You can keep your glitzy Monaco, your high-speed Monza, and your tempestuous Interlagos. For sheer historical weight and Formula 1 racing pedigree, it’s the British Grand Prix all the way.

When the drivers line up at the Silverstone Circuit in rural Northamptonshire on 5th July, it will have been almost 100 years since the first ever British Grand Prix.

What’s more, Silverstone itself was the venue for the first ever Grand Prix of the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship back on 13th May, 1950.

Rather than continue spouting out fascinating trivia about this most prestigious of racing events (which would be interesting in itself), we thought we’d mark its big birthday by recalling some of the most memorable moments from British Grand Prix history.

Lights out – Go! Go! Go!

1. Ferrari’s first ever World Championship win

Ferrari secured its first ever Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix win at Silverstone on 14th July, 1951. Argentinian racer Jose Froilan Gonzalez beat the Alfa Romeo driven by Juan Manuel Fangio (who would go on to win the Championship) to secure maximum points.

Founder and all-round motor racing legend Enzo Ferrari famously said that his company’s maiden win in the now-established World Championship format had felt like he had killed his mother. Which sounds like an odd thing to say, until you consider his history as an Alfa Romeo test driver and the subsequent head of the Milan-based marque’s racing department.

2. Senna hitches a ride

Not all of the most iconic moments in motor racing come between lights out and the chequered flag. Back at 1991’s British Grand Prix, it was a casual piece of camaraderie between two fierce rivals that sticks in the memory.

When Ayrton Senna’s Ferrari ran out of fuel on the final lap, he was left stranded on the side of the track. Britain’s Nigel Mansell, fresh from a second-place finish, stopped to render assistance. The Brazilian legend hopped onto the side of Mansell’s Williams and, with a withering dismissal of an anxious marshal, they were off.

3. Hamilton’s soggy first win

Lewis Hamilton was a hungry young 23-year-old in only his second season as an F1 driver when he rocked up to Silverstone in 2008. He had finished third in his home debut the previous year, and hadn’t managed to score any points at all in his two most recent races.

The future superstar reminded the world of his prodigious talent with a masterful win from fourth on the grid. It was notable for being an early demonstration of Hamilton’s mastery in wet conditions, as he overtook his team mate Heikki Kovalainen and won the race by more than a minute.

4. Hunt’s non-win win

The 1976 British Grand Prix took place at Brands Hatch (which hosted all of the even years between 1964 and 1986, with Silverstone taking the odds), and produced one of the most thrilling races in the event’s history.

It was here that mercurial Brit James Hunt crashed on the first lap, initiating a red flag, and limped his McLaren back to the pits. Having initially been barred from joining the restart, the partisan crowd threatened to riot, prompting the stewards to acquiesce. Hunt went on to win the race, but was subsequently disqualified following an appeal from Niki Lauda’s Ferrari team.

5. Max crashes hard

The 2021 season was badly marred by a botched race control decision that led to Max Verstappen winning his first World Championship on the final day. It’s a shame, because the season that led up to that infamous mistake was an all-time great.

Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel throughout the year in what became an increasingly bitter rivalry, culminating in a huge high speed crash at Silverstone’s 190mph Copse Corner. Contact between the two sent the young Dutch driver into the tire wall at a frankly staggering 51G of force. Hamilton would go on to win the race, if not the war.

6. Mansell’s late dash

A series of reliability issues and unfortunate events, together with an elite team mate in Brazil’s Nelson Piquet, would deny Mansell his first championship in 1987. However, the British Grand Prix that year would provide a solid consolation prize.

Hot on the heels of his fellow Williams driver, Mansell was forced to pit for new tires. Rejoining the track with a 28-second gap and only 29 laps left, he embarked on a breathtaking effort to haul the then-two-time champion in. He finally caught up and overtook with just three laps to spare, completing a hugely unlikely home victory.

7. Holy track invader!

At most sporting events, pitch or court invaders are a source of mild amusement at best, and bored annoyance at worst. In a sport that involves 600kg chunks of metal and carbon fibre hurtling across the ‘playing field’ at speeds of 200mph, they’re downright dangerous.

That was precisely the situation during the 2003 British Grand Prix when, on lap 11, former Irish priest Cornelius Horan managed to jump the hoardings and started running up the high-speed Hangar Straight, right into the path of oncoming cars. Thankfully, the safety car was swiftly deployed, and Horan was removed into police custody.

8. A wheel-ly weird year for Silverstone

The 2020 British Grand Prix was notable for a couple of reasons. The usual fanatical crowd was absent, for one thing, due to the then-raging coronavirus pandemic. This was also to be the first of two Grands Prix taking place across consecutive weekends at the same historic venue – the second being a 70-year commemoration of the first ever Grand Prix season.

Reigning champ Lewis Hamilton topped the opening event off in thrillingly unexpected fashion when he sustained a puncture on the final lap, just about managing to fend off a rapidly closing Max Verstappen to win the race on three wheels.

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The England football team play Mexico at 1am on Monday morning. It's likely to be a hectic one following Keir Starmer’s confirmation pubs will be allowed to open until 5am for the occasion.

“Football might be coming home but we're making sure fans don't have to,” Starmer said during the announcement.

If you plan to go big for this one, check out our guide to where you can see the match.

Based on some recently-commissioned research, you won’t be alone.

According to stats compiled by tech brand Honor, London has the highest proportion of football fans planning to stay up for the 1am match — at 80 per cent compared to a 68 per cent average across the country.

55 per cent of Londoners also have, or plan to, take time off work for World Cup matches, while around eight per cent even have plans to “pull a sickie” according to the research. Public service announcement: we don’t think you’ll get away with that following the England v Mexico match.

Late night adrenaline rush

The match itself takes place at Azteca stadium, and England captain Harry Kane is already making excuses should the team foul this one up. Azteca stadium sits 2240m above sea level in Mexico City, which both he and manager Thomas Tuchel claim puts the England team at a “huge” disadvantage — given their lack of training at altitude.

At the time of writing the betting odds place England as favourites to win the upcoming match, despite playing on Mexico’s home turf.

Research stats suggest 52 per cent of Greater London viewers struggle to sleep after a World Cup match thanks to all the adrenaline. But we imagine a few of you might have some sleepless nights over the weekend too.

Why is a Chinese tech brand like Honor commissioning research about London football fans? It’s all part of the marketing push for its new Honor Watch 6, which came out last month (and has an £80-off early bird offer until the end of this month, if you're interested).

The research also, to the surprise of no-one, also revealed we’re already unusually tech-pilled in London. Apparently 10 per cent of us already use a smartwatch, and even more — a full 15 per cent — use sleep headphones. Those ambulance sirens and snoring partners won't drown themselves out, right?

Don’t take these stats too seriously, though. Honor only commissioned a 2000-strong survey for these figures.

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England's World Cup campaign continues this weekend as Thomas Tuchel's side take on Mexico in the Round of 16, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.

After edging past DR Congo 2-1 to reach the knockout stages, England now face one of their toughest tests of the tournament. The only downside for supporters back home is the kick-off time, with the match getting underway at 1am BST on Monday the 6th of July.

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While pubs and bars can stay open later if they have the appropriate licensing or council permission in place, not every venue will be screening the game. If you're planning to watch alongside fellow England fans, it's worth booking ahead as many places are taking reservations for the late-night fixture.

From giant fan zones and dedicated sports bars to pubs staying open into the early hours, here are some of the best places in London to watch England vs Mexico.

TOCA Social, The O2

Football-themed entertainment venue TOCA Social is showing England's clash with Mexico at its Greenwich home. While it's best known for its interactive football games, the venue also transforms into a lively sports bar on major matchdays, complete with large screens, cocktails, sharing platters and plenty of seating. It's a great option if you're planning to make a full night of it before the early morning kick-off.

BOXPARK (Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley)

BOXPARK's venues in Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley have become some of London's go-to destinations during major football tournaments, and England's last 16 clash with Mexico is no exception.

Expect giant screens, buzzing fan zones, street food from a range of independent traders and plenty of bars serving drinks into the night. Tickets and advance bookings are recommended, especially given the unusual 1am kick-off.

Box (Piccadilly)

Located in the heart of the West End, Box Piccadilly has built a reputation as one of London's best sports bars thanks to its wall-to-wall screens and lively matchday atmosphere.

England's showdown with Mexico will be shown live into the early hours, with food, cocktails and beers available throughout the night. Booking ahead is recommended as tables are expected to fill quickly.

Hope & Anchor (Brixton)

Another south London favourite opening specifically for England vs Mexico, the Hope & Anchor is taking advance bookings for the overnight screening. With more than 20 indoor and outdoor screens, it's one of the biggest sports pubs in the area and is known for its lively football atmosphere. If you want to watch the game surrounded by fellow England fans, this should be high on your list.

Long Arm Brewery & Tap Room (Shoreditch)

Located inside Montcalm Royal London House in Finsbury Square, Long Arm Brewery & Tap Room will be screening every England match throughout the tournament.

The venue combines fresh craft beer brewed on site with large screens and a relaxed atmosphere, making it a great option if you want something a little different from the traditional sports pub. Food and drinks will be available throughout the evening as fans settle in for another late-night fixture.

Arcade (Battersea, Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road)

For those who'd rather pair the football with dinner, Arcade is showing England vs Mexico across its Battersea Power Station, Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road venues.

The food hall brings together kitchens serving everything from burgers and pizza to Thai and Indian dishes, alongside a well-stocked cocktail menu. Large screens throughout the venues mean you can catch every minute without sacrificing your dinner plans.

Rae's Summer Sports Lounge

Formerly known as Omeara, Rae's Summer Sports Lounge at The Lowline near London Bridge is showing every England match throughout the tournament, including the last 16 clash against Mexico.

The venue will feature more than eight large screens, DJs before and after the match, six beers on tap and premium cocktails, plus plenty of food options from The Lowline's traders. Doors open from 10pm, giving fans plenty of time to settle in before the 1am kick-off. Next door is one of our favourite London pizza spots too — Spring Street Pizza.

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The idea of doing exercise, especially in summer, falls into the same category as volunteering or homecooking – something that works far better in theory than in reality, and is usually thought about with most vigour right before you fall asleep on a Sunday evening having spent the entire weekend horizontal. But by the time you Google "London gym membership prices" and see the gallery of impressively fit, somehow attractively sweaty people splashed across the website, it all gets a little off-putting.

Enter the BON CHARGE method, a new series of expertly crafted workouts that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

BON CHARGE is the wellness company behind the kind of red light products that look like they could have fallen out of a Steven Spielberg / Gore Verbinski set. As well as the red light masks you’ll have seen all over your girlfriend’s fyp, BON CHARGE offer things like red light caps (to help with hair growth, yes really), infrared sauna domes, and EMF-blocking blankets. Their new ‘method’ has been created by celebrity trainer Flik Swan, and it’s all about bringing elite training to busy Brits without them even needing to leave their home.

Rather than a subscription-based model that requires your life savings for the vague promise of lightly visible abs, every workout episode is free to watch (and pant at) on YouTube. Hear the words ‘celebrity personal trainer’ and ‘wellness brand ’, and you might be panicking that you’re about to be subjected to some kind of medieval-style torture via burpees that you’ll end up pausing four minutes in.

However, this workout series follows four different segments: movement, breathwork, performance, and relaxation, meaning the whole thing is less about getting shredded and more about building up a more balanced inner wellness. It's all about helping busy Londoners squeeze in a bit of wellness without needing to sign up for a 12-month boot camp.

The classes include:

• 360 Sculpt: A full-body, high-energy, and calorie-burning session that focuses on strength and resistance. An immersive session that combines body weight movement, light exposure and recovery.
• Sound Bath Meditation: Guided recovery experience blending sound, breathwork and deep rest. Best utilised for evening wind-down rituals to support moments of calm, relaxation and reset.
• Sculpt & Stretch: A restorative new category of wellness exploration combining performance and recovery. Specifically designed for time-poor Brits, this daily wellness ritual focuses on light, mobility, flexibility and movement.

Each class is designed to use a different Bon Charge tool, from the red light panel to the infrared PEMF Mat, red light face masks and blankets. Whereas you can often buy a wellness product and end up tugging at a few buttons and hoping for the best, the sessions are meant to help Londoners get the most out of their existing wellness toys tools so just maybe, you can justify that Black Friday purchase which has been used approximately twice.

It’s a demystifying-the-wellness-and-fitness-scene kind of series which has been created around science, and executed by a professional trainer, which makes a nice change from vaguely trying to copy something you saw a part-time fitness influencer post on Instagram.

You can find The BON CHARGE method workout series, on their YouTube channel.

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Getting Wimbledon tickets can feel more elusive than Glastonbury tickets at times, leaving some Brits (me) wishing that bribery was an acceptable way to get around the ballot. Even if the bribe would probably consist of things currently listed on my Vinted page and whatever unopened bottle of wine is in the back of our kitchen cupboard. And if you’re not prepared to do the whole 4am queue thing, then often the closest you end up getting to the prestigious courts is watching it on a large screen in a busy area of London. This year might be an exception, however, as tennis legend Maria Sharapova is set to give away eight Wimbledon tickets to some very lucky Londoners.

Technically, Stella Artois is the one actually supplying the tickets, with Sharapova hosting the competition, which will be taking place at The Audley in Mayfair. The only catch? It's a one-day-only gig happening on Thursday, 2nd July.

To actually be in the running for the tickets, you’ll need to head down to The Audley pub in Mayfair on 2nd July between 5-7pm. You’ll need to buy a pint or half pint of Stella Artois (or Stella 0.0), which will be served in an exclusive glass, and scan the QR code on the coaster it comes on. You’ll upload a photo of your chalice of beer with your details, which will be your entry into the prize draw. The competition kicks off at 5pm and the winners will be announced by Sharapova between 6-7pm so this is definitely one of those occasions where you do not want to be running late.

All the tickets are for the highly coveted Finals Weekend with a pair of tickets up for grabs for Court 1 across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Plus, there are two Ground Pass tickets for the Sunday, too.

Currently, we’re three days into Wimbledon, and have seen the Venus sisters return to the grassy courts, Naomi Osaka making tennis fashion history, and a plethora of British celebs guzzling Pimms. The lineup for the Finals Weekend is yet to be determined, as the current seeded players are battling it out to progress.

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Finally, the group stage is done, and now the real World Cup begins. England's reward for topping Group L is a Round of 32 clash with DR Congo, kicking off at 5pm on Wednesday the 1st of July.

It's an awkward start time that means thousands of fans will be making a beeline from the office straight to the pub, but that's all part of the fun. If Thomas Tuchel's side are going to keep their World Cup dream alive, you'll want to be somewhere with a decent atmosphere.

As ever, London's biggest football venues have gone all in for the occasion, with giant screens, fan zones and plenty of pre-match pints on offer. You might notice one or two familiar names missing from this list. That's because some of the capital's biggest World Cup destinations, including Flat Iron Square, have already sold out for England's knockout opener.

If you haven't locked in your plans yet, don't panic. These are the best places still worth booking, or getting to early, for England v DR Congo.

TOCA Social (The O2 and Westfield White City)

If you want to lean into the football theme, TOCA Social is an easy shout. The interactive football venue is screening England's World Cup Round of 32 clash against DR Congo at both its O2 and Westfield White City locations, with doors opening from 3pm to give you plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere before the 5pm kick-off.

Every ticket includes a free drink from the standard menu if you arrive before 4pm, plus there's a match-day happy hour running in the two hours before kick-off. Just bear in mind that this is a ticket-only event, so you won't be able to rock up on the day, and the football games themselves aren't included with your screening ticket.

BOXPARK (Wembley, Camden, Croydon and Shoreditch)

BOXPARK is once again going all out for England's World Cup campaign, with screenings taking place across its Wembley, Camden, Croydon and Shoreditch venues. If you're after atmosphere, this is about as close as you'll get without hopping on a plane, with giant screens, hundreds of fellow England fans and plenty of food and drink to keep you going through the knockout drama.

Tickets are required for entry, with doors opening from 2pm ahead of the 5pm kick-off and last entry at 4pm. With 14 independent street food traders on site, it's also one of the better options if your group can't agree on what to eat before kick-off.

Greenwood, Victoria

If you're looking for somewhere central, Greenwood is hard to beat. Just a couple of minutes from Victoria Station, it's an easy option for anyone escaping the office before England's 5pm kick-off. With more than 30 HD screens spread across two floors, plus a huge 150-inch LED video wall, you won't have to worry about missing a moment of the action.

The atmosphere is firmly geared towards live sport, but Greenwood also scores highly on the food front. Think chicken wings, burgers and stone-baked pizzas alongside a solid drinks menu, while the spacious terrace is ideal if you fancy making an afternoon of it before heading inside for kick-off. It's one of the strongest all-round options in central London for watching England's World Cup knockout clash with DR Congo.

Tank & Paddle, Bishopsgate

For City workers who'd rather skip the mad dash across London, Tank & Paddle Bishopsgate is a solid shout. Just a short walk from Liverpool Street, it's screening England's World Cup Round of 32 clash against DR Congo with both seated table bookings and standing tickets available, depending on how you like to watch your football.

The venue is spread across two floors, serving up stone-baked pizzas that stretch up to a yard long alongside fresh tank beer brewed by Meantime. There's also shuffleboard and classic board games if you fancy arriving early and making an afternoon of it before kick-off.

Belushi's (London Bridge and Shepherd's Bush)

Belushi's has been showing international football for donkeys, so it knows exactly what fans want on matchday. Both its London Bridge and Shepherd's Bush venues are screening England's World Cup Round of 32 clash, promising huge screens, booming commentary and the sort of atmosphere that starts building well before kick-off.

The London Bridge venue is the standout, with multiple floors packed full of TVs and projector screens, plus The Dugout, a dedicated viewing area for fans who want to be right in the middle of the action. If you're heading out with a bigger group, you can also book one of the semi-private caves or booths with their own screens. Throw in burgers, wings, loaded fries, craft beer and cocktails, and it's an easy choice for anyone wanting a proper sports bar experience.

Belleville Brewing Co., Wandsworth Common

If you'd rather swap the packed sports bars for something a little more laid back, Belleville Brewing Co.'s taproom near Wandsworth Common is a great alternative. The South West London brewery is showing England's World Cup Round of 32 clash with full match commentary across all of its screens, while extending its opening hours for the tournament.

As you'd expect from a working brewery, the beer is the main attraction, with fresh American-style craft brews pouring straight from the source and special World Cup beers often available at discounted prices during England matches. Tables are available to reserve for groups, but the best viewing spots are first come, first served, so it's worth arriving early if you want the pick of the seats.

Bar Kick at The Shoreditch Arms, Shoreditch

Fresh from a revamp, Bar Kick at The Shoreditch Arms is one of East London's strongest options for catching England's World Cup Round of 32 clash. Head downstairs and you'll find six giant screens showing all the action, with the venue able to screen multiple games at once, although England will undoubtedly be taking centre stage on Wednesday evening.

Expect a lively sports bar atmosphere, classic pub grub and a solid drinks menu to fuel the knockout nerves. If you're based around Liverpool Street or Shoreditch, it's an easy after-work option that delivers exactly what you want from a big tournament screening without trying to reinvent the wheel.

The Volley, Old Street

The Volley was created with one simple idea: combine excellent beer with excellent football. Located just off Old Street, the independent sports bar has quickly become a favourite among fans who care as much about what's in their pint as what's happening on the pitch.

It's showing England's World Cup Round of 32 clash with DR Congo on its screens, but there's one thing to bear in mind. The venue is walk-ins only, so if you want to secure a spot for the 5pm kick-off, you'll need to get there early. For those who do, expect quality craft beer, a lively football crowd and one of the better matchday atmospheres in East London.

Pub on the Park, London Fields

If you're after a lively East London pub rather than a dedicated fan zone, Pub on the Park should be high on your list. Overlooking London Fields, the popular boozer has 12 screens dotted throughout the venue, making it one of the area's best places to catch England's World Cup Round of 32 clash with DR Congo.

There's one catch, though: England games are walk-ins only. Given the demand, the pub is expecting a packed house, so you'll need to arrive well before the 5 pm kick-off if you want any chance of grabbing a table. If you do end up spilling onto the pavement, at least they've got takeaway pints to soften the blow.

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The 139th Wimbledon Championships begin in earnest this coming Monday 29th June, kicking off a fortnight of impeccably manicured lawn tennis in London.

For attendees it’s a chance to dress up like a posh person, eat extortionately priced strawberries, and get slowly trolleyed on weak Pimms and smuggled-in cans of G&T.

For the plebs following along at home, it’s a chance to witness a genuine slice of sporting history. As the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, it’s the sporting highlight of the year for many, even in this World Cup year.

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With 149 years of service behind it, you’d better believe that the Wimbledon Championships have a storied history. We dare say there’s plenty about this tournament that you don’t know, no matter how much of a tennis fan you consider yourself to be.

Aided by a member of the Shortlist team’s recent trip to the on-site museum (which really is worth a visit, by the way), here’s a round up of some of the most interesting facts concerning the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Talking of which, what’s up with that name? It’s as good a place to start as any...

It’s just not croquet

What’s the name of the world’s most famous tennis club? If you said ‘Wimbledon’, you’ve fallen into an obvious trap. Rather, the Wimbledon Championships are played at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which nods to another fascinating fact: it wasn’t initially a tennis club at all. As hinted at by the last two words of the club’s name, the AELTaCC (as literally no-one calls it) was established in 1868 to play the distinctly un-tennis-like sport of croquet, which was massive in the Victorian era. Lawn tennis wasn’t added to the roster until 1875, though it quickly took precedence.

A Major breakthrough for the Welsh

Wimbledon, and the sport of lawn tennis that is inextricably associated with it, has come to be viewed as being quintessentially English. However, it was Welsh-born Major Walter Clopton Wingfield who popularised the sport in Victorian London. He patented a portable equipment set and ruleset for an outdoor variation of real tennis, which the British Army officer called Sphairistikè, in 1874. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club built its first tennis court the following year.

The first ever Wimbledon Championships

The inaugural Wimbledon Championships took place in July of 1877, and were won by local sports star Spencer Gore – an accomplished all-round athlete who also played high-level cricket for Surrey County Cricket Club. He won the first ever final in straight sets – numbering just three at the time – and was said to be the first player to implement volleying into his game. While he might have been a trailblazing sportsman, though, Gore evidently lacked vision, reportedly stating that “lawn tennis will never rank among our great games”. Fault!

Not the OG Wimbledon

The modern day All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club isn’t where the Wimbledon Championships were originally played – nor indeed where they took place for the first 45 years of their existence. Those early tournaments took place on Worple Road, about a mile south of the club’s present location. The club and competition moved up to its spacier Church Road venue in 1922, partly in response to the popularity of French tennis superstar Suzanne Lenglen. It should surprise no-one to learn that the first championship at this new location was blighted by rain delays.

A right royal achievement

Tennis fanatics will tell you that this is the sport of kings, and Wimbledon proved that point exactly 100 years ago. Back in 1926 the Duke of York took part in the gentleman’s doubles. That’s the same Duke of York who would go on to become King George VI – wartime monarch, last Emperor of India, and Liz’s dad. Yes, him out of The King’s Speech. This was to be the one and only time (to date) a royal participated in the championship – unless you count sitting in the best seat in the house, waving benignly, as participating.

When Wimbledon turned into a farm

What does one do with 42 acres of pristine grass and prime real estate during a time of war, when the capital is being bombed and your people are on rations? Why, one puts said verdant sports club to work, of course. Nursing sisters, the Red Cross, and the St John Ambulance all moved into SW19, as did the Fire Service and Civil Defence forces. Meanwhile, the main concourse was turned into a parade ground, and the car parks were turned into vegetable patches. If you had visited the club between 1939 and 1945, you would have been more likely to encounter a pig than a tennis ball.

