With the World Cup, Winter Olympics, Commonwealth Games, England Tests, the Tour de France in Yorkshire and Andy Murray at Wimbledon, there is much to look forward to in 2014
football: the World Cup, starts 12 JuneFifa
The big one with a big budget but, being in Brazil, the most attractive location until at least 2026, it also has the most to recommend it being worth the expense. The second selection period for tickets ends on 30 January (fifa.com) and there is an attractive package on offer from Thomsonsport.com, who supply flights and hotels and offer a refund if you fail to obtain tickets to England's three group games. More affordable are the camping packages based at locations in Rio, Salvador and Natal offered by realworldholidays.co.uk. The sites include a swimming pool, full-size football pitch, tents are included, for $10 a day there's unlimited beer and giant screens with airport transfers thrown in, which may well all make up for having to sleep in a tent. If you stay at home, why not try something new at a Bavarian Beer House (London and Bristol: bavarian-beerhouse.co.uk) where steins and sausage are the order of the day and "Events Lady Kim" loves to encourage "English-German bonding". It looks terrific fun and couldn't be further away from the anguished wailing and gnashing of teeth that will ensue when England get squashed again.
Alternatively This year's Uefa Super Cup is in Cardiff (12 August) and generally unloved and under subscribed, seats are easy to claim. Bayern played Chelsea last year and with Spurs, Juventus and Napoli among the Europa League favourites it is a great chance to see a one-off clash from the top of European football. Tickets will be available at uefa.com.
TENNIS: Wimbledon, starts 23 JuneExpect anticipation to have reached fever pitch by the time Andy Murray rolls out to defend his title and, while the ballot for tickets has closed, the All England Club's traditional queuing policy will be in place with several thousand spots held for eager punters on each day of the Championships. Come early. Bring a sleeping bag. Stay awake. Essentially a polite version of what life would be like if society ever breaks down and there's no electricity.
Alternatively A chance to see the cream of the women's game in action in their warm-up for Wimbledon, the Aegon Classic at Edgbaston Priory, Birmingham (9-15 June). Ticket information available in March at lta.org.uk.
ATHLETICS: Commonwealth Games, 23 JulyNo doubt partly a factor of the feelgood element and genuine thrill so many people felt watching live sport of all shapes and sizes during the London Olympics, demand for Glasgow's summer beano has been extraordinary – 2.3m requests for 1m tickets. Key events, then, were oversubscribed, which has left some tickets still to be bought – first-come, first-served. The opening and closing ceremonies are on offer as well as badminton, boxing, lawn bowls, rugby sevens, squash, weightlifting and para-sport powerlifting (don't forget the free events too: the marathon, road race and time-trial cycling). They are available at glasgow2014.com or on 0844 826 2014 and can be purchased immediately but, in a somewhat intransigent fashion for anyone without the internet, or just trying to stay below the NSA radar you must register online first. A baffling piece of bureaucracy for an event that is likely to come as a breath of fresh air after the corporate behemoth of football's World Cup.
Alternatively Relive the London Games at the Fina/NVC Diving World Series (25-27 April) held in the Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park, where Britain are guaranteed of a spot, regardless of ranking and it's likely to be taken by Tom Daley. A great excuse to revisit the park and fond memories. Sign up to be notified about tickets at swimming.org/FinaDiving/tickets.
RUGBY UNION: Six Nations, from 1 FebruaryAfter a gripping series of autumn internationals the tournament looks set to be closer than ever over seven weeks in February and March. Attendances last year for the fifteen matches reached over one million and, as ever, tickets are hard to come by. England's home games are already sold out but the RFU does have packages offering a two-night weekend break in Italy, including match tickets (but not flight) for just over £400. At the time of writing the Scottish RFU is taking requests for interest in Scotland v France and expects tickets to become available; the Welsh Rugby Union has tickets for its games with Italy and France, but all the Ireland home games are sold out.
Alternatively The women's rugby World Cup (France, 1-17 August)Hosts England were beaten 13-10 by New Zealand in the 2010 final and will expect to be competitive again this year. All the games bar the semi-finals and final will be held 20 miles south of Paris in Marcoussis, with the latter stages at the Stade Jean-Bouin, the Stade Français's little sister, which is just over the road. Easily reachable for a day trip by train the tournament attracted record numbers in England. Details to be announced at rwcwomens.com.
cycling: Tour de France, starts 5 JulyWith the Grand Départ in Yorkshire here is a fantastic chance to enjoy the event without actually having to actually visit France. There are three stages here: Leeds to Harrogate, York to Sheffield and Cambridge to The Mall. The London stage, which goes through the Olympic Park, is likely to be absolutely chocker, so why not enjoy the Tour in the Yorkshire Dales of stage one or at the famous climb at Holme Moss on stage two. Elsewhere the Giro d'Italia opens with two stages in Belfast and one from Armagh to Dublin, beginning 9 May.
