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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘I don't want to be Gary': Kelly Cates on Sky, Match of the Day and social media
Kelly Cates is about to begin the busiest year of her career. That, to be fair, is an estimate, because the football presenter and broadcaster has always been a grafter. From Setanta Sports to Channel 5 there are few places she has not applied her blend of deep knowledge and emotional warmth, and as of this weekend she will be the face of the BBC's and Sky's coverage of the Premier League. The action gets under way at a second home, Anfield, from where Cates will host Sky's Friday Night Football coverage of Liverpool v Bournemouth. This follows two preview shows for the BBC, and precedes her first shift on Match of the Day. Asked whether her schedule might be daunting, Cates appears almost bemused. 'I've just got busy weekends, but I work in sports so I expect to have busy weekends,' she says. 'It's not as complicated as you think – there's a very fast train to Manchester.' Cates, speaking at Sky's HQ, says she doesn't want to sound cliched but 'it's good to keep doing new things'. Her new roles are a chance to 'keep things fresh'. Having worked in the industry for 27 years, starting with a presenting role on the opening morning of Sky Sports News, 'to get a chance to do something new and still have the live football and have so many live games, it's just really lovely to have that balance'. For many years Cates had to endure questions that her colleagues don't; from being a woman in a man's world to being the daughter of a football legend, Sir Kenny Dalglish. She has long since carved out her own place in sports broadcasting however, so when she was approached for the role of Match of the Day host, alongside Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan, Sky immediately brokered a deal that would keep her on its roster too. While her male colleagues may get more attention, usually adjacent to some controversy, Cates's less combative approach has also helped shape contemporary coverage of football on TV (and radio). Her more approachable and conversational style is suited to the age of podcasting and long-form interviews. 'I think that the tone generally has changed to become more conversational on air, and I think that's probably because that's come from digital,' she says. 'A lot of that was fan-led and a lot of it was just people starting up on their own at the beginning. But I think you can have a conversational tone without having a conversation, and you can still interview somebody while having a conversational tone.' Cates offers another distinction from many of her peers; she is not an avid user of social media. She has no account on X and tends to use Instagram to promote her work rather than share her worldview. 'I haven't ever really used my social media for that, so it isn't something that I'm going to have to change,' she says. 'I think that in a lot of cases, I'm not the best-placed person to talk about some of those issues. And I think there's a tendency to believe that if somebody isn't talking about something they don't care about it. I think it's perfectly possible to care about something and keep quiet and let experts talk about it, which I think is a lot of the time better. I always feel like if I couldn't cope well with being challenged heavily on it, then I shouldn't be putting my opinion out publicly.' That she should be asked about her posting reflects the Gary Lineker-shaped presence in the room. Cates, Chapman and Logan are being asked by the BBC to team up to replace a broadcasting legend, with all the public scrutiny that entails. Cates says she has not spoken to Lineker about the job, but defends his reputation despite his being a 'controversial' figure. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'He hasn't got in touch and I haven't got in touch with him, but not because we're avoiding each other,' she says. 'We just don't know each other that well. I think [Chapman] was saying that Gary said, 'Why would I tell three broadcasters how to do their job?' Which is very lovely of him because he was brilliant at the job. And as much as he was a controversial character at times, any focus group that researched these things would tell you how much he was adored in that role.' On how she will approach following in the footsteps of yet another football legend, Cates is matter of fact. 'I don't want to be Gary,' she says. 'I think there's a temptation to try and be someone else, and I think that you get a job because of yourself. If then you try to be someone else, it can all just get a bit confused. I don't need another thing to think about. I don't need to be sitting there thinking: 'What would Gary do?'' Cates has enough talent and experience to help her adapt to her new prominence. Britons will see a lot more of her on their screens and she will be watching even more football. Is there any possibility that more could become too much? 'If it was going to happen, it would have kicked in by now,' she says with a smile.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Davis beat impostor syndrome to land 'life-changing' bout
