David Beckham-backed Guild Esports signs up Samsung as a sponsor June 21, 2021 David Beckham’s London-listed Guild Esports organisation has signed Samsung as a sponsor. The one-year deal to be Guild’s official display partner is the electronics giant’s first with a British esports team. Samsung is meeting the undisclosed value of the deal with 50 per cent cash and 50 per cent value in kind, in the form [...]
Tokyo 2020 facing threat of spectator ban, says Japanese prime minister June 21, 2021 Japan may ban spectators from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics if the country’s Covid-19 situation worsens, prime minister Yoshihide Suga has warned. Holding this summer’s delayed Games behind closed doors was “definitely a possibility”, Suga said. “I think that’s obvious from the standpoint of making safety and security our utmost priority.” Japan has been slow to [...]
Dozens arrested in Leicester Square following England v Scotland match June 19, 2021 A total of 25 people were arrested in Leicester Square last night with a further five arrested near Wembley following the England v Scotland Euros match. Following the match, which saw a 0-0 draw between the two sides, crowds thronged into Leicester Square, despite police asking fans to stay away because of Covid concerns. Red [...]
England 0, Scotland 0: Gareth Southgate needs to find a solution to – or a replacement for – worryingly peripheral Harry Kane June 18, 2021 On a night of full-throated support from both sides of football’s oldest rivalry, perhaps the biggest cheer came in the 63rd minute. That was when Jack Grealish, England’s maverick talent, came off the bench as the hosts searched for a breakthrough against Scotland. The cheers reflected Grealish’s elevation to cult hero status, but also a [...]
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: Awkward title, awkward film June 18, 2021 Some sequels are made as part of an ongoing story, answering questions that were left dangling or making the universe a little bigger. Others are solely made because the first film made more cash than expected. Hitman’s Bodyguard, a mid-budget comedy with Samuel L Jackson and Ryan Reynolds, surprised pretty much everybody by becoming a [...]
Luca is an enjoyable Pixar Lite that’s in thrall to the work of Ghibli June 18, 2021 The past eighteen months has seen a complete shift in what we mean by the term ‘straight to on demand’. Once the preserve of movies that weren’t worth a cinema release, circumstances have meant a hybrid solution is now the sensible choice for a lot of new releases. That said, the big movies are still [...]
Rosé Prosecco: Why this once-banned drink was the star of 2020 June 18, 2021 I think we can all agree that 2020 had few highlights but let me put this forward as a big hitter… Pink Prosecco. Yes, you heard correctly, rosé Prosecco was only legalised in 2020 which means last year marks the first harvest and creation of an entirely new type of wine. History was made and [...]
UEFA could move Euros final from Wembley after backlash to quarantine-free VIPs June 18, 2021 UEFA today said it has a contingency plan to replace Wembley as the host for the Euro 2020 final unless the government agrees to exempt travelling foreign fans from a 10-day quarantine. Tournament organisers have been in negotiations with the British government since it scrapped plans to end lockdown restrictions on 21 June. Wembley is [...]
England v Scotland: Scouting the Scots with a bit of help from investment banking ahead of the Euro 2020 Battle of Britain June 18, 2021 It’s England v Scotland at Euro 2020 this evening as the Battle of Britain returns to major tournament football. Gareth Southgate will have his own ideas about Scotland’s strengths and weaknesses under Steve Clarke. But, should he need any more pointers, we can offer some answers based on quantitative analysis methods borrowed from investment banking. [...]
Ollie Phillips: Why I fancy Sale and Bristol to progress in Premiership semi-finals June 18, 2021 The Premiership Rugby semi-finals this weekend are a fascinating collision of contrasts – and I can’t wait. While Exeter and Sale will look to knock 10 bells out of each other, Bristol and Harlequins promises a feast of fast, flowing rugby. And in Sale and Quins we have two teams transformed by coaching changes this [...]