Wimbledon went Pro later than you might think

Wimbledon is one of the most highly regarded professional sports tournaments in the world, yet it has only been this way for less than half of its life. It only ‘went pro’ – becoming an ‘open’ tournament and thus allowing professionals to compete alongside amateurs – in 1968, two years after England won the football World Cup on home turf. It was the first lawn tennis tournament to do so. The first winners of this Wimbledon Open era were the mighty Rod Laver for the gents and the legendary Billy Jean King for the ladies.

Even the ball girls and boys are elite

What does it take to become a ball girl or boy at the world’s best tennis tournament? It’s not as easy as being a football mascot, that’s for sure. Some 250 candidates are drafted from schools around the club, at which point they’re put through a tough training regime online, at school, at the Raynes Park Community Sports Ground, and on the Wimbledon courts themselves. After being assessed on their general fitness, ball skills, knowledge of the game, and handling of tie breaks and ball changes, only about a quarter of the entrants will make the grade.

The strawberries and cream tradition goes way back

The cynics among you might suspect that the whole strawberries and cream thing is but a modern ruse to part visitors from more of their cash. However, it’s actually a tradition that goes way back to shortly after the tournament began in 1877. Fruit consumption was strictly seasonal at that time, and the Wimbledon Championships just happened to coincide with the availability of this juicy ingredient. Strawberries might be easier to come by in modern times, but they continue to be viewed as a luxurious treat to this day – set off by an indulgent dollop of cream, of which 13,000 gallons are consumed every year.

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The Wimbledon tennis tournament holds the crown for the most wholesome sporting event in the world. It’s the Paddington Bear of professional tournaments. After all where else has quite the same dress code, the same calibre of National Treasures falling asleep in the Royal Box, and strawberries which have a strict price cap of £2.85? Borough Market could never. And perhaps the most wholesome fact very few people know… The whole staff eat together at the free canteen – from groundsmen to publicity, everyone is welcome at the on site eatery.

Given its Winne-the-Pooh-esque credentials, it’s not surprising that Wimbledon keeps things fair by offering up on the day tickets on a first-come-first-served basis, thanks to the famous Wimbledon queue.

The queue is perhaps the most democracy you’ll see in the UK, other than Twitter fan casting. From how to bag a spot in the queue to mastering your packing list, this is our complete guide to perfecting your Wimbledon day.

What you need to know

Where do I go?

The queue starts in Wimbledon Park, which is pretty easily accessible. It winds its way round to Gate 3 of Wimbledon Court where the tickets are actually sold. Once you join the queue, you’ll get an official Queue Card which helps keep track of who exactly has put in the grunt work (namely, got there at silly O'clock), and means no jumping or cutsies.

When does the queue officially open?

The queue runs every day of Wimbledon, and opens up the evening before with some die hard fans camping overnight to make sure they get tickets.

What time should I get there?

Obviously, the further into the tournament it gets, the more people it attracts. Generally if you’re wanting to make sure you get a ticket, you want to be in the queue before 6am. However, there’s going to be a difference between trying to get a ticket for Day 1’s early rounds, or if you’re trying to blag a ticket for the grand final. The earlier you go, the more likely you are to get a ticket, and if you’re heading for one of the earlier days, you’ll be fairly safe getting there for early hours. Go on weekdays if you want to avoid the huge crowds.

Is there a limit to how many people can queue?

Yes. There is a maximum of 10,000 queue cards given out each morning. Also, once the venue reaches it’s daily capacity (which is around 42,000 spectators), the queue will also close for new arrivals.

How much will it cost?

A Grounds pass is £30, which is a straight up bargain. Obviously your day will end up being a little more in total depending on how many strawberries you consume.

How many tickets can I get?

It’s limited to strictly one queue card (and ticket) per person – see earlier about Wimbledon being very fair. This means that you can’t take one for the team and do the queue by yourself, and you do need to be fairly organised if you’re going with a group of friends. We’re talking Ubers booked, phones charged with signal, and group snacks.

7 essential tips to absolutely boss the queue

1. Download the MyWimbledon app

AND do it whilst you have signal (i.e. before you join the queue). We’ll explain why later.

2. Register for court resale tickets straight way

Once you’ve got your grounds pass, you can head straight to the resale booth to register for resold court tickets. Basically, when people leave, their tuckets become available at a heavily discounted price (around a tenner) which means you can get onto the main courts to watch the big matches. You’ll need to fill in a form on the app in order to join the online queue, and be strategic about which courts you apply for, as the bigger the court, the less likely your chances. You can apply for two resale tickets.

3. Raid your nearby supermarket for snacks

Wimbledon is one of the only sporting venues where you can bring in your own food, and if you are braving the queue at 4am, it’s surprisingly hungry work. Make sure you’ve packed up the snacks, with something for breakfast as well as your picnic picky bits essentials.

4. BYOB

Again, Wimbledon is seriously fair when it comes to rules, and rather than banning outside food and drink and inflating the prices from in house vendors, you’re allowed to bring in your own fare. And that includes booze. Obviously you can’t bring in a trollyfull of Majestic’s finest, and there is a limit to how much you can bring in (usually one bottle per person), but definitely take advantage of it.

5. Bring a change of clothes

You do not want to be queuing in your finery – especially if it’s one of those record-breaking, hottest day-of-the-year days. Bring something comfy to queue in, and then change into your dress / suit / fancy gear once you’re in.

6. Bring entertainment

The queue is long, yes. You’ll be surroubnded by approximately 5,000 people. However, everyone seems to have that same kind of cheat-code day-off-school energy and it’s a pretty wholesome affair. If you have a pack of cards, Monopoly Deal, or Pass the Pigs at home, definitely pack them in the bag to make your queue time fo quicker. Also, as you’ll be queuing in the outdoors in (hopefully) lovely sunshine, bring outdoor games if you fancy it. A game of Twister in a London park with people you just met whilst you’re having a cheeky midday Pimms is surprisingly fun, to the point you could forget you’re actually waiting for something more exciting.

The Packing List

• Plastic cups to pour alcohol into: Rewash and reuse them on the grounds to avoid swigging out of the bottle like a drunk on Henman Hill).
• Sun essentials: Suncream, hat, a fan, a small foldable umbrella if you have one. You’re in the sun all day, and you will have put a lot of effort into actually getting into Wimbledon, so don't ruin it by having to leave early because of suspected sunstroke
• A picnic blanket – ideally not a towel, this doesn’t offer much space to sit on all day
• A 2L water bottle. Freeze it the night before and refill it throughout the day
• A change of clothes if you’re queuing – worth repeating so you don’t end up queueing in a dress/smart clothes
• A power bank - you’re in the wild (aka away from mains power) from about 4am until the end of the Wimbledon day, so bring a portable charger to make sure you can snap away throughout the day

You can find more information about getting tickets to Wimbledon at the Wimbledon official website.

• Wimbledon’s 2026 Collection: 6 standout pieces that bring Centre Court chic to centre stage

With $2.4m you could buy a top-spec three bedroom condo in New York or a Ferrari Daytona. The more artistically-minded might pick up a small painting by Picasso or Degas, or a Shakespeare First Folio. And music fans might buy a Gibson J0160E electric guitar - specifically the one previously owned by John Lennon.

On the other hand, the same money will buy you a couple of armchairs.

They’re not exceptional chairs in themselves, though, as Stuart McNeill notes, “they’re not IKEA” either. What makes them so valuable is that they will be pitch-side at next month’s World Cup final in New Jersey, the culmination of what’s been dubbed the most expensive football tournament in history.

Those sitting there will be able to mingle with the elated/dejected players at full time. They’ll be at the trophy presentation. They are, in short, the best armchairs in the house.

"We told them that was insane”

“This World Cup is such a big deal: because it’s in America, which is a place where wealthy people are interested in staying for a long time while the tournament is on; because FIFA has really opened the doors [to special access]; but also because there’s been a lot of controversy about ticket prices,” says McNeill, the founder of London's Knightsbridge Circle, a concierge company that’s making these seats available to its membership of some 100 families, seven of which, funnily enough, include world famous footballers.

There’s been no controversy about these eye-watering ticket prices though. Knightsbridge Circle has already sold another four seats. And it’s even managing to offer a discount. FIFA originally wanted $3m per pair - the money goes not to Knightsbridge Circle but to the association’s programmes supporting grassroots football - “but we told them that was insane,” says McNeill, with maybe just a hint of irony.

That there are those willing to pay quite so much to watch 90 minutes of sport (note the ticket price doesn’t include private jet travel, hospitality or security, which the concierge company will also arrange) is a prime example of a post-Covid shift in mentality, says McNeill.

“People sat down [during the pandemic] and thought, ‘I already have dozens of watches or handbags’ and maybe had a sense of not being able to take any of it with them,” he explains.

“The shift has been towards having experiences. And money can buy you access to once in a lifetime experiences. Once the first ball is kicked interest in the World Cup suddenly picked up, though [buying tickets] can be very last minute as clients find out how their team does.”

Sit with the stars

FIFA’s byzantine lottery system and the long wait to see if your application is successful? Fuggedaboudit, as Not Yoikers might have it. Having to peer around a pillar at the MetLife Stadium? Get the F outta here!

Indeed, for those unable to stretch to $2.4m, Knightsbridge Circle — which is the kind of company that can get Elton John to sing at your Christmas party, and has — is also offering some middle-tier seats at the final, with “pre-match hospitality”, for $48,000 a pair.

Nor is it alone among businesses aiming to make July a month to remember for the well-heeled. New York hotel The Mark, for instance, has a million-dollar package including penthouse stay and tickets to the final. Some are even providing swanky ways to watch a match on TV. Around $25,000 gets you four hours on a yacht cruising Biscayne Bay, off Florida, plus a meet-and-greet with 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year (...runner-up) Roberto Carlos.

That, presumably, is if Brazil doesn’t make it to the final, in which case he probably has his own armchair to fill.

• 10 places to watch the 2026 World Cup in London (even if you’re not an England fan...)

Whilst tennis fashion is creeping into a fashion category in its own right, the 'fits that immediately spring to mind when you hear the phrase are probably more along the lines of Serena Williams’ trendy gear, Naomi Osaka’s striking Aussie Open 2026 fit, or the chic lines of Roger Federer. However much like how cricket jumpers have crept out of Lord's and into loungewear, Wimbledon’s yearly collection is proving that tennis-inspired chic is quietly carving out its place in the fashion world.

From varsity inspired track-style jackets to functional, match-ready workout gear which will have you looking like you can clean up a 7-0 set even if the reality is your backhand can’t make it over the net, the 2026 collection is stacked. Here are our favourite picks.

1. Mens Racket T-Shirt, Green

There is a fine line between sportswear, merch, and a really nice basic done well, and that line is actually a fine-lined tennis racket logo. We seem to be in a deficit of classy but fun basics at the moment, and this tee shirt really helps to remedy that. Rock up to a chilled match in it, or wear it to the pub – the choice is yours and it works for both.

2. Navy Wimbledon Script Varsity Jacket

If one thing Americans do better than the UK it's sports merch – and specifically Varsity jackets. If you’ve also binged watch Off Campus and then pretended you’ve never heard of it, let alone seen it, you may have found yourself a). Believing in love again and b). Googling “Varsity Jackets” and trying to find one that doesn’t scream imposter. The Wimbledon take on the Varsity jacket adds a classy spin on the classic silhouette in a casual navy tone.

3. Men’s Performance Pique Swearshirt in White

Picture the scene – or rather the temperature: you’re heading to a casual game with your mates, and whilst you know you’ll heat up approximately 35 minutes into the game, shedding layers and sweating more than the Buckingham Palace press team during Newsnight. However, the only niggle is that it’s seriously cold out, and you need a jumper that isn’t from your floordrobe and doesn’t undermine your ensemble. Enter this jumper. The pique fabric is sweat-wicking so you can keep it on even when you do start feeling the heat too. Ideal.

4. Men’s Performance Court T-Shirt

Whilst our picks so far have leaned on the fashion side rather than the sporting gear, this performance tee earned a spot. You’ll probably be familiar with the MO of the strict Wimbledon palatte for the players – i.e. they’re required to wear whites, with only a small amount of colour shown across the whole outfit. One of the things that’s cool about the collection is that those rules apply to all the pieces, meaning you’re basically playing to the same level in some respect as the pros. The upshot of this is that the design team have to be a lot more creative with how they construct each piece. This sport top mirrors the classic lines of the court, bringing the architecure and design core of Wimbledon into the pieces. Plus, it looks cool and has great sweat wicking fabric. Win win.

5. Ottoman Bomber Jacket

Speaking of the strict colour rules, another way the design team creates interesting pieces is by playing with texture. This jacket which would undoubtedly make you look like your serve is more deadly than anything someone can cook up on Wii Sports is a prime example of this, using a classic silhouette updated with contrasting textures. Obviously the key thing we look for in any sports collection is the ability to wear the pieces from the court to the pub without looking out of place at either. Needless to say this jacket is a perfect example.

6. Cotton Sweatshirt with Crest Embroidery

Wimbledon holds the same kind of reverence as ‘Eton’ and ‘Oxford’, feeling indulgently traditional although luckily with less elitism and more athleticism. And whilst we love the collection pieces for being chic and sporty, sometimes you do just want a classic sweatshirt that screams merch (in a good way). This cotton sweatshirt brings all the old lines and old-school style you’d want with a clean, updated look. Whether you want to pretend you’re a preppy teen in The Crown or just want a comfy jumper that can be worn to gym classes instead of your brother’s baggy hand-me-down, this is one to have on your list.

• Lidl’s new England football shirt is designed to survive a soaking from flying pints

If you’re reading this, congratulations! You’ve, presumably, missed out on a ticket to the World Cup that actively hates its attending fans. No matter, because you can watch every game of the tournament for free in the UK (as long as you’re prepared not to sleep for about 25 of the next 39 nights).

The bad news? The Three Lions' hurt has now stretched to 60 years - and confidence is in short supply ahead of England vs Croatia. But for the first time since 1998, the Tartan Army’s back in the big time!

Hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada – but mainly the U.S. – World Cup 2026 stands to be the ultimate summer hate-watch. Remember Brazil vs Germany in 2014? It’ll be just like that, only with football’s soul clad in yellow and blue, and the pummeling spread over five and a half weeks and 104 games.

That’s at least 62.5% more football than you’d have got at any previous editions, which technically makes this the biggest World Cup ever. And as any American would tell you, bigger is always better.

Yet football’s rose-tinted light has an annoying way of beautifying everything it touches. Behold Lamine Yamal, 18 years of age and already the most mesmerisingly assured footballer on the planet. Harry Kane, as pacey as a pensioner running for the bus with a cart full of groceries, yet deadly in the box. Kylian Mbappe, derided but far more effective on the international stage than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The unknown who lifts the roof off with a wonder-strike and earns a £60m move to Chelsea on a 12-year contract.

Like Roger Milla’s dance, Roberto Baggio’s penalty and Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt, let’s hope the enduring image of this World Cup is something that happens on the pitch rather than off it.

The heat is literally on. Leave your refillable water bottles at home, beware of the ICE and things might be okay. FIFA was right about one thing, it turns out: football has united the world in some respects.

How to watch World Cup 2026 live streams in the UK

In the UK, every game of the World Cup is free-to-air courtesy of either the BBC or ITV. Scroll down to find out whch games are on which channels.

Each of the broadcasters will also live stream their coverage on BBC iPlayer and ITVX respectively.

It's not something to be taken for granted, seeing as virtually every game is locked behind a paywall in some places, such as the U.S..

Abroad right now? Can't get BBC or ITV? Don't panic. Tap into that free coverage with a good VPN, such as Norton VPN, which is fast, easy-to-use and comes with a nifty 60-day money-back guarantee.

Use a VPN to watch World Cup 2026 from anywhere

So, a VPN is basically an app that lets you access your usual (geo-restricted) streaming services from anywhere in the world, all while protecting your data. Well worth a few pounds a month – especially if you value your privacy.

We recommend Norton VPN for its speed and reliability. Give it a whirl risk-free for 60 days:

2026 World Cup fixtures

(All times BST)

GROUP STAGE

Thursday, June 11
8pm – Mexico vs South Africa | ITVX

Friday, June 12
3am – South Korea vs Czech Republic | ITVX
8pm – Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | BBC iPlayer

Saturday, June 13
2am – USA vs Paraguay | BBC iPlayer
8pm – Qatar vs Switzerland | ITVX
11pm – Brazil vs Morocco | BBC iPlayer

Sunday, June 14
2am – Haiti vs Scotland | BBC iPlayer
5am – Australia vs Turkey | ITVX
6pm – Germany vs Curacao | ITVX
9pm – Netherlands vs Japan | ITVX

Monday, June 15
12am – Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | BBC iPlayer
3am – Sweden vs Tunisia | ITVX
5pm – Spain vs Cape Verde | ITVX
8pm – Belgium vs Egypt | BBC iPlayer
11pm – Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | ITVX

Tuesday, June 16
2am – Iran vs New Zealand | BBC iPlayer
8pm – France vs Senegal | BBC iPlayer
11pm – Iraq vs Norway | BBC iPlayer

Wednesday, June 17
2am – Argentina vs Algeria | ITVX
5am – Austria vs Jordan | BBC iPlayer
6pm – Portugal vs DR Congo | BBC iPlayer
9pm – England vs Croatia | ITVX

Thursday, June 18
12am – Ghana vs Panama | ITVX
3am – Uzbekistan vs Colombia | BBC iPlayer
5pm – Czech Republic vs South Africa | BBC iPlayer
8pm – Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | ITVX
11pm – Canada vs Qatar | ITVX

Friday, June 19
2am – Mexico vs South Korea | BBC iPlayer
8pm – USA vs Australia | BBC iPlayer
11pm – Scotland vs Morocco | ITVX

Saturday, June 20
2am – Brazil vs Haiti | ITVX
5am – Turkey vs Paraguay | ITVX
6pm – Netherlands vs Sweden | BBC iPlayer
9pm – Germany vs Ivory Coast | ITVX

Sunday, June 21
1am – Ecuador vs Curacao | BBC iPlayer
5am – Tunisia vs Japan | BBC iPlayer
5pm – Spain vs Saudi Arabia | BBC iPlayer
8pm – Belgium vs Iran | ITVX
11pm – Uruguay vs Cape Verde | BBC iPlayer

Monday, June 22
2am – New Zealand vs Egypt | ITVX
6pm – Argentina vs Austria | BBC iPlayer
10pm – France vs Iraq | BBC iPlayer

Tuesday, June 23
1am – Norway vs Senegal | ITVX
4am – Jordan vs Algeria | ITVX
6pm – Portugal vs Uzbekistan | ITVX
9pm – England vs Ghana | BBC iPlayer

Wednesday, June 24
12am – Panama vs Croatia | BBC iPlayer
3am – Colombia vs DR Congo | ITVX
8pm – Switzerland vs Canada | ITVX
8pm – Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar | ITVX
11pm – Morocco vs Haiti | BBC iPlayer
11pm – Scotland vs Brazil | BBC iPlayer

Thursday, June 25
2am – South Africa vs South Korea | BBC iPlayer
2am – Czech Republic vs Mexico | BBC iPlayer
9pm – Curacao vs Ivory Coast | BBC iPlayer
9pm – Ecuador vs Germany | BBC iPlayer

Friday, June 26
12am – Tunisia vs Netherlands | BBC iPlayer
12am – Japan vs Sweden | BBC iPlayer
3am – Turkey vs USA | ITVX
3am – Paraguay vs Australia | ITVX
8pm – Norway vs France | ITVX
8pm – Senegal vs Iraq | ITVX

Saturday, June 27
1am – Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | ITVX
1am – Uruguay vs Spain | ITVX
4am – New Zealand vs Belgium | BBC iPlayer
4am – Egypt vs Iran | BBC iPlayer
10pm – Panama vs England | ITVX
10pm – Croatia vs Ghana | ITVX

Sunday, June 28
12.30am – Colombia vs Portugal | BBC iPlayer
12.30am – DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | BBC iPlayer
3am – Algeria vs Austria | BBC iPlayer
3am – Jordan vs Argentina | BBC iPlayer

KNOCKOUT STAGE

ROUND OF 32

Sunday, June 28
8pm – A2 vs B2

Monday, June 29
6pm – C1 vs F2
9.30pm – E1 vs A/B/C/D/F3

Tuesday, June 30
2am – F1 vs C2
6pm – E2 vs I2
10pm – I1 vs C/D/F/G/H3

Wednesday, July 1
2am – A1 vs C/E/F/H/I3
5pm – L1 vs E/H/I/J/K3
9pm – G1 vs A/E/H/I/J3

Thursday, July 2
1am – D1 vs B/E/F/I/J3
8pm – H1 vs J2

Friday, July 3
12am – K2 vs L2
4am – B1 vs E/F/G/I/J3
7pm – D2 vs G2
11pm – J1 vs H2

Saturday, July 4
2.30am – K1 vs D/E/I/J/L3

ROUND OF 16

Saturday, July 4
6pm – Round of 16 game 1
10pm – Round of 16 game 2

Sunday, July 5
9pm – Round of 16 game 3

Monday, July 6
1am – Round of 16 game 4
8pm – Round of 16 game 5

Tuesday, July 7
1am – Round of 16 game 6
5pm – Round of 16 game 7
9pm – Round of 16 game 8

QUARTER-FINALS

Thursday, July 9
9pm – Quarter-final 1

Friday, July 10
8pm – Quarter-final 2

Saturday, July 11
10pm – Quarter-final 3

Sunday, July 12
2am – Quarter-final 4

SEMI-FINALS

Tuesday, July 14
8pm – Semi-final 1

Wednesday, July 15
8pm – Semi-final 2

FINALS

Saturday, July 18
10pm – Third-place playoff

Sunday, July 19
8pm – 2026 FIFA World Cup final

• "I miss the team dearly": Sir Geoff Hurst on the pressures, memories and legacy of England's 1966 World Cup win — and whether the 2026 squad have a chance

For all the technological changes that have transformed football over the past two decades, some things remain reassuringly familiar.

Major tournaments still send people flooding into pubs. Pals still gather around screens, piling into homes, and entire communities still find themselves living and dying by every kick of the ball.

It's a tradition Samsung is celebrating through its Raise The Bar campaign, which has awarded Margate pub The Lord Byron a major technology upgrade ahead of the World Cup after thousands of public votes. To mark the occasion, former England midfielder Joe Cole paid a visit to the pub and joined locals gearing up for another summer of football.

The campaign may be focused on improving the viewing experience, but for Cole, football has never really been about the screen itself. It's about the people standing around it.

Ahead of the tournament, we spoke to the former England star about football's unique ability to bring communities together, the greatest atmospheres he experienced during his playing career and why England's fortunes this summer may ultimately come down to moments rather than performances.

Why football still matters

For Cole, football's enduring appeal comes down to something fundamentally human. "Football cuts every corner of the globe, every nook and cranny," he says. "Ultimately, we're human beings, and we love to play. It's a release of pressure."

Part of the sport's power lies in its simplicity. Anyone can play it. Anyone can understand it. And when the world's best players gather every four years, it becomes something far bigger than a game. "We're playful creatures," he says. "The game is simple, it's beautiful, and it can be played by everyone."

At a time when so much feels increasingly polarised, Cole believes football offers something increasingly rare. "So much is divisive and so much is easy to compartmentalise. The pureness of football is a beautiful thing and something that should be cherished and celebrated."

The importance of watching together

That sense of togetherness is one of the reasons Cole remains such a believer in watching football with your pals. After visiting The Lord Byron in Margate, he was reminded of how much local pubs still matter during major tournaments.

"The people were so happy for it," he says. "You could sense them getting excited." For Cole, football remains one of the few places where people from completely different backgrounds can gather around a common passion.

"Regardless of race, religion or politics, people come together at football," he says. "Especially when it's England."

As the tournament approaches, he hopes supporters across the country can rally behind the national team and enjoy the occasion together.

"Hopefully, England sends their support and their love, and we go and have a great tournament."

The greatest atmospheres of his career

We asked Cole about the best atmosphere he experienced as a player, and the answer isn't straightforward. Football crowds can transform in an instant, he says. A tense game can explode into life through a goal, a tackle or a moment of brilliance.

