Manchester United sale: Will bidders call the Glazers’ bluff? April 25, 2023 Five months after Manchester United’s owners, the Glazers, fired the starting pistol on a potential sale, bidding is finally expected to draw to a close on Friday. The Glazers’ bankers, the Raine Group, surprised some earlier this month by extending the process to a third round of offers for the 20-time English champions. It has [...]
Wrexham’s promotion: ‘Feelgood fairy tale’ or ‘brand-building exercise that sticks in the craw’? Our writers debate April 25, 2023 Wrexham clinched the National League title at the weekend, securing their promotion to the English Football League two years after being bought by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. But is the story, which has been played out in a reality TV series as well as on the pitches of England and Wales, an [...]
Why 2023 is the year of the litmus test for women’s rugby, cricket and football April 24, 2023 On Saturday afternoon more than 50,000 fans will descend on Twickenham Stadium to not only watch England’s final match of the Women’s Six Nations against France but also be part of history. Because the fixture is set to smash all previous records for attendances at a women’s rugby match and set a new standard in [...]
Exclusive: 777 Partners confirm they’re looking at ‘interesting assets’ amid Everton takeover rumours April 24, 2023 777 Partners has confirmed it is “looking for interesting assets” amid reports that the US investment group is close to takeover of struggling Premier League club Everton. Owner of the British Basketball League and its leading club London Lions, as well as European football clubs Hertha Berlin and Genoa, 777 has been on a buying [...]
Wrexham targeting successive promotions after sealing return to Football League April 24, 2023 Wrexham are targeting another promotion next summer after the Hollywood-owned Welsh club clinched their return to the English Football League on Saturday. The decisive 3-1 win over Boreham Wood came two years after actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took charge at the Racecourse Ground, and executive director Humphrey Ker insists they are just getting [...]
Three charts that show the chasm between Manchester United and Brighton’s spending April 22, 2023 Manchester United’s vast financial advantage over Brighton is illustrated by analysis of both clubs’ spending over the last decade as they prepare to meet in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final. When Manchester United last met Brighton and Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium in the 1983 FA Cup final replay, it was already a financial mismatch. Although [...]
Premier League ‘shutting the door on those below’ by ‘distorting competition’ April 19, 2023 MPs have accused the Premier League of “shutting the door on those below” with the parachute payments system of financial redistribution to relegated football clubs. Julian Knight, chairman of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee, urged England’s leading clubs to find a “fairer solution” that doesn’t have a “distorting effect on competition”. [...]
IN PICTURES: See Manchester City’s plans for £300m upgrade to Etihad Stadium April 18, 2023 Premier League champions Manchester City have formally submitted a planning application for a £300m upgrade of their Etihad Stadium that would take capacity to more than 60,000. The improvements are centred on the North Stand, which is to get a new, enlarged upper tier and will connect to a new complex featuring a hotel, club [...]
Leeds, Chelsea, Crystal Palace: Why have so many clubs chosen short-term managers? April 17, 2023 When Javi Gracia made a surprise return to the Premier League in February he signed a contract with Leeds United which the club described as “flexible”. In reality, it meant a short-term deal guaranteed only until the end of the season, when it could be extended if all parties agreed. Since then, five more clubs [...]
English football wants a piece of the American pie – but it’s not MLS April 15, 2023 From Todd Boehly’s private-equity-backed consortium at Premier League giants Chelsea to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner at Portsmouth in the third tier down to Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at non-league Wrexham, the flow of football investment between the United States and Britain is well established. But it is not all one-way. Increasingly, [...]