. Most comfortable? Brighton.
ATMOSPHERE BURNLEY
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DANGER LUTON
FOOD WEST BROM
PLAYERS MAN CITY
GROUND ACCRINGTON
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ROAD TO THE TOP
Barcelona’s Ansu Fati
Clubs and parents of budding superstars plan everything from technique to diet in pursuit of the dream. Thomas Bentley describes how it works Y SON WAS ALWAYS FAR more on it that any of my friends’ boys, even from a very young age. We started taking him to Little Kickers, which offers football to youngsters from the age of about two upwards. That, really, is about as early as you can start, although my boy started when he was three. I used to take him every Saturday morning to a class of about 15-20. Even then he was miles better than the others, so we started looking at grass-roots clubs in the area that suited his level. By the time he was seven, he was starting to play competitive football on a weekly basis. That’s when he was scouted for the first time. It was quite simple: one of the coaches, a scout, had come to watch one of his games. He approached me after the game and asked if my boy wanted to start training with them on Saturday mornings on a six-week trial. It was very professional from the outset. Everyone was very welcoming and the sessions well organised. This early on in a footballer’s progression there’s no money involved and the emphasis is on good, competitive fun. Straight away you could see these boys were all of the same standard, if not better. It was a real challenge, but he embraced it and got off to a good start. The moment it gets more serious is at Under-9s. At that age you sign for the academy on a two-year contract and then every year after that is a rolling one-year deal. After the two years, there’s a big cut. In my boy’s case it was from 23 down to 15, but others can be more severe. This is the traditional route, although they can sometimes get scouted much later.
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A friend of mine has a son who plays in goal and has never been in an academy. That said, he is a real all-rounder. He plays all the sports, from rugby to golf, and because of his physicality, they really like him. Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Charlton were all after him and he ended up with Palace. It’s important to remember these kids aren’t even teenagers yet. Personally, I tend to keep out of any politics, and you’re always aware some parents are pushier than others; some moan about particular coaches and training methods. What they don’t realise is that there are always reasons behind any decision, on and off the pitch. For instance, a lad will be having a blinder, score five goals and then get put in defence. As a parent, you might think: “Why has he done that? He’s just scored five goals.” They do it to see how he reacts. Does he sulk? How does he deal out of his comfort zone? When they get to 12, they start getting designated positions, and that’s when it gets
more competitive. Some positions can be more popular than others and if another boy your age is better than you, the chances are you’ll be released. This is when some parents can get carried away, especially at the end of the season. They’re on the case all the time, making sure they’re always trying their hardest. Games are recorded by the academies, so encouragement, coaching or shouting is not allowed. Of course, you can applaud good play, but only modestly. HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN the parents and the academies is usually pretty distant until players get older, although there are biannual reviews. One thing that is communicated clearly to parents is the importance of education. It’s a big deal. If a boy is misbehaving at school, the club won’t tolerate bad behaviour and he won’t be able to train. We, as parents, have to send his school reports to the club, which are
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monitored by the head of welfare and education. If they felt his education was falling behind as a result of his football, as a duty of care they would intervene until he got himself into line. It’s the responsibility of the parents to make sure there’s a good work/football balance. If he trains three nights a week, the other two nights he has to do his homework, and he has tutors. The chances of him being a footballer are minuscule, so his education must come first. Academies love the all-rounder: educated, bright, coachable, who trains hard and has got talent – the Frank Lampards of this world. The emphasis now on sports science and education is massive. They really encourage the boys to eat healthily, and there are even nutrition workshops. We’ll be given examples of what they should eat before and after training. If it has to be a takeaway, they go into what your choice should be – for example, at a Chinese, have boiled rice instead of special fried rice, and lemon chicken instead of beef in black bean sauce. This starts at as young as nine. We do a weekly report on training and performance: he has to highlight three things he did well that week and three he could have done better. This happens every week and the coaches offer their thoughts using the same method. Agents will get involved when boys sign for their scholarships from Under-17 and Under-18s. Only after their GCSEs do they then sign their first real contract at the club (scholarship). They then do two years and when they’re 18, or even before, they get their pro deal. With prodigies, some people do quietly hang around and certain agents get feedback from their players. All the clubs were banging down the door of the new Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati when he
