English football regulator won’t ban owners for geopolitical reasons, says Government April 25, 2022 A new independent regulator for English football will not seek to prevent takeovers or force out owners on the basis of geopolitical issues, the Government has confirmed. The regulator will have power to implement tougher tests on prospective club buyers to “root out unsuitable owners”, the official response to last year’s Fan Led Review of [...]
Chelsea bidders told they must commit to keeping control of club for 10 years April 25, 2022 The three shortlisted bidders in the sale of Chelsea Football Club have been told they must commit to holding a majority stake for at least 10 years, according to reports. The requirement is set to be a legally binding part of any agreement to purchase the Premier League team from sanctioned owner Roman Abramovich, Sky [...]
English football to get independent regulator to oversee finances, Government confirms April 25, 2022 The Government will today confirm plans to introduce an independent regulator for English football to oversee the game’s finances and prevent more clubs from going bust. It will have legal powers to investigate and sanction teams, and will also be tasked with drawing up and operating tougher tests for anyone wanting to own English clubs. [...]
Clarets’ glass looking half full as Sean Dyche gamble continues to pay off for Burnley April 24, 2022 As far as gambles go, Burnley’s jettisoning of Sean Dyche 10 days ago was a huge one. Dyche was more than just their manager; he was the Premier League’s longest serving boss and the man who had done more than anyone else to turn the Clarets into an established top-flight presence. When that status remained [...]
Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams bankroll Sir Martin Broughton-led bid for Chelsea April 21, 2022 Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and tennis superstar Serena Williams are helping to bankroll the Sir Martin Broughton-led bid for Chelsea. Hamilton, who has previously said he supported the club’s London rivals Arsenal, and 23-time Grand Slam winner Williams are among the backers of the only British-led consortium in the running, Mark Kleinman first reported [...]
Ed Warner: The higher the price for Chelsea, the sooner their new owners will feel the strain April 21, 2022 Unless the media have been blindsided by a canny investment bank, it seems that there are no sovereign wealth funds or squillionaires left in the running to buy Chelsea. No Musk, Bezos, Chinese tech magnate or gas-rich autocracy. The three remaining bidders, as reported, are all consortia. Let the game theory commence. The selling bank, [...]
Arsenal have reconnected with fans this season but on-field slump threatens to undo good work April 20, 2022 Since the dark days of lockdown, Arsenal have been engaged in a major branding exercise aimed at reconnecting with supporters. Club staff have conducted thousands of interviews with fans in the UK and overseas, particularly in Los Angeles and Shanghai, in an attempt to gauge what they had been doing right and where they had [...]
Wayne Rooney blames Candy Crush tycoon Mel Morris following Derby relegation April 19, 2022 Manager Wayne Rooney has pointed the finger at former Derby owner Mel Morris after the club’s relegation to the third tier was confirmed. The former English champions, who were penalised 21 points for financial infringements, can no longer avoid the drop following Monday’s defeat at Queen’s Park Rangers. Derby have played most of the season [...]
Chelsea sale heading for full time as deadline arrives for potential world record £2.5bn deal April 13, 2022 This is a big week for Chelsea Football Club on the field, with the Blues’ men’s and women’s teams both preparing for FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday. For the men, the game is a must-win if they are to lift a trophy this season, as well as a chance to bounce back from a painful [...]
Fifa takes on Netflix and Amazon Prime by launching new streaming service Fifa+ April 13, 2022 Fifa has joined the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime by launching its own streaming platform Fifa+. The free service will provide football fans with live matches from around the world, along with archive content and documentaries. “Fifa+ will provide access to live matches from every corner of the world, interactive games, news, tournament information, [...]