In honour of Time to Talk Day, my group was responsible for holding a quiz in which four teams in total took part. These teams included two teams made up of sports journalism students, one team made up of the university’s rugby team and another made up of the netball team.
Individually, I was one of the members that had been issued the task of choosing the questions that would be asked to our panelists. We kept the questions sports-based, and decided on four categories: general trivia, questions from the sportspeople themselves, ‘starter pack’ questions where each question showed a series of images related to a specific sportsperson, and a category where a famous sportsperson had their face covered and the panels had to guess who they were.
I found it important to balance the distribution of easy and difficult questions, as making the questions too easy would have made the quiz tedious whilst making the questions too difficult would have alienated those watching the quiz on Youtube and would have made it less engaging.
I was also responsible for obtaining videos from various athletes in which they record themselves asking trivia questions about themselves. Table tennis World Champion Charlotte Carey and Team GB bronze medal Sophie Hitchon were the two athletes I had contacted that took part, which enhanced the quiz as it gave it an extra level of authenticity.
If we were to do this again, I think it would be best to shorten the rounds and increase the variety of questions to increase the audience’s engagement even more. I also think we should have marketed the quiz more efficiently as a group on social media beforehand so that a wider audience views the quiz when it gets uploaded to Youtube.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the PDC World Darts Championship returns to our screens once more.
The best that the darting landscape has to offer will once again battle it out for the biggest prize in the sport without a live crowd in attendance, as this unprecedented calendar year draws to a close.
In this piece I will be predicting which players make it into the quarter finals and also the eventual winner of the World Championship. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my predictions.
Peter Wright
All eyes will be on Snakebite as he looks to make it back-to-back world titles after a mixed bag of a year.
The world number two won the Ladbroke’s Masters and the European Championship against Michael Smith and James Wade respectively, but expressed his disappointment after his loss to Devon Peterson at the Grand Slam of Darts which saw him eliminated at the group stage.
The World Champion later said in an interview that he could have walked away from the sport altogether. His dismay stems from not being able to perform in front of a live crowd and it looks to be the same old story at Alexandra Palace, with London moving into Tier 3 from Wednesday onwards.
However, I think that Snakebite will put in an admirable effort to defend his crown, making it to the last 8 at the very least.
Michael van Gerwen
Darts fans and pundits alike have described this year as an off-year for the world number one, which is a testament to how good he is considering he still managed to win the UK Open in March as well as the recent Players Championship Final, against Gerwyn Price and Mervyn King respectively.
Mighty Mike’s decline in form has been in large part due to him adjusting to his new darts having signed a deal with Winmau earlier this year, as well as his ever-growing responsibilities as a father.
Despite this being a lacklustre year by his standards he still emerges as the tournament favourite, with the bookies backing him to claim his fourth World title. It would not come as a surprise to many fans if he went all the way, which is why I think he also makes it into the last eight.
Gerwyn Price
The Iceman was eliminated from last year’s tournament by eventual winner Peter Wright, and his 2020 season in response to that defeat has been excellent.
After a successful summer series, he won the World Series of Darts Finals in September where he defeated Rob Cross for the trophy. He then claimed his first ever World Grand Prix title, seeing off Belgian underdog Dirk Van Duijvenbode in the final.
Soon after, he and Johnny Clayton became the first Welshmen to lift the World Cup of Darts trophy after convincingly defeating England in the final, with Price listing it as his biggest achievement in the sport to date.
For the second year running, the world number three emerges as the bookies’ second favourite to win the trophy, and his form so far in 2020 suggests he could even go all the way.
In my opinion, he is a guaranteed quarter finalist in this year’s event.
Rob Cross
Many fans and critics have stated that Voltage peaked too early in his career, having won the World Championship in 2018 on his first attempt, in what was Phil Taylor’s last ever match.
By all accounts he has had a poor year, as he was eliminated early from this year’s premier league and, following that, failed to win a TV major. He came closest in the aforementioned World Series of Darts finals against Gerwyn Price.
It is not often you get to say that the world number five is an underdog to win a tournament of any sport, but such is the case with Rob Cross.
Class is permanent however, and his ruthless finishing of yesteryear has appeared in some tournaments, albeit inconsistently.
This pick is arguably the first risky pick, as he will have to fend off Adrian Lewis, Premier League champion Glen Durrant and Dirk Van Duijvenbode to get there.
