Five things we learned from the weekend football: Gutsy Watford rip up the script; Everton turning a corner; Arsenal wretched on road; Liverpool bust a gut while Man City cruise; Foxes have tails up April 7, 2019 On paper, this looked like the less appetising of the two FA Cup semi-finals. On paper, Watford looked like underdogs against a Wolves side who were in the ascendancy and possess star quality. But on Sunday at Wembley, Watford – and particularly Gerard Deulofeu – ripped up the script and dragged the Hornets from two [...]
Legal Q&A: Major League Soccer’s trademark dispute with Inter Milan over David Beckham’s team name April 7, 2019 Nora Fowler of intellectual property law firm EIP explains the ongoing legal dispute between Major League Soccer and Italian football club Inter Milan over the proposed name of David Beckham's MLS franchise. What is the dispute? The dispute relates to the right to use and register the term INTER as a trademark for soccer related entertainment [...]
Sponsoring women’s football isn’t just a good look for brands – it’s a lucrative opportunity too April 7, 2019 It’s impossible to avoid the conversation around women’s football at the moment – and particularly so in the world of marketing advocating for the opportunities it presents. Before jumping in head first, brands need to think about why they want to get involved. But the bigger question is why sponsorship of women’s football presents commercial [...]
The Sisters Brothers film review: A beautiful, surreal road trip across the wild west April 5, 2019 The Sisters Brothers is so entrenched in the look and feel and smell of 1851 America that it’s like leafing through a series of dusty wild west lithographs. There’s a plot – a pair of hired guns hunt their next mark – but director Jacques Audiard is more interested in the ride than the destination. [...]
Southampton v Liverpool: Red rock Virgil van Dijk returns to his former club the finished article April 4, 2019 When Virgil’ van Dijk returns to St Mary’s Stadium tomorrow evening he will be braced for a frosty reception. The Dutch defender left Southampton for Liverpool in January 2018 under a cloud after a drawn-out and bitter tug of war created friction between the two clubs and alienated Saints fans. The world record fee for a [...]
Ollie Phillips: Mike Ford needs to galvanise Leicester to move them away from Premiership relegation April 4, 2019 There are five games left in the Premiership season and it’s crunch time at the bottom where four teams are battling it out to avoid the dreaded drop. Of the four it’s Leicester Tigers who are most unused to their standing, having slumped to 10th place and five points above the drop through a run [...]
Shazam! film review: The DC Comics character has its heart in the right place and its tongue firmly in its cheek April 4, 2019 They say there’s a hero in all of us. Shazam! runs with that concept, punches it in the gut then kicks it off a skyscraper. It follows fourteen year old foster kid Billy Batson, who finds he can instantly transform into a fully-grown, practically invincible superhero when he says the magic word “Shazam!” Comic aficionados [...]
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen ensure winning start at Spurs’ new stadium April 3, 2019 It was a night that the 59,215 fans inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will never forget. It may have come eight months later than expected, but victory in their new home proved well worth the wait as it reignited their hopes of a top four finish. The Tottenham players walked out onto the pitch at [...]
Defending champions Surrey embracing the role of frontrunners as County Championship returns April 3, 2019 Surrey may have broken their 16-year duck to win the County Championship Division One trophy last season, but they are not content to stay stuck on title No19. The club hierarchy know all too well they’ve underachieved. Now, with the monkey off their back, the goal is to establish a dynasty capable of monopolising county [...]
Chris Tremlett: Surrey’s squad depth makes them favourites to retain their County Championship title April 3, 2019 There are so many factors and variables which go into a County Championship season, but looking at the squads I think Surrey must be considered favourites to defend their title. The first round of Division One fixtures begin on Friday, although Surrey kick off their campaign at home to Essex next week, and conditions, injuries [...]