Ed Warner on the sporting year that was December 22, 2022 And so we reach the end of a year of sporting excess, or at least an excess of sport. Sunday’s FIFA World Cup Final was the calorific dessert that may well have caused you to come over all Mr Creosote, exploding under the temptation of just one more dish of must-see sporting competition. While we [...]
BBC 3, ITV 1: Beeb pulls in three times as many viewers as rival for World Cup final December 19, 2022 The World Cup final may have been a close run contest but the same can’t be said of the competition for UK audience between the BBC and ITV, according to viewing figures. Both terrestrial channels broadcast the final, which Argentina won on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw with defending champions France. The BBC’s peak [...]
Ed Warner: Bullingham must own England manager decision if it comes December 15, 2022 “The FA should only look at English managers if Gareth Southgate steps down.” “No, the FA should be prepared to hire a foreign coach.” Discuss ad nauseam. Now imagine you are Mark Bullingham, the Football Association’s chief executive, possibly (but not certainly) about to have to make an appointment whose success or failure would stand [...]
European Super League: Will ECJ resurrect breakaway or prove final nail in its coffin? December 14, 2022 Abandoned by most of its supporters in the face of widespread outcry, tied up in red tape, and then undermined by the financial problems of its remaining backers, the European Super League has never looked more dead. But the controversial breakaway football competition could be dramatically resurrected on Thursday when an advocate general delivers their [...]
‘Part of life’: the official response to a migrant death at the World Cup December 8, 2022 The chief executive for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Nasser Al-Khater, has faced criticism for his response to the death of a migrant worker at one of the country bases around Doha. The reported death of a Filipino national working as a migrant worker in Qatar has added to the growing list of migrants [...]
Ronaldo close to £172m-a-year Al-Nassr contract: Here are the most expensive sports deals ever December 6, 2022 Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly close to agreeing to a contract with Saudi Arabian football club, Al-Nassr, in a deal that could see the striker earn £172.9m a year – the most expensive contract ever offered to a sports player. The 37-year-old footballer mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Manchester United this November, after his relationship with [...]
World Cup briefing: Group E and F’s deciding games and how to watch December 1, 2022 Today’s World Cup matches bring in the festive season of December and represent the penultimate day of group stage action. All of today’s Group E and Group F matches will have some say in which teams make the last 16 in Qatar – and which crash out. So here is a round up of what’s [...]
World Cup briefing: Final day of round one gets underway in Qatar November 24, 2022 As Japan joined Saudi Arabia in inflicting a shock World Cup result on opponents fancied for the title, the final day of round one action gets underway in Qatar. City A.M. looks at today’s games and what’s at stake. Group G: Switzerland v Cameroon, ITV Having reached the last 16 in the previous two World [...]
Manchester United: Glazers face disappointment over £6bn price tag November 23, 2022 Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, look likely to have to drop their asking price of £6bn to £8bn for the Premier League football club. The Glazers, who also own NFL franchise the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, announced they were ready to sell United after 17 years in charge earlier this week. The Americans fired the [...]
Glazers to explore sale of Manchester United, state reports November 22, 2022 Premier League club Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, are reportedly ready to announce their intention to look at potential investment in the club. The news could see one of the world’s most famous clubs change hands after a dynasty of ownership lasting 17 years. The examination of potential income sources could include an auction, [...]