Latest news with #SteveHodge
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Tuchel will want him in a Champions League team'
Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Steve Hodge believes that the Reds will struggle to hold on to their best players going into next season, particularly Morgan told BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast that Gibbs-White needs to be in the Champions League in order to make a World Cup squad."It's a fact, it's the way of football," he said. "If he wants to go to a World Cup he'll probably believe that Thomas Tuchel wants him in a Champions League team, either in England or Europe somewhere."These players are here for their career, to enhance their career, and if they see a better opportunity elsewhere they will want to move on. I think that's genuinely how players should look at it."Opportunity comes along every now and then and the players will look at it and think: 'I want to be at the World Cup next year so I need to be playing in the Champions League.'"Thomas Tuchel and the like will say: 'You need to be with a team that's challenging with the pressure of having to go somewhere and win a game.' At Forest, it's a bit different."Listen to more from Hodge on the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast on BBC Sounds here
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Why Maradona's controversial ‘Hand of God' goal will never be forgotten in football history
In a quarter-final World Cup match between Argentina and England in the Estadio Azteca, on June 22, 1986, in Mexico City, scored a goal that would later become one of the most controversial moments in sports history. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The "Hand of God", as it was later called, and the "Goal of the Century", as felicitated by FIFA, not only put Argentina on the path to a 2-1 win, but they also left an indelible mark on football folklore. The controversy that sparked global debate With the game 0-0 till the 51st minute, England's Steve Hodge cleared the ball, and it went up and over his own penalty area. Maradona outleapt the 6-foot-1-inch English goalkeeper Peter Shilton and seemed to guide the ball into the net with his left hand, standing just 5 feet 5 inches. The Argentines maintained the advantage thanks to the referee's lack of line-of-sight to the incident and the absence of a video review system (nonexistent at the time), despite protests by England players. Maradona later described the goal as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God," a phrase that would forever be associated with the incident from fans around the globe. A symbol of national pride and political undertones Off the field of play, the "Hand of God" goal had greater relevance for the Argentine people, being witnessed only four years after the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Maradona himself acknowledged the political importance of scoring that goal, writing in his autobiography, "The goal was as if we had beaten a country, not just a football team. This was our revenge". To most Argentinians, it was a piece of poetic justice, and a source of national pride, and it took Maradona into the realms of a cultural icon. Also Read: The contest remained an exhibition of brilliance from Maradona, who added a second four minutes later with five English players once again playing off with the ball by voted the "Goal of the Century" by FIFA in 2002. Argentina would then go on to win the tournament, and Maradona's exploits in the tournament cemented his reputation as one of the best footballers of all time. And it still stands as one of the iconic moments in football's history, a moment that represents the perfect blend of fair play, national pride, and human frailty that makes the game the addictive spectacle it is.
South China Morning Post
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Small-time Australian breeders dream of striking Hong Kong Derby gold with My Wish
Steve Hodge (left) and Fran and Brad Marshall with My Wish in Australia two years ago. Photo: Handout In the game of breeding thoroughbreds, you always need a bit of luck to be successful and for Australian trio Steve Hodge and Brad and Fran Marshall, that is certainly the case. Hodge, a small-time trainer in the New South Wales city of Newcastle for almost four decades, and his two close friends took a chance on Set The Tone when the broodmare prospect's owner put her up for sale. With only one win to her name at the remote racecourse of Tuncurry, Set The Tone came with a lowly price tag of A$3000 (HK$14,634) while in foal to Eurozone. 'I trained her and the bloke that owned her got her in foal and was cutting down his number of horses,' Hodge recalled. Classy as! 👏 My Wish staves off challengers to capture the first #4YOSeries leg - the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile - with @LukeFerraris for Mark Newnham... #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 31, 2025 'A couple of my friends and I decided to buy her and then about two months later, she slipped the foal. 'We had a free return to Eurozone, but it had moved on from Newgate Farm up in the Hunter Valley, so they said they'll honour the free return with another stallion. We got her served by Flying Artie and My Wish was the result.' Initially named Lika Ryder, the small son of Flying Artie stepped out for his first trial at Hodge's home track in 2023 and quickly created a huge buzz, bolting in by more than four lengths. 'He jumped out and did it easy and all the bloodstock agents were ringing wanting to buy him for Hong Kong,' Hodge said. 