There was plenty of ruthless analysis during the Super Sunday analysis of Man United’s devastating 7-0 defeat to Liverpool, but Kelly Cates’ dig at Gary Neville might have been the coldest of all.
Co-commentators Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher joined the rest of the Sky Sports team back in the studio to pick apart United’s extremely poor performance after the final whistle blew when Cates decided to hone in on Neville’s supposed comments at half-time.
Former Liverpool star Graeme Souness claimed that “Gary said off the air that he thought Liverpool played badly today”, which the United legend obviously denied but did admit that he believed United were “the better team”.
Nevertheless, the ever-prepared presenter wasted no time in preying on Neville’s apparent appraisal, closing the show with a mic-drop that saw the entire room erupt in laughter.
Cates, herself a Liverpool fan, was clearly pleased as punch with her quick bit of wit, grinning from ear-to-ear along with Sounness and Carra.
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Neville did explain prior to the quip that he felt the second half was more about “Manchester United’s capitulation” than it was about Liverpool playing incredibly.
He argued that he has seen them play some scintillating football in the past few years and have “put in some of the best performances [he’s] ever seen”, but insisted that “they’re still not back anywhere near that” in what has been a faltering season for the Scousers.
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Either way, the end result was the same: Neville left red-faced and on the receiving end of bragging rights for the latest Northwest derby, at least. Safe to say it wasn’t a great day to be in the gantry:
Unsurprisingly, Liverpool fans and neutrals alike were amused by the clip, with one person labelling her “the best in the business”, another joking, “Kelly Cates scoring the 8th”, while a third said: “I may have been in love with Kelly Cates before yesterday, but this confirms it. You can tell whose daughter she is.”
For anyone unaware, the 47-year-old’s dad is Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish and despite usually managing to maintain her impartiality, has admitted in the past that Liverpool will always be her club.
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United still remain above their historic rivals in the Premier League table but the home team won’t care one bit for the next few days and, presumably, neither will she — or Man City fans, for that matter.
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
6th March 2023 
