Does the BBC’s Gary Lineker row show that the government has a problem with football? March 12, 2023 The weather forecast finished and then suddenly there it was: the BBC’s hurried replacement for Match of the Day following its spectacular bungling of the Gary Lineker row. Shorn of its theme tune, opening title, studio, presenter, pundits, commentators and about an hour of running time, this was bleak and surreal; a sort of post-apocalyptic [...]
UK culture sec urges Olympic partners like Coca-Cola and Visa to back Russia athlete ban March 11, 2023 The UK’s culture secretary has written to sponsors of the Olympics including Coca-Cola and Visa urging them to back a ban on Russian and Belorussian athletes. Lucy Frazer addressed the letter to the CEOs of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Worldwide Partners, which include Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung and Visa. The letter to CEOs comes after [...]
Survey reveals shocking impact on footballer injuries of Qatar World Cup March 9, 2023 More than half of footballers who took part in a major new study say they were exposed to increased risk of injury by the scheduling of last year’s World Cup in Qatar. Some 54 per cent of players surveyed by professional footballers’ union Fifpro in January reported an injury or felt more likely to suffer [...]
Women’s Tour of Britain at risk of cancellation over sponsor issue March 9, 2023 This year’s Women’s Tour is at risk of cancellation if fresh sponsorship cannot be found. Britain’s longest-running major international stage race, which counts Lizzie Deignan, Marianne Vos and Elisa Longo Borghini as former winners, is in peril after the loss of key partners has left a £500,000 shortfall in funding. Organisers Sweetspot announced the route [...]
Newcastle United’s Saudi takeover won’t be re-examined by Premier League, says lawyer March 9, 2023 The lawyer who represented Newcastle United in a battle with the Premier League over the club’s Saudi Arabian takeover expects top-flight chiefs to reject calls to re-examine the deal. A US legal case has raised questions about the influence wielded by the Saudi state over the Tyneside football club, leading to fresh pressure on the [...]
I’m glad sport has moved on from distasteful ‘Plastic Brit’ debate – Ed Warner March 9, 2023 Dazzled by Great Britain’s three golden moments at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Istanbul last weekend, you’ll likely have missed the home nation’s unexpected victory in the women’s triple jump. Reeling from last month’s earthquake devastation, Turkey will have drawn some comfort from Tugba Danismaz’s winning leap. And she was only ranked ninth in [...]
Manchester City face wait until 2027 for punishment in Premier League dispute March 8, 2023 It may take as long as four years for Manchester City to receive punishment if found guilty of perpetrating the biggest financial scandal in Premier League history. City were charged last month with more than 100 alleged rule breaches dating back to 2009, including falsely reporting income and the salaries of players and managers, and [...]
Andy Murray expects Wimbledon to lift ban on Russian and Belarusian players for 2023 March 8, 2023 Andy Murray says he expects Wimbledon to lift its ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players for this year’s championships. The Grand Slam tournament imposed the ban last year, under pressure from the UK government, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But Murray is anticipating the sanction being lifted, paving the way for [...]
School sport reform can be Lionesses’ greatest victory, says Wubben-Moy March 8, 2023 England footballer Lotte Wubben-Moy has hailed the government’s pledge to create equal school sport opportunities for girls as the Lionesses’ “greatest victory”. Wubben-Moy was part of the squad who won the European Championship at Wembley last year and then used the triumph to lead calls for all girls to have access to football at school. [...]
Is sports technology the answer to match fixed betting? March 8, 2023 Do you know that feeling when you’ve bet on your favourite team to win a match but, for some reason, they capitulate to a series of goals an under-11s side could have scored and you smell a rat? Well, what if you could eliminate all cheating from sport and sports betting? As of 12 months [...]