Still, a few nights stand above the rest despite such an illustrious career.

"The Champions League semi-final away at Anfield was a really brilliant, hostile atmosphere," he recalls. Chelsea's famous victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge also remains etched in his memory.

"It was really rocking that night," he says. "That's probably the best I've heard at Stamford Bridge." This was the game featuring that Ronaldinho goal that many still regard as one of football's greatest moments. "That's a wild goal," Cole laughs. "But it came from a wild player."

Why tournaments are decided by moments

Few players understand tournament football better than Cole, and his theory on what separates winners from everyone else is refreshingly simple. "It's about moments."

He points to the tiny gap that exists between the world's elite teams. "The margins between the top ten teams are minuscule," he says. "To win a tournament, you need the football gods with you." That's why he likes much of what Thomas Tuchel has been saying ahead of England's campaign.

Rather than obsessing over systems and tactics, Cole believes international football is often decided by individual moments of quality, resilience and fortune. "A goal, a goal-line clearance, a save, a sending off, a referee decision," he says. "You have to get the big moments right."

With extreme temperatures expected to play a role and squads likely to be stretched throughout the competition, Cole believes depth could prove just as important as star quality. "It's a 15 or 16-man game now," he says. "You'll use every substitution."

A World Cup memory that never fades

Cole's own defining England moment arrived on the biggest stage of all. "Scoring against Sweden at the World Cup was the highlight," he says. "To score a great goal on the biggest stage means it lives long in people's memory."

What continues to surprise him is how often supporters still approach him to share where they were when they watched it. "I must have heard everyone's story of where they were when I scored that goal," he says. For Cole, that's one of football's greatest gifts. "You can have a moment that affects someone's life where they can say, 'I remember that.' That's incredible."

This England team feels different

Cole believes England's current squad has evolved beyond being reliant on one or two stars. While Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham remain the standout names, he sees a more balanced team than in previous tournaments.

"Under Gareth Southgate, it was often very Harry Kane-driven, and then it became Jude Bellingham," he says. Now, he believes the collective is becoming just as important as the individuals.

"I think people are buying into the team."That doesn't diminish the importance of England's biggest stars, however. "We have two absolute major stars in Bellingham and Kane."

• Best football books: brilliant books about the beautiful game

For most footballers, a World Cup final is the biggest game they'll ever play. For Sir Geoff Hurst, it became something much bigger than that.

The former England striker remains the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final and go on to win, a feat that helped secure England's one and only World Cup triumph back in 1966. Sixty years on, that afternoon at Wembley still looms large over English football, revisited every time another tournament rolls around and another generation dares to dream that this may be the year.

Now, as England prepares for another shot at the big one, Hurst is teaming up with The Ivy Collection to launch its limited-edition 1966 menu, a World Cup-inspired lunch offering celebrating the year that changed English football forever.

Ahead of the tournament, we caught up with the England legend to talk heritage, penalty pressure, Harry Kane's chances of claiming the Golden Boot and why he believes England could still be lifting the trophy this summer.

Becoming part of football history

For Hurst, his place in football history is less about medals and memories and more about belonging to something bigger than yourself.

"Heritage is about pride and being part of something that lives far beyond your own career," he says. "It's knowing that what you did on the pitch becomes part of the nation's memory."

That feeling has only grown as the decades have passed. What happened at Wembley in 1966 has transcended British football, becoming a cultural touchstone that continues to shape how England supporters view every major tournament that follows.

Looking back, Hurst says he never imagined the final would take on such significance. "In some ways it's strange," he says. "You're just focused on the game. It's only afterwards that you realise what it has come to mean to people. It's a privilege."

The qualities that would still thrive today

Football has changed dramatically since England's World Cup-winning side lifted the trophy, but Hurst believes some qualities never go out of fashion.

"Our teamwork and resilience," he says when asked what elements of the '66 squad would translate into the modern game. "What made us successful was how well we worked as a unit and supported each other."

It's that collective spirit that stands out most when he reflects on the squad. "I miss the team dearly," he adds.

While tactics, technology and athleticism have evolved, Hurst believes the emotional side of football remains remarkably consistent.

"The pressure of big moments," he says. "Penalty shootouts will always feel the same, no matter the year or event. They're scary and thrilling."

Why the World Cup magic hasn't disappeared

Football's relationship with fans looks very different in 2026 than it did in 1966. Players live under constant scrutiny; every moment is analysed online, and supporters can follow every detail of a tournament from their phones.

Yet Hurst believes the essence of the World Cup remains untouched. "It's changed, but mostly for the better."

"Fans are closer to the action than ever before, but the excitement of a World Cup and what it means still feels exactly the same."

As another England squad prepares to shoulder the expectations that come with representing the country on football's biggest stage, Hurst's advice is simple.

Geoff stressed its importance, stating, "Enjoy it, first and foremost, because it can go quickly."

"Stay grounded, stay together as a group and don't lose sight of what got you there in the first place."

It's advice that comes from experience. Few people understand the aftermath of World Cup success better than a man defined by it.

Why England should believe

Few people understand the unique pressure that comes with representing England at a World Cup. Every generation carries the weight of expectation, the constant comparisons and the lingering question of whether they can achieve what Hurst's side managed in 1966.

Yet despite six decades of near misses, his belief in England remains undimmed.

"England have a very good chance," he says.

It's a measured assessment rather than blind optimism. Hurst expects France and Spain to be among the leading contenders, with Portugal his choice as dark horses, but he sees enough quality in the current squad to mount a serious challenge.

"At least the semi-finals," he says. "Anything beyond that and you're in the final and anything can happen."

• Best football books: brilliant books about the beautiful game

It’s a World Cup summer, which means we once again unite as a nation in the hope that England's men's team can finally end the years of hurt. It’s also that time to get weirdly invested in the fortunes of underdog nations or seeing whether Messi still has the legs to guide Argentina to a fourth World Cup.

If you’re not wedded to seeing how the team with the three lions on their shirt progresses, and quite like the idea of watching Brazil in a sea of yellow, we’ve picked 10 spots around the capital where you can watch the World Cup with supporters from other nations competing to beat England to that Jules Rimet trophy...

1. The Garden Vauxhall

6 South Lambeth Place, Vauxhall, SW8 1SP
Whether you’re hoping Mexico is the co-host to go the furthest in the competition or you want to join London’s contingent of Ecuadorian supporters, The Garden Vauxhall is giving its beer garden a full Latino makeover. Along with showing live matches (including the early morning kick-off ones), there’ll be Latino street food to soak up cocktails with, and DJs on hand to amp up the celebrations when Neymar scores a worldie. It’s also worth mentioning that there are areas to take cover if the British summer does its usual and rain interrupts play.

2. Nordic Bar

25 Newman St, London W1T 1PN
The clue is in the name. This is a place to join Norwegian and Swedish supporters, with the Fitzrovia spot just a few minutes walk from Tottenham Court Road station. The Nordic Bar invites you to watch the World Cup like a viking with bookings and walk-ins welcomed. You can look forward to enjoying a pint of Thor’s Piss Lager, dining on Swedish meatballs and swapping a pint glass for a viking horn. Doors will remain open at 2am to cover any games kicking off later in the evening too.

3. Gold Coast Bar & Restaurant

224 Portland Rd, London SE25 4QB
Head south of the river and you’ll find a place where Ghana’s World Cup hopes are the priority. You can knock back a bottle of Ghanian beer and it won’t take long for that food aroma to hit you and have you grabbing a menu. Tuck into some nyma choma or some yam balls. Gold Coast is offering entry packages for the World Cup, which gets you some food, your first drink and entry. There’ll also be DJs and giveaways to get you in the mood to get behind the Black Stars this summer.

4. A Toca

341 Wandsworth Rd, London SW8 2JH
This restaurant is roughly ten minutes walk from Stockwell or Nine Elms underground stations and one for the Portugal fans, and maybe the Cape Verde ones as well. You can fill up on Francesinhas, grilled meat or tackle the tapas menu, then slump back and take in the action on the big screens. You will need to book a table to secure your viewing and eating spot.

5. Tia Maria

126 S Lambeth Rd, London SW8 1RB
Pull on something yellow and make your way to South Lambeth to the Brazilian bar and restaurant known for its live music (that does like to stick on the football as well). The food and drink menu has everything from Fejioda to Caipirinhas and aims to give you a bit of Brazil — minus the weather, sadly, and definitely the beaches. If you like your drinking or eating spots lively and want to get swept up in the sights and sounds of the nation that’s lifted that trophy five times already, this is a place to be.

6. De Hems

11 Macclesfield Street, W1D 5BW
One of the most iconic images of any World Cup is when the Orange Army makes it to the tournament. Expect a flood of orange to descend on this Dutch cafe and bar just a short walk from Covent Garden underground station. You’ll need to book a spot with confirmed viewings of the Netherlands’ three group stage matches. There’s an extensive drinks menu and plenty of small plates and larger ones to tuck into here as well. It might also be a spot to find Curaçao supporters as this will be the Dutch Caribbean island’s first ever World Cup appearance.

7. The Maple Leaf

41 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7LJ
Canada is co-hosting this year’s tournament, so if you want to join fellow Canadians and root for the team nicknamed the Canucks, this is the best-known Canadian-themed bar in London. There’s poutine on the menu, you can sip on Canadian beers and get distracted by the sports memorabilia as you wander to the toilets. They’ve got 14 screens to stare and shout at, so you should have no problem finding a prime spot to watch the action.

8. Munich Cricket Club

Tower Hill location - 9 Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2AR
Don’t be confused by cricket in the name, as the Bavarian-themed Bierkeller is a hot spot for German Bundesliga football action and will also be a place to see how the national side fare. All of Germany's matches will be shown here letting you sink steins of beer, and feast on bratwursts with offers available if you’ve turned up in a big group. Along with its Tower Hill location, you can also have a Germanfest at Munich Cricket Club locations at Canary Wharf and Victoria.

9. The Volley

211 Old St, London EC1V 9NR
The East London pub dedicated to football has become a hub for French domestic football viewing and should be a prime spot to watch Mbappe and company try and make it to the final... and be on the right side of the result this time. There’s plenty of screens dotted around including private ones, craft beers aplenty and unlike most pubs, it takes its pre-match and half-time grub a little more seriously.

10. Club 360

Unit 10, The High Cross Centre, Fountayne Rd, London N15 4QN
Scottish scran spot Auld Hag is hosting a World Cup fan zone for the Tartan Army where all three of Scotland’s group games will be shown. They’ve got a license until 6am if you want to keep drinking through the night and there’ll also be plenty of food including Auld Hag’s morning rolls and pies. It’s a ticketed event if you want to join the Tartan Army and you’ll need to get to Club 360 in North London, which is about a five minute walk from Tottenham Hale station.

• Best football books: brilliant books about the beautiful game

Football shirts have long been built to handle rain, sweat and the occasional muddy slide tackle. Flying pints, however, are another matter entirely.

With a summer of tournament football around the corner, Lidl has unveiled what it claims is the world's first drinks-proof football jersey. Dubbed the Three Lidls Jersey, the limited-edition shirt has been designed specifically for supporters who find themselves caught in the crossfire whenever a goal hits the back of the net.

Created using what Lidl calls POUR-TEX (a play on GORE-TEX) technology, the shirt features liquid-resistant and odour-resistant fabric, breathable underarm panels and even a waterproof pocket designed to keep phones, wallets and other valuables safe from celebratory spillages.

The shirt has been launched alongside England superfan Andy Milne, a familiar face to anyone who has spent time in fan zones or followed the national team abroad. According to Lidl, the jersey was designed with real supporters in mind, whether they're watching from the pub, a packed fan park or the sofa at home.

Available in both short and long-sleeve versions, the Three Lidls Jersey will go on sale from 10am on the 11th of June, priced at £19.66, a nod to England's World Cup triumph.

There is a catch, though. Just 104 shirts will be available, matching the number of goals scored by the England men's team at major international tournaments. All proceeds will be donated to the Neighbourly Foundation, which supports community projects across the UK.

Whether it solves the age-old problem of wearing someone else's beer after a last-minute winner remains to be seen, but it's certainly one of the more inventive pieces of merchandise we'll see this summer.

• Chris Kamara's big predictions ahead of the summer and why fans should "just enjoy what you see"

Hear the names Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in a news title, and there are many projects that spring to mind as potential blockbusters. It’s Deadpool and Wolverine after all; they could pitch a show about paint drying and still get a greenlight from a production studio.

Reynolds proved there was some serious interest in a sports-based sports docuseries with his show Welcome to Wexham, following the ups and downs of the Welsh team’s season following his personal stake in the club. Now, he and Hugh Jackman will be fronting a new series all about sailing – Welcome to, erm, Water, anyone?

Disney+ has officially greenlit a docuseries following SailGP’s Australian team, Bonds Flying Roos, co-owned coincidentally by Reynolds and Jackman. The series will follow the Flying Roos across a global racing season defined by speed, pressure, and high stakes, according to the synopsis. The media release announced “a stadium style championship where identical 50-foot catamarans race in close-to-shore courses at speeds of up to 100 km/h.

If you’re not a banking nepo baby with a house in the Hamptons, nor raised in a small fishing village on the British coast and therefore not au fait with sailing, SailGP is basically the sailing racing league. Imagine Wimbledon or Silverstone but for sailing. SailGP - officially known as the Rolex SailGP Championship - is a yearly competition where national teams race identical high-performance catamarans (a type of boat).

The competition is a series that runs over 11-12 months, with multiple grands prix taking place across the world, with teams earning points at each event, contributing toward an overall season championship. The competition kicked off its inaugural season in 2019; currently, X-Men and almost X-Men Jackman and Reynolds’ team, the Bonds Flying Roos, hold the most titles with three wins, with the more local Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team being the most recent champions.

Jackman and Reynolds’ team is led by driver and CEO Tom Slingsby who also happens to be an Olympic gold medallist, America’s World Cup winner, and a three-time SailGP champion.

“This is our first collaboration since Deadpool & Wolverine and we once again anticipate action, comedy, heart but with a lot more water. And (fingers crossed) pirates. We hope there’s pirates inSailGP,” said Jackman and Reynolds, co-owners of the Bonds Flying Roos.

“Following Ryan, Hugh and the SailGP’s Bonds Flying Roos Australian team’s journey gives us a remarkable inside view of this thrilling sport and what it takes to compete at the highest level. We couldn’t be more excited to bring this story to Disney+ audiences around the world,” said EricSchrier, president, direct-to-consumer international originals, strategic programming, and emerging media.

Is the show essentially Welcome to Wrexham on the high seas? Quite possibly, yes. The docuseries will have Wrexham AFC co-chairman and exec producer Rob Mac on board as a producer.

We don’t have a date yet for when the series will be available, but we know it will stream exclusively on Disney+ internationally and on Disney+ and Hulu in the US.

• “Crises of the imagination”: In Other Worlds at the Barbican is a sci-fi-fuelled blueprint for surviving the end of the world

In news that might sound made up, Ninja Warrior is officially heading to the Olympics.

The obstacle-course format made famous by Japanese series Sasuke and later adapted internationally as shows like American Ninja Warrior will become part of the Modern Pentathlon at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Which means there is now a very real possibility somebody wins an Olympic medal after sprinting across rotating platforms and hanging from monkey bars while millions of people scream at their television.

The deal was confirmed after Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System Television partnered with the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, the organisation that oversees Modern Pentathlon worldwide.

Modern Pentathlon has technically been part of the Olympics since 1912, traditionally combining fencing, swimming, horse riding, running and shooting. But after years of criticism surrounding the equestrian section, officials voted in 2023 to replace horse jumping with obstacle racing for the LA 2028 Games.

Replacing confused horses with people flinging themselves through Ninja Warrior-style assault courses feels like a natural solution.

The new obstacle racing format has already been tested through multiple events since 2022, with the first official Obstacle World Championships taking place in Beijing last year. Under the agreement, UIPM will now officially use elements of the Sasuke format, including some of its famous obstacle designs.

It’s a wild evolution for a franchise that started life as a niche Japanese TV competition back in 1997 before eventually exploding into a global phenomenon. The format now airs in more than 160 countries, while American Ninja Warrior is somehow entering its 18th season this summer.

You have to wonder whether former Ninja Warrior contestants could eventually become Olympians, which feels extremely possible given that the event now involves doing Ninja Warrior.

While some recent Olympic additions haven’t exactly landed smoothly, looking directly at the breakdancing discourse from Paris 2024, this one at least feels weird in a way people might actually enjoy watching.

Because if the Olympics are going to keep modernising, there are definitely worse ideas than turning one of television’s most entertainingly ridiculous competitions into an actual medal event.

• The Little Door Co opens up a new Shoreditch location which is all about the houseparty

Wimbledon and food go together like, well, strawberries and cream. The historic tennis tournament has been serving up delicious near-court treats throughout its 150 year+ lifespan. But this year is the first time ever that they have invited folks to try some of the food before a ball is played.

Shortlist was among the select few that recently taste tested a sampler menu — all within the prestigious walls of the Champions’ Room no less — which took in the breadth of the upcoming restaurant menus available to the general public.

We are pleased to report that each dish tried was a Grand Slam when it came to taste; the food on offer laced with sustainability, provenance and the occasional cheeky nod to the championship itself.

The new menu was created under the umpire-like precision of Sam Morgan, who enters his fifth Championships at the AELTC, but marking his first year leading the line as Executive Chef.

There was a lot on offer and the sample menu took in the myriad restaurants available — including The Cavendish, Centenary Restaurant and Brasserie, The Wingfield and Walled Garden — to the public.

While most of these are already booked up, if you manage to squeeze yourself into one while watching the tournament, here are 5 of our favourite dishes you need to try out…

1. Fried artichokes and roasted cauliflower

• Starring in: The Cavendish

This starter can be found in the Cavendish and is a real treat for the senses. The cauliflower — from Hammonds in Nottingham — had a nuttiness in both texture and taste, while the earthiness of the fried artichoke was a delight. All of this was topped off with a rich whipped cauliflower yoghurt and chimichurri for added spice.

2. Royal Parks Venison Tartare Croustade

• Starring in: Centenary Brasserie

Wow. This was our first ever venison tartare and it did not disappoint. The meat is quite lean so it made for a really strong taste, complemented by an unctuous caramelised onion purée, spring onion emulsion and pickles. This dish was truly fit for royalty and there may be a reason for this: the venison has been sourced from the Royal Windsor Park in Berkshire.

3. Grilled Crevettes

• Starring in: Century Restaurant

The title of this dish is deceptively simple. Yes, this dish is grilled crevettes (essentially large prawns) but a punch of chimichurri, the char of the prawns and it being bathed in a superb nduja butter sauce elevates this dish to a whole other level.

4. Fried Chicken with Hot Strawberry Sauce

• Starring in: Walled Garden concessions

This was something of a game changer. The fried chicken was crispy with a lovely heat, but it was the accompanying dipping sauce that sells this dish. Made from tomatoes and Wimbledon strawberries, this aji is glorious and a lovely spin on a Wimbledon classic. It was the highlight dish for us, giving the chicken a tantalising tang, that was made even better thanks to the pickled red onions and superb slaw. Available from concession stands, you won't need a sit-down reservation to try it either.

5. Wimbledon strawberries and cream

• Starring in: EVERYWHERE!

Cop out? Absolutely not. There is no way you can head to Wimbledon and not try the Wimbledon strawberries and cream. Grown by Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent, the strawberries we tried have been supplied to Wimbledon for over 25 years and there is good reason they keep going back to this farm: they are plump and incredibly juicy. The freshness of the strawberries is essential and you couldn’t get much fresher: they are hand picked each morning and delivered fresh to the grounds.

If any of these tennis treats take your fancy, then head to Wimbledon’s official reservation site to try and get yourself a seat.

• MATER1A, Notting Hill: London’s best tasting menu is an exhilarating tour of Japan for your taste buds

London has plenty of places to swim outdoors, but the best one is not always the longest, warmest, or most aggressively lane-disciplined.

Sometimes it’s the one with the nicest walk afterwards; sometimes it’s the one that makes you feel briefly heroic for getting into cold water before breakfast (or lunch); and sometimes it’s just the one near a decent pub.

So, as summer 2026 approaches, this is a lido ranking based on actual vibe: the setting, the crowd, the post-swim options, the faff level, and whether you leave feeling like you have made the most of London, rather than simply completing 40 lengths in municipal water.

As a keen swimmer, I love the option of heading to a well-managed and well-kept lido whilst remaining within the cocoon of the city. On top of the swim itself, visiting lidos is a good way to explore London and make its history real.

To help you get your swimming groove on, we’ve found the 10 best lidos spread across all four corners of London, including some options you might have overlooked. Without further ado, let’s dive in (with my apologies for the pun).

Brockwell Lido – Herne Hill

• Best for: The complete London lido experience

Brockwell Lido has the rare quality of feeling like a proper destination without trying too hard.

The art deco building does a lot of the work, obviously, but so does the setting: tucked into Brockwell Park, close enough to Herne Hill for coffee or even a post-swim pint, but still just removed enough from the road to feel like you have stepped out of ‘normal’ London.

It is not the quietest, cheapest, or most secret option in the city, and on a hot weekend it can feel like half of south London had the same idea. But we say that’s also part of the appeal.

Vibe: art deco, flat whites, wet hair, linen shirts, sunshine, and pretending you only came for a quick dip.

Parliament Hill Lido – Hampstead Heath

• Best for: Beautiful misery, in the best way

Parliament Hill Lido is for anyone who wants their outdoor swimming with a bit of grit.

The lido is not soft, spa-like, or especially interested in making things easy for you. The pool is unheated, the setting is open and exposed, and on the wrong day the whole experience can feel like a minor act of character-building.

That is also exactly why people love it. There is something brilliant about the scale and simplicity of the place; it feels more elemental than decorative, and far less performative than some of London’s trendier swim spots.

Vibe: cold water, clear heads, North London stoicism, and a towel carried with quiet purpose.

Tooting Bec Lido – Tooting

• Best for: Scale, spectacle, and some proper lido history

Tooting Bec Lido is the big one: a long, open stretch of blue water that makes most outdoor pools feel like they were built for people who enjoy queuing politely in shallow ends.

It feels like a proper public institution, used, defended, complained about, and returned to by generations of Londoners. The lido can be busy, and it is not the most intimate option on this list, but intimacy is not really the point.

Vibe: huge towels, bright changing cubicles, big groups, serious swimmers, and the faint sense you have joined a civic tradition rather than booked a swim.

London Fields Lido – Hackney

• Best for: The easy east London choice

London Fields Lido is popular for the most obvious reason: it is extremely good at being useful. It is heated, 50 metres long, open year-round, and close enough to Broadway Market that a swim can become lunch, coffee, a pint, or all three with almost no planning.

The downside is that everyone else has worked this out too. On a hot day, it can feel less like a secret and more like Hackney’s collective out-of-office reply. Still, the appeal holds.

London Fields is handsome, reliable, and easy to fold into a bigger day out, which makes it one of the city’s most useful outdoor swims.

Vibe: morning lengths, tote bags, pastries, pints by 2pm, and a towel that somehow smells faintly of sourdough.

Hampstead Heath Ponds – Hampstead Heath

• Best for: Wild swimming without leaving London

The Hampstead Heath Ponds are not lidos, but leaving them out of a London outdoor swimming list wouldn’t feel right. They are colder, muddier, and more ritualistic than most pool swims, with the added thrill of sharing the water with ducks, weeds, and people who seem to have been doing this every morning since the 1970s.

The appeal is the feeling of slipping out of London while still being very much in it. You get trees instead of tiles, birdsong instead of lane etiquette, and the strange post-swim glow of someone who has just done something faintly feral before lunch.

Vibe: cold water, serious regulars, improvised modesty, and someone nearby explaining that this is actually very good for your nervous system.

