Cheap and Cheerful Bank Holiday Ideas for Entertaining Kids

Quickly approaching is the last bank holiday before Christmas - the 25th of August. Officially the last summer bank holiday, the extra day off is a chance to make the most of the last bit of sunshine before the colder months set in. However, after 6 weeks of entertaining the kids over the summer holidays, it’s not surprising that many people end up struggling for ideas when it comes to bank holiday events. Leading discount retailer SportsDirect.com have made the task easier with their suggestions on some cheap and cheerful bank holiday activities.

The Great Outdoors
Teaching kids about the ‘great outdoors’ can be difficult when computer games are only increasing on the popularity scale. This year, Sportsdirect.com have made sure that there are plenty of online options to encourage kids to get out and enjoy their surroundings. Junior walking boots like the Campri Snowdon Walking Boots for children are ideal for those wanting to make the most of woodland wanders and days spent exploring. For making a full day of it, pack kids their own picnic in a rucksack like the Reebok Volume Backpack and head off for a day in the fresh air.

Sport
Another great way to get the family out in the sunshine is through sport. SportsDirect.com knows just how important it is to encourage kids with sport, constantly coming out with ranges to get them equipped for everything from football to table tennis. Whether it’s a quick game of badminton at the beach or a kick about in the park, there’s something that all the family can get involved with.

Rainy Day Camping
With weather in August often being unpredictable, getting outdoors isn’t always an option. For a rainy bank holiday well spent, get the kids to make their own den and camp out in the living room. The Edco Play Tent makes an excellent starting point for a spot of ‘indoor camping’ – just add board games and hot chocolate for the true rainy day experience.

Sportsdirect.com have a vast selection of sports clothing and accessories, these can be found online at http://www.sportsdirect.com/sport 

Join in on the conversation at www.facebook.com/SportsDirectUK orwww.twitter.com/SportsDirectUK 

The highs and lows of the London 2012 Anniversary Games

To mark two years since the London Olympics, the anniversary games took place in London this weekend just gone. In preparation for the event a temporary stadium was built around the horse guards parade ground and St. James’ park was transformed to accommodate a 2 mile track laid at the mall which allowed some spectators to watch events for free.

British athlete Will Sharman impressed spectators in the 110m hurdles, narrowly missing out on a three way photo finish with Ryan Wilson and Shane Braithwaite. Sharman finished 3rd place although the three athletes all achieved the same time of 13.24 seconds.

Tiffany Porter beat Australian rival Sally Pearson in the 100m hurdle while Chris Tomlinson leaped 7.94m to win the mens long jump.

Aside from the winners, British sprinter Richard Kilty was left disappointed and frustrated after failing to hear the gun go off and finishing last in his event.  He said “It was obvious, ask the other competitors, nobody heard the gun”.  Kilty saw the anniversary games as a confidence booster after saying, “This run was meant to be a confidence boost for the commonwealths and through no fault of my own it’s messed me up a little bit”. Although the race didn't go according to pan, fellow team mate Harry Aikines-Aryeetey managed to take first place with a time of 10.29 seconds.

The anniversary games were missing a few familiar faces, one of which being Olympic gold medallist, Mo Farrah. Due to injury Farrah sat out of the games in a bid to make this years commonwealth games. In a tweet from the BBC earlier last week, it was confirmed that Farrah would be fit for the commonwealth games. Long jumper Greg Rutherford was also missing from the event due to similar reasons with injury and hoping to recover in time for Glasgow 2014.

Overall the anniversary games were a great success and have been a fantastic opportunity for all athletes to practise their events prior to commonwealth games which start later this week.

Visit http://www.sportsdirect.com/athletics  for our full range of athletics gear.

Join in on the conversation at www.Facebook.com/SportsDirectUK or www.Twitter.com/SportsDirectUK

SportsDirect.com Invite You to the Deal Zone to Save Money this Summer

Bargain hunting can be quite confusing for some, with various internet guides from self proclaimed “savvy shoppers” and “price comparison experts” it’s easy for consumers to get lost in the maze of cash back offers, discount codes and daily deals. Leading discount retailer SportsDirect.com have made things easier for the regular customer this summer and introduced the aptly named “Deal Zone” to their website.

