Cover story: How the Premier League ‘wrapped’ every stadium and hid the empty seats November 20, 2020 Football fans will by now be familiar with Premier League “stadium wraps” or “seat kills”, even if they don’t recognise the terminology. The vast seat coverings, typically emblazoned with club colours and slogans, have provided a backdrop to the action since English football returned to empty grounds in June. But who makes these displays and [...]
The City A.M. Punter Podcast EP:27 Haydock, Ascot & Hong Kong November 20, 2020 Olly Murphy talks to us about his chances of landing a winner or two this weekend. He has runners at both Haydock and Ascot. Racing editor Bill Esdaile looks at the best of the weekend jumps action, and Wally Pyrah talks us through Sunday’s big Hong Kong race meeting. Hosted by Chris Barnett The City [...]
MPs threaten football regulation as they urge bosses to end funding ‘fiasco’ November 20, 2020 MPs have called on the bosses of England’s top football leagues to end the “fiasco” over emergency funding, warning they could introduce new regulation if the game failed to reform itself. The Premier League has been locked in fraught negotiations over a bailout deal for clubs in the English Football League (EFL), which have seen [...]
The Big Rebuild: Why sport must recognise importance of PR before it’s too late November 20, 2020 Covid-19 has ripped the sports industry to shreds, leaving a trail of bare-bones teams who are overworked and stretched. During a second lockdown it might seem hasty to think about rebuilding and planning for the coming months. But we know that one day sport’s fan ban will be lifted. Once it does, it will happen [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: Cricket meets hip-hop; Germany exports VAR; and the ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ goes global November 19, 2020 Cricket and hip-hop aren’t obvious bedfellows but they cosied up this week when South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi joined Jay-Z’s talent stable Roc Nation. Ngidi, South Africa’s player of the year in one-day and T20 internationals, is the first cricketer to sign with Roc Nation Sports. Roc Nation has snapped up mostly American athletes, [...]
English sports clubs granted £300m emergency funding package November 19, 2020 The government has announced a £300m emergency funding package to help sports clubs in England survive ongoing coronavirus restrictions during the winter. Rugby League and Rugby Union, horse racing and the lower tiers of National League football are among the beneficiaries of the support. The funding, which is largely made up of loans, comes as [...]
Why Francis Warren is taking the family Queensberry empire to Poland November 18, 2020 Boxing promoter Francis Warren is hoping to expand his family’s Queensberry empire by mining an untapped Polish fight scene. The son of hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren has launched Queensberry Poland, which is due to stage its first show on Saturday. Warren Jr, 36, hopes to groom future Polish world champions who buck the trend by [...]
English cricket fans set to be welcomed back to grounds for full summer of international action November 18, 2020 English cricket chiefs have announced a full programme of international action — with fans in attendance — for next summer. England’s men’s will play India in a five-Test series starting August, following white-ball matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The women’s side will host one-day and Twenty20 series with South Africa and New Zealand, while [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Might just be a walk in the Park November 17, 2020 AFTER riding a total of 20 winners in Hong Kong, Jerry Chau has had his valuable 10-pound claiming allowance cut to seven, but that doesn’t change the fact the 20-year-old is still the go-to apprentice in the territory. He is booked to ride in seven of the nine races on Wednesday, with his standout ride [...]
Moreira’s Warm can keep Purton cold November 17, 2020 IT’S SAFE to assume the last household you would want to visit in Hong Kong at present is Zac Purton’s apartment. The reigning champ is suffering a nightmare, with just three wins from his last 40 rides, and only one winner at the last three race meetings. Remembering that Purton’s mounts are mostly at the [...]