Oasis Sports Centre – Covent Garden

• Best for: the surreal central London swim

The main thing to know about Oasis is that it feels faintly improbable. One minute you are in central London dodging office workers, and the next, you are outside, in a pool, looking up at the sky.

Nobody comes here for grand lido romance; this is not Brockwell, and it is not trying to be. Its appeal is pure convenience with a little bit of weirdness attached: a proper outdoor swim in a part of London better known for theatres, shops, and sandwich queues.

Vibe: desk job escapism, chlorine hair, theatreland weirdness, and the quiet thrill of swimming outdoors.

Serpentine Lido – Hyde Park

• Best for: The London postcard moment

There are arguably better pools for lengths, facilities, and pretending you are the sort of person who wakes up naturally at 6am. The Serpentine Lido, though, wins on setting.

It’s Hyde Park, open water, deckchairs, grass, passing tourists, and the slightly odd pleasure of doing something that feels both very wholesome and mildly attention-seeking.

I’d recommend treating it as a summer outing rather than a training session. Go when the sun is out, give yourself time afterwards, and lean into the fact that this is closer to a London scene than a pure swim.

Vibe: deckchairs, damp hair, goose-adjacent bravery, and main-character energy in the middle of Hyde Park.

Charlton Lido – Greenwich

• Best for: South-east Londoners who know

Charlton Lido does not have the same myth-making machinery as Brockwell, Tooting, or London Fields, which is partly why it works. It is a proper 50m heated outdoor pool with a pleasantly unfussy feel: local, practical, and a little underrated. You go because you actually want a swim, not because someone has told you it is a personality.

Pair it with Greenwich, Blackheath, or a lazy south-east London afternoon and it starts to make even more sense.

Vibe: low-hype lengths, warm water, and the quiet satisfaction of not fighting half the city for a swim slot.

Park Road Lido – Crouch End

• Best for: The quieter family spot

Some lidos announce themselves with history, scale, or postcard good looks. Park Road is more of a slow-burner. It is the kind of place that makes most sense when you build a gentle north London afternoon around it: swim first, dry off properly, then wander towards Crouch End for coffee, lunch, or a pint you will insist is “basically rehydration”.

Vibe: families, regulars, leafy pavements, post-swim wandering, and the quiet pleasure of a lido that still feels mainly local.

Hampton Pool – Hampton

• Best for: The mini escape

Hampton Pool loosens the definition of London a little, but earns its place. An open-air, heated, and leafy lido, it is enough to feel like a proper summer plan without the admin of a full day trip. You are still in reach of the city, but the mood is softer, slower, and more suburban-holiday than commuter-rush.

Vibe: heated water, trees, relaxed regulars, and the kind of summer afternoon that accidentally turns into a full day.

• Covent Garden is getting a new pizza slice joint this summer

“I get up and work out in the way other people punch the clock,” says Devon Laratt. “I do the same motions all day. It’s super monotonous, boring to the point that most people can’t handle. And it’s all about my arms. And by that I really mean just my right arm. Everything about the training is tailored to the sport”.

Larratt is the heavyweight champion of the world — in arm-wrestling. And if that sounds like a joke, get ready to change your tune. The sport is already huge in North America, where pay-per-view figures are in the many millions, and online views regularly top half a billion.

Now it’s coming to Europe, thanks especially to its most dynamic proponent, East Versus West, which now organises high-level competitions across weight categories, and for men and women, around the world.

And arm wrestling is a sport: watch its leading competitors in action — from Larratt to the German body-building influencer and pocket HeMan Leonidas Arkona, from four-time World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw to wild man Matt Mask — and, over what might be just few minutes of action, they’re drenched in sweat from the exertion. To call it ‘arm wrestling’ is a misnomer. The stars use their full bodies to maximise leverage: their arms are just the point where the match is won or lost.

“I feel terrible after a match,” says Larratt, who has a documentary on his life story in production for release later this year.

“I mean, I can barely walk. It takes two weeks before I’m functioning again. It really does a number on you. It’s soul-destroying”.

Larratt, by the way, is ex-Canadian Special Forces. He’s also 51, putting him at the older end of the competitor age range. But it’s a quirk of ageing that, if looked after, your tendons and connective tissues — so critical to arm-wrestling — only develop with age.

“I joke that I used to be in really good shape,” says Larratt, whose overall musculature, he notes, is markedly undeveloped relative to some of his up-and-coming rivals.

“But I’m stronger than I’ve ever been”.

Mastering the pull

It’s counter-intuitive qualities like this that are all part of arm-wrestling’s appeal: contrary to initial expectations, youth does not necessarily win out over age; muscle does not win out over bulk; the smaller man can beat the man mountain. And while there are plenty of raw power players who hope for a quick, explosive win, there are others who have mastered technique — the manipulation of hand and shoulder positioning, moves like the hook, press, and toproll and their ideal timing — to simply wear down their opponent or catch them out when they least expect it.

But, of course, stresses Robert Baxter, the owner of the East Versus West competition series, part of the appeal of arm-wrestling to spectators (who may have neither power nor technique themselves) is that it is nonetheless easy to understand. The sport is old, possibly dating to Ancient Egypt, and in a semi-organised way in the US since the 1960s. Yet it is also familiar to all: almost everyone has tried it, from playground to pub. “You don’t need any equipment,” says Baxter. “You can arm wrestle on the floor”.

While there are rules at pro level — for example, elbows must remain in contact with the table; you must start with a flat wrist and with your thumb knuckle on show; your shoulder can’t cross the centre line, and so on — it’s still simple to understand. And while it’s a combat sport of sorts, there’s no concussion. Nobody is trying to hurt anyone. Some colourful language aside, it’s family-friendly, with some big characters and the razzmatazz of boxing or WWF.

“The sport is taking off to the extent that it can now afford to pay the athletes enough that they can commit to arm-wrestling full-time,” enthuses Baxter, himself a seven time world champion, who trained with John Brzenk, considered the sport’s GOAT and the man who appeared opposite Sylvester Stallone in the arm-wresting movie Over The Top. Baxter too has other gigs: he’s owner of 93 Five Guys burger franchises.

“There’s huge potential in it. Go to China now, for instance, and there are so many homegrown arm wrestling clubs each with thousands of members. We’re getting more and more pro athletes in other sports crossing over to arm wrestling too — from Strongman, rugby, baseball, MMA. Their peak years in their first sport are over but it’s not uncommon for future champions to start out in arm wrestling when they’re over 30”.

The social stage

So what stands in arm wrestling’s way to get really really big? For one, reach. East Versus West is now opening up the opportunity for elite wrestlers to compete on the world stage. To date, they’ve been restricted to the territory represented by the organising federation.

“That matters because people want to see the best of the best competing wherever they are in the world,” suggests Baxter. But also profile. Baxter wants to shift coverage over from a pay-per-view model to full broadcast and streaming one, and is currently in positive negotiations with big players, including Netflix, on various projects. Convincingly, the sport already gets huge social media traction — with each wrestler drawing their own dedicated fan bases — but there’s clearly room for growth.

“And we need those athletes with lots of charisma ands strong presence, like Devon Larratt, because the theatre of it all is important too,” adds Baxter.

“Take the Manifestor, for example [the Ukrainian champion arm wrestler Oleksandr Telyatnik]. He’s a young lad who can do 19 one-arm pull-ups. I mean, the guy is a freak, in the nicest way possible. While he’s shy he’s also a great character on stage and the fans love him. He’s going to be a big star”.

But Baxter also likes to dream as big as his biceps. He once had ambitions to get Trump and Putin at the table together — an idea somewhat nixed by geo-politics — but still has an eye set on bringing Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg together.

“That’s because the best way to settle a score without killing each other is an arm wrestle,” Baxter laughs.

“I’m not sure that one will ever happen either, but as [the Canadian ice hockey star] Wayne Gretzky put it, ’You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take’. So we’re going for it. Arm wrestling is sport with such a passionate following already. Watch it in an arena and it’s just electric”.

• AEW’s Paul ‘The Big Show’ Wight on wrestling’s Wembley Stadium takeover, London’s own Will Ospreay — and the most celebrity filled game of Dungeons & Dragons of all time

He’s one of the biggest stars in wrestling — both figuratively and literally — and now Paul ‘The Big Show’ Wight is heading back to London for a giant show as part of the AEW All In London event at Wembley Stadium this August.

The 7 foot 2 inches wrestler has been a staple of the scene for more than 30 years, standing tall alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and John Cena as one of the most recognisable athletes in the sport, with stints with WCW and WWE before taking on his latest role as promoter, commentator and — still! — on/off choke-slammer in the ring with AEW.

We caught up with Wight as he prepared to once again face the raucous London crowds — among Wight’s favourite audiences in the world.

“If they love you, they love you. If they hate you, they hate you — if they call you a ‘fat wanker’, then you know you’ve still got it!” he laughs.

With a personality as big as his stature, he’s not averse to a super-sized tangent. From the art of wrestling to finding socks for big feet, to buying Bitcoin, and an ongoing game of Dungeons & Dragons stacked with so many A-List celebrities you wouldn’t believe it exists, here’s Shortlist’s big chat with the one and only Big Show.

Shortlist: How's it going Paul?

Paul 'The Big Show' Wight: I love being here. I got to have a proper English breakfast this morning.

What was in your breakfast?

Oh, the fucking eggs, the beans, the hash browns, the sausages, toast. I didn't do anything crazy. Coffee — coffee hits a little different over here. I'm old school — I go back to when coffee was free and complimentary, you know? Not like you have to mortgage your house to get some kind of frappe latte…

We’re very excited to meet you, Paul. We used to play Wrestlemania on the Nintendo 64, a gang of us huddled around the screen…

One of those games I had it out with one of the game designers, because they had Chris Jericho with a strength rating of 94 and me at 81! I was like ‘have you lost your fuckin’ mind? I think Chris was a unified champion or something at that point. ‘Well, it's just he’s champ…’ or something they said and I was saying, ‘In what world is he stronger?’

No way, that doesn’t work out!

The other one was, they did that big Smackdown vs Raw game and they wanted me to give feedback at home, and I said ‘No, I'm not gonna go home and play work! I get screwed over enough with the story lines at work, why would I do it at home?’

You can take control in a game though, right?

It's too many button presses! I go back to the old school, like, Street Fighter stuff…Oh shit, I love your socks, what are they?

Ha! Erm, I think they are whiskey-themed freebies from an Elijah Craig bourbon event…

They don't make cool socks like that when you have gigantic feet. If I wore those they’d be like ankle socks. Sorry, my ADHD just kicked in big time there, something shiny…

No problem, the bounce is good! So the AEW All In London event at Wembley felt like a landmark show. What did it mean for you personally to see a show of that scale succeed here in the UK?

It was one of my big missions when I first started with Tony [Khan, AEW CEO]. The first meeting with Tony, one of my emphatic ‘Hey, we need to do this’ suggestions was to bring AEW to England. My suggestion at the time was that we’ve got to get into the O2 arena, because I've been fortunate enough to compete so many times there, since WCW. I've got, like, generational fans. And of course, Tony being a billionaire, he skipped out the arena and went straight to Wembley and sold 87,000 seats. So what do I know!

Was that a surprise? Or did it feel natural? Because it’s massive, Wembley is as big as it gets here…

At first I was like ‘Wow!’ because we're such a new, young company, and we don't have that history of television being on over here.

But then again, I didn't take into account the tenacity of wrestling fans. If they like your product, they'll find it. I mean, back in the day, they used to be the bootleg wrestling tapes. It was a big underground market. You would go to towns that you know didn't have your TV show, but they knew all the songs, they knew all the ring entrances, they knew all the wrestler’s names.

There's an underground thing similar with social media now, with all the places and services that people can see events. We're able to build that fan base over here, and to make that big of an impact at Wembley was a fantastic accolade for AEW. Wembley has kind of become our international home. We can come back here, we put on a tremendous show every year for Wembley, and it's been great.

Do you feel the centre of gravity for wrestling is shifting? Traditionally, it's a US centric sport, but something like Wembley suggests that might be changing?

I feel like it's a great landmark moment for the industry as a whole. With the variety of platforms that wrestling can be found and enjoyed now, I think you will see wrestling globally grow all over I think — and AEW has just begun to dip its toe into international waters. I'm sure there will be bigger shows coming in. I would be surprised if we're not in Japan pretty soon.

Definitely, London is a great place to start and set a good foothold and build the brand. There's opportunities for us in Spain and Germany, pretty much all over. But having London and having the UK in your back pocket is a good thing. I would like for AEW to come through Newcastle, Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, all the different places all throughout the UK. Again, it's still a new company, and it's growing and the logistics and all that and working out. But I think that's a possible future.

For me personally, I know those international events are some of the greatest experiences for the talent. When you left the US and you came to the UK, it was a really good barometer of how your character was doing worldwide. If a local audience knew what was going on, then you had crossed that gap. It's easy to be semi-famous in the US, but when you start crossing the pond and people in the UK know who you are, then you're doing something with your brand.

If you put a US audience next to a London audience, what's the difference?

It depends on which US audience you're going for! Some of the New York crowds are insane. Some of the crowds in Texas, Atlanta, Chicago, St Louis — there's so many places in the US that are great.

London will always be uniquely specific for the type of energy they bring. They are very passionate about who they like. They're very passionate about who they DON’T like, and you also bring your own flavour and energy to the matches and the chants. I think the first time I heard ‘You fat wanker!’It was very hard to be a bad guy and keep a straight face, but I knew I’d made it as a bad guy here then.

In London especially, they get that they're also part of the show, too. That's the thing — you have the talent, you have the referee, the commentator, then your fourth participant is the crowd.

I suppose we have a tradition of theatre which I don't think you really have in America, of pantomime, right? ‘He’s behind you’ and all that…

Yeah, it's just a different energy when you come here. It's a… I don't want to use the word ‘passion’, because that's subjective, but there's a different energy that's really intense here. As talent, when you operate in front of a hot crowd, whether you're heel or face, then you're on the right track, it's a good barometer. There's a few places in the world that have it, and London is definitely one.

We've got a local hero as well on the roster too in Will Ospreay. How's he doing? And would you say there are any special characteristics defining the UK wrestling talent coming through?

The UK wrestling talent, from what I've seen, understand the wrestling mechanics a lot quicker. Our business has a predetermined outcome, there's an execution of certain moves in the ring to tell your story. I find that with a lot of UK talent that’s outstanding. UK talent is very crisp in everything that they do. If they do a Lariat, it is a crisp Lariat. They have a way of tightening the gaps that some American wrestlers miss. The holds they're taught over here when these guys are training, are different than holds that are taught in the US. So it brings a different look, in a different style. You look at William Regal, Fit Finlay, how they work, it’s a better class, with a better presentation to it. Your great UK stars have that same gift, training, whatever it is, whatever's in the soup, so to speak.

The London and UK wrestlers are more physical, more intense with what they're doing, the aggression sometimes is there in a more authentic way. When you have a guy that's struggled in life and gone through hard times and is playing the role of a bad guy, or a fire’d-up good guy, and needs to put foot to ass, there's just more believability to it. Whereas in America, they're known for the flamboyance and the showmanship — and that's all great, and that's part of the show, and that's a unique talent its own — but there's a lot of UK guys that get it done between the ropes that I have a lot of respect for.

Brits got grit!

Brits got grit! Next time I get asked that question, I'm stealing it. Well done — I took 30 minutes to answer and you just summed it up.

Glad we can be of service. So it’s considered another boom period in wrestling, right? How does this era compare to previous highlights, say the Attitude era?

Well, the Attitude Era was a little bit different, because you had a lot of guys that were so seasoned. When I started, I was in my early 20s, and most of the guys that worked on TV were in their 30s and 40s. They were all experienced. They all knew who their characters were. They knew what they're about. And they were aggressive businessmen. The willingness to share information wasn't as popular as it is now. You had to be friends with someone and earn someone's respect before they pulled you aside and actually worked with you and gave you advice.

The environment has changed with the viewing platforms, with the multiple successful companies for talent to grow, make mistakes and learn. I think this period of time, if you look at women's wrestling and look at men's wrestling, there has never been a collection as a whole of the amount of pure athletes we have now. If you watch wrestling now, most everyone that's on TV is a tremendous athlete, which, when I started, there were a lot of guys that were great wrestlers but weren't really tremendous athletes. Now it's gone into the athletic performance, the athletic presentation, and it's a faster world now — most things are on clips and short videos, and the match style is going to change. The fan base is going to change, with this younger influence of so much younger talent. There's not a lot of long in the tooth guys like me hanging around now.

I've been really accepting of the fact that there is no one answer for wrestling. It's what the fans want, what the fans make a connection to. That's the way to go. There are some nuts and bolts, things that are standard, that you can do to help guide a younger talent, but you have to let the talent express themselves and be authentic. And that's one of the things that I truly appreciate about AEW, because it's pretty raw and it's pretty authentic.

You're a survivor then, in that case, right? You've been here across the eras?

Well, Jim Duggan has been a hell of a lot longer, I'm like a rat…

But you shared the ring with so many different iconic names over the years.

I’ve been very, very lucky.

Is there any moment that you look back on in particular and you're like, ‘Wow, I can't believe that that was me.’

It happens all the time.I get grief from friends and family members because I don't really remember a lot of stuff that I did — not because I have mental problems, I’m just really a ‘what's today? What's tomorrow?’ kinda guy, I really move forward. Sometimes somebody will send me a video or something, and I'll look back, like, ‘Oh yeah. I kind of remember that. I can remember going to the gym with Randy Savage. I remember hanging on the beach and drinking beer with Randy Savage. I remember talking philosophy with Randy Savage’.

I wrestled against Randy, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, John Cena, Randy Orton. Anybody that's ever been anybody in this business, in the past 40 years I've had a chance to be in the ring with them.

So it's humbling to look back and see that and laugh and remember those times. I saw a clip the other day of Scott Steiner giving me a suplex. And I remember that because it was one of the first big bumps I'd ever taken, right? I just remember Scott — and I knew how to take all the moves — snatched me so quick. I don’t remember seeing my bootlace go over my head that quick. I saw it back, I was like, it's fantastic, then I remember in that moment, there's a memory of my bootlaces going by my face that fast.

What would you say was your proudest moment, or most embarrassing? Or both?

Proud is objective. I've been very lucky to have some great experiences. You know, winning a championship against Brock Lesnar was a really incredible moment. Competing in different arenas around the world. I wrestled John Cena in China. You know, those moments were all crazy. I wrestled Hulk Hogan in the Superdome, you know, on a Nitro show. I believe those moments are all tremendous.

As far as embarrassing goes, I think at the time, because I was younger, there were things like, ‘oh man, that looked silly’, or ‘that looked bad’. Now I look back with a more romantic attitude if I see those things like, that it was great for the fans, that it wasn't as detrimental to my career, like the Eddie Guerrero burrito thing — you know, you can't half do something. So if you're given an opportunity you think at the time, ‘oh, this is the worst thing. This would be silly. People will laugh’. You gotta understand, like, okay, there's an opportunity to do it, put your whole heart in and do it. And I was lucky enough that some of the silly things that I've done in my career, I just went out and did it, and turned it over to the process. And I'm very happy that I did that way, because if you half commit, that makes it bad for everybody. Just have fun with it. You know, that's the big thing. It's not real.

So we see the spectacle right from this side of the fence. But like, what? What about the realities? What's like a behind the scenes story for you that captures, like, what goes into making a wrestling show?

The goal is to go out there and give the best entertainment you can give for the fans, give them the best wrestling that you can give. You know, I think I went a couple years of my career, maybe won two matches, maybe like four. But I don't think anybody gives a crap now. When you're younger in your career, you think, ‘oh, I never win, people are gonna think I'm weak or I'm washed up’. No. It doesn't matter. Wisdom has given me in time that I'm able to help with the younger athletes that it doesn't matter — you have an opportunity to compete in front of a live audience, either on TV or at a pay-per-view or in a live event. You have an opportunity to showcase your talent. Just go out there and put your heart into it, and you’ll be fine.

It must be gruelling as well — the training, the touring?

I look back now, I went, I think, 20 years, made every European tour, the full two week tour, Spring and Fall. I think somebody just called me ‘Big Show All The Shows’, because I worked all of them. And I worked on Raw and Smackdown. I remember going to a show one time and asking Vince McMahon [WWE co-founder] ‘didn't I get drafted to SmackDown?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, you're a giant. You work both shows’. So I had about a day and a half off a week for 12, 13, years. But at the time, it was okay, because I was doing something that I love doing. I was making a great living, and I was with a bunch of people that all worked hard. So do I want to work that hard now? Nooooo!

How would you say your role feels now at AEW? How do you feel it differs from your career previously?

Before I was one of the Clydesdales pulling the wagon. Now, I get to do some of the things that I think I'm suited for. I have experience to share with the younger talent. I have good stories, and also have some valuable lessons to share. I get to help use my limited fame to help bring awareness to the younger talent and our AEW brand. And I still get to be a part of the industry, and every now and every now and then I get to get in the ring and have some fun.

So for someone who wants to start a career in wrestling now, either behind the scenes or in the ring, what's the first thing they should do if they want to get going?

You have to know the product. You have to know what you're getting into and know who's involved and listen. Listen a lot — a lot of times when people first start, they want to ask all these questions. Just listen. If you listen, your questions probably get answered for you. And don't be afraid to explore your options. You don't want to be the next Paul Wight or the next Will Ospreay or the next Kenny Omega. Be the next you as a talent.

And be open to change, because you might get in this business and want to be a wrestling talent, but that might not be your future. You might be better at communicating lessons that you've already learned, like being a trainer. You might be better at refereeing, you might be better at production. If you love the business, you'll find a way to be in it.

Would you say there's one UK gym or boot camp that people should check out if they want to work in the ring?

I’m not getting paid to endorse anybody's training camp! But I will say, figure out who you like if you're in the UK — who do you respect, who has a style that you think you want to steal something from. Because that's what wrestling is. We all steal stuff from each other all the time, and then figure out where they learned, or how they learned.

Now there's the internet — when I started, it was like the Mafia. You had to know somebody to even get trained. You had to know somebody to vouch for you before they let you into the secret brotherhood.

Nowadays everything's online, so just do your homework and be smart, simple, stupid, keep it between the ropes, learn your fundamentals. More is not necessarily better. If you can do a few things, then do a few things really well, and that's it.

There's nothing that I can tell you that's going to make you an instant star overnight, because there's no such formula. There's an open opportunity for anyone — any size, shape, colour, creed, to be a star. It's making a connection with the audience. That's the thing. If you can do that, you'll be fine.

To wrap then, if you could give yourself one piece of advice to your younger self, what would you have said?

Buy. Bitcoin. You. Dumbass.

Of course!

Years ago, somebody came to me and couldn't explain it to me — I had a chance to buy Bitcoin when it was $1,500, I had a guy trying to get me to buy 80 grand worth of Bitcoin. And I was like, ‘What is this? Digital?’ And here's my logic. I said, ‘is the government taxing it?’ He goes, ‘No’, I’m like ‘Fuck that, dude. It's not legal then, because if Uncle Sam can't get his hands on it, it's not real. It's Monopoly money. Fuck that.’ Yeah… I kind of wish I had dropped money years ago!

I'm always like, why are you coming to me with it? Like ‘do I just look stupid, with more cash than I got sense?’ I'm good. I didn't buy Bitcoin. I bought gold.

That's no bad going. When all the servers in the world are taken out by some electro-pulse bomb or whatever, the gold's still there…

Are you a reader? There's a great sci-fi book called Lucifer's Hammer. It’s basically this reporter, working with NASA stuff, who found out that there was a meteor heading for Earth called ‘Lucifer's Hammer’, and they were not allowing anybody to talk about it. Government suppression, the whole nine yards. So this guy took his whole life savings, he built a bunker in the mountains. He bought all the cigarettes, all the whiskey that he could find, guns and ammo, and learned how to make beef jerky. His family thought he flipped his nuts. And then after it hits, that's how he survived and used gold as currency. Post apocalyptic survival, people are gonna want antibiotics, cigarettes and whiskey, if you got those to trade…

Did you watch Fallout? You might like that…

Yeah, I am such a dipshit. I don't watch much TV. I really don't. I play Dungeons and Dragons like a nerd and I read a lot.

