Charm the Silver Lining to Kempton rain clouds January 7, 2025 RECENT weather has wreaked havoc on the fixture list with wind, rain and snow battering Britain’s racecourses since the turn of the year. With the forecast remaining unsettled this weekend’s fixtures could well be in the balance, and if key meetings at Kempton and Warwick do get the go-ahead, then racing is sure to take [...]
Purton in high Spirits as he closes in on Whyte’s HK record January 7, 2025 IT IS surprising that man of the moment, jockey Zac Purton, hasn’t been booked in the feature race, the Group Three January Cup at the Valley, but his many thousands of supporters will still be expecting to make another fistful of dollars from their champion. Purton, only nine wins away from Douglas Whyte’s all-time riding [...]
Bowman set to seize his Moment in January Cup January 7, 2025 HONG Kong racing returns under the bright lights of Happy Valley today with a nine-race programme, featuring the Group Three January Cup (1.45pm), a handicap over nine furlongs. Trainer Frankie Lor, having saddled the past two winners of the only Group contest run at the track, goes all-in to complete a hat-trick by saddling three [...]
Downing Street asks ICC to support Afghan women amid boycott calls January 7, 2025 Downing Street has waded into the debate surrounding a potential England boycott of next month’s match with Afghanistan, calling on the International Cricket Council to “deliver on their own rules”. England are scheduled to take on Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan on 26 February but there have been calls for the England and [...]
Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘doesn’t care’, blasts Manchester United legend January 7, 2025 Manchester United legend Paul Scholes says Sir Jim Ratcliffe has done “nothing positive” during his first year as co-owner and believes ticket price hikes show he does not care about the fans. Ineos chairman Ratcliffe, the 72-year local-born billionaire who became minority shareholder of the Premier League club at the start of 2024, has defended [...]
English clubs warned over Saudi Pro League transfer amid Fifa probe January 7, 2025 English clubs have been warned to think twice before selling players to Saudi Pro League teams after Welsh champions The New Saints lodged a complaint with Fifa over unpaid fees. The ambitious competition has spent heavily in recent transfer windows on luring big-name talent such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar to the Middle [...]
Reeves employer NIC tax plans raise wind-up fears for football clubs January 7, 2025 A total of 24 professional football clubs are in arrears to HMRC over PAYE debt, with experts fearing that number could rise due to Rachel Reeves’s budget. Clubs including Championship side Reading and National League Southend United are among those who received winding-up petitions from HMRC in 2024. But business experts have warned that changes [...]
Springboks face new bid for stake by Leeds United private equity investors Ackerley Sports Group January 6, 2025 The world champion Springboks could sell off a stake of their commercial rights company to investors in Leeds United as South African rugby looks for a stronger financial footing. Seattle-based firm Ackerley Sports Group LLC is reportedly set to revive plans to invest in the 2023 Rugby World Cup winners after an initial bid foundered [...]
Independent Football Regulator hires head of legal from CMA January 6, 2025 The incoming football regulator has appointed a head of legal as it steps up plans to begin its work in earnest in 2025. David Riley this week left his role as legal director of the Competition and Markets Authority to take up a role with the football body, where he will head up the legal [...]
England legend backs radical shake-up of Test cricket January 6, 2025 If approved, the change would mean England playing Test series against Australia and India twice every three years.