August as always sees the Football season start in earnest and with the Rugby League season remaining in full swing, it was always going to be an action-packed month. The BT Sport cameras were in town as National League newcomers Salford City opened the season with a tricky game against fellow promotion hopefuls Leyton Orient and we were on hand to get the Peninsula Stadium looking its best with the help of a raft of new Vanarama branding. A hard-earned point demonstrated to The Ammies and no doubt many others, that the forthcoming campaign might not be all plain sailing for the Class of ‘92…………..
Our next taste of Football came in the shape of FC united of Manchester against Ashton United in the National League North, with The Robins running out eventual winners by the odd goal in seven. An enthralling contest that ebbed and flowed and finished in a way that not many, if any could’ve predicted.
The next LIVE BT Sport fixture was Wrexham v Boreham Wood at The Racecourse ground and going from a shiny new Salford City stadium one week, to a traditional one like the home of Wrexham AFC the next, proves once again that it really is “All in The NationAL League.” A convincing 3-0 win took The Dragons to the top of the league but had Luke Garrard’s men been a little sharper in front of goal, the outcome may well have been different.
The third LIVE BT Sport National League offering for us in August was AFC Fylde against last season’s National League North Promotion Final winners Harrogate Town at Mill Farm. A more than watchable 0-0 saw both teams take a point each and after all teams have played 7 games, we now know there will be a good few clubs harbouring hopes of testing themselves in The Football League, but unfortunately only two will be able to realise that dream. The first few weeks of the season have proved once again that those gaining promotion out of The National League will have to earn it and that nothing at this level of the beautiful game is for free!
The Ladbrokes Challenge Cup is always a jewel in the crown of the Sporting calendar and this season’s offering was no different. An historic win for Catalans Dragons sees the famous old trophy leave The British Isles for the very first time in its 122-year history and we were delighted to be on hand to witness an historic Catalan victory at Wembley. The only worry now is whether Warrington Wolves can get their season back on track, have a real crack at getting their hands on The Betfred Super League trophy and add some more names to ‘The Sports 360 Hall of Fame Lounge.’
We also managed to keep abreast of Super League action by taking in the clash between Salford Red Devils and Widnes Vikings. Two clubs we have worked closely with for a good number of years and not clubs we would like to see relegated at all. Hopefully both can find enough magic in the remaining weeks of the season, in order to preserve their Super League status.
Warrington Wolves put Hull to the sword with a comprehensive victory in the Super 8s after their Wembley heart break and we were delighted to be on hand to see it. The Halliwell Jones is a fantastic place to watch Rugby League and it was a masterclass from the primrose and blues on this occasion.
In terms of Kit Sponsorship, we witnessed an opening day victory for Preston North End and an away win for Bolton against Leeds in The Carabao Cup two weeks later. Three kit deals that we have brokered and it’s great to see all three teams make promising starts to the season. Preston and Leeds will be looking to reach The Premier League in their 32Red sponsored shirts and Bolton will be looking to build on their great start and finish as high up The Championship as possible, generating great exposure for Betfred along the way.
A successful month doesn’t pass without a trip to Bonnie Scotland and we had a great afternoon north of the border, meeting various people and clubs to discuss all things Scottish Football. We even had time for a little ‘guided tour’ of Glasgow as we ventured across to Hampden where we managed to grab a little bite to eat in the under belly of the famous old stadium.
The month came to a close with a tremendous performance from ‘Team Sports 360’ in the inaugural Jasic Classic charity golf day in support of Kidneys for Life. It truly was a fantastic event and a great day, with all participants having fun and raising money for a wonderful cause.
In terms of the tournament itself, the boys took parts of the course by storm, similarly to how a young Tiger Woods used to tear up Augusta National, eventually finishing as worthy runners up. Sports 360’s very own Martin James and ‘Modus Darts’ supremo Jason Thame steered the ship admirably, with Joe ‘The Rockstar’ Cullen regularly checking out in style. Jasic sponsored Snooker legend Shaun Murphy donated a very generous auction item on the night and made his way round the Worsley Park course with ease. A better swing you will be hard pressed to find and if you’re looking for someone to hit a ball into any type of hole, evidently The Magician is your man.
It was a fantastic month to end what has been an excellent Summer at Sports 360 and although August ended with a fun filled couple of days, you can be sure it will be back to ‘school’ in September.