We didn't talk about Dungeons & Dragons!

You play Dungeons & Dragons?

The video games!

Baldur’s Gate yeah? Awesome. Now I'm running a Paladin. My first character was by Mike Mearls. I was a half stone giant. That was with Joe Manganiello, Jack Black, Vince Vaughn, Tom Morello, Dan Weiss who wrote the Game of Thrones TV show.

That’s a star studded team.

Yeah, we're running a game, but I'm a Paladin now. I was a Cleric for a while, and then my Cleric got dusted. So I got tired of being the party healer, because I'm too aggressive to be the party healer, so I aggressively got myself killed.

Netflix is making a new Dungeons & Dragons TV show you know? Would you go back to doing some more TV work? Get on that cast?

I'm actually working again on that. I'm taking acting classes, I'm still reading for parts. Hollywood's a more difficult beast than a lot of them — they don't give a shit what you did, it's are you what they’re looking for? But Dungeons & Dragons, I know some people producing on that, so we'll see…

We’d love to see you in that!

I think I could pull off a barbarian giant. I'll talk D’n’D all day. You gotta be careful!

AEW: All IN London at Wembley Stadium takes place on Sunday, 30th August 2026. Get tickets here.

• Star Wars is coming to The Royal Albert Hall for a brand new series of in-concert screenings

If you’ve ever tried to watch a big match in London, you’ll know the gamble. You either land a proper spot with a decent screen and a bit of atmosphere, or you end up craning your neck at a flickering TV wedged above the bar while someone orders ten espresso martinis directly in front of it.

This summer, there’s a push to sort that out. Joe Cole has teamed up with Samsung to launch “Raise The Bar”, a campaign aimed at upgrading pub TVs across the UK ahead of a packed few months of football. And in a city like London, where finding a good matchday pub can feel like a competitive sport in itself, it could actually make a difference.

The premise is simple. Fans nominate their local, a shortlist is drawn up, and a select group of pubs will receive brand new TV setups in time for the summer fixtures.

Ten venues will get a TV worth up to £3,000 along with marketing support, while one overall winner lands a full tech and venue makeover worth more than £10,000. Not bad for a place that might currently be running games on something that looks like it survived the analogue switch-off.

It is not just about appearances either. In London, where rent, staffing and general running costs are already sky high, those big tournament days can be a lifeline. The issue is that many venues simply can't afford to upgrade, with the average pub going around six years between new screens.

That disconnect is becoming more obvious. According to Samsung, around 40% of Brits still watch major tournaments in the pub, and a huge majority say it adds to the sense of community. At the same time, almost everyone admits they would consider leaving if the viewing experience is poor. In a city packed with options, that means punters will just walk five minutes down the road to somewhere better.

Cole is pitching the campaign as a way to protect that classic pub experience. Watching football at home is easy, but it is not the same as being in a packed room when a goal goes in. London does that better than most places when the setup is right.

Voting is open now until 20 May, with a shortlist of eleven pubs revealed at the end of April. After that, it is up to the public to decide which venue gets the full upgrade. So if your local is still rocking a tired old screen, now might be the time to give it a fighting chance before the summer crowds roll in, and you can nominate your local here.

• 14 genuinely good “third places” in London to work, read, or meet mates (without getting fleeced)

Walking into 100 Liverpool Street, it becomes clear almost immediately that Poolhouse isn’t playing the same game as your local.

The expectation, something closer to a pub with a couple of battered tables tucked in the corner, disappears within seconds. In its place: a sprawling, two-floor venue that feels closer to a members’ club crossed with a tech-heavy playground. It’s big, loud and, on opening, absolutely packed.

It’s also far more polished than expected. Downstairs is where the illusion of “just a bar” holds up best. There’s a central drinking space, a couple of pool tables tucked slightly out of the way, and staff who lean more towards mixologist than pint-puller.

Even without the full cocktail menu running on the night, it’s clear that drinks are a big part of the pitch, classics, custom requests, and a price point that lands firmly in “this is a night out” territory. Upstairs is where things shift.

Where the bar turns into a playground

The second floor is less pub, more energy. Pool tables cluster together into social hubs, surrounded by groups rotating through games, drinks in hand. Elsewhere, private suites, slick, enclosed spaces with their own tables and table service, cater to bigger bookings, complete with a concierge-style feel.

It’s here that the “high-tech” promise comes into focus. The tables themselves track gameplay, layering in AR-style visuals that turn a standard frame into something closer to a group activity. It’s part of a broader trend seen across London, gamified social venues, but Poolhouse leans fully into it. This isn’t just about potting balls; it’s about turning pool into an event. Once you realise this is from the same people as Top Golf, it all begins to make a bit more sense.

You can still play a normal game, of course. But that’s not really the point.

A night out, not a quick game

There’s a clear trade-off at play. At around £10 per person for 30 minutes, this isn’t somewhere you drop in for a casual couple of frames between pints. It’s designed for groups, for longer sessions, for rounds of drinks and games that blur into one another. That doesn't mean there aren't some cracking drops on draft, though, with the full beer list below:

• Asahi Super Dry
• Peroni
• Meantime Lager
• Meantime Anytime
• Guinness
• ELB Cowcatcher
• Jubel Peach
• Cornish Orchard Gold Cider

The cocktail list stretches from the low tens up to nearly £20, and while food wasn’t properly tested on the night, the offering, pizzas, tacos, bao buns, suggests something built to keep people in the building rather than send them elsewhere.

Still, the space itself does a lot of the heavy lifting. Despite the crowds on opening night, it rarely felt unmanageable. There are quieter corners, tucked-away tables, and even window-side nooks where you can step back from the chaos and watch the City move outside.

The verdict

Poolhouse feels like it’s trying to do something quite specific: take a familiar, slightly tired pub staple and repackage it for a different kind of night out.

It won’t replace the cheap, slightly sticky tables where £2.50 still gets you a few games. But that’s not what it’s aiming for. Instead, it sits firmly in the “start of the night” category, somewhere to meet, play, drink something better than you planned to, and then spill out into Liverpool Street when you’re done.

And on that front, it’s hard to fault. The location (a stone's throw from Liverpool Street station) is about as convenient as it gets, the space is impressively well thought through, and the experience, while pricier, feels deliberate.

Poolhouse, located at 100 Liverpool Street, EC2M 2AT, is now open and taking bookings on the website.

• The 9 best jazz bars in London

Courchevel has a reputation that precedes it. Spend even a few minutes around the main lifts in 1850 and you can see where it comes from: luxury boutiques lining the snowfront, immaculate hotels climbing the hillside, and skiers stepping straight from terrace lunches back onto perfectly groomed pistes in their Moncler jackets.

But once you’re moving across the mountain, that reputation quickly becomes only part of the story.

Courchevel sits within the Three Valleys, the largest connected ski area in the world, with more than 600 kilometres of pistes stretching across several resorts. What that really means on the ground is freedom. Within a couple of lifts you’re moving between valleys, discovering different terrain, and shaping the day around conditions rather than resort boundaries.

Courchevel: In Short

• The largest connected ski area in the world
• 600 km of pistes with varied options for all levels of skiiers
• Head to Le Praz villages for traditional Alpine feel
• Choose between lively Après Ski and calmer options

We travelled as a mixed group, with some experienced skiers and others still early in their learning curve, and the scale of the place made that easy to manage. Most mornings naturally split into smaller groups heading in different directions before regrouping later for lunch or drinks. Some pushed further towards Méribel, while others stayed on the gentler Courchevel terrain, and the lift network made it easy to reconnect later in the afternoon.

Over three days we saw a good cross-section of Alpine weather: flat light on arrival, fresh snowfall overnight, and eventually a clear blue morning with untouched powder still sitting on the higher runs.

For a short trip, it felt like seeing the resort at its best.

Where To Stay: Courchevel Le Praz

Le Praz is one of the quieter villages in Courchevel and makes a particularly good base if you want access to the ski area without the constant pace, and cost, of the higher resorts.

Sitting at around 1300 metres, it feels closer to a traditional Alpine village than a purpose-built resort. Wooden chalets cluster around a frozen lake in the centre, and most things - lifts, rental shops, restaurants - are within a few minutes’ walk. The atmosphere is calmer than in Courchevel 1850, but you’re still fully connected to the Three Valleys lift system.

Lodge Les Merisiers works well for a short stay. It’s a straightforward chalet-style hotel close to the centre of the village, with comfortable rooms, a heated boot room and ski lockers that make the daily routine easy. Breakfast is generous enough to set you up for the morning without slowing down the start of the day - an underrated advantage when the lifts are about to open.

From the village, the Forêt chairlift is the most efficient way into the ski area, quickly linking into the wider Courchevel network. Within two or three lifts you’re already moving across the mountain, which means staying lower down doesn’t cost you valuable skiing time.

That balance - a calmer village, slightly lower accommodation prices, but easy access to the main lift system - is what makes Le Praz such a sensible base.

Where to eat

Food is a major part of the Courchevel experience, although how much you lean into that depends largely on how you approach the day and how much you want to spend.

Having breakfast handled by the hotel helps simplify the mornings. A strong coffee, fresh bread and a quick turnaround mean you’re usually out the door before the main lift queues begin.

Lunch is where the more difficult decisions start.

Our first day began with plans to stop at La Soucoupe, perched high above 1850 with a wide terrace looking across the valley. It’s exactly the kind of mountain restaurant that draws you in after a long morning of skiing. A quick look at the menu prompted a budget based recalculation, though, and after a single drink we decided to continue skiing and head lower.

Instead we ended up at L’Equipe in 1650, which proved a much better fit for the trip. Sitting directly on the slopes, it has the relaxed atmosphere of a place built primarily for skiers rather than a destination lunch crowd. Plates of pasta, burgers and coffee arrived quickly, and the whole stop felt easy enough that it became a repeat option later in the trip.

That kind of balance tends to work well in Courchevel. The resort certainly offers its share of high-end dining - Bagatelle is known for long, lively terrace lunches, while La Soucoupe remains one of the most scenic spots on the mountain - but mixing those experiences with simpler slope-side restaurants keeps the rhythm of a ski day intact.

Where to Après

Après-ski in Courchevel tends to develop naturally out of the ski day rather than starting once the lifts close.

On the mountain, La Folie Douce remains one of the best-known spots in the Three Valleys. Music carries across the terrace throughout the afternoon while the crowd gradually builds, and by the end of the day it has usually turned into a full outdoor party.

For something a little calmer, Le Planté de Bâton is an easier place to stop. Skiers drift in for a drink before continuing down the mountain, and the atmosphere builds slowly rather than all at once.

One afternoon we pushed further into Méribel, partly for variety and partly to see how the neighbouring valley compares. That detour gradually turned into jugs of IPA at the Rond Point, heavy snowfall beginning to settle as visibility faded across the slopes.

By the time we finally left, the ski down towards Méribel centre required slightly more concentration than it had earlier in the day. That was followed by a late stop at Jacks to watch some live music and share a few magnums of Rosé, before eventually calling a taxi back to Le Praz - an expensive decision that still felt justified by the end of the evening.

For those staying in Le Praz, La Tania offers the closest alternative for a livelier night out with venues such as Pub Le Ski Lodge hosting regular gigs, and the late-running free buses make moving between villages relatively straightforward.

Where to ski

Starting the day from Le Praz makes it easy to build momentum quickly.

The Forêt lift provides a fast first step into the system, while Dou des Lanches opens access to a broad stretch of terrain across the Courchevel side of the valley. From there the direction of the day tends to depend on weather and snow conditions.

Courchevel’s skiing is known for its wide, well-maintained pistes, with a particularly strong selection of blues and reds that allow skiers to cover large distances without constantly stopping. It’s terrain that suits mixed-ability groups well, allowing confident skiers to move quickly while others build confidence on longer, forgiving runs.

On the first day we stayed mostly on the Courchevel side, linking runs such as Combe de la Saulire with long cruisers that gradually carried us towards Méribel.

As confidence grew, the natural progression was to push further across the Three Valleys. The connection into Méribel happens surprisingly quickly, and once you arrive the terrain begins to feel slightly different - steeper in places, with longer descents between lift stations.

One of the most memorable runs of the trip came from the Mont Vallon area, dropping down into Campagnol. It’s a long descent that changes character as you go: steeper sections at the top gradually easing into wide, flowing terrain lower down. With relatively few people around that morning, it became one of those runs that seems to continue far longer than expected.

Back on the Courchevel side, Saulire and its surrounding pistes offered a different experience again. Early in the morning these runs are often immaculately groomed, creating wide, fast pistes that encourage long carving turns before the slopes begin to fill later in the day.

By the final morning, however, the cumulative effect of several long days on the mountain and a few too many late evening beers was beginning to show. Flat light returned and even familiar runs demanded more focus than earlier in the trip. That usually signals the right moment to stop.

What else to do

Courchevel offers plenty of alternatives to skiing - snowshoeing routes, sledging runs, and the large Aquamotion complex for swimming and spa sessions - but after several full days on the slopes the most appealing option is often simply slowing down.

Le Praz suits that pace particularly well. The village is compact, the atmosphere relaxed, and evenings feel quieter than in the larger resort centres higher up the mountain.

After a long ski day, that simplicity can be exactly what you want.

The Verdict

Courchevel works because of the scale it gives you access to and the ease with which you can explore it.

The Three Valleys allows skiers to move across huge distances without complicated planning, adjusting the day around weather, snow conditions and energy levels as they go. Even on a short trip it’s possible to experience a surprising range of terrain, from wide groomed pistes to long valley-spanning descents.

The resort undeniably carries a reputation for luxury, and the prices in some areas reflect that. But staying in places like Le Praz, choosing when to lean into the bigger dining spots, and focusing on the skiing itself makes the experience far more balanced.

Three days is enough to understand why so many people return here. And just enough to start planning the next trip

• Amazon Alexa+ finally lands in the UK: 8 neat things it can do

New England kits always land with a bit of noise. Some of it justified, some of it not, but it’s one of those things in football where everyone suddenly has an opinion, whether they care about design or not.

England kits aren’t just kits – they carry baggage. Tournaments, moments, players, near-misses, all of it gets wrapped up in what is, essentially, a white shirt and some trim. When it’s a World Cup year, that weight feels even heavier.

The latest drop does what most modern England kits do, clean, safe, and designed not to offend too many people. But it also brings the usual question back around: where does it actually rank against the classics?

That’s where things get interesting. Because while England have never been the most experimental when it comes to kit design, they’ve quietly built up a strong back catalogue. Some genuinely iconic, some overlooked, and a few that only make sense when you remember the tournament they were worn in.

This isn’t just about design, then. It’s about context, how a kit looked, when it showed up, and what came with it.

Here are our favourites.

8. 2026 away

England returns to red for 2026, ditching the dark purple of Euro 2024 for something that actually feels like England. Navy accents add a subtle nod to the ’90s without tipping into full nostalgia, keeping it fresh and wearable. The central badge placement is always a touch divisive, but we love it.

The overall combo of red and navy makes for a kit that’s punchy, confident, and very much built for a World Cup stage. Hopefully, after this summer, we can pop this one higher up the list once some history is made in it.

7. 2022 home

England’s 2022 home kit keeps it classic, all-white with crisp blue trim that nods to traditional England colours without feeling dated. The slim fit and clean crew neck give it a modern, streamlined look, while the chest placement of the iconic Three Lions crest and Nike Swoosh keeps the design sharp and simple.

It might have ended in a quarter-final exit to France, but this shirt captured the pride of the squad and looked every bit the part on the World Cup stage, smart, understated, and instantly recognisable as England. It is a touch less traditional than some other kits, but it was worn during what was ultimately a positive tournament.

6. 1982 Away

England’s 1982 away kit is pure retro charm, all-red with subtle white trim that screams early ’80s football flair. Worn at the World Cup in Spain, the tournament marked England’s return to the finals after a six-year absence, giving the kit an instant place in history.

It paired a simple v-neck and understated crest with bold colour to make the Three Lions easy to spot on the pitch. England didn’t make it out of the second group stage, but this kit remains a classic, clean, functional, and impossible to forget for fans of vintage England kits.

5. 2002 Home

England’s 2002 World Cup home kit is instantly recognisable: crisp white with subtle navy detailing and a modern, slimmer fit that felt sharper than previous iterations. The stripe though the bold Three Lions crest gave it a clean, confident look, while the minimal accents kept it timeless. It screams of an iconic era of players from Beckham to a young Michael Owen.

Worn in South Korea and Japan, the tournament itself was a mixed bag, England reached the quarter-finals but fell to eventual runners-up Brazil. Still, the kit captures a moment when the team looked sleek on the world stage, balancing tradition with early 2000s style cues that still hold up today.

4. 1986 Home

England’s 1986 home shirt is a proper vintage gem: simple, classic white with bold red trim and the iconic Three Lions badge front and centre. Worn in Mexico, the side navigated Group F behind Morocco, then beat Paraguay in the Round of 16 thanks to two Lineker goals and one from Beardsley, before facing Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the quarter-finals.

That game delivered football history: the infamous ‘Hand of God’ and Maradona’s mesmerising footwork overshadowed Lineker’s late strike, ending England’s run. The kit now stands as a symbol of pride and heartbreak, forever tied to one of the sport’s most iconic tournaments.

3. 1998 Home

England’s 1998 shirt feels unmistakably late-90s: crisp white with bold red piping along the shoulders and sleeves, giving it a sporty, energetic edge. The Three Lions crest sits front and centre, while the subtle navy trim adds just enough contrast to stop it from feeling flat.

On the pitch in France, the kit was worn by a team that dazzled at times but fell to Argentina in a dramatic Round of 16 shootout. While the results weren’t memorable, the shirt itself captures the optimism and style of England football at the turn of the decade.

2. 1990 Home

England’s 1990 home kit is pure nostalgia. A striking white shirt with subtle navy trim, a collar that makes the kit instantly recognisable from Italia ’90, where the Three Lions reached the semi-finals, one of their best World Cup runs ever.

The bold silhouette made a statement on the pitch, while the badge and trim kept it unmistakably England. It’s remembered not just for its style, but for the drama of penalty shootouts and a team that captured the imagination of a nation. The country hasn't really come as close since.

1. 1966 Away

The one where England got it over the line. For some, it probably has plenty of good memories; for most who are too young, it's a symbol of genuine success and the last time the country experienced it.

The kit is simple, just red, with a big badge and long sleeves, but it's what it means that earns it the number one spot on this list and probably every other list you'll see.

• LEGO is letting fans build a full-size World Cup trophy – and we’re already clearing shelf space

The London Marathon is a UK institution and famously more difficult to get tickets to than an Oasis reunion tour at Wembley. To remedy the number of active hopefuls who miss out on a slot, plans have been unveiled to extend the famous race to run over two days in 2027.

This change would allow the elite men’s and women’s races to take place on separate days, whilst also raising double the amount of moolah for different charities. And presumably, significantly increase the amount of money the London Marathon Foundation receives too. If the plans are approved, the race would welcome around 100,000 runners across the weekend, with 50,000 per day. Last year, more than 1.1 million people entered the public ballot for a spot so you can see why the officials are considering doubling the event.

The 2027 race would happen on both the Saturday and the Sunday, meaning the road closures would stay in place across the whole weekend, closing off areas across Greenwich and all the way up to Buckingham Palace.

Unlike the hype for flared jeans, cowboy boots, and mullets, the demand for the marathon never ceases, actually increasing year on year. Around 56,640 runners finished last year’s event which according to the organisers was a world record. A whopping £87.3 million was raised last year which was also a record for the charity event.

Speaking to The Guardian, a spokesperson for The Mayor of London said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and the Mayor looks forward to working with London Marathon and partners to consider if it might be possible to host an event that will run across two days next year.”

So watch this space, and maybe start up that training plan, again…

• Jon Bernthal’s Punisher returns in a new Disney+ special this May — before taking on Spider-Man in the summer

Golf has always had an image problem. Not the sport itself, that’s booming, but everything around it. The culture, the access, the feeling that unless you’ve grown up around it, you’re largely on the outside looking in. And the trousers...

Golfclubber is trying to change that. Or at least, give it a decent go.

Landing at Magazine London on the 11th and 12th of April, it’s being billed as the UK’s first golf culture festival. Which sounds niche, until you look at what they’re actually doing with it.

At its core, it’s a watch party for The Masters Tournament, big screens, live coverage from Augusta, and the usual high-stakes Sunday tension. However, instead of keeping things quiet and lowkey, it’s being wrapped in something that feels a lot closer to a day festival.

The lineup leans heavily into that crossover space between sport and culture. You’ve got Jimmy Bullard, Tony Bellew and Locky turning up, alongside golf creators like Golf Life and Fore Bros, the names doing more to bring new audiences into the sport than most traditional coverage.

It’s less about analysis, more about atmosphere and having a good time.

That said, it’s not just a passive watch-and-drink situation. There’s a full Performance Zone built in, with simulators, putting challenges and recreations of famous shots, plus coaching sessions and beginner masterclasses running throughout the weekend. You can turn up knowing nothing and still get involved, walking away having learned something and having a good time.

Saturday is pitched as the louder, 18+ day. Sunday dials things back slightly, opening things up to families and younger players, including an effort to bring kids into the sport who might not otherwise get near it. With more than 3,000 people expected over the weekend.

Tickets are available now, starting from £19.80, for a big golf weekend at Magazine London.

• From Keown to Hornby: Arsenal takes over the British Library for one day

If you’re the sort of person who can happily lose hours reading about football, not just watching it, and you're an Arsenal fan, this one’s very much aimed at you.

The Football Writing Festival: Arsenal Special is taking over the British Library this Saturday (28th of March), pulling together a full day of talks, panels and general Arsenal chat with a line-up that leans heavily into both football and culture.

It’s a deep dive into everything surrounding Arsenal FC, from the people who’ve played for the club, to those who’ve written about it, and the fans who’ve built entire platforms off the back of following it.

Given how Arsenal are currently being talked about as genuine title contenders, the timing isn’t exactly accidental, although hopefully the recent League Cup loss is forgotten about.

The day kicks off with Nick Hornby, whose Fever Pitch remains one of the defining books about football fandom, in conversation with Henry Winter. It’s a strong opener: two people who’ve spent decades putting football into words, now doing it live.

From there, things branch out. There’s a session dedicated to Arsenal Women, featuring club legends like Rachel Yankey, alongside former players Gill Sayell and Kirsty Pealling, a reminder that Arsenal’s success isn’t just confined to the men’s side.

If you’re more interested in how the club gets covered week in, week out, there’s a panel with writers including Amy Lawrence, John Cross and Sam Dean, digging into what it’s like to report on a team that rarely goes quietly for long.

Elsewhere, things get a bit more academic with a session on Black Arsenal, exploring the club’s long-standing cultural connection with Black identity, stretching beyond football into music, fashion and wider society.

Then there’s Martin Keown, who’ll be sitting down to talk through his time at the club, from coming through as a young player to being part of the Invincibles era. Expect a few decent stories there.

It’s not all panels and analysis, either. Later in the day, the focus shifts to the fans, the people behind blogs, podcasts and fanzines who’ve kept the conversation going long after full-time.

It all wraps up with a celebrity quiz hosted by Clive Anderson, featuring familiar Arsenal-supporting faces like Jazzie B, Michael Rosen and Tom Watt, which should be a slightly less serious way to end things.

The whole thing runs from 11:30 through to 20:30 at the Pigott Theatre, with tickets available in-person for £32 or alternatively, you can tune in virtually online from £10.

It’s a long day, no doubt, but if you care about Arsenal beyond just the 90 minutes on a weekend, this is about as close as it gets to a full cultural unpacking of the club in one place.

• 4 diet tips to eat like a professional footballer (according to the chef that feeds them)

If you’ve ever played Angry Birds and thought “this would be better if I could absolutely leather it,” your oddly specific wish has just come true.