Alternatively Enjoy the Liège–Bastogne–Liège race, as the oldest of the five one-day classics celebrates its 100th there-and-back running on 27 April. Liège is a hop away on the Eurostar and is a fascinating area to take a break. Bike fans not entirely repulsed by the concept of petrol power might like to stay on and enjoy the second round of the World Endurance Championship on 3 May, it's at the nearby Spa-Francorchamps, a classic circuit in its own right that is well worth a visit.
CRICKET: England Tests, from 12 JuneA fine opportunity to see exactly how England react to the drubbing in Australia. In other eras a heads-down continued slump might be expected but England are a side one would expect more from: they face Sri Lanka first and then the fearsome proposition of India. How they play against both will put the Oz debacle in its true context, details: ecb.co.uk. Pleasingly, too, there are still plenty of tickets available. The Lord's ballot for both Tests closes on Monday, Headingley hosts two as well and has tickets for both on sale, as do Trent Bridge, the Rose Bowl and Old Trafford. Only The Oval is already sold out.
Alternatively The T20 Finals at Edgbaston (23 August) offer an excellent day out for the family, with two semis and the final thrown in. Tickets, including children at £15, on sale now at eticketing.co.uk/edgbaston.
olympics: Winter Games, starts 6 FebruaryBig with our central European friends, less so here. Yet at the Winter Games generally one sport does come in from the cold to capture the imagination. Remember curling in 2006? And when everyone wanted to throw themselves down a hill on a tray after Amy Williams won skeleton gold in 2010? Perhaps Shelley Rudman will do something similar; she was silver medallist in 2006 and is world champion. Tickets for Sochi are reasonably priced (cosport.com). For the skeleton final, at the Sanki Sliding Centre, the most expensive is just under £52, while the chance to see speed skater Elise Chrsitie, the European champion over 1000m and 1500m, at the superbly-named Iceberg Skating Palace can be had for £74. Easyjet offers budget flights to Moscow and there are up to 15 flights a day to Sochi, or the infinitely more romantic method of a 24- to 30-hour train ride. Accommodation can still be had at visitsochi.su and the previously tortuous visa process has been somewhat simplified at ru.vfsglobal.co.uk.
Alternatively No flights, no visas but plenty of bashing about on ice in the Elite Hockey League final-four play-off championship at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham. The finals are on 5-6 April, with tickets on sale in mid-January at eliteleague.co.uk, with a full weekend pass at a reasonable £60.
golf: The Ryder Cup/The OpenOne of the finest sporting events of the year, the Ryder Cup (Gleneagles, from 23 September) is rarely anything but gripping but it is also sold out. However, it is one of the few events where the practice days, for which there are still tickets, can be a real experience. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and players generally chatty and in good spirits – a chance to be close to sporting greats like no other (rydercup.com). Team USA will hope Tiger Woods is on form. As will he for The Open this year at Royal Liverpool (from 17 July), the venue at which Woods last won the tournament in 2006, which for him must feel like an age. Tickets at tickets.theopen.com. Make a week of it and stay in nearby and beautiful Chester.
Alternatively Enjoy some past-masters in action at the Senior Open Championship, being played at Royal Porthcawl in Glamorgan (24-27 July europeantour.com/seniortour). The standard of golf is excellent and all three days come in at £81.
FORMULA ONE: British Grand Prix, 6 JulyLast season's Vettel-fest no doubt put casual fans off F1 but rule changes including new engines, powertrains and attendant aero and weight redesigns should make 2014 much more of a free-for-all. Silverstone remains one of the best circuits in the world for racing and puts on a good show for fans, the atmosphere (even in the pouring rain) is rarely anything but excellent and hugely good-natured. Tickets from silverstone.co.uk, who now also offer the rather neat facilities of their pop-up hotel "snoozebox", as well as great camping with a real festival atmosphere at the circuit.
Alternatively Watch history being made at the first World Championship Grand Prix in Russia (12 October). Handily it's in Sochi (see Winter Games above), and tickets will be available from UK websites such as Bookf1.com.
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