Rhys Harrison
A blog from a current Sports Journalism student, discussing all the goings on in the world of sport
You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.
Michael Jordan
Recent Posts:
UFC 262 Fallout – ‘Do Bronx’ reaches the summit
In what was only the UFC’s second pay-per-view with fans back in full force, a pair of big losses threatened to take away from the anticipation that had built up around this event as the featured prelim between Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan was moved to the following week’s Fight Night event due to a…
Five-star Chelsea Women secure back-to-back WSL crowns
Two goals and an assist for Fran Kirby saw her awarded the Player of the Match as Chelsea led from the first minute to the last to win their fourth league title. This final day clash at Kingsmeadow was Chelsea’s chance to control their own destiny in the WSL title race as they welcomed Reading.…
WSL final day preview: What’s still to play for?
As the curtain falls on another season of Women’s Super League football, this season could be remembered as one of the most influential ever, as next season will mark the beginning of the league’s landmark broadcasting deal with Sky Sports. This will likely bring a lot more eyes to the women’s game and the performances…
Chelsea Women put one hand on WSL title after 2-0 win over Tottenham Women
Sam Kerr’s nineteenth and twentieth goals of the season were enough for Chelsea to secure a 2-0 win over their London rivals and put them in control of the title race going into the final day. The final game before the final day of this current WSL season was a London derby as the reigning…
UFC Vegas 25 Fallout – Prochazka spins to win, Georgians impress
After the sensational event that was UFC 261, this fight card had plenty of expectations to live up to. What occurred was almost the exact opposite of the UFC’s last pay-per-view offering as while UFC 261 had a breakneck pace with every fight on the main card being finished inside two rounds, every fight on…
Arsenal Women in pole position for UWCL after 2-0 win against West Ham Women
Goals from Vivianne Miedema and Kim Little helped the Gunners take advantage of their game in hand over Manchester United Women, opening up a three point gap between the two with two games to go. This midweek fixture in the WSL presents two sides fighting for results at opposite ends of the table. Arsenal came…
UFC 261 Fallout – An explosive main card to welcome fans back
The UFC’s latest pay-per-view offering was the first to welcome fans back into the arena and they truly spared no expense to make it a memorable event, with three title fights topping the billing. Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas met in the co-main event in a fight that could decide the best Strawweight on the…
Bristol City Women strike late again at Aston Villa Women to keep pace at the bottom.
Goals from substitutes Faye Bryson and Ella Mastrantonio helped Bristol City complete another dramatic comeback to keep the relegation scrap at the bottom of the WSL razor thin. The early kick off for this weekend of WSL football was another key clash at the bottom of the table between Aston Villa and Bristol City. Both…
Berger saves Chelsea Women’s title retention in 2-2 draw with Manchester City Women
An incredible save from Ann-Katrin Berger denied Lauren Hemp’s influential second half performance and kept Chelsea in pole position to retain the WSL title. This was undoubtedly the biggest game of the season as both sides came into this fixture with only two points between them at the top of the WSL with only three…
West Ham Women and Aston Villa Women play out goalless draw in relegation six-pointer.