TOCA Social, the immersive football entertainment venue inside The O2 and Westfield White City in London and the Bullring in Birmingham, is launching a brand-new Angry Birds game this Easter, and it’s exactly as chaotic as it sounds.

For the uninitiated, TOCA Social is what happens when five-a-side football collides with arcade gaming. You and your mates step into a private booth, fire footballs at a huge interactive screen, and take on a series of skill-based challenges, all while food and drinks are delivered straight to your table. It’s fast, competitive, and just the right level of ridiculous, whether you’re a seasoned baller or someone who hasn’t kicked a ball since Year 9 PE.

From the 30th of March, things are getting even more frantic. The new Angry Birds experience takes the global gaming phenomenon, with more than 5 billion downloads, and turns it into a full-body event. Instead of dragging a slingshot across your phone screen, you’ll be using your foot to ping balls at targets, sending birds crashing into towers, setting off TNT explosions and wiping out the ever-annoying Bad Piggies.

There are multiple difficulty settings, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, so you can ease yourself in or go full competitive mode. It’s designed to work for pretty much everyone, making it a strong shout for families over the Easter holidays, groups of mates, or even a slightly chaotic date night. And because it’s all indoors, it’s also a very handy option when London inevitably decides to chuck it down for a week straight.

The game marks TOCA Social’s first collaboration with a major gaming brand, teaming up with Rovio Entertainment to bring the colourful chaos into the real world. It’s also the first of several new experiences set to roll out across 2026, so expect more where this came from.

If you’re looking for something a bit different to fill an afternoon, or just fancy proving you’ve got better aim than your pals, this might be one of the more fun ways to do it.

• London’s Leicester Square is getting a new activity bar with axe throwing, shuffleboards, DJs and more

Sunday League football has always been as much about camaraderie, fry-ups, and post-match pints as it has been about the 90 minutes on the pitch. But the culture is shifting. Across Britain, amateur players are treating diet as a critical part of their performance, swapping burgers, kebabs, and sugary drinks for meals designed to keep energy levels high, speed up recovery, and sharpen focus.

A recent Specsavers poll of 1,000 amateur footballers revealed that 67% are actively trying to out-perform opponents through their diet. Among Gen Z players, over half follow matchday menus specifically designed to maintain stamina from kickoff to the final whistle.

“You’d be very surprised, the days of the hungover Sunday League player are few and far between,” says Jonny Marsh, the private chef behind Warley FC’s nutrition makeover.

“Fitness lifestyles have become a lot more instilled within 20-30-year-olds now, with the emergence of hyrox, marathons, 10Ks… and this naturally crosses over into Sunday mornings. That being said, cooking for professional footballers is harder due to their exacting standards.”

Marsh, who has worked with stars including Ilkay Gundogan, has been guiding Warley FC – a team that lost 18 of their 20 games last season – to rethink their matchday meals. The results are already visible: a week after introducing Marsh’s new menu, the team secured a clean 2-0 win over Essex Minors.

Looking to similarly up your game? Here's four rules to follow if you want to be a masterchef for Messi.

Rule 1: Sunday League diets are improving — but cut back the beige on your plate

“Diets are definitely improving,” Marsh says. “Players aren’t just smashing pastries and energy drinks anymore, with 40% already changing their matchday habits after seeing teammates last longer on the pitch. That said, Gen X still think a full English is acceptable pre-kickoff, so there’s work to do. Most players are moving in the right direction; they just need a bit more consistency and a bit less beige.”

Despite the progress, some myths persist.

“The biggest thing I get from amateur players is, ‘I don’t want to eat like a rabbit,’” Marsh explains.

“People have this huge misconception that healthy food is boring. A few tweaks here and there can make a huge difference. You can have your favourite meal and less calories at the same time.”

Rule 2: Treats are fine — timing and portion size are what matter

Grassroots football isn’t just about strict diets. Marsh stresses that enjoyment still matters: “Dark chocolate is a great one, but honestly, anything can fit if timing and portion are right. It’s not about banning foods, it’s about fuelling properly when it counts.”

Even pre-match pies have been given a makeover...

“The perfect performance pie is what we cooked up with the Warley FC lads, a beetroot curry pie. It’s packed with slow-release carbs, antioxidants, and proper flavour. Beetroot is incredible for circulation and stamina, spinach boosts cardiovascular health, and curry spices give warmth and energy without weighing you down.”

Post-match, players are still free to let their hair down.

“These guys aren’t professional, and all have jobs to go to Monday morning,” says Marsh.

“A few pints aren’t the worst thing in the world. Culture has changed rapidly over the last decade, and now the days leading up to games are a lot healthier and more balanced.”

Rule 3: Say no to deep-fried anything before kick-off

Marsh is blunt about the impact of poor nutrition: “If Declan Rice ate like the average 2026 Sunday League centre-half for a month, he’d probably fare better than you’d expect because the average Sunday League player is way more dialled-in than a decade ago. But if he went full early-20s mode with kebabs, minimal protein, and no recovery, he’d feel it fast. Bad diet impacts performance more than most people realise. Your sleep, recovery, weight, everything at that level is of the finest margins.”

Some foods are non-negotiable. “Anything deep-fried, ban it. Grease before kickoff slows everyone down. Save it for the celebration, not the warm-up.” But simple, budget-friendly meals can make a huge difference.

“I’d go for peri-peri marinated chicken with spicy rice and some salad or veg. It’s cheap, easy, and gives you exactly what you need – steady energy and proper recovery. And funnily enough, James Milner has said it’s been his go-to pre-match meal for years. If the Warley lads can manage it, anyone can.”

Rule 4: Consistency is the real secret to playing better

The combination of new nutrition, coaching from Micah Richards, and a willingness to change has started to pay off for Warley FC.

“Jonny’s guidance is already showing results,” says manager Luke Armstrong.

“A week after he joined, we had a confident 2-0 win. A clean sheet, a composed performance – it’s exciting to see how the lads’ progress develops over the long term.”

Marsh sums it up: “Think of it like taking care of your car, the better fuel you put in, the better output you get. A good diet is an investment in your future as a player. Consistency is king, tick the box every day and the results will follow.”

Whether it’s beetroot pies, peri-peri chicken or simply cutting back on pre-match grease, the message is simple: what you eat matters. If Sunday League players across the country are starting to treat nutrition like part of the game plan, the gap between grassroots and the pros might not be as big as it once seemed.

• 10 best London music venues for seeing unsigned bands

The old laws of supply and demand have never been put to the test more than by Londoners with their running obsession, and the (surprisingly low) amount of actual races there are across the capital. Which is probably why it will come as a shock to absolutely nobody that London is getting a brand new half marathon, to keep up with the amount of people signing up for them. New Year's Resolutions have a lot to answer for

Cue the onslaught of even more lycra, smart watches, and those weird gels that — I have since found out — are absolutely not Frubes. Not even Frube adjacent.

Anyway, despite the amount of runners you’ll see frequenting Clapham Common, Tooting Common, Brockwell Park, Battersea Park – hey, any remotely green space, South London actually doesn’t have that many marathons. Until now, runners have been forced to trek over to East London for a good (officially timed and certified) jog.

The good news is that South London is getting a brand new half marathon, and the 13.1 mile race is heading to Wimbledon. The race is set to kick off in spring 2027.

The event is a collaboration between Merton Council and the Great Run Company – you know, the people behind the Great North Run aka the biggest half marathon in the world. The Wimbledon one probably won’t be quite as big as the famed GNR which sees 600,000 Strava-strollers (okay, incredibly fast amateur runners) take to the Newcastle streets every year. The Wimbledon iteration will have around 9,000 runners in its inaugural race.

Currently, there is no word on what the route will look like, but we do know it will be spanning across the borough in a closed-road race.

The race isn’t just great news for running-devotees, as the local council has estimated the race will bring around a £1.7million boost to local businesses. Better get those running trainers out from the back of the wardrobe where they’ve been since last summer’s optimistic fitness push.

• This London site could be about to become The Thames' first public swimming spot

If it feels like there has been a never-ending rise of all things wild swimming recently – community saunas, new Lidos, leisure centres, surfing lakes, giant potholes, then you’re not making it up. There has been a (tidal) wave of new initiatives proposed to create more wild swimming spots across the UK, and one in London is looking very promising.

Cast your minds back a couple of months ago and 13 sites across the UK were shortlisted for ‘swimming status’, which does not include a pink Kellogg’s 50m swim badge, but in fact is about creating sites which are safe, designated spaces suitable for public swimming. The government proposed to designate Riverside at Ham and Kingston as one of the latest official bathing sites, which was welcomed by Richmond Council and now is officially greenlit. The site has been put forward and championed by locals, including the Teddington Bluetits swimming group who believe it would be transformative for the community.

Despite the fact that most people associate the waters of the Thames with rusty shopping trollies, floating wet wipes, and other unsavoury detritus, the area has been deemed officially (and scientifically) clean, and is fit for public dipping. The first (and brave) dippers were welcomed into the bathing site on May 15th, and it will stay open throughout the summer season until September.

The site has been used as a bathing site before, having been a popular Victorian swimming location. The designation originally proved challenging for Thames Water as the body attempts to drive through a water recycling scheme to draw off tens of millions of litres of water a day from the Thames near the proposed bathing water area and replace it with treated effluent from the nearby Mogden sewage works. Local campaigners have been fighting for bathing-pond status for years, and after being declared biologically dead in 1950s, the reopening of the waterway is a landmark achievement.

Speaking to the Standard, Water minister Emma Hardy said: “The Thames is the vital artery at the heart of London’s cultural and sporting life.

“Plans for the very first bathing site in Ham and Kingston would mark a dramatic step towards a river fit for the world’s greatest capital city, making it a place people can confidently swim and take pride in.”

• Banksy Limitless brings the world of the street artist to London

All Elite Wrestling has confirmed that tickets for AEW All In: London will go on general sale at 10am GMT on Friday, 20 March via Live Nation. The show itself lands over the August bank holiday weekend, taking place on Sunday 30 August at Wembley Stadium.

Pre-registration is already open through Ticketmaster for anyone keen to secure a seat before the inevitable digital scrum.

This will mark the third time AEW has brought its flagship event to Wembley, and the company isn’t being subtle about its ambitions. When All In first arrived in London in 2023, it pulled in 81,035 fans, setting the all-time attendance record for a professional wrestling event and drawing supporters from more than 70 countries.

The following year, the event travelled stateside for AEW All In: Texas, which became AEW’s highest-grossing and most attended show in the United States. Now it’s back on British soil, with Wembley once again positioned as the global stage.

Part of All In’s appeal has been its sense of scale. This isn’t a souped-up arena show; it’s a stadium spectacle. Previous London editions have delivered career-defining moments, including Will Ospreay competing on home turf and Bryan Danielson putting his career on the line against Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship. The women’s division has also taken centre stage, with headline-grabbing performances from stars such as Mercedes Moné, Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale.

AEW is promising another “landmark live entertainment experience” for 2026, with more match announcements and card details to follow. We're expecting big title defences, chaotic stipulations and a lot of very muscley people going head-to-head.

Whether you’re a lifelong wrestling obsessive or just someone who fancies seeing 80,000 people lose their minds in unison, All In has positioned itself as more than just a niche event and instead as what you should expect on a sunny bank holiday. Pre-registration is live now.

• Japanese sumo wrestling storms London with giant warrior athleticism, spiritual grace — and the most exciting 10 seconds of sport you’ll ever see

It’s Winter Olympics time, which means just like the summer games it’s time to become fully invested in sports we don’t entirely understand — the rare occasion we all just get swept up in the emotion of how well someone is able to cross-country ski while doing a spot of rifle shooting.

Whether you’re au fait with all that’s happening in Milan and Cortina, with the XXV Winter Olympic Games underway, there’s a good chance you’ve probably heard the name Eddie the Eagle. At the 1988 Games in Calgary, Michael Edwards became the first athlete to compete for Team GB in ski jumping at an Olympic Games.

He didn’t leave Canada with a gold medal around his neck. He did, however, come away with the love and admiration of the millions that saw him achieve his dream to compete in the Olympics, when the odds were so heavily stacked against him to do it.

His Olympic journey was put on the big screen in the 2016 film Eddie the Eagle, while Edwards continues to share both on and off the slopes how he made it to the top of that hill in 1988.

Ahead of cheering on runners at the 2026 edition of the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run and inspiring others to sign up for the 2027 edition of the London Winter Run, we grabbed Eddie for a chat to find out if he still has love for the slopes and when we might actually see the next Team GB ski jumping hopeful.

The thrill of skiing hasn’t melted over the years

37 years on from Calgary, Edwards still spends a considerable amount of time slipping on his ski boots. That’s in between getting on his bike (mountain or road), doing a bit of dancing or going for a run, if his achilles isn’t playing up.

“I still love getting skis on and going skiing,” Edwards says with a beaming smile on his face.

“It doesn't matter whether it's at my local dry ski slope in Gloucester or the indoor ski slopes we have with real snow. Or out in the mountains somewhere in France, Italy, Austria, Germany or Bulgaria. I still get a buzz when I get my skis on.

"It's a slightly different feeling now because I can relax more. Back in the day, it was always training and getting ready for my next competition. Now it’s lovely because there’s no pressure. I can just ski, have fun, stop for coffee and there's no pressure whatsoever.”

Rob vs Romesh vs skiing

Edwards, now a qualified ski instructor, gives skiers of all abilities the chance to join him out on the piste and to even dine out and quiz him on one of his Ski Weekends. He put those instructor skills to the test when he joined comedy duo Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganthan for the Winter Olympics special of Rob & Romesh Vs. Something that Edwards had a lot of fun filming around this time last year.

“I think one of them had had one or two lessons on an indoor ski slope, but I think it'll be a while yet before they'll be ready for the Winter Olympics, " laughed Edwards.

“We actually filmed that on Valentine's Day last year, because my partner was really upset. She came to Saint Moritz with me and then here I was on this lovely horse sleigh ride going through Saint Moritz and it was with Rob and Romesh and not with my partner. She said I wouldn't love to have been on that horse sleigh ride going through St Moritz with me, rather than two comedians.”

So, who would be his dream guest to join him for a weekend of skiing?

“Hugh Jackman would be great to go out with, " he says.

“I spent a bit of time with him when we were promoting the film ten years ago. It would be nice to have somebody like him come out and ski with him for a week. I do bump into quite a few different people especially when I do festivals. I’ve skied with a few other comedians like Marcus Brigstocke. Some are better skiers than others, but it’s always great fun.”

The next Eddie the Eagle could be years away

A glance at the roster of Team GB athletes for this year’s Winter games shows an absence of any ski jumpers. There hasn’t been a representative in the games since 2002, and Edwards believes the dearth of athletes making it to the games isn’t going to change anytime soon.

“It doesn’t surprise me that we don’t have a ski jumper in the British Olympic team, because we don’t have a ski jump in the UK,” he tells us.

“You’ve got to travel so far to jump. I think my nearest ski jump is in Courchevel in France. That's like 700 to 1,000 miles away. Courchevel is very expensive as well. Until we can build a ski jump centre in the UK only then we can produce our own homegrown talent. Even then, once we’ve built it, it'll still take another 10 years before we start seeing the results.

“We were looking at the prospect of building one about 10 years ago. The only trouble was when the film came out. I was so busy with the film and off the back of the film, doing talks, motivational talks all over the world and I didn't have enough time to devote to actually where we would build it and what kind of centre would be built. It's something that we do want to look at again in the future.”

Getting to the Olympics through the kindness of strangers

There’s many reasons why Eddie’s story was the perfect fit for the big screen. None more so than the sacrifices he made to be near to the places thousands miles away from home. Places where he could train regularly to get him closer to the Olympics and lean on advice from everyone including the kids of ski jump coaches. All while facing the obstacles many athletes still face today.

"I had no money, no sponsorship,” Edwards explains. “Different teams gave me equipment. The Italian team gave me a helmet, the West German team gave me a suit. The Austrian team gave me a pair of skis."

"Even some people who owned a hotel in a village near where I trained helped me,” he says.

“They were two brothers and I used to cut their grass for them in the summer and they would give me a free meal. Back then, I used to pass their hotel to and from the jumps. If I was passing by and one of the brothers, who was a chef and he was in the kitchen, would give me a tin of beans or a tin of pears. I thought, Oh, great, that's my meal for tonight.

"I slept in the back of my car, in the back of a van. in a cow shed, slept in barns and in a psychiatric hospital. I scraped food out of bins. I just did anything I could do that would allow me to stay for an extra day, weekend, week or month.”

Aspiring Winter Olympians should just give it a go

Edwards, like many other Winter Olympics viewers, has enjoyed catching the action from all the events. Whether that’s the tricks on show during the snowboarding, or ski cross, an event which basically involves four guys racing down a course where there’s lots of barging and jumps to contend with. An event he would’ve loved to have done, but wasn't invented for another 15 years after he retired from skiing.

So what if you’ve caught the Winter Olympics and are wondering if you should give one of the events a go?

“If anybody watching is interested in any of the particular sports, I would encourage them all to just go out and give it a go,” says Edwards.

"You never know what might happen. You might end up going down a route that you never, ever thought about.

"It could be figure skating. It could be curling, maybe bobsleigh. We've got a bobsleigh push down in Bath, so you could get into a bit of training there to see whether you've got potential to become a bobsledder, a skeleton or a luge driver or get into ski jumping.

"I was inspired by watching the Olympics when I was a kid. I thought wow, I want to be like them.

"I didn't know I was going to do it in the ski jump. That’s just the way it turned out. It worked for me and it can work for anybody else.”

• How to start snowboarding: The complete beginner’s guide

Big brands reportedly spent up to $10 million for an ad slot during the Super Bowl 2026. And that only gets you thirty seconds of screen time.

But, hey, when there are an estimated 120-million-plus eyes glued to screens for the biggest NFL game of the year, it’s no wonder these ad spots cost a fortune.

This year, the Super Bowl ad roster was packed with mildly dispiriting AI companies, including Google. But there were some classic bits of Super Bowl ad comedy too, featuring a bunch of America’s most-loved comedians, pop stars and movie icons.

Here are our top seven picks.

Xfinity's Jurassic Park ad

A Wi-Fi router doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that could possibly make a fun ad. And yet with the help of a load of de-ageing tech and the actual stars of one of the best movies ever, they’ve only gone and done it. It’s a “what if Jurassic Park never went wrong?” bit of fan service, thanks to the help of a more robust Wi-Fi networking solution.

Pringles x Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter has made an entire pop persona around highlighting the deficiencies of today’s men. So she decides to make one out of Pringles instead. The real hit of this one is the ad manages to have some of the same smart sense of humour as the bangers on her most recent Man’s Best Friend album. And that’s despite the whole thing being over within a minute.

Hellmann's with Andy Samburg

Part Neil Diamond parody, part one-minute horror movie, this Hellmann’s mayo ad stars Andy Samburg as a man cursed to live in a diner, unable to ever leave. While wearing a “Meal Diamond” suit. It has shades of Lonely Island, obviously, and also acts as a sort-of neat reference to one of Samburg’s best films, 2020’s Palm Springs.

Instacart x Ben Stiller (with Benson Boone)

Ben Stiller and Benson Boone star in this chaotic ad for Instacart. It’s not really clear what any of it has to do with the brand, but Stiller certainly commits to the bit, and Benson Boone puts in a surprisingly good performance as one half of a pair of performing 1970s throwback brothers. Stiller’s character gets jealous of Boone’s signature backflip and tries to outdo it with... results.

State Farm ft. Bon Jovi

Danny McBride and Keegan-Michael Key are insurance salesman and a dodgy Bon Jovi tribute act in this State Farm insurance ad. The pair massacre Livin’ on a Prayer, with lyrics that warn about what happens when you cheap out on your insurance plan. A straightforward idea, then, but one that goes all out on production and even features a cameo from Jon Bon Jovi himself.

Bud Light with Shane Gillis and Post Malone

An ad with weirdly cinematic moments, Shane Gillis and Post Malone go hurtling down a hill to chase a barrel of Bud Light beer at a wedding — along with apparently just about all the other wedding guests. Peyton Manning also features, as the one guy who actually gets a pint of Bud Light. Not the funniest ad in this year’s Super Bowl line-up but well worth a watch.

Dunkin' with Ben Affleck

Splicing together stars from a whole bunch of 1990s sitcoms, this odd parody centres around the conceit that before Good Will Hunting, that film’s character actually starred in a sitcom. And he worked at a Dunkin’ Donuts store. It’s drenched in de-ageing tech, but this one is part of a years-long tradition of collabs between Affleck and Dunkin’.

• Check out 2025's best Super Bowl ads: The 12 Super Bowl ads you don't want to miss

The Super Bowl is back this weekend on the 8th of February, which means one thing for UK fans: staying up offensively late on a Sunday night, smashing questionable quantities of wings and convincing yourself Monday morning is a problem for Future You.

This Sunday, the New England Patriots are taking on the Seattle Seahawks live from Levi’s Stadium in California. Kick-off sits nicely in that awkward UK sweet spot where it’s too late to be sensible and too big to miss, with coverage starting from 10.30pm on Channel 5 if you’re keeping it sofa-side.

If you want the full American blowout, big screens, bigger portions, beer flowing like you’ve got annual leave booked, London has properly leaned into the occasion.

From watch parties and beer halls to full club nights built around the halftime show, here’s where to catch the Super Bowl in the capital this weekend.

9. KERB Social Club, Shoreditch

If your ideal Super Bowl watch party involves street food and a crowd that cares about what’s happening on screen, KERB Social Club is a contender. The Shoreditch spot is throwing a Super Bowl Sunday party, pairing big screen action with a stacked line-up of award-winning street food traders.

There's craft beers, cocktails and match-day specials designed to keep you fuelled well past midnight, plus a proper fan atmosphere rather than background telly vibes. Tickets start from £20.

8. The American Bar at The Stafford

For those who want their Super Bowl viewing with a side of polish, The Stafford’s historic American Bar is hosting a more refined late-night watch party.

They’ve created two bespoke cocktails themed around the teams: the Triple Threat (whisky, pastry, custard and cherry bitters) and the Philly Special (vodka, elderflower, raspberry, rhubarb and champagne). Food runs from small plates like mac and cheese bites through to the full American Bar Club Sandwich, making this one of the more civilised ways to stay awake until sunrise.

7. Bar Kick, Shoreditch

Bar Kick proudly calls itself Shoreditch’s home of live sport, so missing the Super Bowl was never going to be an option. The venue will be screening the game across multiple screens, making sure you’re never more than a glance away from the action.

Food leans satisfyingly indulgent, dirty burgers, fried chicken and a steady supply of drinks, while the late-night crowd guarantees atmosphere without tipping into full club chaos. If you want something lively but still focused on the sport itself, this is a solid middle ground.

6. The Blues Kitchen (multiple locations)

Usually reserved for live music and late-night dancing, The Blues Kitchen is pivoting to American football mode this Sunday, without ditching the party atmosphere that made it famous.

Live bands kick things off from 8pm, keeping the room buzzing before kickoff, and food and drinks will run late into the night to keep everyone going through overtime, halftime and whatever emotional rollercoaster the game throws up. Tickets are available in advance for a fiver, with limited walk-ins available if you’re feeling lucky.

5. 40ft Brewery, Blackhorse Road

If your idea of the perfect Super Bowl involves craft beer, warehouse vibes and pretending Monday doesn’t exist, 40ft Brewery is hosting one of the more laid-back but still lively screenings in the capital.

The game will be shown on a big screen until 4am, with beer specials flowing throughout the night. Guests are strongly encouraged to get involved with bourbon drinking traditions, while Walthamstow Dogs will be supplying hot dogs designed specifically to soak up poor life choices. Entry costs £5 and includes a free pint, which is dangerously good value given how long you’ll likely stay.

4. Ministry of Sound

Not traditionally known for American football, but Ministry of Sound is swapping rave lights for end-zone drama for one night only. The legendary club is screening the game alongside a full party atmosphere, with wings, chips and drinks flowing from 8pm onwards.

