Could Sport Exhibition Games and Friendlies be Created to Help UK Morale?
The immediate future of sporting events around the world looks very uncertain due to the coronavirus outbreak currently gripping the globe.
Many things have been affected, but there has been a big impact on sport, with leagues and events cancelled, suspended or moved date to accommodate the fight against the global pandemic.
There will be a time when sport returns, which fans will be excited about, but who knows when that will be. Many discussions continue about how leagues from this season will end if indeed they will end at all and that will no doubt cause a lot of upset and controversy when it is revealed.
If those leagues are unable to return to finish this season then could we see sport of a different kind take centre stage, with the main focus being to help people in the UK remain positive through these tough times.
War-Like Friendlies Could Take Place
As highlighted by The Economist here, during the second world war sport was cancelled with many players being enlisted to join the armed forces. However, that didn’t end sport completely. We saw a variety of friendly matches and special leagues created to allow sporting events to continue throughout the conflict.
This was all designed to keep morale high in the country, could we see the UK take a similar stance and try to re-create that this summer?
The idea would be that a number of sporting stars would be tested for the coronavirus and then quarantined so they didn’t get it. These athletes would stay virus-free and because of that, they could compete against each other behind closed doors.
These could be pitched as friendly games, all-star games or just exhibition matches but it would be sport of some description and likely something that we would all watch.
The games could happen across a number of days, designed to give sports fans something to watch over the summer. TV stations would broadcast these, being free-to-air would be vital to allow an audience as big as possible, as this is what an idea like this is all about.
The Economist said that according to surveys, 59% of American people are sports fans. That number is sure to be similar in the UK, so there would certainly be a market for something like this.
What we all want is for real sport to come back and entertain us, whether it is this season coming to an end or the new season beginning. However, there is a chance that it won’t be possible and for that reason, we may need to think outside the box and look at what happened in the past.
Generally speaking, no one really likes friendlies but that would soon change if something was organised for entertainment purposes this summer. It remains to be seen what, if any, sport we see over the coming weeks and months, but what we do know is that the population will take pretty much anything right now.
Best 10 New Bookmakers
 |
£25 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New customers only, 18+, 3 bets of £10+ at odds of evens or greater. Max Free Bet: £25, credited within 24 hours. Free Bet valid for 7 days. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org. |
||
 |
£10 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 ore more to qualify. Bets must be placed 24 hours within of registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. Cashback is cash without restrictions. - Full Terms Apply |
||
 |
£100 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New UK/IE customers . Place your first Football bet as an Accumulator (minimum four selections) and AK Bets will boost the return by 25% in the form of a Free Bet up to a value of £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org." |
||
 |
£40 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New customers online only, UK & ROI, 18+. Place £10+ qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds+ (EW: £10 Win + £10 Place). Get £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Bet + 50 Free Spins (selected game) within 48h. Free bets/Tote Credit expire in 7 days. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org |
||
 |
£10 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New Customers use code EPL10. Deposit £10 and place a bet of £10 on any Premier League Outrights 2025/26 market at minimum odds of 2.0. Free Bet credited within 24 hours and must be wagered on English Premier League markets only. Full Terms apply. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section. 18+ begambleaware. |
||
 |
10 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
100% Casino Bonus up to £100 (new players only), £10 min deposit, no max cash out, 40x wagering, £5 max bet with active bonus, eligibility restricted for suspected abuse, cashback unrestricted, Skrill & Neteller excluded, T&Cs apply. Free bet min odds 2.0; free bet value deducted from winnings. |
||
 |
£20 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New customers place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £20 in ACCA Free Bets (2x£10 Acca Free bet (2+ selections, pre-match or in-play/live, min odds per leg 2/5 (1.4), max payout £50) . Full terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. Please gamble responsibly. |
||
 |
£40 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned T&Cs apply. 18+ GambleAware.org |
||
 |
£10 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited once the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. |
||
 |
£40 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
||
