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JUST WILLIAM: The Sporting Experience Bucket List

I’m not one to make assumptions about my readers – I try to keep a famously open mind in all my endeavours – but I think it’s an odds on shot that if you’re reading this, you watched the sporting feast that was the Dublin Racing Festival.

There might even be a chance that you went over the Irish Sea yourself – half of Racing Twitter seemed to do – and if that was the case, then you probably had the time of your life. And if you happened to miss anything from the weekend, then don’t go a second further without watching the latest episode of Trader Chat, which reviewed a top class weekend’s action in full.

Seeing so many of my friends having the time of their lives in Dublin made me think. Not only about how successful the DRF has already been in it’s short time, but also about what other utterly thrilling sporting experiences are a must visit. With that in mind, it’s listing time.

Here’s the Just William bucket list of sporting experiences (with the only rule being that I can’t have been beforehand).

1. Breeders’ Cup

An obvious racing bent, but few meetings on the planet have as much pageantry and spectacle as the Breeders’ Cup. The settings – normally the spectacular Santa Anita, Del Mar, Keeneland or Churchill Downs – each have their own magic, and all of them show America at its absolute best (at least in the view of yours truly).

Adding to the appeal is the fact that no matter what amount of time you spend (I’ve always thought about having a week at the Breeders’ Cup) you should be able to have a great time, with two days of racing and an entire week of build-up for those who want the full experience.

2. Ryder Cup

There are several experiences on my golfing bucket-list (all four Majors, for one) but the sheer atmosphere and dramas of a Ryder Cup is unmissable. Regardless of setting, the anticipation of the first tee shot of the Friday morning is a moment which is almost unmatched in sport; the trip would be worth it for that alone.

3. Mountain Finish, Tour de France

I’ve been to the Tour before, but I haven’t seen a proper mountain finish. Getting high up is a trek – expect a journey of hours to get to your spot, even after travelling – but the all day atmosphere, sights and sounds will make every second worth it.

4. Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco isn’t everyone’s favourite race – indeed many fans are boarded by the lack of potential for overtaking, and some processions in recent years – but the sheer sense of occasion surrounding the event would make any trip there absolutely magical (and if you have a half decent view then the sights would surely be spectacular). Besides, many people reading this wouldn’t mind a casino visit chucked in over a sporting weekend.

5. Super Bowl

As you can tell, this list is big on large scale entertainment and few things reach that threshold more than the Super Bowl Some opinions are split on American football as a watching medium, but for me it works perfectly and there’s no denying that we’ve seen some thrilling Super Bowls in recent years. Sign me up for any tailgating, too….

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6. The Lions

There’s not much to beat a tour abroad and there are few atmospheres that can match that of a Lions test match. Maybe one of these years *looks at lottery tickets* I’ll go the whole hog and do the entire tour…

7. See the All Blacks at Eden Park

Short and simple but to see one of the great rugby sides in full flow on home turf? Yes please.

8. The Masters

I could put all of golf’s majors here – and they’d all be worthy of inclusion – but the settings of Augusta National put it over the top.

9. Visit the San Siro

Every football fan has a stadium they love, and my heart in particular is with the San Siro. Host to a couple of amazing moments for Arsenal, the spectacular walls of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (to give it it’s true name) have produced many a stunning atmosphere and with any luck I’ll see a game there before it’s proposed demolition (sobs).

10. GAA at Croke Park

For all that Ireland have a fine record at the Aviva Stadium, their stint at Croke Park between 2007 and 2010 (even though arguably not the most successful period in their history) did see some thrilling encounters and spectacular attendances. Having brushed up on my Irish sport, I am now determined to make a visit – and the GAA looks to be an ideal spot.

11. First day of an English Test Match (any ground)

It was hard to pick out one particular cricketing experience, as there are so many options. I’m a test lover above all and nothing quite matches the anticipation of any morning session of a test match. The best form of the game is a joy to watch all across the world, but English conditions and the Dukes ball often make for a thrilling start to a game, so the first day of any test in England is something right at the top of my bucket list.

As ever with any good question, I asked Twitter what their thoughts were, and they did not disappoint….

https://twitter.com/bongeordie/status/1491450375479902209?s=20&t=uKntDUZG_UzOZGpWRJ-3ow

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