19 was 13. Loads of agents heard about him and now Leo Messi’s brother represents him. On the other hand, you hear of kids being released from academies and going to others and making the grade. England star Declan Rice was released from Chelsea, then went straight into West Ham, literally the following day. FTEN KIDS AT LOWER-LEAGUE academies are spotted at 14 or 15, monitored by the bigger clubs and then signed when the time is right. Manchester City bought two boys from my son’s club and moved them up north to coach and educate them. They’ve put the younger lad into a private boarding school until he reaches scholarship age; the older lad went straight into the academy to do his scholarship, which has its own education and accommodation facilities, and is studying for his A-levels from within the club. His previous club will get the best part of £2 million for him if he achieves certain targets. The parents have been given accommodation whenever they visit. There are great risks, but the clubs are happy to take a few chances. Chelsea have five players in the first-team squad, which justifies this level of investment: Reece James, Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Fikayo Tomori. If you put them on the market now, you might get up to £200 million. How much does the academy cost to set up and run? Not that much is the answer. Money well spent. My boy has been at his club for four years and loves it, but my advice would be to weigh up the commitment. They have to train three times a week, which involves a lot of travelling. My view is that being in an academy will only enhance a boy’s potential, so why hold him back? When you let him play in an academy on a weekly basis with better boys, his level is only going to improve. I’m not going to hold him back! n
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PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT Former referee David Elleray looks at how the world has changed for match officials over the years It dawned on me from a young age that I would only ever be a second-tier footballer. Not content to watch from the sidelines, I turned to refereeing as a way of maintaining an active involvement in the game. I would referee my friends at the local recreational ground and then I decided to join the Dover Referees’ Association. I was actually too young to be an official referee at the time, so they would send me to games where they didn’t have one and I would “volunteer” on the spot. Aged only 13 and taking charge of a proper men’s game was a steep learning curve! I felt like a bit of an outlaw. A lot has changed between then and now, though. When I started it was very much an amateur level, but nowadays the referees are assigned mentors, coached the whole way through, and frankly the whole process has become much more professional and scientific. As a referee now, you are trained in everything you do. At the highest level, full-time fitness coaches prescribe you programmes that virtually tell you what to do one or two days before and after a match. There are polar heart-rate monitors connected to your watch so your fitness coach can track exactly what you’ve done and monitor your exercise levels. There can be no lying about your training, that’s for sure. You can’t even give your watch to someone else as it monitors your resting heart beat and your coach would know it wasn’t you using it. As you can see, the top referees train as much as the players. There are regular eye tests too. It’s not just about whether you can read a car registration from distance – your peripheral sight is tested too. There’s an exam where they shine different lights and you have to press certain buttons to determine what you’ve seen. There’s even training where you can improve your vision, believe it or not. All this is so important, because although you’ve got the best view in the house, you need all your wits and senses about you to stay on top of your game. For me, it has all been a worthwhile sacrifice. There is undeniably plenty of abuse in the game, both on the field and online, but there are plenty of great moments too. You have to balance the highs and lows and
Frank Lampard
David Elleray at Maine Road in 2000
naturally, like any job in the public eye, the highs can be very high and the lows equally so. The scrutiny placed on referees these days means it can be easier to criticise them than before, although away from the heat of battle most people recognise that referees are people to be respected and in most cases make fewer mistakes than the players. I have a now rather famous saying: “When I’m right nobody remembers and when I’m wrong nobody forgets.” One thing I’m a strong advocate of is the use of VAR. As we’ve seen in rugby, it isn’t the answer to everything, as there will always be things you can argue about, but that’s part of the fun. In the end, there are always going to be teething problems, but you have to go through those if you want to see it succeed. One of the main criticisms is that it breaks up play, yet corners, free kicks and
other stoppages typically amount to 25-30 minutes each game. VAR, on the other hand, only adds a few minutes. Of course, all this stems from a reaction to the scrutiny of referees. One suggestion, which has worked very well in rugby, is to have the referee miked up. I was in charge of the first game to try this out, between Arsenal and Millwall in 1988. Without going too much into the details, it didn’t work out very well! A comparison I make is when I look at how the boys at Harrow, where I used to teach, behaved while playing the respective sports. On the rugby field their manners were immaculate, while on the football pitch they behaved totally differently. Of course it was nothing as bad at school, but it’s the perception of the culture, and the fundamental culture itself, that affects their behaviour. There’s no doubt we are trying to improve it,
