Ashes: Women’s Test follows men’s in breaking Sky Sports records June 29, 2023 The only Women’s Ashes Test of this year’s series set record-breaking broadcasting figures for Sky Sports just days after the opening Test of the men’s series did the same. The Test – the only one in the Women’s Ashes series, which is contested over all three international formats – saw a peak audience of 480,000 [...]
Declan Rice: Arsenal poised to clinch British record transfer after Man City pull out June 28, 2023 Arsenal are poised to complete the signing of West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice for a transfer fee that could reach a British record £105m. Manchester City’s withdrawal from the race to sign Rice has left the way clear for Arsenal to make the 24-year-old by far their most expensive signing. Last season’s Premier [...]
Enhanced Games ‘flies in face of world-agreed system’ – former British Olympic chief June 28, 2023 Plans for a doped-up alternative to the Olympics, the Enhanced Games, “fly in the face of a world-agreed system” requested and supported by athletes, says former British Olympic chief Sir Craig Reedie. The Enhanced Games, the brainchild of London-based lawyer Aron D’Souza, has ambitions to launch as soon as next year with the promise that [...]
Bayern Munich end £17m-a-year Qatari sponsor deal following fan protests June 28, 2023 Bayern Munich have ended a long-standing sponsorship relationship with Qatar following sustained protests from some supporters. Germany’s most successful football club have sported Qatar Airways’ logo on their shirt sleeves since 2018 in a deal reported to be worth around €20m (£17m) a year. That replaced a similar sponsorship agreement with Doha Airport, while the [...]
Women’s tennis gets financial boost as WTA Tour pledges more equal prize money events June 27, 2023 The WTA Tour has announced plans for a major increase in the number of tennis tournaments that will pay equal prize money to women and men. From 2027, at least seven WTA 1000 events, the most important tournaments outside of the Grand Slams, will offer equal prize money, the tour said. By 2030, all 10 [...]
Manchester United forecast record revenues as fans protest Glazers’ stalling on a sale June 27, 2023 Manchester United chiefs expect to achieve record revenues of up to £640m this year after raising their guidance for investors. United’s revenue for the three months to March 2023 increased 3.5 per cent on the same period last year to £481.1m. It comes after the 20-time English champions enjoyed a return to form on the [...]
Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha team up to buy hometown football club Croydon Athletic June 27, 2023 Rapper Stormzy and Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha have agreed to buy their hometown football club, AFC Croydon Athletic. Stormzy and Zaha are part of a three-man consortium, which also includes former Palace kit man Danny Young, that has exchanged contracts for a takeover with the current ownership. No financial details have been disclosed and [...]
Racism, elitism and sexism ‘entrenched’ in English cricket, damning report finds June 27, 2023 Racism is entrenched in English cricket and other forms of discrimination are widespread and deep-rooted, according to a damning report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) published today. Half of more than 4,000 respondents said they experienced discrimination, with women “marginalised and routinely experiencing sexism and misogyny”, and “little to no focus [...]
Explained: What changes to transfer and loan rules mean for Premier League clubs June 26, 2023 Big clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City are unlikely to return to hoarding top talent and farming them out on loan despite the relaxation of post-Brexit transfer red tape. Chelsea turned recruiting promising players, loaning them out and ultimately selling for a profit into a fine art in the later years of Roman Abramovich’s [...]
Ryan Reynolds joins Wrexham co-owner and RedBird in buying stake in F1 team Alpine June 26, 2023 Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and RedBird Capital Partners, which has a stake in Liverpool’s owners, have invested in Formula 1 team Alpine. Otro Capital, Reynolds’ Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob McElhenney and their fellow actor Michael B Jordan, who owns a stake in AFC Bournemouth have also invested. The €200m (£171m) cash injection is for 24 [...]