Devon Peterson
Every World Championship event has a dark horse. A player that steps up on the big occasion after a promising run in the months before. This year, I believe that player is Devon Peterson.
The African Warrior has had a decent calendar year at the oche, having won his first ever ranking title in September after beating Johnny Clayton at the German Darts Championship.
Going into Alexandra Palace, he is listed as a seeded player for the first time and will be looking to go one further than last year where he made it to the last 16 before falling to Nathan Aspinall.
Within his segment of the draw, he will need to go further than the likes of Mensur Suljovic, two-time World Champion Gary Anderson and the world number four Michael Smith. However, each of those players have had quiet campaigns this year, and I think an upset is on the horizon in favour of Devon Peterson.
Dimitri Van Den Bergh
The DreamMaker has certainly made his mark during the 2020 campaign. He claimed his first ever televised ranking title after defeating Gary Anderson at the World Matchplay in a dominant display.
An impressive performance at the Grand Slam of Darts followed, as he set the new record average at the tournament of 114.85 in a 5-1 victory over Ricky Evans. He then steamrolled through to the semi-finals where he was narrowly beaten by James Wade.
The Belgian made it to the last eight in last year’s event, with history looking to repeat itself given the year that Dimitri has had.
Thanks to the draw, the only stiff competition he may have to face on his way there is Johnny Clayton, who has also had a successful year winning the previously mentioned World Cup of Darts for Wales.
However, I think this is Dimitri’s year to push on and seriously make his mark at the World Championship.
James Wade
The Machine has had a slight resurgence this year and whilst he has always proved his quality, 2020 has been the year where he has reminded everyone just how good he is.
Not the flashiest or the loudest of players, James Wade has stayed in and around the PDC Ranking’s top ten for well over a decade and has won almost everything there is to win in the sport.
He came close to ticking the Grand Slam of Darts off of that checklist this year, as he made it to the final of the event before losing to Jose de Sousa.
The other PDC Major to elude him? The World Championship. Wade has been widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have never won the trophy, or even get to the final for that matter.
His missed opportunity arguably came in the 2012 semi-finals against then-champion Adrian Lewis, where he missed a match dart whilst 5-2 up in sets. From then on, the Machine failed to win a single leg and left the stage with his head in his hands.
Unlike previous years, players are once again becoming fearful of facing James Wade, and I believe this resurgence will carry him to the quarter finals of the competition and beyond.
Nathan Aspinall
The year looked promising for The Asp after impressing early on in the Premier League, his debut year in the competition.
The world number six would eventually reach finals night, defeating Peter Wright to set up an all-debutant final with Glen Durrant, which he later lost.
From then on Nathan has had somewhat of a quiet year, having not reached another televised final. His performances have hardly been lacklustre though, with him reaching the quarter finals of the World Series Finals and the Grand Slam of Darts, as well as the semi-finals of the Masters.
He has enjoyed solid stints at Alexandra Palace having reached the semi-finals in the previous two years of the competition, both times falling to the eventual runner-up of the tournament in Michael Smith and MVG.
Whilst I am not sure he’ll reach the same stage this year, he has shown the quality and consistency of a player worthy of the last eight, which is where I think he will reach this year.
Eventual Winner: Gerwyn Price
The stars look as if they have aligned for the Iceman, and I think so long as he overcomes the mental block of not being able to feed off of the crowd’s energy, he will lift the trophy.
Now is arguably his best chance, with him playing better darts than he has ever played previously and other seeded players such as MVG and Peter Wright somewhat underperforming.
He intimidates players in a way that only MVG can when he brings his A game and has proved his maturity as a player over the last few years by frequently coming back from large deficits to win on big occasions.
Barring any major upsets at his expense, I think that Gerwyn Price will be the new World Champion in January.
The World Championship starts tomorrow at 6pm and will be aired on Sky Sports at the Alexandra Palace.
Last month, BBC released a documentary with Freddie Flintoff on his untold battle with Bulimia, a mental health condition that affects how someone perceives their body and their image. The documentary, which is almost an hour in length, is a deeply personal look at the former cricketer’s mental state, and is not only a terrific example of good journalism, but also an important talking point in the wider conversation about mental health.
Good journalism in a broad sense is being able to tell someone’s story in an effective way. It should be able to leave the desired effect on the audience after it has been viewed, whether that be a joyous one or an emotional, moving one. It should also never veer too far away from its subject matter, remain truthful, and even potentially ask tough questions which puts the viewer in a position to ponder these questions for themselves. This documentary does all of the above without compromise or filter, with Flintoff even questioning whether his struggle to open up about these issues for so long is part of a wider insecurity that men have when it comes to mental health issues.
