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News.com.au
a day ago
- General
- News.com.au
16-year-old stripped of state championship over celebration stunt
A 16-year-old has been left devastated after she was stripped of a state 400m athletics title for her post-race celebration.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Premier League predictions: How accurate were BBC Sport pundits?
Did anyone see Liverpool's Premier League title triumph coming? We didn' one of the 30 BBC pundits we asked to pick the top-flight's top four before the season started predicted that the Reds would be champions - the closest were Stephen Warnock and Fara Williams, who both said Arne Slot's side would finish they were not alone in getting it 'supercomputer' can tell you your team's exact chances of winning any competition at any given is actually a complex algorithm that uses a model based on betting market odds and the sports analytics company's own 'Power Rankings', which are calculated using past results. Last summer, before a ball was kicked, it simulated the outcome of all 380 Premier League games 10,000 times and calculated that Manchester City had an 82.2% chance of a fifth-straight title, with Liverpool down in fairness to Opta's algorithm, it did choose all four teams that finished in the actual top four and, position-wise, it was correct about two of them - Arsenal in second and Chelsea went with a hunch rather than crunching any data, but still matched that pretty impressive was one of five BBC pundits to include all of the top-four teams in their predictions and, although she went for Arsenal to win the title, she had City in third, one place above Upson, Glenn Murray, Chris Waddle and Ashley Williams did the same, but with only one team, Chelsea, in their correct position. Warnock, who aced this task last season when he picked the top four and in the correct order too, only got three of the four teams right this time, and all in the wrong he can point to Aston Villa's controversial last-day defeat at Manchester United as evidence of the fine lines between being last year's star predictor and one of this season's Warnock's pick for fourth spot, went into Sunday with the chance of finishing as high as third, but ended up sixth and missed out on the Champions League race was part of the point of this exercise because, as well as wondering who would win the title, we wanted to know who everyone thought would earn a place at European football's top table too. At the start of the season, only the top four were certain of April, however, it was confirmed that the team finishing fifth would make it as well, so six of our pundits deserve some credit for saying Newcastle would of our experts were admittedly a little further out with their predictions, however, especially the ones who included West Ham, Manchester United or Tottenham in their top did make it into the Champions League too, of course, but through winning the Europa League rather than their final league position of 17th. You can see everyone's pre-season top-four predictions in full below. Nine teams featured in the forecasted top fours, but only Manchester City and Arsenal featured in all overall predicted ranking, using all 30 BBC predictions was:Manchester City (108 points)Arsenal (99)Liverpool (54)Tottenham (12)Manchester United (8)Newcastle (8)Chelsea (8)Aston Villa (2)West Ham (1)(Using a system of four points for a first place, three points for second, two points for third and one point for fourth. When points are tied, position is in order of the highest individual prediction for each team.)The Opta supercomputer's prediction was 1. Man City 2. Arsenal 3. Liverpool 4. Chelsea
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Liverpool's perfect Anfield day, 35 years in the making
The precious prize was handed from one legendary Liverpool captain and centre-back to another. Accepting the spoils from Alan Hansen, Virgil van Dijk planted a kiss on the Premier League trophy, strolled in front of his jubilant team-mates and thrust it towards the heavens. Fireworks and red ticker tape filled the early evening air as a roar swept around Anfield. Advertisement It had been 35 years and 24 days since former Scotland international Hansen became the last Liverpool skipper to lift the league championship in front of supporters. That claim to fame now belongs to their inspirational Dutch talisman, whose classy idea it was to involve Hansen in Sunday's presentation ceremony. This had been the moment everyone connected with the club had waited for since their record-equalling 20th top-flight title was wrapped up against Tottenham Hotspur a month ago and it lived up to its billing. 'It felt amazing,' Van Dijk said as he addressed the crowd. 'You guys deserve it. We deserve it as well. We love you guys. I'm so proud of the boys. Let's enjoy the biggest party ever.' Five years ago, Liverpool's title triumph under Jurgen Klopp was bittersweet as the global pandemic meant they were denied all the trappings that should have come with ending a 30-year drought in such emphatic style. This time there is no holding back and Monday's parade around the streets of the city promises to create more unforgettable memories. On his first trip back to Anfield since stepping down a year ago, a beaming Klopp stood applauding in the directors' box as the man who replaced him proudly led the squad out for the trophy lift. Arne Slot's name boomed around the stadium. What an incredible job he has done. So much for that tricky transition after losing an icon. All expectations have been exceeded. The 10-point gap to second-placed Arsenal does not really do justice to the scale of Liverpool's dominance this season. They hit the front in November and never looked like being caught. A return of just two points out of the past 12 on offer once the title had been won means the final table flatters those beneath them. Chairman Tom Werner, who had flown in from the United States for the occasion along with fellow owners John W Henry and Mike Gordon, told reporters: 'A very emotional day. It's been a magical season. 