Week in Sportbiz: Taxman cometh for football (again); BT Sport; Simone Biles; social media boycott; and NHS x NFL draft April 29, 2021 HMRC has cashed in by increasing scrutiny of the football industry, so perhaps it should be no surprise that the taxman has begun a new crackdown on players and clubs. Investigations into footballers almost tripled in 2019-20, while those concerning clubs more than doubled. The result was an increase from £35m to £73m in tax [...]
Culture Corner: Your regular City arts round-up April 29, 2021 As we look forward to the City reopening for business, we’re ready to start up our Culture Corner series again, pointing you in the direction of the best arts and culture within the Square Mile and championing the role of the arts within the business community. Read more: Picnic in style with our top restaurant-in-a-box delivery [...]
The Mitchells Vs The Machines is the feel-good film of 2021 April 29, 2021 It’s rare to find an original film that generate a lot of hype in this sequel and ‘shared universe’ obsessed industry. However, when there’s a new film from the producers of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and the much-adored Into The Spider-Verse, people sit up and pay attention. Netflix certainly did, paying big money [...]
Ollie Phillips: Why I think Owen Farrell could be left out of the British and Irish Lions squad April 29, 2021 Picking a British and Irish Lions squad is a tough task even at the best of times. You have to condense the very best from four nations into one 36-man party, taking into account not just rugby ability and form but also which players can fuse quickly and who will be good for morale on [...]
The Artist’s Wife review – an indie drama lacking inspiration April 29, 2021 Acting legends Leno Olin and Bruce Dern star in a film about the pressures of supporting greatness. Olin plays Claire Smythson, the wife of celebrated painter Richard (Dern). Living comfortably in their old age, Claire keeps their lives running while Richard is allowed to surround himself with painting and teaching. When he begins to show [...]
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse: Michael B Jordan in so-so thriller April 29, 2021 The latest in the long line of cinema releases that have migrated to streaming, Michael B Jordan hopes to kick off another franchise in an adaptation of this Tom Clancy novel, itself a spin-off of the Jack Ryan series. He plays John, a committed Navy SEAL who is part of a raid in Syria that [...]
Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation review April 29, 2021 There have been many documentaries in recent years that take the form of audio-visual mosaics. Asif Kapadia’s Amy, Listen To Me Marlon, and last year’s Billie brought to life the journeys of famous faces through archive footage and lost conversations. Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation looks at the lives of Truman Capote and Tennessee [...]
Major Arsenal sponsor sees former execs arrested on suspected $29m fraud – reports April 28, 2021 Top former executives at a firm that sponsors Premier League side Arsenal have been arrested on what police suspect to be a $29m fraud. News outlets in Turkey are reporting six former executives at GKFX have been arrested by Turkish police. Police are suspecting the executives were involved in embezzling $29m in client funds at [...]
Spotify founder Daniel Ek says he is “very serious” about Arsenal takeover interest and has secured the funds to make Stan Kroenke an offer April 28, 2021 Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek says he has secured the financial backing to make an offer for Arsenal. The Swedish billionaire, who is chief executive and part-owner of the music streaming platform, added that he was “very serious” about buying the Premier League football club. Ek also urged current Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke to listen to [...]
Which wine goes with Shakespeare? Honest Grapes knows April 28, 2021 Which white Burgundy would help cut through the barbed wit of Oscar Wilde? Which of Shakespeare’s comedies would bring out the best in a glass of crisp English sparkling wine? And which famous British humourist would complement a modern, peppery Super Tuscan? I discovered the answer to these questions and more thanks to a wonderful [...]