In an exciting moment for the next generation of English cricket, Freddie Flintoff’s son Rocky surpassed his first half-century for the local club this week.
Rocky, still just 16 years old, only made his senior debut on 28 July to become Lancashire‘s youngest-ever first-team cricketer and now, less than a fortnight later, he has already hit well over a half-century.
In truth, he was closer to making it a full century, topping out at nearly 90 and the milestone has already done more than enough to get cricket fans all over the country excited.
Lancashire did ultimately go on to lose to Middlesex by five wickets in what was their sixth One-Day Cup group defeat, but the son of the county and national team legend was the real story.
Rocky Flintoff 88 (115)
Flintoff, 16, has his first half-century for Lancashire.
Reacting online, social media was awash with pure hype over the teenager and understandably so, with The Cricketer simply sharing the video along with the caption: “just 16 years of age…”
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One fan wrote, “This Rocky Flintoff is only 16 and my word he is a joy to watch. So excited to watch his future unfold”, while another added, “Looks one hell of a player, lovely to see.”
The youngster reached his maiden half-century on his Emirates Old Trafford after 77 balls, smacking a quadruple of fours and a six on his way there.
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He exited with his final tally of 88 from 115 and has already impressed with his batting record throughout the youth ranks and under 19s in particular earlier this year.
Naturally, people have been drawing similarities between Rocky and Flintoff senior, with plenty already having done so prior to this week.
2005 x 2024
Andrew Flintoff and his 16-year-old son, Rocky, share a near identical batting technique 🤯
As alluded to, Rocky Flintoff had already hit two full centuries prior to turning pro: one for England U19s in a youth Test against Sri Lanka and another for Lancashire’s second XI.
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He could have made it a full 100 this time too had he two sixes from the final two balls of the innings but was ultimately caught out by Josh de Caires – who, as it happens, is also the son of another former Lancs and England captain, Michael Atherton.
Nevertheless, Rocky Flintoff is already looking like one to watch and if he turns out to be even half the player his father was then the future of the national team is seemingly in very good hands.
Meanwhile, dad Freddie has spoken out about the “anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks” he has suffered following his crash on the set of Top Gear in December 2022 as part of a new BBC programme.
Pep Guardiola says he won’t manage another club after Manchester City
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola has claimed he won’t manage another team after his tenure at Manchester City is up, so enjoy the ride whilst you can, Blues.
One of the most successful managers in history, Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers to have ever lived but it looks like the 53-year-old is now starting to think about life after football – or at least after Man City.
Guardiola recently extended his stay at the Eithad with a new two-year contract but it did look like he was ramping up to leave until the 11th hour and it now seems as though his time at City will be his last in the world of club football.
Pep Guardiola claims that he won't manage another club after Manchester City…
When asked about his future by his fellow compatriot, Pep said: “I’m going to stop. I am not going to join another team, I’m not going to leave to go to another country. I won’t have the energy. For now, I’m still here but to think about starting again, the whole process of training – no, no.”
Energy has been a defining factor for so many managers of late, with long-time rival Jürgen Klopp having departed Liverpool FC as a result of the fatigue caused by the job.
With countless cups, six Premier League titles and a trio of Champions League trophies to his name, Pep has pretty much won everything there is to win, which will no doubt factor into his eventual decision.
That being said, Pep did go on to suggest that however long he stays in the sport after his time in Manchester is all said and done, his next role would likely be in international football as leading a country to major silverware is the one thing he hasn’t achieved just yet.
City have managed to get points back on the board in their last two games, notching a much-needed 3-0 against Nottingham Forest before only managing to scrape a draw against Crystal Palace this past weekend, but with a derby approaching this Sunday, all eyes are on Manchester.
With the title race already looking like a nigh on an insurmountable task given the points they’ve already drooped (even with Liverpool’s recent slip-up), Pep’s stress and energy are already pushed to their limits as it is.
You might only get a couple more years with the tactical genius, City fans, so make the most of it.
You can watch Pep Guardiola’s full interview with Dani García down below – though it is in Spanish so you will need subtitles on:
Manchester City’s alleged charges have been increased to 130
Danny Jones
Manchester City’s hearing over their 115 alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) has ended and the outcome is that their charges have now been increased to 130.
Not exactly what Blues will want to hear.
The hearing officially concluded last Friday, 6 December after a 12-week process to determine whether they broke Premier League regulations regarding PSR (profit and sustainability), with accusations initially spanning a nine-year period.
However, rather than making any progress when it comes to clearing their record, it looks as though the opposite has happened.
Man City are now alleged to have committed 130 breaches of Premier League rules with both parties still able to enter an official appeal.
The hearing was held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre near St Paul’s in London, kicking off in September before coming to a close on Friday, 6 December.
Fans will no doubt have been hoping for and maybe even expecting a much more positive update, especially after having been successful in their recent case against the division regarding sponsorship deals and Associated Party Transactions (APT).
As well as the number of alleged breaches having risen to 130, the period of offence is also now said to have been extended, jumping from just under a decade to a total of 14 years.
The Times writer Martyn Ziegler says the club could quietly learn of their fate as soon as next month and even though a final decision still isn’t expected until spring 2025, should either side appeal the final outcome, this will likely draw out proceedings for several more months.
Man City’s charges have gone from 115 to 130. (Credit: The Manc Group)
For context, City still deny all of the claims laid against them, which include failing to provide accurate financial information for as many as nine seasons, full details of players’ wages, hiding the true figure former manager Roberto Mancini was paid for her service, as well as failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation and UEFA’s FFP rules.
The club were slapped with a two-year European ban back in 2020 and have been fined by the European footballing body previously, but that ban was ultimately dropped and even their most recent financial punishment was dropped from £30 million to just £10m – chump change given their spending power.
It still remains unclear what exactly will happen to the reigning English champions if they are found guilty but with Pep Guardiola’s also struggling for form of late, having lost five games in a row for the first time in the Catalan’s career, those inside the Etihad could do with some good news.
The blue moon that has loomed over Manchester in recent years is looking a little lost behind the clouds at the minute.
Danny Jones -
9th August 2024 