Ideal for those who don’t have time to search and trawl through websites comparing prices, SportsDirect.com has opened up a hub designed solely to offer weekly, daily and flash deals directly to the customer. “We understand that online shopping is part of daily life for most  now, and convenience is the key when it comes to offering savings and discounts” says Niall Sutherland- Associate Director of E-Commerce. “Checking prices, making notes on special deals and keeping up to date on other channels isn't always an option for some, so we created the Deal Zone so all our customers know what’s on offer, and more importantly, where to find it instantly”.

The Deal Zone is part of the already hugely successful SportsDirect.com website and is currently home to some incredible 90% off clothing offers, 80% off footwear offers and the not-to-be-missed daily deals. To check out the Deal Zone, log on to http://www.sportsdirect.com/dealzone today.

Whoever loses on Sunday, Consumers Win with the SportsDirect.com Double Discount Weekend

On Sunday 13th July the World Cup Final takes place in Brazil and will see Argentina take on Germany. As the whole world sits on the edge of their seats, fans and supporters will await a potentially spectacular performance from the Germans following their record breaking 7-1 win over host nation Brazil earlier this week. Germany have set a high standard to follow which surely has Argentina quaking in their football boots.


In the midst of all the excitement, angst and incredible build up to this final game, consumers can rest assured that regardless of who wins the final, they can still be winners with SportsDirect.com’s Double Discount Weekend. To celebrate the final, this coming weekend there will be several special offers across the website for consumers to make the most of.


On Saturday 12th July from midday, the weekly #supersaversaturday deal goes live with hundreds of kids clothing products on offer at incredibly low prices. With limited stock available and not to be missed offers, consumers are advised to get online early and grab some bargains as soon as the deal goes live in order to avoid disappointment.


To continue the fantastic offers on Sunday 13th July shoppers need to keep an eye out in the Sun newspaper for amazing deals of up to 70%, 80% and 90% off some of the top fashion brands including Firetrap and Crafted.


To stay informed and find out more information, shoppers should look out for sneak previews across www.SportsDirect.com’s social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


Join in on the conversation at www.Facebook.com/SportsDirectUK or www.Twitter.com/SportsDirectUK


For all media enquiries please contact Emily.Matthews@SportsDirect.com or 0870 333 9413

Tour de France Grand Depart 2014 Is Almost Upon Us

In just a few short days, Tour de France Grand Depart 2014 will begin. This weekend 22 of the world’s top cycling teams will compete across 3 days covering a total of  546km throughout various locations in the UK. There will be 3 stages in the UK including Leeds, Yorkshire and Cambridge before the tour reaches French soil. In France there are a further 18 stages of the tour. The first stage sets off at 11am on Saturday 5th July in Leeds.

The first leg of the tour this Saturday is a 190km flat ride from Leeds to Harrogate.  Despite a typical journey from Leeds to Harrogate being just shy of 25km, the route the cyclists must take will bare west to Skipton, continue north up to Aysgarth and Muker, before declining back down to Ripon and finally in to Harrogate.

The second stage takes place on Sunday 6th July and riders will start at York and cycle down to Sheffield. The second day is the hill stage and cyclists will have many inclines to tackle throughout the ride which is 201km, the longest of all 3 stages. This route takes riders across to Addingham, down to Huddersfield and continuing down to Sheffield.

The final stage of the route follows on Monday 7th July starting at Cambridge and cycling down to London. Stage 3 is 155km, the shortest of all the races. During this route, cyclists will travel down through Finchingfield and continuing to Chelmsford, across to Harlow and leading down to London. The last route, similar to the first is predominantly flat and in comparison to stage 2, the final leg will be less challenging on a flat, shorter route to finish off the tour.

Prior to the event starting, on Thursday 3rd July there will be an opening ceremony held at Leeds arena. The evening will feature music rom Alistair Griffin and Kimberley Walsh, who will together perform the official anthem of the Tour de France, ‘The Road’ along with band, hope and social, Ghost Peleton and Opera North who will perform opera conducted by composer Philip Sheppard, who also composed during the London 2012 Olympics. The opening event starts at 5pm and finishes approximately 8:45pm.

Throughout the 3 days there will be designated spectator hubs along various parts of each route for more information on these spots and general information regarding the event, see the Tour de France website.

