Sports Update For September
It was an interesting start to the Premier League in August, especially for the newly promoted clubs. Whilst Burnley had a difficult start at a rejuvenated Spurs, both Sunderland and Leeds enjoyed wins in their first matches back and it may be that the recent trend for the newcomers to go straight back down to the Championship will be under threat this season. Some of the more established Premier League clubs who have been underperforming will be looking over their shoulders I’m sure. West Ham, this means you! We suffer our first international break in September so the three matchdays are on the 13th, 20th and 27th of the month.
In a month where top level sport is really kicking into gear, we have some outstanding events taking place including the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from the 13th until the 21st. Of much more significance as far as the Australian expat community in the city is concerned is the Australian Football Grand Final, being played in Melbourne on the 27th. At time of writing the playoffs to decide the finalists are still in progress but no matter, whoever gets there it’s sure to be a rip-roaring event which will bring the Aussie fans out in force in the bars and sports lounges across the city.
The Formula 1 schedule continues with the iconic Italian Grand Prix on the 7th and the Azerbaijan leg leaving the grid on the 21st. We also have the season long Champions League starting in September
But the real big deal, the event which has become the biggest thing in the golfing calendar, is the Ryder Cup, which is played this time on the monstrous Bethpage Black course in Farmingdale New York, the difficulty of which will only add to the drama of this intensely competitive event.
I for one think that the rivalry between the two sides is becoming overheated and the behaviour of some sections of the crowd, especially at the New York venues, can be quite awful. Hopefully common sense will prevail and it will be gentlemanly handshakes and exchanges of “well played” amongst the players instead of frantic fist pumps, lunatic dances on the greens and near fisticuffs in the car park, but I seriously doubt it! It is a very exciting thing to watch though and I’m sure golf fans everywhere will be glued to TV’s across Pattaya, in spite of the very inconvenient time difference.
That’s it for the moment, it looks like there’s something for everyone in September.