The halftime entertainment continues inside the venue too, with 1Xtra favourites Kash & Pharaoh bringing hip hop karaoke and club-style energy while the teams regroup. It’s less sports bar, more Super Bowl rave, and honestly, that might be exactly what some people are after.

3. The Clapham Grand

Following last year’s sell-out chaos, The Clapham Grand is back for another full theatre-style Super Bowl party, and it’s already flirting with capacity again.

Expect a huge screen setup, mountains of beer and Thunderbird Chicken wings keeping the crowd fuelled through the night. There’s also a live cheerleading performance and confetti cannons because subtlety isn’t really part of the Super Bowl brief. If you want your viewing experience loud, messy and slightly theatrical, this is a strong shout.

2. The Hippodrome Casino, Leicester Square

The Hippodrome is turning its Lola’s Underground venue into a full watch party, centred around a 10-metre screen that should leave absolutely no excuse for missing a play.

The venue is open 24/7, which neatly solves the late finish issue, and they’re leaning hard into the food and drink side of things with classic Super Bowl snacks and properly cold beer. If you want to level up your evening before kickoff, the Heliot Steak House upstairs is serving heavyweight dinners, including tomahawk steak if you fancy matching the scale of the event.

1. BOXPARK (multiple locations)

If you want the closest thing to a full-tilt American sports bar atmosphere without booking a flight, BOXPARK is going all in. Across its venues, the street-food giant is hosting an all-night Super Bowl party running from 7pm through to 4am, with huge screens, surround sound and the kind of crowd that will absolutely celebrate first downs like match-winners.

There's DJs, live bands, beer pong, giveaways, eating challenges, cheerleaders and a bucking bronco because, frankly, why wouldn’t there be? The game and halftime show (featuring Bad Bunny) will be shown live alongside a steady stream of Coors and street-food traders keeping everyone upright until sunrise.

BOXPARK Croydon is promising an especially rowdy setup, while fans closer to the City can head to BOXHALL at Liverpool Street for a slightly slicker but still lively experience.

• Michelin Guide announces 13 award-winning London restaurants for better value eats

What better way to erase recent Ashes humiliation from your memory than following England in a format of the game they’re actually not too bad in?

The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup kicks off on the 7th February, with Pakistan opening the competition against the Netherlands in Colombo. England fans, you’ll need to be up at a not too unreasonable 9.30am (UK time) for England’s World Cup opener against Nepal the following day.

With the tournament taking place in stadiums across India and Sri Lanka, you’ll need to be an early riser to catch some matches. If you’re just keeping an eye on England’s progress, then it’ll largely be breakfast, lunchtime and early evening viewings to look forward to.

If you don’t have a Sky subscription and are looking for somewhere to take in some, or all of the games with other lovers of the short format of the game, here’s our pick of the places around London to see if anyone can claw the trophy out of India’s hands.

8. Sixes Cricket

• Opening times
• 4-10pm (Tuesday-Thursday),
• 12pm-12am (Friday),
• 11am-12am (Saturday),
• 11am-8pm (Sunday)

This is somewhere to watch the late afternoon matches and then spend that time in between innings proving you can strike the ball as cleanly as Harry Brook.

Sixes now has four locations across London, so you have options of where to pop yourself in front of a big screen, then jump into the nets. You won’t have to stare down a proper cricket ball if you’re worried about doing it after a few drinks, with themed games to test your batting talents. Like facing some of the toughest deliveries in World Cup history or seeing how many runs you can rack up in T20 mode.

(Sixes went into administration in December, but all venues remain open and are still taking bookings)

You can book here.

7. Market Place Food Hall

• Opening times
• 11am-10pm (Monday-Thursday)
• 11am-23.30 (Friday-Saturday)
• 11am-21.30 (Sunday)

Market Place has locations across London, including one not too far from the Kia Oval and a few minutes' walk from Peckham Rye station.

The Peckham venue has screens aplenty, a good-sized bar, pool tables and nine street food vendors. That includes ones where you can fill up on biryani or a roti wrap if you really want to embrace the tournament being hosted on the Indian subcontinent. You can check out everything on offer on the Market Place Food Hall website.

6. Pavillion End

• Opening times
• 10am-10pm (Monday)
• 10am-11pm (Tuesday-Friday)
• 10.30-10pm (Saturday)

Pavilion End even has a cricket-themed name, which is a sure sign you’ve stumbled across a place primed for cricket viewing. Situated near both Mansion House and Bank underground stations, the Pavilion End opens at 10am during the week, making it ideal for catching the morning matches.

There’s ten screens dotted around the venue to make sure you get a good view, two bars to grab a drink from and a sizable food menu to pick from as well. You can see the live sports offering here.

5. The Kings Sports Bar 

• Opening times 24/7, 7 days a week

For the most dedicated who do want to get up at 5.30am to see Italy take on Scotland, The Kings Sports Bar at Empire Casino is open all day, every day of the week.

There are two main screens to stare at with dreary eyes, alongside fourteen smaller ones, with a food menu including wings, burgers and pizzas to keep you powered through the action.

4. Brigadiers

• Opening times
• 12pm-3pm and 5pm-10.30pm (Monday-Wednesday)
• 12pm-10.30pm (Thursday-Saturday)

One to seek out for early afternoon matches and grab a spot of lunch, Brigadiers is an Indian restaurant situated between Mansion House and Bank tube stations, which has dedicated rooms kitted out with large TVs, and you can also opt for the pool room.

The menu is best described as Indian barbecue, with feast and beast feast menus serving up dishes like suckling lamb biryani and suckling pig goan. You might need a few innings to finish those off.

3. The Railway Tavern

• Opening times
• 9am-11pm (Monday-Wednesday)
• 9am-12am (Thursday-Saturday)
• 9am-10.30pm (Sunday)

The Railway Tavern is a great little pub that’s five minutes walk from Liverpool Street Station and will be showing a host of the T20 World Cup games. That includes England’s 9.30am opener against Nepal. It’s got plenty of screens and seating, an extensive menu including some pub classics, and there’s even somewhere to throw some arrows at either a traditional or interactive board if you need to channel your inner Luke Littler.

2. Euston Flyer

• Opening times
• 10am-10pm (Monday)
• 10am-11pm (Tuesday-Friday)
• 9am-11pm (Saturday)
• 10am-10pm (Sunday)

If you’re looking for something in close proximity to Kings Cross and Euston stations, the Flyer is another one for morning matches, and not just the England ones.

There’s plenty of room to pull up a chair with two projector-style TVs, a pretty extensive food and drinks menu in a pretty relaxed pub setting that gets a nice kind of busy rather than the struggling to get to the bar kind.

1. The Waverley Arms

• Opening times
• 3pm-11pm (Monday and Tuesday)
• 12pm-11pm (Wednesday and Thursday)
• 12pm-11.45pm (Friday)
• 10.30am-11.45pm (Saturday)
• 12pm-9pm (Sunday)

A bit of a South London pub gem that’s now been running for over 100 years, The Waverley Arms will be showing T20 matches from all competing nations. The smart move to make is to book for matches falling over the weekend.

It’ll be worth the hassle if you’re also planning to tackle something from the strong food menu that does include a range of Sunday roasts.

• Kew Gardens’ Orchid Festival returns for its 30th anniversary — packed with dragons, pandas and after-dark parties

The Six Nations is one of those sporting fixtures that turns even the most casual rugby fan into a committed planner. Tables get booked weeks in advance, group chats light up, and everyone suddenly has very strong opinions about where to watch it. London, of course, has no shortage of decent options, from traditional pubs to dedicated sports bars, but BOXPARK remains a consistently reliable place to settle in for the tournament.

From Thursday 5 February to Saturday 14 March, BOXPARK will be screening every match of the Six Nations 2026 live across its venues. That means no hopping between locations, no awkward requests to change channels, and no squinting at a screen tucked away in the corner.

Games are shown on large screens with good sound, making it easy to follow the build-up, the big moments and the post-match analysis without feeling like you’re fighting the room.

If you've been to BOXPARK its instantly clear why it works so well for rugby, or any sporting occasion. It’s a space that suits big groups just as easily as smaller gatherings, with plenty of different grub options on offer, as well as an atmosphere open to a bit of chaos.

All BOXPARK venues will be showing the matches, with BOXPARK Croydon leaning into a more event-led approach during the Six Nations.

Selected fixtures will come with added extras like DJs, live music, interactive stage games and crowd-favourite eating challenges, giving the bigger match days a bit more energy without overwhelming the rugby itself.

Elsewhere, BOXHALL City, located by Liverpool Street, will also screen every game live. With plenty of food options under one roof, a central location and a lively but unfussy atmosphere, this lends itself to those who work more centrally and want to catch a game after work, or if you're cobbling together pals from various parts of the city.

There are plenty of great places to watch the Six Nations in 2026. But if you’re looking for big screens, decent food, and an atmosphere that reliably follows the rugby rather than fighting against it, BOXPARK is a solid option.

• Darts and minds: Why the pub sport is finally ready for global domination — and the tech that’s helping it hit the bullseye

Sportswear is everywhere. Not just in gyms or on the backs of the running clubs taking over the city streets after work and at weekends. If you care about what you throw on to work up a sweat, an exhibition that’s just opened in London might just make you care a bit more about how it’s being made.

Performance without Toxicity is being hosted at the Fabrica X innovation gallery, which is just a few minutes walk (or an even quicker run) from Kings Cross station. It’s presented by The Mills Fabrica, a workspace hub dedicated to bringing together likeminded folk that care about creating and investing in sustainable innovations.

Running over the next five months, the exhibition showcases the technologies and solutions that can go into — and is already going into — making everything from hiking boots, padel rackets and wetsuits healthier for you and the planet. It’s all about keeping toxic petroleum-based materials out of your wardrobe and away from your body, which can only be a good thing.

“At The Mills Fabrica, a key part of our mission is to shine a light on the industry players that are taking the more responsible path, " says Amy Tsang, Head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica.

“Whether that’s at the design stage, production of a garment’s end-of-life.

"For performance wear, it’s becoming a part of our daily lives — and is no longer only worn for working out at the gym. This increased popularity of performance apparel and accessories makes it even more crucial that these products are made in ways that protect both people and the planet.”

A global effort

This is The Mills Fabrica’s largest exhibition yet, with 37 exhibitors included from all across the globe as well those that are much closer to home. That includes more established names like Vivobarefoot, best known for its minimalist footwear, and running shoe brand Allbirds. You’ll also discover names you’ll hopefully become more familiar with in the not too distant future.

Like Goldwin, a Japanese performance brand and lead innovation partner for the exhibition that’s also launching its first UK flagship store in Soho this month. You can take a closer look at a jacket built for outdoor adventures that’s been created using a pattern system called SYN-GRID. This uses 3D technology and machine learning to reduce fabric waste during manufacturing.

Circle Sportswear, is a French running apparel brand that’s already launched a running shoe made from bio-based materials like castor beans and wood pulp. Cornwall-based outdoor brand Finisterre is showing off a wetsuit that uses rubber from forests to reduce the reliance on the neoprene mainly used in wetsuits. Football fans can also wonder what it could be like to lace up a boot made from non-toxic graphene. That’s been demonstrated through a pilot project from London-based startup Nanoloom.

Hyosung TNC is a global leader in elastane production. That’s a fibre found in clothing like leggings and compression wear. It’s now developed a bio-based elastane that uses sugar cane to reduce the carbon footprint for brands that want to add some stretch to their performance garments. Amphico is a startup that’s already produced PFAS-free waterproof breathable membranes and waterless colours for fabrics that can be incorporated into jackets. That’s all while reducing toxic chemicals and water usage compared to other textiles used in performance gear.

"Progress over perfection"

“The size of this exhibition reflects the wave of innovation happening right now in performance apparel, " says Tsang.

“This demonstrates the huge potential for the industry to do better. It’s about highlighting progress over perfection and demonstrating that now is the time for brands to act if we want to protect the future of our planet.”

You’re free to get a feel of most of the gear on show, with each clearly labelled to indicate the stage of development. Whether they’re still at the early startup or research project stage or already being put to good use. You'll also find out if garments have compostable qualities or include additional features like moisture-wicking for added comfort or staying dry when you start to sweat.

“I hope people will leave the exhibition feeling inspired and motivated to take action,” says Tsang.

“We want to show that these innovations and technologies aren’t some distant future. They’re happening today and there’s much more on the horizon.”

The Performance without Toxicity exhibition is open now and runs until the 29th June 2026. It’s free to pop in, with a spot to grab a coffee, and a concept store so you can even walk away with some more toxic-free performance wear or pick up a book to learn more about the work explored.

• New Balance serves up its 2026 London Marathon training range inside London’s oldest pie and mash shop

For a sport that’s been a perennial Christmas TV favourite and a staple of UK pub culture since time immemorial, it might seem strange to find out that darts is the fastest growing sport in the UK.

But it’s true. Gambling spend is one of the key metrics when it comes to determining a sport’s growing popularity, and darts is enjoying a boom period in interest — the number of bets placed since 2018 has increased 37%, and stakes have grown 59%, according to Entain’s digital sportsbook.

Call it the ‘Luke Littler’ effect (with the Brit becoming world champion at just 17 years old). Call it the rise of the social media darts influencer. But the sport is shedding its ‘two pints of lager and a packet of crisps’ image of old to become a phenomenon beyond the darts faithful.

This growth is going global — events at New York’s Madison Square Gardens are a sell out, darts is breaking down its boozy image barrier in reserved Middle Eastern countries, and there’s an exponential wave of talent rising up through China. The stakes have never been higher too, with prize money for the World Darts Championship now topping out at £1 million for its winner.

Is the age of the beer-swilling, ciggy-smoking darts king over then?

"I think the stereotype of a darts player, how it was, I don't think is necessarily how it now is, and it is definitely not how it will be,” says Tom Brown, CEO of Nodor group, which includes darts equipment maker and tournament sponsor Winmau.

“You’ve got these juniors coming up into the sport and it’s very different. You know, Luke Littler is teetotal.

“The difference between winning and losing these days costs a lot of money. Back when the prize money was less, if you lost it was okay — if you won, it was not really that much money. But the difference between winning and losing at the moment can mean prize money from £50,0000 all the way up to £1,000,000.”

Mind, body and tech meets three dart average

With a more mindful, healthy generation of youngsters getting into the sport, so too are its stars reflecting that cultural shift — not just as a reflection of their peers, but to ensure top performance.

Darts stars now employ nutritionists and sports psychologists. “It’s very much about marginal gains,” says Tom.

“We see it in cycling with the aerodynamics on the bike or the lycra that they wear. Customisation of darts is also quite exciting. Players are trying out all sorts of darts configurations.

“At our facility down in Bridgend, we have something called the Flight Room — players will come in, they'll spend a day, they'll try different profiles, different point lengths, different grips, different flights and find what they like. That customisation is all about marginal gains, and that's really when we're talking about the bounce out on the boards.”

And the board itself will be one of the major changes to this week’s tournament performance. Winmau has entered into the longest-ever partnership with the PDC, darts’ governing body, to make its new BladeX the go-to championship board. It’s claiming it’s the world’s most advanced dart board ever.

“Blade X is an evolution based on more than 30 years of development, looking at every single aspect of the board, whether that's on the web, the scoring or the durability, with no stone unturned,” says Lee Huxtable, Winmau’s Chief Manufacturing Officer.

“It’s probably the most tested dartboard the world has ever seen,” says Lee, with 6 million darts thrown during testing by some of the world’s best players, and with “high scoring potential off the charts,” thanks to the board’s defence against bounce out.

"You don't want a dart on the floor, you don’t want deflections. So we're looking for the absolute maximum scoring potential on a dartboard. And I think that’s exactly what we’ve achieved.”

Compared to the crumbling boards of old, the BladeX is essentially ‘self-healing’, able to take deeper penetration from long-pointed darts over time without falling to pieces. And it’ll be available to at-home enthusiast players as well as venues and on the biggest stages in the sport.

“If you look at the darts on TV 10 years ago, the number of bounce outs is significantly reduced," says Tom. “And of course, I'm going to say it's because of our boards, but it is because of the boards.”

Past players and present performance

But what of the heroes of yesteryear — if Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor had access to a Winmau board, the advantages of a science-backed diet, the ‘marginal gains’ magic — would his kind stand a chance today?

“It’s a good question,” says Lee.

“The first thing they would be looking at is the dartboard. Back in the 70s, a dartboard was completely different — that would be the first argument [past players would make to their score averages]. However, I've got to say, with the younger players coming through with the amount of increased prize money, with the amount of practice times that these guys are putting in, I think the level has improved significantly.”

“The averages that these players are hitting now, call it 105 or 110 during a tournament — that's probably the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago,” counters Tom.

“But the number of people that were averaging 105, 110 — 30 years ago that was probably like two people. Now it's probably 20 people. Yes, there’s the equipment, but they're taking it a lot more seriously. They're practicing. Back in the day, most of the players that were on the tour also had day jobs, now they're just dedicated to darts, and that's their career.”

Academies are playing their part, with youth schemes growing in popularity across the globe, and Wi-Fi-connected boards — letting remote players practise competitively with peers many miles away — lowering the geographical barrier to high-level play.

Culture clash vs hitting the bullseye around the world

If the modern darts player is a high-tech, clean-living (and clean-for-the-sponsors) superstar, the atmosphere at a live darts game is very much still one of all-out hedonism. Though there are some global exceptions, that bacchanal spirit travels well.

“The Middle East that's probably the one anomaly actually,” says Tom.

“I think if you go to a tournament in the Netherlands, or a tournament in Germany, it’s all received like it is here. Even Madison Square Gardens is crazy — smaller, but it's as crazy as Ally Pally,”

“That kind of culture of the event is consistent everywhere around the world, probably with the exception of the Middle East, as there’s no alcoholic drink there and stuff like that, there are some fundamental differences. But the sport is in hyper growth in these other markets, Netherlands, in particular, Germany too.”

The true test will be taking over the huge sports-consuming USA. And homegrown talent is the key across the pond.

“The US is different because they don't have so many American players to follow,” says Tom.

“In the UK, it was 10 or 15 years ago that the PDC really started to invest heavily in juniors. And now those juniors are coming up to be professionals. That's what's happening now in the US.

"In the US, it's more expensive to go to a tournament. You have to fly somewhere because it's so big. You might live in New York, and the tournament's in Seattle, and you've got to go over there. So, I think there are some barriers, but within not too many years, we'll start to see exponential growth in the US too.”

With darts being thrown all over the world then, the next Luke Littler might come from the most unlikely of places, says Tom.

“One of the highlights of the World Championships for me was when the Kenyan player, David Munyua, beat a top 20 seed [Mike De Decker 3-2 in the first round],” he marvelled.

“I've never seen an atmosphere like that. The room went absolutely bananas. He definitely shouldn't have won in terms of seeding. But what was great is he's gone back to Kenya, and he actually did a walk around our factory, and our 2000 employees came out to greet him.

“He was like this hero, and has now inspired so many of the workers in our factory, let alone the rest of the people we don't talk to in Kenya, to now play darts. So I think what it takes is these kind of breakthrough moments, to kind of wake up a nation and say, ‘Wow!’”

In most news headlines about national treasure comedian Michael McIntyre, you’d probably expect phrases like ‘sold out run’ or ‘new gameshow’ or maybe ‘hosting the Royal Variety’ to appear after it. The words ‘has launched a new fan-powered football analysis app’ probably isn't quite what you'd expect. Nevertheless, that's exactly what he's done.

A lifelong Spurs fan, Michael McIntyre along has co-created Fanalysis, a game-changing new platform which is aiming to empower fan footie opinions – and they do mean all fans, because it’s now available to all Premier League fans.

Trying to counteract the more toxic online conversations, Fanalysis is set to be the home for raw, real, and razor sharp analysis for fans, free from the hate. The app is based on the belief that no one knows their club and players like the fans, with Fanalysis reflecting the real life opinions of the fans about their teams. The data collected from the app is already being used across outlets like Sky Sports and sports journalists, providing a realistic, balanced review of players and teams from their biggest fans – and it turns out, harshest critics.

Founder Michael McIntyre explained that "When it comes to their club, fans know best. They are watching the closest, they live and breathe their club, their mood depends on whether their team wins on the weekend. So I thought, why isn’t there a resource for fan opinions? A Tripadvisor, Letterboxd, Goodreads for football. A place where fans can input their analysis on their own club. So I founded Fanalysis and went on this incredible and unexpected journey that has led to these amazing partnerships with Sky and The Athletic, to give fans a voice like never before"

• This star-studded charity football match is returning to Wembley Stadium

If you were looking for a solid excuse to ignore emails, cancel plans and develop strong opinions about niche winter sports, the BBC has you covered.

The broadcaster has confirmed it will show more than 450 hours of live action from next month’s Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, making these the most accessible Games for UK viewers in over two decades.

Running from Friday, the 6th, to Sunday, the 22nd of February, the 2026 Winter Olympics will be broadcast across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, and BBC Sport’s digital platforms, with wall-to-wall coverage designed for everyone from casual viewers to full-blown Olympic enthusiasts.

BBC Sport will offer two live daytime streams from Italy, meaning you won’t have to choose between, say, skeleton and speed skating (unless you want to). Alongside that, there’ll be rolling highlights, clips and live text updates across the BBC Sport website, app and social channels, perfect for keeping one eye on the action while pretending to work.

For those who really want to commit, a second dedicated stream, Olympics Extra, will run from 8am to 11pm daily via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, showing even more live events and medal moments. In short, if it’s happening on snow or ice, the BBC probably has it covered.

Television coverage will be anchored from the BBC’s studio in Cortina, with Clare Balding, Hazel Irvine and Jeanette Kwakye leading presentation duties across BBC One and Two from 9am through to 10pm each day. Expect calm authority, encyclopaedic knowledge and the reassuring sense that everything is under control, even when someone is flying down a mountain at alarming speed. Before the month is up, you can pretend you're an expert on more than just Cool Runnings.

Expert analysis will come from a strong line-up of former Olympians, including Lizzy Yarnold, Vicky Wright and Montell Douglas, bringing insight from people who have actually been there, done it and slid down things far faster than most of us ever will.

BBC Sport’s Director Alex Kay-Jelski said the Winter Olympics showcase the world’s most elite winter athletes pushing the limits of speed and precision, and the broadcaster is clearly treating Milan-Cortina as a major sporting moment. With extensive live coverage, familiar faces and multiple ways to watch, the Games are set to dominate the schedules.

As for Team GB, expectations are cautiously optimistic. UK Sport is targeting between four and eight medals, with British athletes competing across a wide range of disciplines, and plenty of chances for unexpected heroes to emerge.

So whether you’re tuning in for the marquee events or accidentally falling in love with something obscure halfway through a lunch break, the BBC’s Winter Olympics coverage looks set to turn February into a very snowy, very watchable affair.

• This star-studded charity football match is returning to Wembley Stadium

It’s January, which hopefully means that if you were one of the lucky people to get the ‘you’re in!’ email last summer, you should already be in the thick of training for the TCS 2026 London Marathon. Or at least starting it after waiting until Christmas and New Year snacking was out of the way.

Marathon training is hard full stop. Add in trying to squeeze in runs on bitterly cold early mornings or braving rain-lashed conditions to get training done after work and before dinner. Whatever your running level is, getting yourself out the door right now is a challenge in itself.

New Balance knows it’s tough to get out there too. That’s why one of the main sponsors for a marathon that drew a record 1.1 million entries is hoping to make kicking off your session a bit easier to do.

New Balance has officially launched its TCS London Marathon training range, which will let everyone you pass on the pavement know that you’re running it in April. It’s also designed to give runners the features and technology they can truly find useful. So, where do you launch a London-centric apparel collection? Well, only in the Capital's oldest pie and mash shop of course.