'Arne deserves so much credit. He's an extraordinary coach. He inherited a good team and got the best out of them. He's authentic. He never tries to be somebody else.' Advertisement Fenway Sports Group CEO Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes remained in the directors' box rather than coming down onto the field in the thick of the wild celebrations, but their contribution to getting a new era at Anfield off to such a flying start should not be overlooked. Key appointments were nailed in the wake of Klopp's decision to leave. The right environment was created. It was the perfect finale with no unwanted distractions or sideshows. Concerns that all the noise surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold's impending move to Real Madrid might dent the party spirit proved misplaced. Common sense prevailed, with no repeat of the booing that accompanied his every touch against Arsenal a fortnight earlier. Trent Alexander-Arnold comes on for his final game for Liverpool 🔴 — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 25, 2025 Klopp had told guests at an LFC Foundation dinner in the city on Friday night that he was so disappointed with how the vice-captain was treated that he turned his TV off in disgust. 'I don't tell you you should not be angry or you should not be disappointed, I tell you don't forget,' Klopp said. 'This isn't us. He gave absolutely everything.' Slot had banged the same drum in his programme notes as he wrote about 'a day for unity and celebration', adding: 'Nothing can be allowed to get in the way. Whatever might divide us can wait for another day. Whatever could distract us can be put to one side.' The message got through loud and clear. There were renditions of the Steven Gerrard song after Alexander-Arnold replaced Conor Bradley at the start of the second half — a nod to the kind of legacy he has relinquished by opting to move on. But for the most part there was an outpouring of respect and thanks for the 20 years of service he has given Liverpool as cheers replaced jeers. This was exactly the send-off Alexander-Arnold deserved and you could see what it meant to him as he was reduced to tears. Advertisement 'I didn't know what to expect stepping out at Anfield after what happened a few weeks ago,' he told Sky Sports. 'I wanted to play for the club one more time and Arne trusted me to play. To get the reception I got means more than anything. I've played hundreds of games for the club but I've never felt so loved and cared for as today. 'Hand on my heart I hope one day the fans will be able to recognise the hard work and everything I have done for the team. It's been an honour and privilege to be part of. I'll remember this day. It goes down as the best day of my life.' Mohamed Salah, who will be back hungry for more come August, left laden with silverware after being presented with both the Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker awards in recognition of his remarkable tally of 29 league goals and 18 assists. The Egyptian attacker's finish from Cody Gakpo's nod down six minutes from time ensured Liverpool avoided defeat in their final game of the campaign — despite having Ryan Gravenberch sent off for a professional foul on Daichi Kamada midway through the second half. Crystal Palace had been good value for a first-half lead given to them by Ismaila Sarr. Not content with having already broken the record for goal involvements in a 38-game Premier League season, Salah also equalled the record of 47 jointly held by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole over a 42-game season. This was the first campaign in his Liverpool career in which he has started every league game. The mood was joyous throughout with a mosaic covering the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand and the Kop reading 'Campione 20'. A giant banner covering almost the entire width of the Kop displayed the message: 'A team that plays the Liverpool Way and wins the championship in May.' It was a touch of class that having received a guard of honour before kick-off, Slot's side then returned the compliment for the FA Cup winners. Advertisement The deafening chant of 'champions, champions' was never-ending as an array of red balloons floated across the playing surface. As well as Klopp, the guest list included legendary Anfield figures Dalglish, Rafa Benitez, Gerrard and Jordan Henderson. The action on the field felt inconsequential in comparison to the noise and fervour emanating from the stands. This was an occasion to savour and summer transfer plans are already in full swing to give Liverpool the best possible chance of building on this triumph. There will be no standing still, with a £30million ($41m) deal for Jeremie Frimpong already in place and the club in negotiations to sign his Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Florian Wirtz for what would be a club-record fee. 'We'll go again. We owe it to all our supporters,' Werner added.
