Top 5 Apps Every European Sports Fan Should Have

Despite the fact that we European’s (ahem British) invented or, at the very least, provided the inspiration and rules for the majority of the world’s favourite sports – when it comes to covering and getting the most from them our colonial cousins have simply put us to shame. Sure they invented some useful things like the internet and the iPhone but we put the blood, sweat and tears into the passion of making what modern sport is today and it’s about time we had some sporting Apps that reflected our sporting passions. Without further ado the best European sports Apps from Kick Off to K.O.

1. Sky Sports News – Update: 12 October 2010, Developer: BSkyB, Price Free

There are many reasons to hate Rupert Murdoch and his media empire; he has too much influence, he has been known to show bias, and he likes to charge readers and viewers for his product that, in this case, just so happens to be the best sports channel in Europe. However, it’s not all bad because Sky Sports News isn’t just Europe’s best television and online sports news resource it’s also now Europe’s best Sports iPhone App. The App is basically an up to the minute news resource on the continents favorite sporting events including; Football, Cricket, Rugby Union / League, Golf, Tennis, Formula 1 and Boxing all available in a flawlessly simple navigation menu. If you are more interested in an overview of the top sporting news this information automatically loads when you open the App. The App also features free streaming of Sky Sports News Radio and there is an option to watch ‘Live TV’ however this is only available if you are a paying customer with Sky Mobile TV access… and despite this inevitable catch – the Sky Sports News App is hands down the best Sporting App in Europe.

2. ESPN Goals – Update: 9 February 2010, Developer: ESPN Europe, Middle East & Africa, Price: Free

When ESPN crossed the Atlantic and came to rest in Europe we were skeptical; would they think that football was called soccer? Would they get confused between bowls and pitches? We thought wrong, ESPN came over and pilfered the cream of the cream of the English sports world and put together a team that rivals and in some cases even beats the best in the business. For those of you who bleed their teams colours in the premiership and need a daily fix of news, results and action ESPN Goals is the best in the business for bringing your team to you.

3. Golfshot: Golf GPS – Update: 10 December 2010, Developer: Shotzoom Software, LLC, Price: £13.99

A gentleman’s game requires a gentleman’s app and while the Stick Golf game came in a close second – very close, if you are looking for the golfing App that is the best in the business you are looking for Golfshot: Golf GPS. The App is part score card, part PGA caddy and it features over 35,000 courses from across the world. Essentially the app allows you an amazing advantage on the golf course, informing you of where you lay, what you need to watch out for, to view aerial images of the holes and most critically how many yards to the pin utilizing the iPhone’s GPS device. It’s basically the closest you can get to cheating on a golf course without actually doing it. If you need further testament to how good this app actually is, Apple has featured it on one of their “There’s an App for That” television adverts.

4. Championship Manager 2011 – Update: 4 January 2011, Developer: Eidos Interactive Ltd, Price: £2.99

For those of you who spent their youths counting time spent on Championship Manager in months rather than hours it’s time to meet your worst nightmare. The only game where a team in Conference F can win the Premiership in 5 years is back with a vengeance and worse still now it’s handheld. The premise behind the game for those that don’t know it is too build and manage a football team that can conquer the world. The game features the who’s who of modern footballing lore and the iPhone interface does credit to the games original settings with quick drag and drop options n play allowing you to turn a loss into a victory in no time. The App is very entertaining and extremely addictive so be prepared for sleepless nights and the potential loss of significant others. However, with this said, it isn’t quite perfect just yet and the App currently doesn’t allow you to transfer players a staple of what made the computer game so successful.

5. Tennis Trakker Pro – Update: 28 October 2010, Developer: Portapple L.L.C.Price: £7.49

In my family of innumerable brothers competition is a way of life and keeping track of who wins and who loses is just as important as playing in the first place. Tennis is the perfect sport for sheer competitive value and when I’m winning Tennis Trakker Pro is perhaps my favourite App on the market. Essentially the App allows you to keep stats and scores as if your were on the APT Tour with the ability to record everything from aces and foot faults to volleys per point and serve percentage won. It also allows you to see how you have fared against the competition with statistical graphs recording historic performances so you know, once and for all, who the champion really is. The drawbacks to this App is that obviously the process of using it in play would ruin any game and when you lose it quickly changes from one of the best Apps on the market to one of the worst – unless of course you want to go through your performance step by step and access the parts of your game that need the most work.

If you want to see the US Counterpart to this article, check out Top 5 Apps Every American Sports Fan Should Have!