Alfie Davis reflects on one fight in particular when he points out one of the most difficult moments of his Alexander Shabliy in 2021, the Londoner admits he was "outclassed" as the Russian cruised to a unanimous decision 33-year-old says that while his preparations for the bout were hampered by a bacterial infection in his foot, the main reason for his defeat was psychological."I just didn't pull the trigger and I think I choked under the pressure that he is this big star I felt I shouldn't have been in there with," Davis tells BBC a person doubts their ability and achievements it is sometimes described as impostor syndrome - a psychological experience where someone fears being exposed as not competent at their and bravado play such important parts in many fighters' mindsets that it is uncommon for them to voice doubts about their standing in the says throughout his career he has performed to his exciting potential in the gym, but has sometimes struggled to replicate it during year however, things have changed. His career has reached new won two fights in 2025, Davis faces Russia's Gadzhi Rabadanov in the PFL lightweight tournament final in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday - with the winner securing a $500,000 (£372,000) pay puts his change in fortunes down to two factors. The first is a swap of gym and coaches, which he says have allowed him to "express myself a bit more".The second is altering the way he thinks about competing. Davis appears calm and confident as he envisions the fight with 32-year-old Rabadanov."I think I used to put too much pressure on myself, but when I just go in there and go with the flow, not concentrating on the result too much, I get into my flow state. Before, I was overthinking," he adds."I feel this guy I'm fighting now, if he was in the gym, I'd make easy work of him - I've just got to prove that under the big lights." 'I always felt someone was watching over me' Davis grew up in Enfield on the outskirts of London with his mum, brother, stepdad and two half-brothers after his biological dad died at the age of says he was too young to remember his father, but his death was what inspired the early stages of his fight started kickboxing at the age of 12 - when he competed for Great Britain at the European and World Kickboxing Championships - before transitioning to MMA at the age of 19."When I was young we grew up with not much money. We were working class and I was always motivated to get some money," said Davis."I always sort of had an inner feeling that someone was watching over me. "Growing up with no money, but also the feeling of wanting to make someone proud who was watching over me, that's something that really helped me." Davis is married with two children and says supporting his family is the main factor that has inspired the second half of his he beat Rabadanov, Davis will become the third Briton to win the PFL's annual tournament after Brendan Loughnane in 2022 and Dakota Ditcheva last £372,000 Davis could pick up is half of what Loughnane and Ditcheva won after the PFL cut its prize money this year, but he maintains it would be "life-changing"."It was formerly a million [dollars] so I feel I've been done up here a bit," he laughs."But it's a lot of money, it would be massively life-changing. I've never experienced that sort of money."My younger self would read stuff and try and convince myself I'm going to win but now I'm like 'we'll just go in there and see what shakes'."It would be lovely to win but, if not, I'm proud of my work this year already and I'm just going to try and enjoy the journey."Davis is the first of two Britons competing in the PFL finals this month, with Fabian Edwards facing Dalton Rosta on 21 August in the middleweight showpiece.
BreakingNews.ie
3 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Profits at Johnny Sexton management firm surge to €2.67m
The management company owned by former Ireland rugby captain Johnny Sexton recorded post tax profits of €425,952 last year. Sexton retired from playing during the year under review in October 2023, following the Rugby World Cup and new accounts filed by Sexton's JAS Management & Promotions Ltd show that it recorded bumper profits for the 12 months to the end of September last. Advertisement The €425,952 post-tax profit followed a post-tax loss of €83,240 in the prior year - a positive swing of €509,192. The profit for last year resulted in the firm sitting on accumulated profits of €2.67m at the end of September last. Cash funds at the company last year more than halved from €1.3 million to €554,744 while during the same period, the value of the company's financial assets increased by €1.22 million from €881,826 to €2.11 million. The accounts - signed off by directors, Johnny Sexton and wife, Laura Sexton on August 6th - show that aggregate pay to directors last year decreased sharply from €322,334 to €238,606 made up of emoluments of €63,759 and pension contributions of €174,856. Advertisement Sexton - who celebrated turning 40 last month- added to his company's coffers in the current financial year with sales from his Obsessed: The Autobiography by Johnny Sexton which was the biggest selling non-fiction book of 2024 in Ireland. The paperback release of the book - which won Eason Sports Book of the Year at An Post's 2024 Irish Book Awards - in May of this year resulted in a fresh surge in sales. Sexton will have also benefited from the Government's innovative tax relief programme - introduced in 2002 - for professional sportspeople which allows them to receive a generous tax refund in the year they retire permanently from their sport. After retiring from the game in October 2023 following Ireland's World Cup loss to New Zealand, Sexton took up a senior role with glass bottle and tin-can maker, Ardagh. Advertisement However, earlier this year, Sexton was added to the British and Irish Lions coaching ticket ahead of taking up a full time coaching role with Ireland rugby team this month as well as working with men's and women's senior and age-grade teams. The former Leinster out-half had been working with the Ireland men's squad in a part-time coaching capacity since the 2024 Autumn Nations Series. Sexton, a former World Rugby Player of the Year was appointed Ireland captain by Andy Farrell in January 2020. Sexton is one of Irish Rugby's most decorated players and led Ireland to a Grand Slam in 2023 and won four European Rugby Champions Cups with Leinster. Sexton set up his firm in 2010 to handle earnings from commercial ventures such as sponsorships and image rights.