Impressive defensive performances for both teams left the attackers frustrated in this tie at Victoria Road as the race to avoid relegation in the WSL remains too close to call. As this WSL season rapidly reaches its conclusion, sides at both ends of the table will be becoming increasing desperate to notch those last few…
UFC Vegas 23 Fallout – Vettori follows the blueprint to best Holland
This event marked the first fight card with the athletes of the UFC sporting the new Venum fight gear after penning an exclusive apparel deal, with the former sponsors of many UFC fighters taking the reigns from the troubled Reebok era. The first event of the Venum era would not go on without issue as…
UFC 260 Fallout – Ngannou becomes third African UFC Champion
UFC 260 could go down as one of the most important events of the year as fight fans may have witnessed the end of a former champion, the birth of a new contender at Women’s Flyweight, the resurgence of a rising star and the prelude to one of the sport’s most important fights in its…
Manchester City Women leave it late in gritty 1-0 win over Reading Women
Lauren Hemp’s mazy run set up a Chloe Kelly strike in the eighty-sixth minute to continue City’s unstoppable form in the WSL and deny Reading a point from a resolute defensive performance. Manchester City welcomed Reading to the Academy Stadium coming off of a three-nil first leg loss to Barcelona Women in the Women’s Champions…
Birmingham City Women snatch a late draw in relegation six-pointer against West Ham Women
A ninety-third minute strike from centre half Ruby Mace broke the hearts of the Hammers, who led after goals from Emily van Egmond and Katerina Svitkova in a clash between two sides separated by three points at the bottom of the WSL. West Ham United came into this game on the back of a five-game…
Chelsea Women retain the Continental League Cup in record-breaking display
Goals from Guro Reiten, Fran Kirby and a hattrick from Sam Kerr ensured a straightforward retention of the Continental League Cup for Chelsea, who triumphed with the largest margin of victory in a final in the competition’s history. The tenth Continental League Cup final pitted Bristol City up against defending champions Chelsea at Vicarage Road,…
Reading Women survive late pressure from Tottenham Women but notch eighth draw of the season
Reading Women narrowly avoided back-to-back defeats thanks to a composed performance from ‘keeper Grace Moloney but the stalemate is their eighth in seventeen games in this WSL campaign, leaving the Royals with plenty of what ifs for the season. Reading welcomed Tottenham to the Madejski Stadium eager to bounce back from a disappointing yet enthralling…
Everton Women subject Birmingham City Women to third consecutive 4-0 defeat
Goals from Jill Scott, Alisha Lehmann, Claire Emslie and Simone Magill were enough for the Toffees to recover from a rough patch of form and keep pace with the ‘big four’ near the top of the WSL against an offensively staggered Birmingham side. Both sides came into this game at St. George’s Park looking to…
Bristol City Women triumph on International Women’s Day to climb off the bottom of the WSL
Goals from Charlie Wellings, Jemma Purfield and Ebony Salmon fired the Robins off of the foot of the WSL ahead of their Continental League Cup final on Sunday. Bristol City Women came into this game knowing that a victory would take them off the bottom of the table while Reading travelled to Ashton Gate vying…
UFC 259 Fallout: Polish Power hands Izzy first loss
March 6th, 2021 was a date that fight fans have had marked in their calendars for a while now and that was due in no small part to one of the most stacked UFC events in recent memory. With big names and high ranked fighters even on the prelims and three title bouts, UFC 259…
Fishlock double helps Reading Women close out 2020 with 3-1 win
A brace from Jess Fishlock and a late chip from substitute Rachel Rowe helped the Royals to recover from the early loss of their captain Tash Harding and solidify their midtable status in the WSL. Reading came into this game against Brighton with an unchanged side from the team that put up an encouraging performance…
UFC 256 Fallout – Flyweight title stunner ends in draw, What’s next for ‘El Cucuy’?