Mashing the marathon

Why did New Balance pick M.Manze, a pie and mash shop that’s over 100 years old? There’s a few reasons. The first is location. It’s situated on Tower Bridge Road. For those London Marathon participants who have already done their homework, that's roughly around the halfway point of the course. You probably won’t be gasping for some liquor at that point. The other reason is community. This is a pie and mash shop that’s been a community hub for decades. New Balance wants its latest range to tap into that community spirit that’s now firmly built around the running scene.

So what can you expect to find in that training range? You can pretty much kit yourself out from top to toe in London emblazoned attire with that all-important official London Marathon branding in tow.

Standout pieces include New Balance’s Heat Grid Half Zip, a long sleeve that features NB Heat technology to offer a boost of warmth on chillier days. There’s room for a zipped pocket to stash away training run essentials and sleeves that usefully turn into mitts, saving you rummaging through drawers and other coats to find a complete pair of gloves.

New Balance’s high vis-looking London Edition Marathon Jacket uses fabrics designed to provide ample defence against the wind and the rain, while making sure you have the freedom to move without material getting in your way. You’ll also find generous areas of reflective taping placed in key areas to make sure you can be spotted when running at night or in quieter locations.

The RC Pocket leggings and tights are built to provide support and better warmth than pulling on a pair of shorts in sub zero-like running conditions. They feature fast-drying technology for when you get caught in a downpour and ensure you have somewhere suitable to store away your phone. The leggings include a phone-friendly side pocket and the tights move that storage to the rear and into a zipped pocket.

Route to the finish line

On those days when you’re not training and focusing on recovery, but still want to remind people that you’ll be on that start line come April 26th, there’s both a London Edition hoodie and t-shirt. Both offer colourful nods to New Balance’s upcoming racing apparel line, which launches on March 1st. That’s when you can expect to see bolder patterns in play for race day. If you want to complete the London look, New Balance also includes shorts, socks, singlets in the range along with London-themed versions of its 1080v15 and SuperComp Elite V5 running shoes.

The entire TCS London Marathon Collection is available now from the New Balance website and select stores, with prices ranging from £40 up to £230 if you want a pair of those speedy Elite V5 shoes on your feet.

If you’re running in April and need to head to the marathon expo, the good news is you’ll also be able to pick up the training range as well as the racing one, after or before you pick up that all-important race bib. You’ll have to pick up your celebratory jellied eels at the back at the halfway point at Tower Bridge though.

• 10 of the best men's running shoes to smash your next parkrun: Top affordable runner picks

Once again, big names are teaming up with a big stadium to deliver a pretty exciting showdown. This April a huge charity football match lands at London's own Wembley stadium for the 2026 edition of the Sidemen Charity Match.

The Sidemen who are also the brains behind the charity match is formed of YouTube stars including KSI, Simon, Josh, Ethan, Vik, and Harry. The sextuplet will be splitting up into teams with celebrity friends, competing against each other. Apart from being a cracking bit of sports to watch, they'll be raising money for Bright Side and BBC Children in Need.

This year’s match is set to be huge – as you’d sort of expect from any group that boasts 22 million subscribers from one of their channels. Combined, the stars have over 100 million subscribers, racking up over 6 billion views globally. 2025’s match saw every single seat snapped up, with the whole stadium selling out in less than 3 hours.

We don't yet know who is going to be joining the Sidemen on the teams, although they confirmed via Instagram that the team reveals would be coming this week.

Pre-sale tickets for this year’s match (available for Side+ members) are going live at 9 am on Friday 30th January, with general sale tickets going live the following Monday, 2nd February at 9am. If you sign up at sidemenfc.com, you’ll be able to join a virtual queue ahead of the sale at 8am, giving you a head-start on securing tickets. Although luckily, unlike most other gigs these days, there isn’t steep dynamic pricing that will have you blowing your savings in one, as all tickets are priced between £15-35.

Last year, the match raised an incredible £4.7 million for charity, with Sidemen FC taking on Youtube Allstars like Angry Ginge, George Clarke, Logan Paul and more.

• From Gen Z comedians to Yes Prime Minister’s closing chapter: These are the 10 best shows heading to London theatres in 2026

Apple is making a documentary on the life and career of tennis icon Andre Agassi.

“Here we go…” the 55-year old sports legend wrote on Apple’s Instagram post announcing the series, news of which has been doing the rounds since last year.

“Icon. Rebel. Legend.” reads the tagline for the series, which will be directed by Chris Smith.

His long list of documentary credits includes Fire: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, Bad Vegan, Devo and Mr. McMahon, while he also served as producer on Netflix’s Tiger King. This one’s in good hands.

Agassi’s story has already been fairly well-told, in the tennis star’s compelling 2009 autobiography Open, which was ghostwritten by Pulitzer Prize winner J. R. Moehringer.

Andre Agassi retired from professional tennis in 2006 following the US Open, where he was knocked out in the third round by Benjamin Becker — no relation to Boris Becker, if you’re wondering.

By modern standards, Andre Agassi was a real rock ’n’ roll figure in tennis. And not least because he had a hairdo worthy of a young David Lee Roth before he embraced the bald look.

As revealed in Open, Agassi started taking crystal meth in the late 1990s, a period in which he dropped from being tennis’s world no. 1 player to number 141 in just two years and change.

But Agassi did go on to win multiple grand slam titles after that dark period, giving Apple’s documentary series plenty of content for a redemption arc structure.

As yet we don’t know what the Apple TV Andre Agassi documentary series will be called, how many episodes it will feature or when it’s out.

It follows 2023’s Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker, a two part series that charted the rise and fall of the tennis star, whose low points included an eight-month stint in prison just back in 2022. That documentary was directed by Alex Gibney, and is available to watch on Apple TV now, too.

Other documentaries that have made it onto our must-watch list of Apple TV shows include Beastie Boys Story, The Elephant Queen, Bruce Springsteen’s Letter To You and Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry.

• The best Apple TV shows you really need to be streaming

Chelsea and Tottenham are taking their rivalry global next summer, with the two clubs set to meet in Sydney for their first-ever clash outside the UK. The match, part of the 2026 Sydney Super Cup, will take place at the 83,500-capacity Accor Stadium on 1 August, offering Australian fans a rare chance to see one of English football’s most fiery fixtures unfold in their own backyard.

For Spurs, the trip marks familiar territory. The club has been steadily building its Australian presence over the past few years: facing West Ham in Perth in 2023 at the start of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure, then returning almost exactly a year later for a post-season friendly against Newcastle in Melbourne. They even played Arsenal in Hong Kong last summer, the first north London derby ever staged outside Britain, so adding Chelsea to the “international rivalries” list feels like a natural next step.

Chelsea’s calendar is just as busy. The Blues will kick off their Australian tour against Western Sydney Wanderers on 28 July before turning their attention to Spurs. Their women’s side, featuring Australian stars Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter, will also be in town for a showcase match against an A-League Women All-Stars team on 12 August.

What adds extra intrigue to this Sydney showdown is its timing. The fixture lands just weeks after the 2026 World Cup, meaning both sides could be without key players who’ve either gone deep into the tournament or are recovering from the sort of emotional and physical hangovers only a month-long global competition can produce. Squads may look slightly unfamiliar, but the rivalry won’t lose any of its bite.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is embracing the occasion. “Sydney is one of the world’s most iconic locations for sport, and I’m excited to be able to take the team there,” he said. “I’ve heard all about our passionate fanbase in Australia… I can’t wait to experience that for myself.”

Chelsea’s director of travel and touring, Pete Nuttall, echoed the enthusiasm, calling the tournament “a fantastic celebration of football” as both clubs warm up for the 2026/27 season.

A-League chief Stephen Conroy put it simply: “The 2026 Sydney Super Cup is set to be a fantastic exhibition of world-class football… a great opportunity for talent across our leagues to test themselves against giants of world football.”

Two Premier League heavyweights, one iconic stadium, and a derby with no historical precedent, even if the squads aren’t at full strength, Sydney is getting its own slice of Premier League action.

• The world’s 11 most stunning football stadiums

In news guaranteed to light up both your inner child and your football-obsessed group chat, LEGO has teamed up with the FIFA World Cup 2026 for a collaboration that might just be the brand’s most ambitious flex yet: a full-scale, 1:1 LEGO recreation of the iconic World Cup Trophy.

It's full-size. You can actually build it, and it will be a great prop for an FM save.

Kicking off in March 2026, the set is the first in a new product portfolio celebrating the biggest tournament on Earth. At its heart is a meticulous, brick-by-brick rendition of football’s ultimate prize, made from a massive 2,842 LEGO pieces, including more gold elements than have ever been used in a LEGO set before.

True to LEGO’s flair for Easter eggs, the trophy hides a secret: a pull-out section in the upper globe reveals a tiny vignette featuring the 2026 World Cup logo and an exclusive minifigure clutching a mini trophy. Under the base sits a printed plaque listing every winning nation since 1974, perfect for anyone who both enjoys building and enjoys reminding their mates who’s lifted the thing the most.

The collaboration is a natural fit: two global icons joined in their shared mission of bringing fans together, one through precision play, the other through a festival of football. “The FIFA World Cup Trophy stands as a universal symbol of achievement and unity,” said Julia Goldin, LEGO’s Chief Product & Marketing Officer. “Now fans everywhere can experience the excitement of it, piece by piece, in true LEGO style.”

FIFA’s Chief Business Officer Romy Gai echoed the hype, calling the partnership “perfect synergy” and marking the first time LEGO and FIFA have created something on this scale together.

Even Roberto Carlos, with a wand of a left peg, weighed in. The 2002 winner said building the trophy lets fans “bring that magic home,” calling it a way to share the love of football with friends and family. If it’s good enough for one of the greatest left-backs of all time, it’s good enough for our coffee table.

The LEGO Editions FIFA World Cup Official Trophy is available to pre-order now, costing £159.99, with the full collaboration rolling out ahead of next summer’s tournament. If this first drop is anything to go by, fans are in for a run of sets that fuse creativity, nostalgia and pure footballing joy.

We can't wait to build it whilst watching a group game at silly o'clock next summer.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being held across the US, Mexico and Canada next year, and the draw takes place this week.

It’s where we find out the shape of next year’s tournament, and it’s all going to be available to watch on the BBC.

The FIFA World Cup Draw will be shown live at 5pm — UK time — on BBC Two, on Friday December 5th, broadcast from the Kennedy Centre in Washington. It will also be available to watch shortly after on BBC iPlayer.

In classic American fashion, it’s going to be much more than just a sober announcement of who will play who in the World Cup’s first stages. Among the performers are Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, The Village People and Andrea Bocelli.

Comedian Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum will host the show, alongside actor Danny Ramirez.

“To be hosting the final draw again, after having been involved in this show 20 years ago in my home country, is truly extraordinary,” says Klum, who was part of the draw show in Germany all the way back in 2006.

The draw itself usually takes around 45 minutes, while all those celeb performances will stretch proceedings out to around 90 minutes.

If you don’t fancy watching the whole thing televised, you can listen on Radio 5 Live — with catch-up via the BBC Sounds app.

The 2026 World Cup begins on June 11th, with the final set to take place at the New York-New Jersey Stadium on July 19th.

Among the good news is that the BBC and ITV are sharing the rights to broadcast the tournament, keeping the footie free-to-air for UK fans.

And for those who have somehow avoided all World Cup news until now, next year’s tournament also marks the first time Scotland has qualified for the men’s World Cup in 28 years.

• Get ready for double the Club World Cup football action as FIFA plans more tournaments

Considering hitting the slopes for the first time? We’ve got the ultimate beginner’s guide to snowboarding, with tips from the pros for everything from choosing a snowboard to finding your ideal ski resort, which means all you need to worry about is finding the powder stashes.

Oh, and preparing for the inevitable face plant. “Don't worry about falling over – it will happen and you just need to keep getting back up,” says Jamie Barrow, professional snowboarder and officially the world’s fastest snowboarder (211kmph if you were wondering). “You’ll spend most of your time on your bum at first, but you'll soon be hooked.”

The Gear

Having the right gear isn’t about looking the part, it’s about staying safe, warm and in control. Good kit can make the difference between spending the day battling fogged-up goggles, freezing fingers and aching feet, or actually enjoying your first runs.

The right helmet protects you when (not if) you take a tumble, proper layers keep your temperature steady as you switch between sweating and shivering, and well-fitted boots and boards give you the stability you need to progress quickly. Invest wisely now and you’ll spend far less time falling over.

Don’t be a hot head – why the right helmet is worth forking out for

Here’s a scary stat: head injuries account for between 40 and 47 per cent of skiing and snowboarding accidents requiring hospital treatment. Ed Leigh, former professional snowboarder and Ski Sunday presenter, warns against cost-cutting. “Get a helmet with the highest safety spec possible,” says Ed.

“What’s a difference of £30 when you can avoid a traumatic brain injury? And when you try it on, take your goggles and check they fit together snuggly, otherwise you’ll get cold air funnelled into the helmet.” We recommend helmets with MIPS or Wavecel, built-in layers of shock-absorbing material which move in the event of an impact, redirecting rotational motion away from the head.

Keep your eyes on the prize with the right goggles

Choosing the right goggles can be a minefield. Yellow lenses enhance contrast on cloudy days, while blue and mirrored lenses reduce glare. Thankfully, the growing popularity of magnetic lens systems (which allow lenses to be snapped on and off in a nanosecond), means slope-side lens swaps are now much easier. Got cash to splash?

Consider goggles with Oakley’s Prizm Technology, which uses precisely tuned lens tints to filter out specific light wavelengths while enhancing others. Beware of cheap goggles, which will fog up (anti-fogging treatments, which prevent water droplets from forming, are a godsend), will be less scratch-resistant, and have thinner lens foam (opt for triple-layer foam where possible). Lenses are either cylindrical (the boxy goggles sported by skiers in the eighties) or spherical. We recommend the latter for reduced image distortion and a wider field of view.

How to find jackets and pants which will keep you warm, dry and comfortable

Tempted by that ultra-insulated Michelin Man-style jacket or snowboard pants? Think twice. “I like my snowboard jackets light – ideally a shell jacket, so I can layer up or down as necessary,” says Ed Leigh. As for the waterproofing? According to Ed, the sweet spot is a 15K waterproof rating, which provides protection against 15,000 millimetres of water pressure, making it suitable for moderate rain and snow.

Key features include underarm zippered vents on jackets, as well as a powder skirt to keep snow out of your nether regions (crucial for beginners who’ll spend a significant amount of time on their backside). Wrist gaiters keep hands warm, lift pass pockets allow you to navigate ski lift barriers without retrieving your ski pass and Life Pockets, lined with thermal materials, will extend your device’s battery life. Bring on the slopeside selfies!

The hardware you’ll need to maximise your time on the hill

Snowboards fall into three categories: all-mountain, which have a twin or directional shape and medium flex suitable for all types of terrain, freestyle, designed for the park with a twin-tipped symmetrical shape to make it easier to ride switch (backwards), and freeride/powder, which have added stiffness for better control at speed, and a directional shape for extra float in powder.

Heavier riders generally need a longer board, while smaller riders benefit from shorter, more manoeuvrable boards. If your shoe size is a UK 9.5 or larger, opt for a wide board (almost all brands produce wide versions). Speaking of boots, plump for heat-moulded ones if possible. After you purchase the boots, their thermo-active foam liner will be heated until it becomes malleable.

Handy extras

It’s the little things that make a big difference on the mountain. Handy extras can turn a cold, frustrating day into a smooth, comfortable one, think warm mittens that keep your fingers functional, a snood that stops icy wind shooting down your jacket, or a base layer that keeps you dry rather than clammy.

These small additions boost your comfort, extend your time on the slopes and help you focus on actually learning to ride rather than battling the elements. Consider them the unsung heroes of your snowboarding setup.

Where to go for snow

Dream of pulling 360s? Consider the Swiss resort of Laax. “Laax has everything,” says professional snowboarder and Buff-sponsored athlete Sabrina Cakmakli. “It’s got one of the world’s best fun parks, and it’s got super fun terrain for powder days.” This winter, the resort unveils the world’s first on-demand, Uber-style cable car.

If après-ski is a priority, consider Verbier, says Warren Smith, Helly Hansen ambassador. “My favourite resort for après-ski is Verbier. It’s got an energy that really lifts people. The Hotel Farinet is where the magic happens. Amazing bands, affordable drinks and the most incredible atmosphere!”

Val Thorens in France is one of the world’s most beginner-friendly resorts. “It’s a brilliant place to learn to snowboard,” says Jamie Barrow, the world’s fastest snowboarder. “There are so many great beginner slopes, but there’s also plenty of terrain for progression. There are lots of budget options when it comes to accommodation, too.”

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The biggest sporting events. The most massive gigs. They all take place at stadiums.

Some are absolute monstrosities. Others become icons of architecture, and part of the soul of the cities in which they sit.

Recently, mock-up images of a skyscraper-topping stadium being built by Saudi Arabia for the 2034 FIFA World Cup went viral, despite the fact they were actually fake. However, plans for the genuine article suggest it will be just as stunning – a 46,000 capacity stadium built into the roof of The Line, the country’s 160-kilometre-long smart city.

Struggling to contain your excitement prior to its opening in 2032? Check out our guide to the world’s most spectacular football stadiums.

1. AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia

Frequently credited with putting the excitement back into rectangular stadiums, Melbourne’s AAMI Park has a hi-tech, geodesic domed roof which keeps spectators dry while still allowing light to flood the interior.

Designed by Cox Architecture and built in 2010, its pièce de resistance is the layer of lighting covering its exterior. These lights can be programmed to create various images in multiple hues, although the venue’s sustainability credentials are pretty impressive too – 9,000 solar panels cover its roof, the structure incorporates rainwater harvesting facilities and the roof required 50 percent less steel than a typical cantilevered roof structure.

2. Al Janoub Stadium, Qatar

Designed by the legendary Zaha Hadid Architects (it was the first stadium in the firm's portfolio), this Middle-Eastern marvel, inaugurated in 2019, is shaped like the sails of a traditional dhow boat, while the seating inside mimics the undulating flow of the sea.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given this is the Middle East, it broke numerous records, including pitch-laying time. It took just over nine hours, which is about as long as it takes us to lay two square metres of garden turf. It was also the first stadium built from scratch for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

3. San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy

2025 marks 100 years since this temple to football was constructed. Currently the home stadium for both AC Milan and Inter Milan (and one of the few stadiums that is home to two major football clubs), the venue is famous for the exterior spiralling ramps which provide access to the upper tiers.

“Nostalgia plays a huge role within football and the fact that this iconic stadium, built in various stages and resembling a giant Brutalist machine, is about to be torn down and rebuilt by the 2030-31 season is a source of tremendous grief for many fans,” says Professor Murray Fraser, an expert in stadium design at University College London’s Bartlett School of Architecture. “Sometimes the building of a new stadium can bring great rewards, but it can often it can do the opposite - just ask Juventus or West Ham fans.”

4. Braga Municipal Stadium, Braga, Portugal

This two-stand stadium might not be a thing of beauty, but it’s certainly spectacular, carved into the side of the Monte do Castro quarry and with a roof supported by steel cables. Apparently, the design was inspired by Incan bridges – although what the Incas would think of this modern take remains to be seen.

“The Braga stadium is unique,” says Professor Murray Fraser at University College London’s Bartlett School of Architecture. “Designed by Eduardo Souta de Mouro for the 2004 Euros, behind one entire side is a granite rock face, so each team has to spend half the match trying to shoot against a mountain.”

5. FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa

This South African sporting venue is known as the calabash – a nod to the African pot that inspired its name. Glowing lights on the exterior are intended to resemble embers, while the rust-red hues symbolise terracotta. It was built in the late 1980s and has been the setting for several pivotal moments in history, including the first speech by Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison in 1990 and the (admittedly not quite as pivotal) 2010 FIFA World Cup Final between the Netherlands and Spain.

“The visually commanding aspect is the way the shape, colouration and material character of the exterior evoke a pre-Wakanda vision of African futurism,” says Professor Barac, who teaches architecture at London Metropolitan University and is also director of CUBE: Centre for Urban & Built Ecologies.

6. Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

Professor Barac, director of CUBE: Centre for Urban & Built Ecologies, points out that this German gem was clearly built with aesthetics front and centre. “It's the quality of brand-friendly imagery, including its ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) illuminated exterior that can be programmed to change colour,” says Professor Barac. “It was the talk of many architects internationally when it appeared - a clever but simple idea done really well, and in the era of pyrotechnics and helicopter shots associated with major sporting events, it’s very much fit for purpose.”

Love a fun fact? Football fans have eaten nine million grilled sausages at FC Bayern’s home stadium since it opened. Don’t miss the chance to visit the FC Bayern Megastore, which covers 1,000 square meters, and where the most sought after item is apparently an FC Bayern garden gnome.

7. Astrodome, Houston, US

Bearing a marked similarity to a circus tent, the Astrodome became the world’s first domed, air-conditioned sports and entertainment venue when it was built in 1965, although it was ahead of its time in other ways, too. It was the first stadium to use artificial turf, and the first to have an animated scoreboard.

In 2014, nine years after it became a shelter for those fleeing Hurricane Katrina, it was added to the US’s National Register of Historic Places. “The Astrodome reinvented what a stadium might be—enclosed and conditioned rather than open air,” says Professor Larry Speck, who is based at the University of Texas’s School of Architecture. “Its design lent it an innovative new visual character which had big impact on stadium design.”

8. Beijing National Stadium, Beijing, China

One of the world’s most recognisable sports venues, Beijing’s iconic stadium is better known as the bird’s nest due to its façade – although its geometric-latticework was actually designed to be reminiscent of the stars on the Chinese flag. Construction started in December 2003 and lasted till March 2008. Behind its crosshatched latticework is some serious metalwork, more specifically 42,000 tons of steel (its roof alone weighs 11,200 tons) alongside 110,000 tons of other structural materials.

“The negative spin that it was a case of a 'jet set' architect (Herzog & de Meuron) swooping in was somewhat ameliorated by the fact that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was also involved,” points out urban architecture expert Professor Matthew Barac. “Herzog & de Meuron have a knack for making buildings which have enormous capacity for symbolism and meaning, while at the same time retaining something of their autonomy and ambiguity as urban objects.”

9. Borisov Arena, Borisov, Belarus

There’s no getting away from the fact that, when viewed from certain (read: many) angles, this Belarussian venue resembles a supersized spotty slug. Home to Bate Borisov FC (don’t worry, we haven’t heard of them either), it was built in 2014.

Slovenia-based OFIS architects apparently wanted to create the illusion of fabric stretched over bones (don’t ask us about their reasoning) while the rounded shape was precision-engineered to improve acoustics on the pitch, which is positioned at an angle which ensures sunlight is evenly distributed for both teams playing in a match.

10. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, US

When the roof of this enormous American stadium is closed, there’s a sense you’re sitting inside a cathedral, thanks to its ornate, segmented design. It's a feature somewhat tarnished by the fact that those who view it from above will also notice it’s adorned with a giant Mercedes-Benz logo. But it’s actually deceptively hi-tech.

The stadium is designed to resemble a camera lens and consists of eight rotating panels which can be completely opened or closed in the space of eight minutes. It’s another stadium that scores highly in the sustainability stakes, and it was the first professional sports venue in the US to achieve LEED Platinum Certification (an accolade Donald Trump would no doubt dismiss), although whether this was the reason for the $1.4 billion (£1b) construction cost remains to be seen. One of its most breathtaking features is the “Halo Board” – a 335-metre, 360-degree HD video wall which is the largest stadium video wall in the world.

11. Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain

Real Madrid’s home ground can accommodate 83,000 people, making it Spain’s second largest stadium. Built in the 1940s, it’s named after the late Santiago Bernabéu, former president. It’s also had its fair share of celebrity guests - Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and U2 have performed here, and in 1982 Pope John Paul II addressed around 160,000 people at the stadium.

In 2023 it benefited from a serious glow-up, which involved wrapping a curving façade (made from 7,500 V-shaped stainless steel slats) around its once-Brutalist concrete exterior.

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