Sporting Weekend: Would you believe the football season has ended?
THE domestic football season officially ended, but you can’t keep the beautiful game out of the headlines, with the choreography around Jose Mourinho’s appointment as manager of Manchester United dominating the headlines.
Only at United could the fact they lifted the FA Cup only a week ago descend to pitifully down the sports news agenda. Such is the media hype round the “Special One”, aka Mourinho.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t the supporters of most clubs give their eye teeth to see their team lift the game’s oldest and (once) most coveted trophy?
All this of course is as we prepare for the predominantly televisual summer festival football in the 2016 Euros in France, where England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are all participants with many players from the domestic game in the North West in action.
The fun on the other side of the English Channel starts on June 10.
Meantime, the more cerebral game of cricket, weather permitting, is to the fore with Lancashire man Jimmy Anderson leading the bowling England attack against Sri Lanka in the Test at Durham on Saturday and Sunday.
While he’s on international duty, Lancashire, who top Division One of the SpecSavers County Championship, travel to Headingley for their four-day Roses clash against current champions Yorkshire. The match starts on Sunday at 11am.
Last week it was rugby league’s Magic Weekend for the Super League clubs in Newcastle, and this week it’s the second tier clubs in the Kingstone Press Championship who have their Summer Bash at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road venue.
In the Super League on Saturday, fifth-placed St Helens travel to top club Hull FC’s KC Stadium for a game which kicks off at 3pm.
On Saturday also, top Championship team Leigh Centurions play Bradford Bulls in the evening Summer Bash clash starting at 7pm.
The following day its Widnes Vikings host Huddersfield Giants in the Super League, (3pm kick-off) and at Bloomfield Road Oldham Roughyeds take on local rivals Swinton Lions in the basement Championship clash (3pm kick-off).
Let’s hope the sun shines.