The UFC’s last pay-per-view offering of the year was an absolute joy from top to bottom, ending the year with a bang and leaving fight fans with plenty to be excited for 2021. With four knockouts in a row and zero controversy on the judges’ scorecards, it would be difficult to find a fan that…
Aston Villa Women subject Bristol City Women to midweek massacre to keep the Robins winless
Braces from Ramona Petzelberger and Shania Hayles fired Aston Villa past their bottom of the table rivals and catapulted the Villains up into ninth place. This midweek WSL matchup pitted the two bottom sides in the league against one another, with Aston Villa looking to take advantage of the first of their two games in…
Manchester United Women create daylight at WSL summit with win over Aston Villa Women
Goals from Leah Galton and Ella Toone helped Manchester United to set the pace for the rest of their WSL title rivals, leaving the Red Devils four points clear at the top and guaranteed to stay there until the next matchday. Manchester United came into this game with the prospect of opening a four-point gap…
UFC 255 Fallout: A showcase for both male and female Flyweights
UFC 255 was all about the men’s and women’s Flyweight divisions, with five out of the eleven bouts featuring fights in the 125lbs divisions, including both of the UFC Flyweight championships on the line in the main and co-main event. Big sister leading by example: The prelims of this card featured a Women’s Flyweight bout…
Arsenal Women and Chelsea Women battle to a stalemate after frantic finish
Late goals from Beth Mead and an own goal from Lotte Wubben-Moy led to an edge-of-your-seat finish to a London derby that had major implications at the top of the WSL. In the final game of Women’s Football Weekend, Arsenal hosted their London rivals Chelsea to try to bounce back from their first defeat of…
Jarrett solo goal lifts Brighton Women over West Ham Women 1-0
Rianna Jarrett’s first goal for Brighton with twenty minutes to play left the Hammers paying for their wastefulness in the first half as the London outfit could not secure back-to-back wins in the WSL. It was ninth versus eighth in this fixture as both sides looked to put some daylight between themselves and the foot…
Salmon scores dramatic 92nd-minute equaliser to settle bottom of the table clash
Goals from Chloe Logarzo, Siri Worm, Ashleigh Neville and Ebony Salmon meant that Bristol City and Tottenham shared the points in an entertaining and dramatic two-two draw between the WSL’s bottom two teams. The final game of the first day of Women’s Football Weekend featured the two sides at the bottom of the WSL, both…
Harding wondergoal gives Reading Women third draw in a row against Everton Women
Goals from Simone Magill and an outrageous effort from Tash Harding shared the spoils as the Toffees and Royals played out a competitive draw. Everton came into this game knowing a win would lift them into second place in the WSL and keep them in contention at the top while Reading were looking for their…
Walker wins first ever WSL Second City derby for Birmingham City Women
A seventieth-minute effort from Claudia Walker after an impressive assist from substitute Lucy Whipp was enough to separate Birmingham from their local rivals in a tie that failed to ignite in the first half. Coming into the first ever Second City derby in the WSL, Aston Villa were looking to build on their first win…
Manchester City Women left to rue missed chances after stunning Manchester United Women comeback
Goals from Tobin Heath and Kirsty Hanson helped Manchester United reverse a two-nil halftime deficit to salvage a draw and keep the Red Devils undefeated. After giving Arsenal their first defeat of the season, top of the table Manchester United looked to kick off Women’s Football Weekend with a victory over bitter rivals and FA…
UFC 254 Fallout: Khabib bows out at 29-0. What now?
After Justin Gaethje’s stunning stoppage of Tony Ferguson for the interim Lightweight Championship at UFC 249 in May, the question on every fight fan’s lips was if Gaethje had the power and takedown defence to be the perfect solution to the puzzle that was Khabib Nurmagomedov. UFC 254 provided the answer to that question and…
Miedema becomes all-time leading WSL goal scorer as Arsenal Women punish Tottenham Women 6-1
Goals from Katie McCabe, record-breaker Vivianne Miedema and Caitlin Foord maintained Arsenal’s perfect record at the top of the WSL as they are the only team in the league yet to drop points. Coming into this North London derby, there was already an eleven-point gap between these two teams. Arsenal with four wins in four…
Manchester United Women continue red hot form with 4-2 victory over West Ham Women
Goals from Tobin Heath, substitute Christen Press and a double from Alessia Russo helped Manchester United keep the pace near the top of the table and condemned West Ham to a fourth successive WSL defeat. West Ham came into this game searching for their first win of the season after defeats in their last three…
Katie Taylor vs Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino – Could it happen?