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Liverpool 30, Arsenal 29, Ipswich 10 – How Premier League TV picks work and how many times each team was chosen
Liverpool's coronation finally arrives tomorrow evening as they get the opportunity to reclaim the Premier League trophy they have spent the past five years chasing. The ticker tape and the medals, all to commemorate a 20th English title being added to Anfield's champions wall. There are more significant fixtures on the season's final day, such as Newcastle United's attempts to secure a place in the Champions League at home to Everton, but the live television cameras have been drawn back to document the last chapter of Liverpool's title-winning story. Advertisement The game against Crystal Palace — a dress rehearsal of August's Community Shield — is one of the three chosen for a UK audience, ensuring Liverpool will top another table this season. No club has been selected more frequently for domestic broadcast across Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime. Thirty of Liverpool's 38 league games will have been shown live to a domestic audience by the time the curtain falls on Arne Slot's debut campaign. It is a reflection of Liverpool's success but also of their enduring appeal to broadcasters. Arsenal, too, are still a draw even as bridesmaids, shown 29 times. Their failed attempts to win the Premier League title have ensured they are the most televised club since 2021-22. And third this season? Manchester United, with 28 live games charting their woeful Premier League season. Hated, adored but never ignored, as the United slogan goes. The order can alter and favouritism change but the patterns are clear over who the broadcasters enjoy showing most to a UK audience. And that entrenches the notion of a 'Big Six'. They are the ones who draw the eyeballs and those who, in turn, feel the financial benefit. Roughly speaking, £900,000 ($1.2m) is paid to each club per televised game through what the Premier League calls facility fees in their domestic broadcast arrangement. Last season, Arsenal, the most televised team in the UK, earned three times as much as Burnley, the least popular pick, £26.9million versus £9.3m. On-pitch performances can play a part, as the spikes of interest in Aston Villa, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have shown this season. But it is routinely those with the biggest followings who have the stories that schedulers still wish to project. When the Premier League was formed 33 years ago, just 60 games were initially made available for live TV broadcast in the UK. It was a gentle introduction to where the wind was blowing; the first Monday night games, action every Sunday. Picking games was a relatively straightforward exercise when so few were available but that has grown more complex in time. Advertisement Unlike overseas territories, such as the United States and Canada, there are limits to the amount of live Premier League football that can be shown to a UK audience. Legally, at least. This season, the last of the current domestic broadcast cycle, has allowed 200 games to be broadcast live in the UK, with Sky, TNT and Amazon dividing up seven packages. Two of those, one belonging to Amazon and the other to TNT, covered three midweek rounds and one bank holiday when all 20 clubs were each shown four times, but the others require extensive planning from broadcasters. Every club has to be shown 10 times over the season and at least once in each of the now traditional time slots; Saturday lunchtime, Saturday evening, Sunday 2pm, Sunday 4.30pm and Monday night. However, there are also limits to consider. The Sunday 4.30pm fixtures, the most sought-after slot for UK broadcasters, can only see a club shown five times over the season, ensuring it cannot be the elite clubs every week. There is also the complication of European football. A club playing on a Thursday night cannot be picked to play on the Saturday that immediately follows, while Sunday games are out of the question if a club is due to play in Europe on the next Tuesday. So what makes Sky and TNT pick the games they do? The audience they can expect remains the primary factor considered. It is why Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have been the most selected clubs since the Covid-19-influenced season of 2020-21, when every Premier League game was broadcast live in the UK. Those three, on average, see almost 29 of their games screened live. Manchester City, the dominant force of the modern era, have also been well-liked until a drop-off this season. Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea come next in those four years, followed by Newcastle, who have seen interest grow since they began an ambitious pursuit of the Champions League places under Saudi Arabian owners. It means that upon the release of fixture lists each summer, the first instinct is to ring the match-ups between the 'Big Six' clubs and make those dates top of their wishlists for each weekend where they fall. They are the natural priority, the games that demand attention and bring high viewing figures that make paid-for-TV subscription models work. Advertisement Sky, the one domestic broadcaster the Premier League has constantly known throughout its existence, gets first pick every weekend, before TNT can select its own, predominantly for the Saturday lunchtime slot. But there are other layers beyond the obvious. Broadcasters typically do not select Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City at home to a lowly club. Picks are saved for when there might be jeopardy away from home, retaining the interest of the neutral supporter. The clamour for upsets will never disappear. Sky and TNT also like to tell the stories of promoted clubs early in the season. The bulk of Ipswich Town's televised games this season, for example, came in the first half of the campaign when their long-awaited Premier League return invited others to follow. The same, albeit to a lesser extent, extended to Southampton and Leicester City. The closing months of the season, with fates cast? Not so much. It is why Ipswich have been shown the bare minimum of 10 times. The search for a TV narrative will ensure Leeds United will be a popular choice in the opening weeks of next season after winning the Championship title. Their first home game, for example, will be close to a certainty for UK broadcast in August. Sunderland, too, would be another should they prevail in the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United after eight years away. In the middle are the clubs that broadcasters seldom covet, including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, who have been shown the same number of times as a Leicester side that meekly surrendered to relegation months ago. A byproduct of TV selections and European football, meanwhile, has ensured the near extinction of Saturday 3pm games for a small number of clubs. Manchester United, whose run to the Europa League final added an extra 15 games to their calendar, played just one of their 38 Premier League games in English football's traditional slot. Chelsea, whose exploits in the Conference League will end with a final against Real Betis next week, played two Saturday afternoon games. Advertisement That could well change again next season but the gradual, unstoppable shift towards all 380 games eventually being available to a UK audience continues with a significant step next season. Up to 270 of the 380 fixtures will be televised live in 2025-26, with Sky and TNT handed greater opportunities than ever before. Amazon, though, has exited the market in the UK. Any game played on a Sunday will be televised, mainly by Sky, ensuring clubs competing in either the Europa League or Conference League on Thursday nights will see a spike in their live games. Crystal Palace, for example, are sure to be on screens far more after qualification for the Europa League. All 10 games on the final day of the Premier League season will also be available for the first time in 12 months, negating the need for the awkward choices made this week. Season finales will never be the same again. The new four-season deal, running until 2028-29, is worth £6.7bn, with clubs sharing out a four per cent rise in revenue. Change is coming again but, as this season's numbers underline, broadcasters will always retain their favourites.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The truth about Florian Wirtz, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, secrets of Liverpool's Dutch core and a problem for Arne Slot's new signings
There may soon be more Dutch speakers than Scouse accents in the building at Liverpool 's training ground – and fans have the Netherlands to thank for their Premier League title triumph. Arne Slot, alongside his right-hand men Sipke Hulshoff and Johnny Heitinga, are from Holland – as are captain Virgil van Dijk, maestro midfielder and feisty forward . Oh, and new signing Jeremie Frimpong was born and bred in Amsterdam.