'We were just going to break him in and race him ourselves. The prize money's so good here in New South Wales, but when he won his trial so well, everyone was keen to buy him and the money was good, so we thought we'd sell him.' Now named My Wish and trained by Mark Newnham, the gelding has rocketed into BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) contention and has Hodge and the Marshalls dreaming of a major breeding success on Sunday. My Wish has been a revelation for Newnham in his second season training in Hong Kong, notching four wins – including a fighting Classic Mile triumph in January – and a last-start second to Derby favourite Rubylot in the Classic Cup (1,800m). 'We're only small-time breeders, we've only got one or two mares,' Hodge said. 'To breed one running in a Derby in Hong Kong is a pretty big thing. Mark's done an unbelievable job with him and Luke [Ferraris] rides him so well. Hopefully it all falls into place for them. 'I knew Mark when he was a jockey. He had rides for me, as a matter of fact, back in the day. He's a great trainer and a great person.' Hodge will be at Sha Tin for the city's most prestigious race on Sunday, but it won't be his first trip to Hong Kong. 'I went over in December for the two big meetings and I was there 29 years ago,' Hodge said. 'Kris Lees and I took [Potential Star] over for Kris' father, Max. It was in the [QE II Cup]. It went no good, but I was there for a month and had a good time. Rubylot mows them down in the Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin! My Wish is brave in defeat as @brentonavdulla and David Hayes combine for victory... 🏆#4YOSeries | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 2, 2025 'It will be good to catch up with Mark and hopefully cheer My Wish home.' If My Wish overcomes the widest draw in barrier 14 to claim Derby glory, it will boost the value of his full-brother that Hodge and the Marshalls have on their hands. 'He was just weaned last week. He's a really nice horse,' Hodge said. 'We didn't put the mare back in foal for a couple of years after My Wish. When he showed the ability and was sold to Hong Kong, we went and picked her up and had her served by Flying Artie again. 'If My Wish happens to win the Derby, this foal should be worth a bit and might make it through the yearling sales. We've got the mare back in foal to Hawaii Five Oh.'
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'It has been deserved' - what's behind 'remarkable' turnaround?
Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Steve Hodge has been explaining what has sparked the club's "remarkable" turnaround, one year on from the Reds receiving a four-point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability on BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up and Show More Football podcast, Hodge said: "It's down to lots of different people. It's not just those on the pitch, but also those off the pitch - recruitment-wise and management staff."Everybody deserves a lot of credit around the football club. It is remarkable. I don't think anyone who thinks they know football would have had Nottingham Forest even in the top half of the table this season."So, as we approach April, to be in the top four or five for the whole season with 16 wins in the Premier League - that takes some doing. It has been deserved. I think everyone appreciates that this side have done a great job."They do need to keep their main players fit because they will still have issues with their squad depth and strength if some of those main players get injured, so touch wood on that."The success this season is down to the improvement of the players, the improvement in recruitment, how they have gelled together, the management and how the staff have structured the team."Also the players being self-motivated and happy with each other, wanting to run through brick walls for each other, gets results like they have got so far this season."Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Will feel benefits down the line' - Hodge on warm-weather training
Former Forest midfielder Steve Hodge believes Nuno Espirito Santo and his players will "feel the benefits down the line" from their mid-season warm-weather training trip to was part of regular mid-season trips while playing for Forest in the 1980s under Brian Clough but joked on the latest episode of Shut Up and Show More Football: "We didn't see a football pitch - we just saw a bar!".Nuno said the trip helped develop a "tight bond" between his squad as they prepare for a crucial stage of the season in their bid to qualify for European football."The players have been around Nottingham, the City Ground, and have been travelling on coaches to games for the past seven, eight months," Hodge told BBC Radio Nottingham."There is a monotony about it. It's a great life but there is that sameness every trip, on the same bus with the same routine so it's good to get out in the sunshine. "We haven't seen the sun here for a few months so everyone wants to get in that and feel that on your back and get in the swimming pool. You lose that mental pressure of having to perform and be at it every game. "As great as we have been this season and how much the players have loved it, there is still pressure and that will ramp up now we're in that top four or five and there is a chance for Europe. "You do feel the benefits down the line - when the going gets tough you still feel pretty fresh. Mentally, you just feel you have more to give as the season progresses. "It always worked for us. We loved it. The only conversation we had after getting knocked out of the FA Cup early was knowing we'd be in Cala Millor in 48 hours. "It was not quite Dubai - the guys go out there, they're training every day and they're super fit. We didn't see a football pitch - we just saw a bar!"Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
