Ed Warner: Why sponsors should beat a path to Yorkshire November 11, 2021 Yorkshire County Cricket Club might just be the most exciting sponsorship proposition right now. Mired in a racism crisis of its own making, deserted by its full roster of corporate partners, staring down the barrel of a parliamentary select committee, investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission – but with a new chair and [...]
T20 World Cup: The fab four look for a place in the final November 10, 2021 The knockout stages of any tournament provides unparalleled sporting pressure. A simple task, win or go home. There are no second chances, no redos. Sport at its most intense. A stray ball, bad decision or a hot headed moment can make or break a team performance. This week, in the United Arab Emirates, four of [...]
Azeem Rafiq fallout: How much did sponsor pressure contribute to resignations? November 10, 2021 The business of sport and sponsorship is volatile at the best of times, an ever changing landscape of decisions and consequences. It is nothing new for sponsors and clubs to renegotiate their terms – the Indian Premier League saw this in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – or quit altogether, as Norwich City decided [...]
The light fantastic: How Okkulo is looking to ‘re-code’ athletes’ vision November 9, 2021 Filmmaker Mel O’Connor has had quite the story arc. He quit his job on Emmerdale and turned down work on an Idris Elba movie to follow his dream of developing an altogether different kind of visual experience. The result is a product, Okkulo, that he believes can not only revolutionise sport science but may also [...]
BT Sport retains exclusive UK rights to show men’s and women’s Ashes November 8, 2021 BT Sport has confirmed that it will have exclusive UK broadcast rights for the upcoming England men’s and women’s Ashes series in Australia. It will also show the one-day and Twenty20 series that follow the men’s Ashes early next year as part of a new four-year deal with Cricket Australia. “We loved bringing the highs, [...]
Yorkshire County Cricket Club faces more allegations of racism November 6, 2021 Yorkshire County Cricket Club has launched a fresh investigation after another former player came forward with fresh claims of racial abuse. The Daily Mail has reported that the unnamed player, who is of Asian heritage, said he faced “both blatant and sly” racist abuse at the club in the early 2000s. He also alleged he [...]
Yorkshire cricket chairman resigns over handling of Rafiq racism report November 5, 2021 Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton has resigned over the club’s handling of the Azeem Rafiq case, calling on the executive board to follow suit and taking a swipe at the England and Wales Cricket Board on the way out. In a week that has seen Headingley stripped of its right to host international cricket, a mass [...]
Yorkshire suspended from hosting England matches over race fallout November 4, 2021 Yorkshire County Cricket club (YCCC) have been suspended from being able to host international matches, the England and Wales Cricket board (ECB) announced yesterday. In response to Yorkshire’s handling of the Azeem Rafiq race report, the ECB have said financial sanctions may be considered as well as any future consideration for the Headingley Stadium to [...]
Sponsors quit Yorkshire over club’s handling of race report November 3, 2021 Emerald Publishing have become the latest brand to disassociate themselves with Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) following the club’s handling of racism claims made by Azeem Rafiq. In a statement, Emerald Publishing said: “We have taken the decision to remove our brand association with YCCC and Headingley Stadium. “We do not tolerate any form of [...]
Editorial: Sports fiascos remind City of importance of governance November 2, 2021 The world of sport has always been something of a wild west when it comes to corporate governance. The propensity to hire ex-players to sit on governing committees doesn’t help, as if the ability to play with head over elbow when batting out the day or pick-and-go from the back of the scrum will somehow [...]