but it will take a major overhaul from top to bottom. The problem, however, is that once you bring money into a sport the behaviour changes. Giving a decision against a team isn’t just costing someone a game – rightly or wrongly, it’s perceived as taking money from someone’s pockets. As a result, rugby players have become far less respectful too. Football’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness: subjectivity. It causes the arguments. Part of the enjoyment, though, is going to the pub and having an argument with your mates over whether you think Arsenal should or should not have had a penalty. It’s part of the big attraction of football. It’s not sterile and it certainly isn’t black or white! n David Elleray MBE
is the technical director of the International Football Association Board
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TRAGIC RUCKER You’re never more than six feet away from a stereotypical failed rugby player, says Joe Bullmore
Australia. Sometimes, if there are girls nearby, he squeezes his torso into a risqué pink wife-beater from a stag do at the Amsterdam Sevens in 2016. (“I couldn’t play, but they needed someone to enforce the drinking games,” he winks.) The name on the back reads: “Ice Man”. His shorts are signed in faded biro by Iain Balshaw (“best attacking full back in the history of the game”). He wears knee-length Lycra and walks home in a Schoffel. Rugby, to Jonty, is more than a sport. It is a second home (well, technically a fourth home if you count the rents’ house in Sussex and the Salcombe flat). It is a font of emotion. One year, when he learned that his alma mater, Exeter, had been knocked out by UWIC in a BUCS quarter-final, he took to his bedroom in the Fulham flatshare and solemnly downed a bottle of Waitrose port in front of a highlights reel from 2003. (At another moment he found himself humming ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ during intercourse.) James Haskell is his favourite comedian. For his birthday, Jonty went to see Chris Robshaw and Wayne Barnes do a live demonstration of the new tackle laws. Great craic, and actually really good blokes. The group selfie got 14 likes on Instagram the next day. An aunt commented: “You look well, Jonathan!”
HE COVERAGE STARTS at 7am, but Jonty booked the area from six. You never can be too careful, after all (and the Japanese are such a prompt people, on the whole). It’s the Pool C clash between Samoa and Russia – or “Mighty Monday” as he’s dubbed it in the largely dormant Rugby World Cup WhatsApp group he set up with two bemused Spanish clients and a pitying brother-in-law. Today, Jonty has opted to wear an England shirt from the BT Cellnet era to the pub. Sure, he could have pulled on one of the skin-tight numbers from 2007, 2011, 2015 or 2019. They still fit well enough, especially since he joined F45 last summer and started drinking Huel. But it’s sometimes fun to have a
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collar to turn up, isn’t it. Pairs nicely with the Samuel Windsors. “That’s it, Fordy!” he shouts at the TV as an England try is replayed. “My little brother played against him at Yorkshire U13s,” he says to a passing barmaid. “Dominated him in the tackle area, actually.” Jonty’s own playing career was cut tragically short at 17. “We were 15 points up against Bryanston. I’d been kicking the corners all day – playing flat, controlling the tempo, taking the points, building a lead,” he’d told colleagues at work drinks that week. “Went up for a high ball, landed funny – and my knee just exploded. One week before South West trials. Physio said it was the worst ACL injury he’d
Soon it’ll be time to peel off the samurai headband and head into the office.
ever seen,” he’d said, looking down ruefully into his Guinness. “Do you think you could have gone all the way?” asked an intern – the only person who hadn’t heard this anecdote several times before. “Maybe, Martin, maybe,” came the wistful reply. “But the game’s changed so much now…” Still, there’s always touch rugby on the common. This is a ritual Jonty can just about keep up with, so long as both knees are scaffolded theatrically with tubigrip and electrical tape. (Once he even wore a scrum cap, “just like Cheslin Kolbe”.) He buys new boots before each summer season – neon yellow this year, and largely carbon fibre – and often sports a backwards cap, because that’s how they do it in
Back in the pub, Samoa lead by six points to three. “A real thriller,” he says to himself, before screaming at a prop forward halfway across the world. “Collapsing the maul, sir!” he cries, as an onion ring leaps from his plate. The alcove fits eight to ten – “pints or people?” he’d joked to the Saffer barman on the phone – but 72 minutes in and it’s still just Jonty. Soon it’ll be time to peel off the samurai headband and head into the office for a slightly sloppy presentation and a snooze in the disabled loos. But here, now, there are eight minutes still to play – hundreds of seconds of distance left to run. And after that… the knockout stages, the third-place play-off, the final… the Six Nations, the autumn internationals, the Lions tour… and before you know it another World Cup; more Guinness, more chat, more stats, more craic. An ecstasy of riches. There are hands in the ruck, Jonty thinks. But there’s a song in his heart. n Joe Bullmore is the editor of
Gentleman’s Journal.
