Camden Sports: Match Point

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Camden New Journal - MATCH POINT by SIMON CHARTERTON
Published: 10 July 2008

What’s worth tuning into for armchair supporters?

NOW that Lewis Hamilton has captured the British Grand Prix, Rafa’s won Wimbledon and the Olympics are still a month away, what’s on offer for armchair sports fans this month?
Well there’s the Open for starters. Undoubtedly television is the best way to watch this malarky. You can see all the action while avoiding the kind of people who’d pay money to walk around a golf course without actually playing. And, if you turn the sound down, you don’t even have to listen to Peter Allis.
Then there’s the cricket. This time of year used to be when you could switch on the box and either see “rain stopped play” or watch England be humiliated by whichever bunch of tourists had popped over to remind us how the game should be played.
One of the great sporting own goals of all time has to be the decision to remove test cricket from terrestrial telly just after the Ashes success had got a whole nation interested in the sport. A few highlights on Channel 5 doesn’t really make up for the loss and, while the concept might be vastly entertaining, it’s not always practical to spend five entire days in the pub watching it on Sky.
There’s also the Tour de France, which normally ends with the winner being disqualified.
The longest-running sports saga of the summer takes place on the back of the tabloids. Football managers, agents and journalists alike fill space with meaningless speculation.
If you believe the stories, Arsenal are selling their best players and replacing them with more employees named after the club, namely Russian star Arshavin. Meanwhile, Spurs are flogging their goalkeeper, defenders and strikers, and are planning to have a packed midfield when all their targeted new signings are in place.
The arrogance of managers trying to unsettle players seems to have reached new depths. It must be particularly galling for Man United, who are finding it hard to compete despite being European Champions.
The only answer might be to take United somewhere with sunnier climes. Some might say it’s only a matter of time.

* Simon Charterton is a reader from Belsize Park

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