Combat sports can be one of the most frustrating sports to be a fan of sometimes. Countless times throughout history, fight fans have been teased by the prospects of blockbuster clashes, only for circumstances to intervene or cause the fight to take place with considerably less prestige than it would have had. Think Liddell vs…
Chelsea Women draw first blood in WSL title race with 3-1 win over Man City Women
A spectacular second half performance from Fran Kirby proved to be the difference between the two title rivals after the two sides shared spot kicks. This was Chelsea and Manchester City’s first meeting since their Community Shield clash and with these two teams finishing first and second in the league respectively last season, this game…
Dutch delights for Arsenal Women as Gunners shoot down Seagulls 5-0
Influential performances from Dutch duo Vivianne Miedema and Danielle Van de Donk fire the Gunners to the top of the WSL. Arsenal faced a tall task in their quest to maintain their 100 percent record at the top of the WSL, coming into this game without Jill Roord, Jordan Nobbs and Kim Little and still…
Moloney stars as Reading Women frustrate West Ham Women
Grace Moloney put on an inspired goalkeeping performance as Reading recovered from multiple injuries to grind out a win. It was a scrappy first half in a tie which former Reading and now West Ham full-back Mayumi Pacheco described as having ‘a derby feel’ to it. West Ham threatened early on but could not put…
Manchester United Women showcase attacking firepower against Brighton Women
Goals from Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and substitute Jane Ross fire the Red Devils to their second league win in three games. Manchester United began the match with American duo Tobin Heath and Christen Press on the bench, while Brighton were forced to leave Rebekah Stott out of the starting line up due to a…
Everton Women continue perfect start to WSL season with 6-0 win over Aston Villa Women
Everton capitalised on a clinical first half from Hayley Raso to fire themselves to the top of the WSL table. Everton began the tie pressing high up the pitch, eager to maintain the momentum gained from their semi-final victory in the Women’s FA Cup against Birmingham on Wednesday. In the early stages Aston Villa looked…
Who should be Michael Chandler’s first UFC opponent?
The UFC’s newest blockbuster signing has been announced as former three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler. Without a debut fight officially announced alongside his arrival, it leaves massive speculation surrounding how he will be welcomed into the 155lb division, arguably one of the most talent-rich weight classes in the entire sport. For those who are…
UFC 253 Fallout – Izzy stops Costa, Poland gets its 2nd UFC Champion
The UFC returned to Fight Island last night with a bang, a card highlighted by two title fights with explosive conclusions, a flyweight bout that threatened to steal the show and a preliminary card slugfest that featured a UFC legend. The UFC’s global expansion: Throughout the broadcast, there was specific focus drawn to the incredible…
Kirby back on scoresheet as Chelsea Women brush aside Bristol City Women
Last season’s WSL champions Chelsea came into this match against Bristol City looking for their first victory of the season after a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. The match was competitive in the early stages, with Bristol battling in the midfield to try to stifle Chelsea’s dynamic attack. As both teams settled into the tie…
UFC 200 – The UFC’s most successful disaster
On July 9th, 2016, the UFC celebrated it’s 200th numbered pay-per-view event with what was supposed to be the biggest event in the promotion’s history. What fans were given instead was an event that was big on paper but seemingly cursed from the beginning. Ever-changing headliners: The originally scheduled main event was the hotly anticipated…
Arsenal Women begin WSL campaign with 6-1 rout of Reading Women
Goals from Kim Little, Vivianne Miedema and a hat-trick from Jill Roord contributed to a ruthless display for last season’s Women’s Champions League quarterfinalists at Boreham Wood. The early stages of the match were largely an indicator for how the rest of the game would play out. Reading were putting on an admirable defensive display…
Manchester City Women lift the curtain on new WSL season with 2-0 win over Aston Villa Women
Manchester City Women opened their WSL campaign looking to recover from their defeat in the Women’s Community Shield away to last season’s Women’s Championship winners Aston Villa. The first half was punctuated by defensive mishaps from Villa as in the sixth minute, a weak back pass was left to drift towards Villa keeper Sian Rogers…
UFC 252 Fallout: Stipe closes out the trilogy
In the early promotional stages for UFC 252, there were concerns that this card could have been dismissed by many as a one-fight show, especially after the stacked card boasted in the UFC’s last pay-per-view outing. However, as it often does, this crazy sport has presented MMA fans with plenty to talk about. From upsets…
Top five passing of the torch fights in UFC history
MMA is notoriously no country for old men (unless your name is Randy Couture), the old are fed to the young and no sport captures the sunrise and sunset of an athlete’s career quite like it. Despite MMA having a relatively quick rise to mainstream popularity, not having the many decades of history that sports…
UFC 251 Fallout – A tale of three controversial title fights