Sporting Landscape Osborne Studio Gallery specialises in sporting paintings and bronzes by leading contemporary artists, with an emphasis on horse racing. We also exhibit many respected landscape and figurative painters. Throughout we are committed to talent rather than fashion. Forthcoming e x hibition Freddie Paske, Racing around the World, 4th–21st December
Osborne Studio Gallery top Freddie Paske, Spotted in Leopardstown, oil on canvas, 56 x 97 cm left Freddie Paske, Two greys ready to go, oil on canvas, 90 x 120 cm right Freddie Paske, Spanish Run, oil on canvas, 67 x 87 cm above Hrvoje Dumančič, The Saddle, bronze, 65 x 55 x 55 cm
2 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JU tel +44 (0)20 7235 9667 • www.osg.uk.com Monday–Friday:10am–6pm; Saturday:11am–5pm
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It has been a most eventful second half of the year, with the FITZDARES CLUB at Glorious Goodwood setting the tone! Willie Carson OBE and George Scott (below left) tipped up a few winners to our gleeful guests.
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The sun was shining and the guests were smiling as the winners came in during ROYAL ASCOT. We hosted lunches on the terrace at 5 Hertford Street and at J Sheekey’s Ascot pop-up.
Rory McIlroy went in search of a pot of gold as we descended on WENTWORTH for the PGA Championship. Clare Balding and Boris Becker served up a juicy WIMBLEDON PREVIEW for us at Annabel’s. And Frankie Dettori was in typically flying form when he joined us at HARRY’S BAR a few days before the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to talk up Enable’s chances.
We launched our F CLUB CASINO at the Mark’s Club house party, where guests had a whirl at the roulette.
24 Here are the key sporting fixtures as we near the peak of the National Hunt season
DECEMBER Sunday 8th Huntingdon
FITZDARES PETERBOROUGH CHASE DAY We are sponsoring the day with the launch of the £500,000 Best Mate Bonus to any horse that wins the Peterborough Chase, King George VI & Cheltenham Gold Cup this season. Thursday 26th KING GEORGE VI CHASE We suggest you watch this at home with the Ferrero Rocher.
JANUARY Wednesday 1st Cheltenham
NEW YEAR’S DAY Get some fresh air and celebrate the New Year with a spectacular day in our box at Cheltenham. 8 DECEMBER: THE 50TH RUNNING OF THE FITZDARES PETERBOROUGH CHASE AT HUNTINGDON
Wednesday 1st
PDC WORLD DARTS FINAL Trebles all round! We’ll be hosting drinks during the tournament, from 15 December onwards. Saturday 25th Cheltenham
FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY A last chance to see the Festival contenders from our box.
8 FEBRUARY
2 FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY Sunday 2nd
AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN’S FINAL This is why Sky+ was invented. If you fancy watching this, you’ll have to be up with the larks on Sunday morning. Sunday 2nd Covent Garden
SUPER BOWL LIV Come to Balthazar for the most hyped sporting event in the USA, if not the world. Think burgers, Budweiser and ball. NEW YEAR’S DAY
2 FEBRUARY
Saturday 8th Murrayfield
SIX NATIONS: CALCUTTA CUP Please get in touch for tickets to this ancient clash. We are happy to help if you fancy making your way up north. Tuesday 18th London venues
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE The FITZDARES CLUB will pop up for key clashes throughout the knockout stages, especially if English clubs are involved.