The documentary tells the story of Freddie Flintoff’s journey as he struggled with Bulimia since the English media had hounded him over his fluctuating waistline, comparing how he looked when he started cricket at the age of 16 to when he was in his early 20s and beyond. Despite being on top of the cricketing world, he says how insecure he was about his size and how every meal made him feel anxious about putting on weight. It is a stark reminder that no one in the world of sport is immune to criticism or bad press, especially press as over the top as this.
The most significant question asked in the documentary was the following: “Why do men who suffer from Bulimia not seek professional help?”. The question was not only asked to Flintoff, but also to the men he was able to interview who also have similar struggles to his. It shines a light on the fact that many men are ashamed of having to go through what is seen as a female mental illness, which results in them suffering in silence.
The access that the production team got given is astounding. As mentioned, Flintoff is able to interview men who suffer in a similar situation as well as the family of a boy who sadly passed due to the disorder. Each interviewee is extremely open and honest about the ways which bulimia has affected their day to day lives which Flintoff has to be applauded for, as his presence as an interviewer is both comforting and reassuring for the interviewee having gone through the same experience.
Overall, I think this is an excellent piece of journalism and an important one at that. Seeing such a prominent male sports figure open up about their battle with a mental health disorder of any kind opens the door for further conversation and removes the stigma of seeking help if they also suffer from mental health issues, which is more important than ever in today’s society.
My name is Owen Gardner, and I am a second year Sports Journalism student. This is the year where I develop an understanding of not just the skillset I have, but the mindset I want to carry with me throughout this journey as well as the professional brand I want to create.
I want to present myself as a hardworking individual with an eye for creativity. My motivation mainly stems from me wanting to turn my passion for sports journalism into the way I make a living and provide for my future family. I have always been a believer that if your job links in with your passion then you will never truly work a day in your life.
When it comes to publishing pieces and getting my name out there will be a deciding factor in terms of whether or not I achieve success in this industry. My creativity will become an asset for me to use to market myself as a credible graphic designer which could be used to help teams/players market themselves, and therefore myself as well.
I want to make myself come across as omnipresent when it comes to sporting news on twitter, always quick to give opinions on the latest hot button topics to further my chances of gaining traction on the site to build up my profile. This sporting news will be of a similar ilk to the type of journalism I will be publishing so that I carve out somewhat of a niche for myself.
I think this will help my profile reach out to the right kind of twitter user who would be interested in the work that I publish on my website. Acting omnipresent is also important as it means I will be amongst the first to tweet on big issues and retweet the latest breaking stories which would again mean that my profile gains as much traction and as many impressions as possible.
Michael Flynn is hoping his side bounce back after last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat on the road to Cambridge United.
County dropped to third in the league table after suffering their first defeat of the campaign last weekend, in a game plagued by poor weather conditions which left Flynn wondering why the fixture still proceeded as planned.
New signing Ryan Taylor’s recent injury will give Flynn something to think about, as he noted that his side would have done better had he featured against Cambridge in a press conference this morning.
“It’s a blow because he’s started well. He’s been very good for us and the other strikers have to step up now and start getting hold of the ball and linking the play better because I think we missed Ryan on Saturday“.
“It’s a challenge now for the other strikers, whoever that may be tomorrow, to do that part of the game as well”.
Flynn also revealed that Lewis Collins picked up an injury whilst away with Wales on international duty.
“He’s had a bit of bad luck, every time he seems to be getting close, getting called up to Wales Under-21s or he does well in a substitute appearance he seems to have a set-back. 90% of the time it’s no fault of his own”.
Tomorrow’s visitors sit 14th in the table but are unbeaten in their last three games having drawn to Salford City and Cambridge United and having beaten Scunthorpe United.
Tranmere have had a number of positive Covid-19 cases as well as injuries, but the Exiles boss says that has not changed their preparations in the build up to the game.
“We know their squad so we’ve prepared as if it’s their strongest team. We do that whether we’re playing a big team in the FA Cup or one of the other 23 teams for the Leasing.com Trophy”.
“The boys are in good spirits. We lost the game on Saturday and we’ll lose a few more but we’ll never get too carried away when we win or too down when we lose”.
County fans will be sure to try to wipe the defeat to Tranmere in the Play Off Final in 2019 from their memories, but the gaffer ensures it is not something he thinks about.