Visit http://www.sportsdirect.com/cycling for SportsDirect.com’s full selection of bikes and cycling accessories.

Join in on the conversation at www.Facebook.com/SportsDirectUK or www.Twitter.com/SportsDirectUK

Wimbledon Is Well Under Way

This week Wimbledon got underway with the first round of the men and womens singles commencing on Monday and throughout the week the second single rounds and doubles first rounds also took place. Last years champion, Andy Murray has so far won all of his matches and is playing on top form. The annual championships is nearly half way through and the final takes place on the 6th July, next week. Murray will continue to play his best in order to retain his title, however he faces tough competition with other favourites playing at Wimbledon.

Some of the dark horses in this competition include Ernests Gulbis. The Latvian turned pro back in 2004 and has played in 6 Wimbledon championships. His best singles performance was last year in the mens singles third round. He currently ranks number 10 in the singles. Grigor Dimitrov is another favourite to do well. He is currently ranked 13 in the mens singles and has played at 4 previous Wimbledon championships. He has been playing tennis professionally since 2008. Finally, Milos Raonic of Canada is ranked 9 in the mens singles and is another player to watch. Since turning pro in 2008 he has took part in 3 Wimbledon championships.

Aside from the potential under dogs, there are four favourites to win the competition. Rafael Nadal is currently ranked number one in the singles and is a popular choice to win. Since turning pro back in 2001, Nadal has played in 9 Wimbledon tournaments. Nadal has previously won two Wimbledon tournaments back in 2008 and 2010. Last years winner Andy Murray is still in with a good chance of retaining his title for a second year. Murray ended Britain’s 77 years wait for a men’s single champion at Wimbledon in 2013, a year after he took home a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. Murray has been playing tennis professionally since 2005 and is currently ranked number 5 in the singles. Another favourite is Roger Federer, the Swiss pro has been playing since 1998 and has achieved virtually everything in his sport including 17 grand slam titles and an impressive 7 Wimbledon championships. Federer is currently ranked 4th in the singles. Novak Djokovic also has the potential to go ahead and win this years championships. Currently ranked number 2 behind Nadal in the singles. Djokovic has been playing pro since 2003 and won Wimbledon back in 2011.

Today the third round of ladies and gentlemen’s singles take place along with the first round of mixed doubles. Anticipation is high to see who will make it through to the later stages of the competition and which of the favourites or under dogs could be seen in the final.

Visit http://www.sportsdirect.com/tennis for SportsDirect.com’s full selection of Tennis clothing and equipment.

Join in on the conversation at www.Facebook.com/SportsDirectUK or www.Twitter.com/SportsDirectUK

SportsDirect.com Takes A Look At England’s Progress In The World Cup

Saturday 14th June saw England defeated 2-1 by 4x world champions, Italy in their first game of the World Cup. England have two matches remaining in which they will compete for a place in the next round. England ideally need to win their next two games, however there is a possibility for England to go through if they draw or lose any of the two games, depending on how the scores turn out for the other teams in their group. Wayne Rooney admits their next match is “do or die” and following criticism of his performance against Italy, the pressure is on to do well.

During Saturday’s match, Marchisio scored the first goal for Italy after 35 minutes, 2 minutes later Sturridge equalised for England. At 50 minutes, Balotelli headed in the second goal for the Italians to take the win. With a missed goal set up by Rooney, 2-1 was the final score. In the excitement of England’s equalising goal, the teams physio, Gary Lewin ended up being stretchered off with a dislocated ankle after falling on the astro turf. Lewin was flown back to the UK and is now waiting for surgery on his ankle following the event.

During the game, England had 44% possession of the ball and 18 shots, 5 of which were on target. Italy had 13 shots, 4 of which were on target. England had 9 corners and Italy 2 and finally England made 8 fouls, one of which Sterling was given a yellow card for, while Italy made 11 fouls.

England’s next game is tomorrow evening against Uruguay. Luis Suarez sat out of Uruguay’s first game due to injury but is fully fit again to play against England. With the exception of their most recent friendly in 2006, Uruguay have never lost a game against England at a World Cup, winning 4 and drawing 3 games.

Expectations may be low for England’s World Cup chances, however the possibility to go far in the competition is there. The England squad are now back in Rio at their training ground preparing for their next big game.