Long ago, people would spend Saturday afternoons on the terraces with a tinny little radio clamped to one sweaty ear, as they tried to keep up with results from across the country. Then somebody invented a way to carry the internet around with you.
Tablets and smartphones have revolutionized the way we enjoy sport. Screen size is a major consideration when buying a device, as is the size of the device itself. A smartphone may be more suited to live events, while tablets might be better off at home (or in a reasonably civilized bar).
Apple iOS fans prize its elegance and ease of use. The iPad 4 is a fantastic tablet, though the iPad mini might be preferable for the sports fan who wants a compromise between a smartphone and a full-size tablet.
Google’s Android boasts flexibility and a wider range of devices (and prices). The Nexus 7 tablet can be had for well under £200 – shop around.
While Windows and BlackBerry offer well-received machines, both, especially BlackBerry, lack the huge range of apps for iOS and Android. Nokia’s Lumia 720 is, however, a great Windows phone at under £250. Android fans will want to consider Sony’s powerful Xperia Z1. It’s tough enough to survive a day at the races, and the camera is superb.
Apps-wise, try talkSPORT’s free Premier League Live, which offers full commentary of every game. Handy if you’re at, say, St James’ Park and you need to know what’s happening at White Hart Lane.
With a bit of careful hashtag management, Twitter is a good way to keep up with sporting news, as well as being an outlet for your joy/frustration. Various Twitter apps are available for all platforms.
Live Sport On TV by Scothosts Group (iOS) will plan your viewing for (they claim) 35 different sports. Who knew there were 35 sports?
A decent betting app is a must for many fans. With offerings from all the big names like William Hill, Winner Sports, Bet365, Betfair and Coral, the options are almost endless. The apps vary quite a bit in look and feel, ease of navigation and bonuses available, so a regularly updated comparison site such as freebets.org is an extremely useful tool. It’ll display a clear, easy-to-use list of betting sites with bonuses offered, user ratings for each site, and “bet now” links for quick access. Live or in-play betting is hugely popular. A great place to start if you fancy a piece of the action is bet 365 at bookmakers.org.uk.
Finally, watch out for meat pie juice. Dried gravy is a nightmare to get off a screen without scratching it.