“That doesn’t enter my head now” he stated.
“Obviously we were devastated but within 20 minutes of me speaking to the players it had all left my head. My focus turned to my little boy who was crying and upset”.
“You’ve just got to get on with it, likewise if we had won that game. It was a small turn around in terms of time but it was a four week period where we just had to rebuild”.
Eagle-eyed fans will have noticed that Flynn turns 40 years of age tomorrow, however the boss is more concerned with picking up three points at Rodney Parade.
“I know you can alter things on Wikipedia, I was hoping somebody would alter my date of birth to 1985 so I’d be 35 tomorrow!” he joked.
“I don’t really care about a big birthday with everything wiped out, just want the three points and a chilled night with the family”.
The game kicks off at 3pm on Saturday the 17th of October at Rodney Parade.
It’s been 25 years since a young Richie Burnett swept aside Raymond Van Barneveld 6-3 in sets to reach the summit of the darting landscape and become BDO World Champion in 1995.
The Welshman, nicknamed The Prince of Wales, became the world number 1 as a result of the historic win, and just the third ever Welshman to achieve number 1 seed.
Despite what must have been a seemingly mammoth level of pressure, Richie’s confidence never flickered.
“I was probably the best player in the world at the time so before the final I was confident, well before the whole tournament I was confident. I can’t remember much of that night after the win though!”
“It didn’t bother me who I played, I was ready to play anybody. Barney had been around longer than me on TV events and stuff like that but I was just winning everything at the time.”
It seemed for the time being that Richie was on top of the world, and he had brought the reputation of Welsh darts with him.
“I absolutely believe it was a high point for welsh darts, because even though Leighton Rees was World Champion at one point he hadn’t been number one in the world for ages.”
“Only a couple of players in the PDC could’ve given me a proper game at that time, (Phil) Taylor and (Dennis) Priestley. It was such a great feeling to become world number one and the true number one I felt.”
In the years following Richie had developed what every dart player fears the most: Dartitis. It’s a condition that has famously finished players off professionally and it almost did the same to the Cwmparc-born darting legend.
“Your arm doesn’t do what your brain tells it to and it just sort of locks, it’s the most frustrating thing for a darts player to go through. You can have a loss of form and feel down in the dumps about it but with dartitis you know you want to play and you just can’t!”
Richie is one of the few players lucky enough to overcome the condition and continue playing eventually, but it didn’t come easy.
“Having that for a couple of years I just laid off for a little while and locked myself away basically. I used to throw myself at the board if I couldn’t let [the dart] go.”
“Sometimes I’d watch videos after it and think ‘Christ, was I like that?’. Once you start thinking about dartitis heavily you’ll have it again. At some points I thought that was the end of my career but I was determined to make a comeback and that’s what happened. I was as proud of getting rid of dartitis as I was of making it in darts in the first place.”
After a harrowing battle with mental health which led to him failing a drugs test, losing his tour card and picking up an 18 month suspension in the process, Richie has mounted somewhat of a comeback, but promises there’s still plenty more gas in the tank.
“Ever since I came back into darts two years ago I’ve had nothing but injuries and problems but once this is done there are no excuses and I’ll just go for it.”
Since his absence from the sport there have been a number of players who have risen up the ranks, including fellow Welshman and world number three Gerwyn Price. I proceeded to ask Richie whether ‘The Iceman’ can fill his shoes as the next Welsh world number one, and whether he’d be up to the challenge of facing him.
“Gerwyn’s already there for me in my eyes but there are other players out there, they’ve just got to put in the work, and I’ll be one of them!”
“He would be a great test because he’s playing great darts at the moment, but I haven’t seen anything that I would have problems with if I’m at my game.”
“I think my best darts are better than anybody’s, it’s just a case of getting to that point. Practise wise I don’t think anyone can outscore me so I’m not frightened. If I could get back to winning ways then I’m confident of beating anyone.”
Hopefully for Richie this level of self-belief will be a sign of what might be to come for the 53 year old, as the mouth watering clash between The Iceman and The Prince of Wales is surely something of a dream encounter for any darts fan.
Football legend Gary Neville has announced that his co-owned hotels, Hotel Football and the Stock Exchange Hotel, will be accommodating NHS workers and medical professionals for free as the severity of the coronavirus pandemic continues to rise.
The announcement was made on Hotel Football’s official Twitter account, with the former England defender addressing their followers of the 176 beds that will be available to the NHS, as well as the situation regarding staff income as there are no plans for the hotel to make any of its workers redundant.
