Best sporting events

England have finished third place in the 2026 World Cup after one of the craziest football matches you will ever like to see in the tournament's history. A total of ten goals were scored. England, at one point were 4-0 up against former winners, France but the full time result was 6-4 to the Three Lions. In the final, Spain beat the now deposed champions Argentina 1-0 in extra time after a 0-0 90 minute match that was dominated by the Spanish, possession and shots on target wise but finally found a way. Sixteen years since the team last won the World Cup.

Just listened to a caller in regards to the 1966 World Cup when England, the hosts won it. There were sixteen teams back then so the format was group stages, quarter finals, semi finals, third/fourth place play off final and then final, winning team become world champions. Since then, it has expanded as of 2026. Group stages, last 32, last 16, quarter finals, semi finals, third/fourth place play off final and final. England as of 2026 are guaranteed a top four finish by reaching the semi finals but lost to title holders Argentina.

As of 2024, England won it in 1966 and then semi finalists twice (1990 and 2018). Argentina are the reigning world champions who won it in 2022 in a great final.

England last won it in 1966. Semi finalists twice in 1990 and 2018.

England won it in 1966. Best performance since then, semi finalists 1990 World Cup. Lost to Italy in a 3rd/4th place play off final.

There was a programme called 'Premier League Years' on Sky Sports looking back from years gone by starting from the first season in 1992-93. Featuring trailers, great goals and saves and highlights of big matches such as the derby matches i.e Liverpool and Everton in Merseyside or Arsenal and Tottenham in north London. The original narrator was Georgie Thompson who worked at Sky for many yars but must have left.

Started at the beginning of the 1992-93 season. Teams that have won the Premier League include Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester City. There have been teams that have had a brief adventure in top flight football such as Norwich City, Huddersfield and Luton Town. Of course, when the Premier League started, it replaced Division Football, especially during the 1980s and the last two to three seasons of the 1990s.

As of 2024, Paris will be the host city in France. London hosted it in 2012 that inspired a generation. The Olympic Games is said to be the greatest show on earth.

Also known as the European Football Championships. England last hosted the last tournament in 1996. Lost to eventual winners Germany in a nail biting and tense penalty shoot out after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.

Also know as the French Open, one of the major tennis tournaments of the season.

South America's version of the African Nations Cup or the European Championships. The two standout teams in world football are Brazil and Argentina. Uruguay, the very first winners of the World Cup can be a useful team.

This I think is a golf tournament held in America where the winner receives a green jacket. There is a snooker tournament called the Masters which is now held at London's Alexandra Palace annually in January.

The 2026 European Athletics Championships, held in Birmingham, United Kingdom was an unforgettable experience with world class performances such as Switzerland's Audrey Werro (who fell in one of the 800m qualifying heats) and Sweden's Armand Duplantis. I think there was a close finish in the final of the women's sprint hurdle race. Team GB had a whale of a time, most notably by far, Amy Hunt, four gold medals (100m and 200m individual) and two relays (4x100m). Other British medallists include Matthew Hudson Smith, Dina Asher Smith, Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter Bell and Romell Glave.

With the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom just around the corner, I reflect on Britain's gold medalists up to and including 2024 such as Roger Black, Linford Christie, Colin Jackson, Tom Mckean, Steve Backley and Steve Cram on the men's side, Sally Gunnell, Paula Radcliffe, Jessica Ennis Hill, Jo Pavey, Dina Asher Smith and Keely Hodgkinson on the women's.

China is the only country apart from the Home Nations (England, Scotland, Wales, etc) to have achieved world titles in successive years, Zhao Xintong (2025) and Wu Yize (2026), the latter had two memorable matches, against Mark Allen in the semi final and then the 2005 winner, Shaun Murphy in the final.

There have been some surprising snooker results in Crucible history such as Tony Knowles's 1982 first round win against the then title holder, Steve Davis. In recent years, Rory Mcleod defeated Judd Trump (before the latter became world champion in 2019), Steve Davis rolled back the years and showed why he was a six time champion back in the 1980s beating the then defending champion, John Higgins in 2010 and when James Cahill defeated the great but talented Ronnie O'Sullivan (before a further two titles in 2020 and 2022) in the first round of the 2019 World Championship. Remarkably, Ronnie made five centuries one year in the World Championship and lost a match, in a deciding frame to David Gray. It was in the year 2000. Stephen Hendry once lost to Nigel Bond in 2006, eleven years since the two met in the final, won by Hendry.

Of course, snooker like many other sports is international. Cliff Thorburn made the first televised 147 break during the 1983 Championship. Australia's Neil Robertson triumphed in 2010, thirteen years after Ireland's Ken Doherty's success. James Watttana from Thailand became the first Asian player to reach the semi final, back in 1993. Zhao Xintong became China's first world champion in 2025, nine years after his compatriot's Ding Junhui's failure in the final.

In 2002, Stephen Hendry who had won seven world snooker titles between 1990 and 1999 made sixteen centuries during the tournament. If according to Wikipedia, he made five in the semi final against Ronnie O'Sullivan, the previous year's champion and a further four in the final against former runner up and eventual champion, Peter Ebdon, which totals nine, that means by the time Stephen got to the one table situation in the semis, he made seven centuries. Mark Williams equalled Hendry's tally of sixteen centuries during the 2022 tournament.

Another championship I can remember is from the 2022 equivalent. Neil Robertson made a maximum break but the semi final line up contained former winners, Judd Trump, Mark Williams, John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan, the eventual champion who won it for the seventh time.

The 2020 Championship took place during July/August instead of April/May due to tthe pandemic. Ronnie O'Sullivan beat future world champion Kyren Wilson in the final and won it for the sixth time. He added a seventh two years later.

There are great Grand National stories such as Aldiniti's 1981 triumph to Tiger Roll's back to back wins (2018 & 2019) to Minella Times, the 2021 winner that immortalised Rachael Blackmore's victory.

The Grand National is synonymous with Red Rum, three time winner back in the 1970s. One of the victories, pipped long time leader, Crisp in an extraordinary race, start to finish.

Stars of Royal Ascot include Yeats, Frankel and Estimate.

Held annually in March covering four days. Used to be a three day met before the extra day's increase. The Cheltenham Gold Cup, run normally on a Friday is the race's signature chase event. Other races include the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers Hurdle.

As of 2025, the Cheltenham Festival has had some outstanding National Hunt stars from Golden Miller to Best Mate via Arkle and Kauto Star, Hatton's Grace to Honeysuckle via Istabraq and Hurricane Fly. Badsworth Boy to Altior via Master Minded and Sprinter Sacre. Galmoy to Big Bucks via Baracouda and Inglis Drever.

As of 2024, Birmingham in the United Kingdom last hosted it in 2022. Before it was Glasgow (2014) and then Manchester (2002) since the turn of the century. Other cities that have hosted the Commonwealth Games include Melbourne, Victoria (Canada) and Auckland.

Can't wait to watch the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014. Last time it was held in the United Kingdom was Manchester in 2002.