MARCH Wednesday 4th & Thursday 5th Mayfair & City
CHELTENHAM PREVIEWS You know the score – bring your notepads! Tuesday 10th – Friday 13th Cheltenham & London
THE FESTIVAL FROM 18 FEBRUARY
We are in our box at Cheltenham on Tuesday and Thursday. Also, the FITZDARES CLUB returns to central London all week. n
the fitzdares club cheltenham festival
We are delighted to announce that the Fitzdares Club will be returning for the week of the Cheltenham Festival in March. Join us for lunch in the heart of London, where we will show all the live racing, as well as other major sporting events that week. If you can’t actually make it to Cheltenham, there’s no better place to be than the Fitzdares Club. Please call Louisa on 020 7851 5407 or email club@fitzdares.com for more information.
26
One Sunday next March, the Gloucestershire Steeplechases will set out to bring the heady early days of jump racing back to life, and Charlie Brooks can’t wait HE FIRST RECOGNISED English National Steeplechase took place on Monday 8 March 1830. The four-mile race was run from Bury Orchard to the Obelisk in Wrest Park, Bedfordshire and the winner was Captain Macdowall on The Wonder, owned by Lord Ranelagh, in a time of 16 minutes 25 seconds. One hundred and ninety years later to the day, the Gloucestershire Steeplechases aim to re-create the ethos and spirit of those early steeplechases: basically, gallivanting across country between church steeples of a morning, before consuming an enormous lunch. The races will take place on Heath Hill Farm, below Stow on the Wold, after noon on 8 March, the Sunday before the Cheltenham Festival a few miles down the road. It seems like an appropriate way to kick the week off. Given that horses and their gentleman and lady riders have somewhat succumbed to the comforts and cosseting of modern-day life, the Merriebelle Stables Gloucestershire Cup and its accompanying sister race, the Ron Brooks Memorial Pragnell Trophy, will be run over just two miles and 20 hand-cut hedges and ditches – with the odd quirk thrown in to keep the thrusters on their mettle. Ron Brooks had farmed the land at Heath Hill since the Second World War. He was very keen on Ayrshire cattle and bloodhounds – but what he really loved was seeing the Heythrop Hunt soar over his beloved hedges. The races will be started by Sir Mark Prescott, who will also be part of a stewards committee, which will ensure that any rider who cheats, rides in an unsportsmanlike manner or uses their whip for any means other than safety or steering shall be disqualified and placed in stocks. Riders in the Pragnell Trophy will be on non-thoroughbred
T
horses and will be selected by each of 20 local hunts invited to supply a representative with which to share the 4,000 guineas prize. Competitors in the Gloucestershire Cup will be a bunch of vagabonds and undesirables mounted on thoroughbreds and probably capable of dastardly deeds. The winner will presumably not share their winning haul, also 4,000 guineas, with anyone. There will also be a gate jumping competition for the Fitzdares Marshall Brooks Silver Cup. Marshall Brooks, Ron’s grandfather, was the first human on record to jump six feet. On 7 April 1876, he jumped 6ft 21/2in at Lillie Bridge, West Brompton, after quite a good lunch, by running straight at the bar and landing on his feet. No comfy sandpits or pads to land on. He held the world record for decades. Competitors in the Fitzdares Cup, however, will be expected to use horses. For those who own fast or beautiful dogs, there will be much excitement, with races and beauty contests galore for most shapes and sizes. King Edward VII was a terrific supporter of steeplechasing – he owned the appropriately named Ambush II, which won the Grand National in 1900 – but more importantly he was an all-round good egg with whom one definitely would have wanted to have had lunch after a good gallivant. Attendees at the inaugural Gloucestershire Steeplechases are thus invited to dress in Edwardian garb. The finest-dressed racegoers will be showered with prizes. Let’s kick off Cheltenham week in style on a hill in the heart of the Cotswolds. n Charlie Brooks is a Telegraph racing columnist
and former jockey and trainer.
