WINTER AIN’T COMING. It’s here!
But as the clocks go back and Christmas bears down on us like a drunken relative we can still take refuge in the wonderful world of sport.
Here’s how you know the most wonderful time of the year is upon us.
Winter footballs!
Like Christmas music in your local shop, they seem to come out earlier and earlier every year. So much so, we don’t know why the Premier League don’t just make yellow their official ball colour and be done with it.
Lansdowne Road welcomes a more exotic opponent
Half-time GAA scorelines come with an imaginary asterisk*
*’Ah, sure they were playing with an eight-point breeze – it’ll end in a draw.’
Extra sweeping brush stocks held around pro sports teams
The humble sweeping brush is the most powerful tool for many groundsmen at this time of year. Heavy rain? BRUSH! Snow? BRUSH! Freezing icy conditions? A bit of salt and a brush!
Where would we be without it.
Keeping warm is far more important at half time than pretending the manager’s team talk is inspirational
Suddenly, gloves and skin-tight thermal wear becomes essential kit
Zero degrees never felt so cosy!
John Walton/EMPICS Sport
Everyone wants to play a bit of ball in the snow
YouTube credit: BBC
Groundsmen are suddenly overrun with willing helpers
Ball boys start to get even snottier than usual
No wonder. They’ll catch their death on that stuff.
Lynne Cameron/PA Archive/Press Association Images
The Olympic Torch is on the move, so we all try to remember the difference between a half pipe and a slalom before Sochi starts
Sergey Dolya/AP/Press Association Images