The UFC’s first card broadcasting from the long-rumoured Fight Island in Abu Dhabi featured a stacked main card. For only the sixth time in UFC history a fight card boasted three title bouts, complemented by a grudge rematch between two top contenders in their weight class. Unfortunately, most fans will likely walk away from UFC…
UFC 189 – Five Years On
On July 11th, 2015, the UFC held it’s 189th pay-per-view event and to many fans, it still holds up as one of the best cards in the promotion’s history. Two flying-knee knockouts, arguably the greatest title-fight of all time and the prelude to the coronation of a star that would change the landscape of mixed…
UFC 250 Fallout – The Lioness feasts, Bantamweights shine
Following an incredible night of fights at UFC 249, there were worries that last night’s card wouldn’t be able to deliver the same level of entertainment, especially with only one title bout that many saw as an easy fight to predict going in and with three out of the five main card fights being fought…
10 takeaways from episodes nine and ten of The Last Dance
The final two episodes of the well-received look behind the curtain at one of the most storied periods in all of professional sports is a rollercoaster of emotions, taking the audience through incredible triumph, tragedy, loss and leaving the viewer with a painstaking what if? What if the Chicago Bulls dynasty didn’t end in 1998?…
10 takeaways from episodes seven and eight of The Last Dance
A large part of the narrative structure that threads through both episodes seven and eight is the Bulls’ journey through the first two rounds of the 1998 NBA playoffs, with episode seven being centred around their first round matchup with the New Jersey Nets and episode eight featuring how Chicago overcame the Charlotte Hornets in…
UFC 249 Fallout: Cejudo retires, Gaethje sets up Khabib clash, Ngannou makes it quick
UFC 249 finally took place last night after the circus of speculation that has taken place over the last month, multiple event cancellations and fighters understandably pulling out of their scheduled fights left UFC 249 looking like a Frankenstein’s monster of a fight card; and in a way, that’s exactly what we got. The effect…
10 takeaways from episodes five and six of The Last Dance
Episodes five and six of the documentary series that pulls the curtain back on the Chicago Bulls dynasty in the 90s, specifically the 1997-98 season focusses specifically on Michael Jordan, his responsibilities, his transgressions, his trials and his successes. #1. Mamba Forever The very first visual displayed of episode five is a simple message, dedicating…
10 takeaways from episodes three and four of The Last Dance
Episodes three and four of The Last Dance focussed heavily on the duo of Dennis Rodman, the dominant rebounder who was the defensive force behind Chicago’s second threepeat and a former member of the Bulls’ most bitter rivals at the time, the 1989 and 1990 “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons and the head coach of the…
10 takeaways from episodes one and two of The Last Dance
Going into the 1997/98 season, the Chicago Bulls had won five championships in seven years, with many of their stars aging or coming to the last years of their contracts, the management of the Bulls were put in a difficult situation when deciding whether or not they would push for a sixth championship or dismantle…
WNBA announce plans for advocacy award named after the late Kobe and Gianna Bryant
At last nights annual WNBA draft, the league announced their intention to introduce the Kobe and Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award, named after the late Kobe Bryant who was incredibly passionate about women’s basketball at all levels and his daughter Gianna, who already looked to be a great talent at only 13 years old and…
Ranked: Every UFC title picture – Part 2
In my previous post, I began my ranking of every UFC title picture by discussing what were, in my opinion, the bottom six weight classes in terms of the level of excitement surrounding fights at the top of each division’s rankings. With that in mind, here are the top six. #6. Men’s Bantamweight The men’s…
Ranked: Every UFC title picture – Part 1
There are currently 12 total weight divisions in the UFC, 8 contested by male fighters and 4 contested by female fighters, when you consider that just 10 years ago, the UFC had only 5 weight classes, and zero female fighters on their roster, the promotion and the sport has reached a height that few thought…
UFC 249 cancelled after Dana White told to ‘stand down’ by ESPN/Disney
Finally, the whirlwind of speculation surrounding the status of the UFC’s latest main card has come to an end, but this will likely be the outcome that many fight fans were dreading. UFC 249 was already proving problematic to organise for UFC president Dana White after the proposed main event between arguably the two greatest…
UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Jon Jones in trouble again after emotional arrest
Jon Jones was arrested early Thursday morning after being pulled over in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The reason for arrest is being reported as a DWI and negligent use of a firearm. Unfortunately, fans have come to expect this sort of news surrounding the troubled champion, Jones pled guilty to another DWI charge back in 2012,…
How the world of sport is uniting against Coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic may have brought a halt to the play of almost all sporting leagues across the world but it certainly hasn’t stopped the outpouring of support from fans to athletes and also from athletes and those involved in sport in their efforts to help in the community. A group of Premier League footballers…
Opinion: Why Ajax should be recognised as one of Europe’s elite teams.