27
WINTERREAD
Guilty Not Guilty by Felix Francis is a thriller that will have you on the edge of your saddle, says Colin Mackenzie s soon as the autumn leaves start to tumble, you know a new Dick Francis novel will hit the book shops – even though the great man died a decade ago. His younger son Felix took on the mantle of authoring these racingbased crime puzzles and this year celebrates his ninth confection under his own name. Indeed, Felix was the de facto author/partner of the last five of Dick’s own works after the death of his mother Mary, who was so integral to the annual production line of Francis bestsellers. The latest oeuvre retains the moniker “A Dick Francis novel” on the cover. Thus Guilty Not Guilty is, in effect, the 14th novel penned by the 66-year-old former maths teacher, who had to undergo a literary test before he was allowed to assume authorship of the brand that so enchanted members of the Royal Family, especially the late Queen Mother, for whom Dick rode as stable jockey. “After my mother’s death, Dick’s literary agent took me to the Gay Hussar to discuss which current author might like to take over the writing of future novels,” Felix revealed to me. “I rather shocked him by suggesting that I might do it
A
myself. So he agreed to let me pen a couple of chapters to see if I could write. In fact I wrote four and my new career was under way. I am extremely proud of what my parents achieved and, before he died, my dad told me how proud he was of me carrying on the tradition.” To mark the centenary of Dick Francis’s birth in 2020, a bronze statue will be unveiled at Aintree, of which the jump jockey became a trustee in 1982 to save it for the nation. The racecourse had been bought by property developer Bill Davies, who had other plans for the land. Dick, a wartime bomber pilot, never won the Grand National. But his name will for ever be associated with the Queen Mother’s chaser Devon Loch, who sprawled on the flat (apparently jumping a shadow) just a few yards from the finish of the 1956 race when well clear of eventual winner ESB. Even in these days of Kindles and other electronic devices, Felix Francis sells upwards of 100,000 hardback copies of his novels annually. Unusually for most authors, his hardback copies outnumber the paperback sales. No wonder his publishers have awarded him another two-book deal into the 2020s.
This November, Felix was guest of honour (alongside the prolific American author James Patterson, among others) at the 50th Bouchercon convention of crime writers in Dallas – a signal honour for a British author. Back at home, he’s already halfway through writing his next novel. His modus operandi is to write a chapter and then have his wife Debbie read it aloud to him – in this way he can edit his own prose. Guilty Not Guilty is the story of a one-time amateur rider, the younger son of a belted earl, who is a steward at Warwick and Stratford racecourses when not attending to his freelance business as an actuary. The protagonist overnights at a hotel near Edgbaston, having attended a charity dinner, only to learn the following morning that his wife Amelia has been murdered at their home. The police immediately suspect he is the guilty party. This is a page-turner that will keep you intrigued until the final and unexpected dénouement. A Francis stocking filler of the highest order. n Colin Mackenzie is a former racing
correspondent of the Daily Mail. GUILTY NOT GUILTY is published by Simon & Schuster (£20).
THE FT SPORTS QUIZ OF THE YEAR JANUARY
JUNE
Which darts player did not enter the PDC World Championship for the first time since its 1994 inception?
Andy Ruiz Jr beat Anthony Joshua with a seventh-round TKO, but who did he replace in the fight after three failed drugs tests?
SEPTEMBER Who won his first ever F1 Grand Prix, in Belgium?
FEBRUARY OCTOBER
Which quarterback won his sixth Super Bowl ring in nine attempts?
What were the England rugby team fined £2,500 for?
MARCH
JULY
NOVEMBER
Which female jockey won two races at the Festival?
“If not the most exciting and thrilling finals of my career, in the top two or three and against one of the greatest players of all time.” Who said this of their opponent?
Who became the youngest player in 18 years to win the ATP World Tour Finals?
APRIL Tiger Roll won the Grand National for a second year in a row. Who owns him?
MAY
DECEMBER
Manchester City won the Premier League by a point from Liverpool, ending a trend that had seen no club win consecutive titles since when?
The 50th running of the Fitzdares Peterborough Chase takes place on 8 December. Which trainer has won this race more times than anyone else?
AUGUST How many runs did Jack Leach score in the second innings at Headingley?
ANSWERS JAN Phil Taylor / FEB Tom Brady / MAR Rachael Blackmore / APR Michael O’Leary / MAY Manchester United 2007-09 / JUN Jarrell Miller / JUL Novak Djokovic / AUG One run / SEP Charles Leclerc / OCT Entering the All Blacks’ half during the haka / NOV Stefanos Tsitsipas / DEC Henrietta Knight