Five substitutions and fixture congestion: Won’t somebody think of the rich Premier League superclubs? November 9, 2020 It was a good weekend for sales of tiny violins in football’s moneyed north-west heartlands, as familiar debates about five substitutes and fixture scheduling bobbed to the surface. On Sunday, Pep Guardiola revealed he and Jurgen Klopp enjoyed a touchline grumble about the cap on mid-game changes after Manchester City and Liverpool’s draw. Twenty-four hours [...]
New: Derby County head for Gulf ownership November 6, 2020 Derby County are set to be the latest club to move into Gulf ownership, it emerged today. Bin Zayed International LLC, owned by Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan, has agreed a deal in principle with current owner Mel Morris. Sheikh Khaled is a cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, who has poured millions [...]
The City A.M. Punter Podcast EP:25 Doncaster, Wincanton, Breeders’ Cup & Hong Kong November 6, 2020 Today trainer Harry Fry is our special guest, discussing a handful of his weekend runners at Wincanton, Aintree & Sandown, plus an update on his exciting newcomer Metier. Racing editor Bill Esdaile looks at the best of the weekend action in the UK and at Keeneland in the USA where it’s Breeders’ Cup weekend, plus [...]
Serena’s coach: Tennis is long, slow and too clean November 6, 2020 Tennis may have virtually ground to a halt this year, but one of the world’s most celebrated coaches, Patrick Mouratoglou, has rarely been busier. Mouratoglou, like his clients Serena Williams, Coco Gauff and Stefanos Tsitsipas, has had to adjust to life without much of the usual circuit. His academy on the French Riviera also suffered [...]
The Week In Sportbiz: Premier League set to axe pay-per-view (for now), Formula E gets cosier with Extreme E, and Gosper gives US his World Cup vote November 6, 2020 Less than a month after its introduction, Premier League clubs are expected to ditch their unpopular pay-per-view service. Since debuting on 17 October, half of all games have been restricted to those willing to pay £14.95 a time. Fans groups protested the extra charges by successfully urging people to donate thousands of pounds to food [...]
The definitive live sport TV guide you need to make it through lockdown 2 November 5, 2020 Lockdowns are rubbish, but lockdowns with a stacked sporting calendar to watch are slightly less rubbish. And as England battens down the hatches until 3 December, at last sport fans have a feast of action to get us through. The Masters, the Autumn Nations Cup, the ATP Tour Finals and an England cricket tour are [...]
Premier League, EFL and FA chiefs to be grilled by MPs over Project Big Picture and bailout impasse November 5, 2020 MPs have demanded to grill Premier League, English Football League and Football Association chiefs over Project Big Picture. A Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee wants to quiz Richard Masters, Rick Parry and Greg Clarke next week. The session is focused on a failure to agree a rescue package for clubs outside the [...]
Marcus Rashford and the new player power: it won’t be long until clubs and sponsors put a price on it November 4, 2020 Just when you think that 2020 can’t throw up any more surprises, Marcus Rashford, a 23-year-old footballer, becomes the government’s loudest source of opposition. At the time of writing there’s been no U-turn on extending the provision of free school meals when faced by Rashford’s campaign. But by generating support and sentiment through his 3.7m [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: It could be a Red letter day at Sha Tin November 3, 2020 FORMBOOK students always have a degree of suspicion about all-weather racing in Hong Kong, especially when held under floodlights. Whether it’s the humidity getting into the surface or the track being rolled at different times during racing, there are always a number of surprise results which have no rhyme or reason. Past records on the [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Resolute the pick of Teetan’s crack set of rides November 3, 2020 AS THE POPULAR saying goes “when the cats away the mice will play”, and that’s exactly what springs to mind with jockey Karis Teetan at Sha Tin on Wednesday. With a full-book of rides in the eight races on the all-weather surface, here is a chance for Teetan, currently trailing runaway leader but suspended Joao [...]