The Dutch national team of the 1974 World Cup is held to an almost mythical status due to their revolutionary style of play, later dubbed ‘Total Football’. What many people fail to remember is that the Netherlands run to the final in 1974 was the culmination of a period of dominance in all competitions for…
NBA stars reaction to league suspension on social media
March 11th 2020 will likely always be remembered as one of the most troubling and confusing nights in NBA history following the events that transpired, a game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was cancelled minutes before tip-off, a packed stadium of fans abruptly asked to leave the arena and the night ended…
NBA and Serie A suspend competition after players test positive for Coronavirus
With the news that the Coronavirus pandemic in Italy has reached the severity to where the country has been placed under lockdown, the Italian national Olympic committee (CONI) has declared that all domestic sports have been suspended until April 3rd at the earliest. This has risen concerns that the current Serie A season may not…
UFC 248 Fallout: Zhang vs JJ ‘Definitely a HoF fight’, Izzy vs Costa ‘The fight to make’
Speaking at the UFC 248 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White was clearly delighted with the incredible co-main event, contended for the Women’s Strawweight championship and equally as eager to move on from the tepid affair that was the showcase bout between Middleweight champion Isreal Adesanya and Yoel Romero. Despite both the co-main and…
Opinion: The tyrannical owner ruining the NBA’s most valuable franchise
At the time of writing, The New York Knicks are currently languishing in 13th place in the Eastern conference with a record of 19-44. The Knicks have not made the playoffs since 2013 and this year will be another season that the fans at Madison Square Garden will prefer to forget. Likely the most bitter…
Hockey: USW 1st vs Cardiff Uni 5th – 19th February 2020
Coming into their penultimate game of the season, USW 1st were eager to bounce back from their embarrassing 10-0 defeat at the hands of Cardiff 4th by putting in a good performance against Cardiff 5th. USW had the earliest chance to break the deadlock as Cardiff conceded a penalty corner seven minutes in. However, the…
1st Half Report Football: USW 2nd vs Cardiff Uni 3rd – 12th February 2020
With four wins out of their last five, USW looked to continue their hot form into this home tie against a side also coming off of a win. The early stages of the match were dominated by both sides battling for control in the middle of the park. Misplaced passes denied both USW and Cardiff…
Post-Match Interview: USW Women’s Football 1st vs Solent Uni Women’s Football 1st
University of South Wales Women’s 1st head coach Kath Morgan was generally pleased with her team’s performance following a 4-0 thrashing of Solent Women’s 1st at the USW Sports Park. Despite the lopsided score line, Morgan was reserved in her assessment of the game. She noted the short time she has had to influence the…
Football: USW 5th vs Cardiff Uni 5th – 16th October 2019
In an end-to-end affair, USW 5s managed to battle from behind to secure their first point of the season. After a disappointing 3-1 away loss to kick off their campaign, USW started as the aggressors, constantly attempting to play the ball over the top of the Cardiff back line. This tactic paid dividends on the…
Football: USW 2nd vs Cardiff Medics 2nd -2nd October 2019
A preseason friendly between the 2nd Men’s team from USW and Cardiff Medics FC gave the opportunity for both teams to build momentum leading into the beginning of a new season. The lion’s share of the match was spent with the attack of both teams aiming to outdo one another. While it may not have…
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