Premier League v Super League

Match reports are something which annoy the hell out of me sometimes.

Looking at the BBC’s coverage of football and rugby league there is a clear gulf in interest in what they think people might want to read.

Taking two match reports, Sunday’s title decider between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic, in the Premier League, and Wigan Warriors verses Whitehaven Warriors in the Challenge Cup from Monday, it is quite clear what their reporters interests are.

Admittedly, Sunday’s Premier League match I have picked was the match which won United the title and the Challenge Cup game was a Round Five match between a Super League powerhouse and a National League 1 average side.

However, 638 words make up the footy report compared to 79 in the rugby report.

This annoys me beacause, as an avid rugby league fan, there are times when I want to read a detailed match report about a certain match, just like you can for ANY football match.

With the footy report there are video links to the after-match interviews with the managers, but just an archived picture stuck in the middle of the rugby report.

Don’t get me wrong, it certainly isn’t just the BBC who tend to prioritise.  A lot of other sports websites and newspapers would do well to not restrict “other” sports to half a column in the inside pages of the sports section.

A week of good fortunes for my favorite clubs!

CHAMPIONES, CHAMPIONES!!

Get in!

Another year, another title for Fergie.  Long may it continue.

I must not hide my delight in getting one over on Chelsea again (as if they thought they had a chance!!)

I think the difference has been Ronaldo.  31 goals in the league alone for someone who isn’t an out-and-out striker is phenomenal.  Add to it Tevez’s 14 and Rooney’s 12, that’s 57 goals from the Holy Trinity alone.

Chelea’s top scorer was Lampard with a measly 10, with Drogba only managing eight (forgive me for being critical, but after last season what has he been doing?).

Earlier in the week the mighty Barrow AFC clinched promotion to the top flight of non-league football for the first time this century!  They beat Stalybridge Celtic 1-0 in the playoff final at Burton Albion thanks to a Matt Henney goal.  That lengthened their unbeaten league run to 20 games, which, I am led to beleive, is an English record at all levels of the pyramid this season.

I was exteremely surprised to see their match live on television – albeit pay-per-view Setanta Sports.  But this made me think good on Setanta for being brave enough and gambling on showing non-league football.

Unlike Sky Sports who daren’t show anything other than mainstream Premier League, Football League or Internationals, thisk could be one move for Setanta that could break the mould and bring non-league football into the mainstream.

I found out that they already show Scottish, German, French and Dutch football and the re-vamped Conference Cup (now aptly named the Setanta Shield), so they really are branching out by the looks of things.

My other adopted team, Hull, are one step away from Wembley after beating Watford away 2-0 in the Championship playoffs semi-final first legs!  Hopefully they will no longer hold the accolade of the being the biggest city in Europe not to have played top flight football.

And also a mention to fellow Cumbrian’s Carlisle, who beat Dirty Leeds 2-1 in their first leg of the League 1 playoffs to take back to Brunton Park with them!

Well done all round boys!