TV Guide: Which team will Escape to Victory in Women’s Super League?

They played there twice in 1998, a year when they also beat two Premier League sides in the League Cup, winning a play-off final and the EFL Trophy. The latter is their next focus. Put the United buzz away and get ready for Bradford City (Tuesday, Sky Sports+, 7.30pm). The Bantams know about cup runs: in 2013 Bradford reached the League Cup final as a tier-four side – the last non-Premier League team to do so.

Speaking of romantic football stories, I introduced my eight-year-old son to Escape to Victory (Amazon Prime) recently. The 1981 war movie is still great fun as an Allies XI featuring Pele, Bobby Moore, Ossie Ardiles and half of Ipswich Town fight back from 4-1 down at half-time against Nazi FC. What struck me as odd, though, is that Michael Caine, their coach, picks himself for the big match despite being 48.

No such selfishness from Keegan Bradley, who decided he couldn’t both play for and captain the US Ryder Cup team. The world No 11 snubbed himself, as he had been snubbed by Zach Johnson in 2023, which was captured by Netflix (Full Swing, season 2). The producer later admitted that Bradley had assumed that as the film crew were there he was about to get good news. Ouch.

As the world No 970, Luke Donald doesn’t have such a dilemma but the burden passes to him tomorrow as the Europe captain names his six picks (Sky Sports Main, 2pm). Two years ago, Adrian Meronk’s heart was broken as the Pole was passed over by Donald for Nicolai Højgaard. Højgaard’s twin, Rasmus, saved the need to favour their family twice by qualifying last Sunday.

The Women’s Super League starts on Friday when Chelsea, aiming for a seventh straight title, host Manchester City (Sky Sports Main, 7.30pm). The league also features the Lionesses – not the national side but a team called London City who split from Millwall in 2019 and are the first club not affiliated to a men’s side to reach the top flight. They play on Saturday (BBC One, 1.30pm) against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Finally, National League rugby, or levels three and four, starts on Saturday with some long journeys as Plymouth Albion visit Leeds Tykes in league 1 and Camborne go to Chester in league 2 west, both 650-mile round trips (Highlights on the @NationalLeagueRugby YouTube channel).

Photograph by Mike Maloney/Mirrorpix/Getty Images