ARKWRIGHT
What’s On? SGB’S GUIDE TO JANUARY
Jan 7-8 Football: FA Cup third round
Jan 7-8 Football: Scottish Cup fourth round
Jan 7-15 Darts: Frimley Green, World Championship
The Independent Voice
So David Beckham has decided to blow the fi nal whistle on his time playing Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy aſt er fi ve and a half years. During that time, attendances at MLS games have more than doubled and he leaves with the American game in a far stronger position than when he arrived in Los Angeles in 2007. Such is his global popularity that
during his fi rst season, over 300,000 adidas produced LA Galaxy shirts were sold– not bad for a club with an average attendance of 20,000. Sadly, it is unlikely that Beckham
will return to English football – which is a great shame as stocking the next Beckham replica shirt would have been a no-brainer! From one sporting icon to another – it
is rumoured that Usain Bolt hopes to turn to either cricket or football aſt er the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The world’s fastest man, who famously clean bowled Chris Gayle during a charity match in Jamaica, will be 30 in four years’ time, and he is tailor-made for twenty20 cricket. As he is a self-confessed Manchester United fan, what are the odds on Bolt signing for Lancashire Lightning in a few years time! I hear that retailer JD Sports Fashion
has launched JD Pro – a new brand targeting dedicated sportsmen and women– and that their fi rst outlet in the City of London has specialist in- store equipment to help staff sell the right product to customers. One such piece of equipment is a gait-analysis
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machine. I must take Mrs Arkwright mother along to the new store –I’m willing to bet her bandy legs will confound them all! Whilst on the subject of JD Pro, one
retail analyst thinks the new brand could help JD win business away from Sports Direct stating ‘Sports Direct are very strong on value and do good volumes because of that – but don’t do so well on in-store advice and guidance, which customers do value’. Well, you learn something new
every day! This headline screamed at me the
other day – ‘Rory Mcllroy’s switch from Titleist clubs to Nike ‘is dangerous’, claims Nick Faldo. Apparently, Faldo believes Rory
Mcllroy’s change of club manufacturer is ‘dangerous’ adding that the world No1 is ’doing it for the money’. Well, there’s a surprise! Meanwhile, Mcllroy replied “I think
all of the manufacturers make great equipment nowadays and it’s all very, very similar. I mean, a lot of the manufacturers get their clubs made at the same factories as each other. I don’t think it will make a diff erence at all.” I have to agree with Rory on this
one – changing clubs has made no diff erence to me – I still haven’t broken 100!
Finally, if the Mayan Calendar is to be
believed, this will be my last Arkwright column as it predicts that the world will end on 21 December. If not, then I will be back in the New Year!
Jan 10-11 Football: Capital One Cup semi-fi nal fi rst legs
Jan 12-15 Rugby Union: Heineken Cup/Amlin Challenge Cup fi ſt h round
Jan 15 Basketball: Birmingham, BBL Cup fi nal: Newcastle v Plymouth
Jan 15-22 Snooker: London, The Masters
Jan 16-29 Tennis: Melbourne, Australian Open
Jan 16-29 Water Polo: Eindhoven, European Championships
Jan 17-21 Cricket: Dubai, First Test: Pakistan v England
Jan 17-22 Motor Racing: Monte Carlo Rally
Jan 19-22 Rugby Union: Heineken Cup/Amlin Challenge Cup sixth round
Jan 24-25 Football: Capital One Cup semi-fi nal second legs
Jan 25-29 Cricket: Dubai, Second Test: Pakistan v England
Jan 28 Athletics: Glasgow, Aviva international
Jan 28-29 Football: FA Cup fourth round
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