Forget the gloom, sport’s broad palette offers many reasons be cheerful January 16, 2025 Elite sport may make us despair at times but we shouldn’t forget that the wider ecosystem offers so many opportunities to connect and participate, says Ed Warner. Memo to self: don’t always be a miserabilist. The data says that the most upbeat editions of this column garner as many readers as the more downbeat. So, [...]
Baroness Brady rebukes ‘wrong’ Football Governance Bill accusations in Lords January 15, 2025 Baroness Brady launched a sensational rebuke in the Football Governance Bill discussion in the House of Lords last night, defending the Premier League against accusations of effectively dragging its feet. West Ham United chair and Apprentice sidekick Baroness Brady tabled six of the 150-plus amendments that were placed on the record after the government introduced [...]
James Vince: Hampshire captain steps down and moves to Dubai January 15, 2025 World Cup winning England batter James Vince has quit his red-ball deal with Hampshire and relocated to Dubai in a move that allows him to play in the Pakistan Super League. Vince, 33, has stepped down after 10 years as club captain and renegotiated his contract to a white-ball-only agreement that will mean he still [...]
RFU hits back at MPs, saying it got no COVID-19 loans from Government January 15, 2025 The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has hit back at MPs after a swathe of parliamentarians demanded government intervention over the “dying” game. English rugby’s governing body has faced widespread criticism over bumper bonuses for chief executive Bill Sweeney while the wider game struggles to find a financial footing. Shadow sports minister Louie French said that [...]
Cates to keep Sky Sports role despite getting Match of the Day job January 15, 2025 Kelly Cates is set to keep her role with Sky Sports despite being named as one of three new presenters for Match of the Day, the flagship football show of rival broadcaster the BBC. Cates, who currently anchors Sky Sports’ biggest live Premier League games alongside presenting for BBC Radio 5 Live, will join Mark [...]
Tottenham battles Wembley after Benn v Eubank confirmed for April January 15, 2025 The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is vying with Wembley to be host venue for the much-anticipated British boxing showdown between bitter rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr in April. Saudi official Turki Alalshikh confirmed overnight that the fight has been made, more than two years after it was called off at short notice, and will [...]
Ahead of the Game: Hundred franchises set to choose their investors January 15, 2025 The eight Hundred franchises have been asked to name and rank at least two preferred bidders from the private investors who have submitted offers for a 49 per cent stake in the third and final round of the auction process which is currently taking place. All of the Hundred teams attracted multiple bids in the [...]
Saudi Public Investment Fund nearing $1bn stake in Dazn January 14, 2025 Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is nearing a $1bn acquisition of a small minority stake in sport streaming platform Dazn. The London-based rights holder, which enjoys relationships with boxing’s Riyadh Season and a number of the top European football leagues, could potentially see its value pushed into the tens of billions after the injection. It [...]
Can Italy’s challenger European rugby project win them a World Cup? January 14, 2025 Rugby authorities in Italy have reportedly submitted plans for a new European rugby competition. But can it be viable, and is the World Cup the end goal? The new president of Italy’s rugby federation, Andrea Duodo, caused a little bit of a stir recently when he confirmed that new proposals for a European club rugby [...]
L’Homme can Presse home his advantage in Gold Cup January 14, 2025 REGULAR readers will know that I tipped a Venetia Williams horse in my first Road to Cheltenham ante-post column last week. Well, I’m going in again I’m afraid! Make no mistake, Williams is an outstanding trainer, particularly of chasers, and I just think L’HOMME PRESSE is too big at 25/1 for the Boodles Gold Cup. [...]