Neville stated that, “We’ve been in consultation with the health services in the greater Manchester area, in particular the Manchester University NHS foundation trust, and our 176 beds will be occupied by NHS workers and Medical Professionals from Friday onwards.”
“It’s at this moment in time that I think the whole of our industry needs to show solidarity not just for our staff in these uncertain times but for the people who need the accommodation most in the coming months.”
“It’s obviously a very difficult time but we hope that we can grow out of this stronger as a hotel business beyond what’s happening.”
Both hotels are co-owned with fellow United legend Ryan Giggs, with the Stock Exchange Hotel being located in Manchester’s city centre and Hotel Football overlooking the club’s stadium Old Trafford.
This news was followed by a gesture of a similar nature made by former 2x World Professional Boxing champion Amir Khan, as he took to Twitter to offer his building to the NHS to allow for more hospital beds as the spread of the virus continues.
He posted a photo of himself outside of the 4-story building, adding, “I am aware of how difficult it is for the public to get a hospital bed during this tragic time. I am prepared to give my 60,000 square foot 4 story building which is due to be a wedding hall and a retail outlet to the @NHSuk to help people affected by the coronavirus. Pls stay safe.”
20 games into his Cardiff City career and I think it’s fair to say Neil Harris is doing a respectable job at his new club. However, ask a fan about their opinion on his spell at the club so far, or the appointment of Harris in general, and you may not hear a positive point of view.
On the one hand, the Bluebirds have only lost four league games since his arrival, he seems to be onboard with the hardworking ethos the fans usually demand and he’s vowing to overhaul the club’s youth development system.
The club are still very much in the race for the last play off spot which is remarkable given the start they had under Neil Warnock, and they’ve shown a great deal of discipline under Harris, proving to be a hard team to beat when individual errors are avoided.
The new gaffer has also given certain players the opportunity to flourish, with Lee Tomlin going through what can only be described as a renaissance of form and Curtis Nelson cementing himself as a first team starter.
However, on the other hand, there’s a vocal section of the club’s fanbase that frequently vent their frustrations online and in the ground. These complaints include too many draws, an underwhelming style of play and a somewhat lackluster showing in the recent South Wales derby which ended as a nil-nil draw.
Another gripe amongst fans was the frustrating lack of involvement in the transfer window. The fans were crossing their fingers for creativity in midfield and extra firepower going forward, but had to settle for quick fix loans to solve short term problems.
Harris also chose to offload some of the dead weight within the squad, but fans were left groaning when he chose to get rid of loyal servant Lee Peltier and striker Gary Madine, who Warnock spent £6m on, for absolutely nothing.
In my opinion, the appointment of Harris and this transfer window in particular has shown the clubs mindset after their brief Premier League spell, and as a fan it’s a slightly deflating but understandable one.
It’s clear to see that the club are opting to recover their loses financially rather than push on for another promotion run, a choice I think they made when they picked Neil Harris as Warnock’s successor rather than Chris Hughton who has a wealth of promotions and experience under his belt.
The more I think about it I can’t blame the club for the choice they’ve made. No, it doesn’t scream ambition, but Warnock had spent big in some areas and got little in return on the pitch with £10m being spent on Bobby Reid in the summer of 2018 as well as the previously mentioned £6m spent on Gary Madine, who failed to score for the club.
Neil Harris’ hunger to bring players through the academy that may actually break into the starting 11 makes financial sense for a club that’s spent big and gotten little for it, and it’s something we haven’t seen at Cardiff for quite some time.
The appointment of Steve Morison as under 23’s coach also seems like a statement of intent in terms of shaking up the youth set up, with him being a familiar face for Neil Harris as he managed the former Wales International during their time at Millwall.
It was also an easier option to appoint Harris knowing that, under his management, there’s little to no threat of being relegated which gives the club time to balance the chequebook.
With this in mind I think it’s naive for any Cardiff fan to expect domestic success right away, during what is fundamentally a transitional period for the Bluebirds. Watching them play is far from exciting but that’s not important. Success takes time, especially the success that Harris is aiming for with the youth set up.
It seems as though the Harris haters amongst the fanbase have a short memory that only stretches back to 2010. No club/fanbase is owed success and it’s important to remember that these are still relatively exciting times for Cardiff compared to where we were 15-20 years ago.
Owen Gardner's Sports Blog 