In light of the cancellation of events like Wimbledon, Euro 2020, The Open, and many other events this summer, it has to be said that broadcasters like the BBC did a pretty good job of making up for the lack of live sport in the schedules. The Euros Rewind show, for example, was excellent, showing the full coverage of classic games from the tournament’s history, including Wales’ incredible victory over Belgium at Euro 2016.
But if we are honest, even reliving Gareth Bale and Co dismantling one of the world’s best teams cannot compare with live sport. And, while the Premier League has returned already, it just so happens that August seems to be a sporting month like no other. Below we break down some of the highlights:
Champions League and Europa League Tournaments
For the first time ever, we will see the Champions League played in a one-legged knockout format with all the games taking place in Portugal. Bale and his Real Madrid colleagues will be in action, but they face a tough task against the favourites for the competition, Manchester City. The Europa League will also run across August, with teams like Manchester United and Wolves in action. BT Sport has live coverage of all these European games. The Europa League Final will take place on 21st August in Cologne, with the Champions League Final two days later in Lisbon.
FA Cup Final
It’s going to be a little strange seeing an FA Cup Final in August, but that’s where we are right now. At the time of writing, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal remain in the competition. The Cup Final will take place on 1st August, with kick-off expected to be 4.30 pm. The match will be shown live on BBC.
British Grand Prix – Silverstone Anniversary
A very special Grand Prix to celebrate 70 years of motor racing on the legendary Silverstone circuit. Lewis Hamilton will, of course, be aiming to win in front of home fans. It’s not quite clear yet whether Channel 4 has the rights to broadcast the event live, but Sky will have dedicated coverage. Incidentally, Welsh speedway fans missed out on the action at the Principality Stadium this summer. The event is rescheduled for 17th July 2021. But the speedway season is set to get underway again in late July. You can find the odds for the next Grand Prix winner here, and coverage of the season is found on Eurosport.
US PGA Championship Golf
The Master and The Open were postponed, of course, so the PGA Championship becomes the year’s first major. It takes place at the stunning Harding Park course near San Francisco from 6th-9th August.
Tour de France
Another event which will seem a little strange to see in the late summer, the Tour de France sets off on 29th August. Welsh hero and 2018 winner Geraint Thomas is, of course, among the favourites to win the Yellow Jersey, given odds of 15/2 by MansionBet. However, he faces stiff competition from the likes of Egan Bernal and Chris Froome.
US Open Tennis
It might not seem like a worthy replacement for Wimbledon in the eyes of many Brits, but this US Open might be a very special one as it could be the last time we see greats like Serena Williams and, if injuries continue to take their toll, Sir Andy Murray in action.
Rugby is back
And last, but certainly not least, rugby will return in August. The Super League gets back underway on 2nd August, with Premiership Rugby Union coming back on the 14th. Sky Sports has coverage of the former, with BT Sport showing the majority of the latter.
