Sports law in 2021: Data disputes, the evolution of esports, all eyes on Premier League TV rights, and rules tighten for clubs and agents December 31, 2020 While there may not have been as much action on the pitch in 2020, this year has been an eventful one for sports lawyers off the pitch to say the least. Coronavirus has acted as a magnifying glass, intensifying the financial and legal pressures that those in the sports ecosystem face. But how is 2021 [...]
Trevor Steven’s heroes and villains of football in 2020 December 24, 2020 From Jack Grealish to Liverpool becoming champions of England again at last, the resurgence of Everton and Leeds to empty stadiums and bad rule changes; football in 2020 may have felt different but it was still eventful. Here, City A.M. football columnist Trevor Steven picks his heroes and villains of this unique year. Greal deal [...]
The Big Sport Quiz of 2020: How well were you following the action this year? December 22, 2020 Roll up, roll up: it’s City A.M.’s Big Sport Quiz of 2020! Yes, a lot of it was severely disrupted and most of it happened without fans present, but there was still plenty of vintage sport and some intriguing storylines to follow. So test your knowledge on our selection of questions covering all major sports [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: Premier League toasts beIN deal; banker set to buy Lille; breakaways boosted; Australian Open delay; and Griezmann bins Huawei December 17, 2020 Christmas cheer has arrived early at the Premier League after it agreed a new $500m deal with beIN Sports. The contract, which gives beIN exclusive broadcast rights in 24 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, is effectively a three-year extension to their deal for 2019-22. It comes as a boost to the Premier [...]
Post-Brexit transfer rules: How they work and why legal experts believe they are good for English football December 9, 2020 Post-Brexit transfer rules will be “easier and better” for English clubs and “a good thing for football”, according to a leading immigration lawyer. From January 2021, all overseas signings will have to prove their eligibility via a points system that takes into account factors including how many games they have played. In addition, English clubs [...]
Trevor Steven: Born again Tottenham are genuine Premier League title contenders December 4, 2020 As Tottenham prepare to host Arsenal this weekend, the north London rivals could hardly be in more contrasting form. Spurs sit top of the Premier League after 10 games, 13 places above their neigbhbours, so the momentum is firmly with them. And I put that down to three main factors: Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and [...]
Premier League agrees £250m bailout package to help EFL clubs survive pandemic December 3, 2020 The Premier League has agreed a £250m bailout for struggling clubs outside the top division. The aid package for the English Football League (EFL) includes £50m in grants for teams in Leagues One and Two. A further £200m in interest-free loans will be made available to clubs in the Championship. The long-awaited deal to mitigate [...]
Return of fans to sport will encourage brands to lift the handbrake on big campaigns November 30, 2020 When The Beatles walked off-stage at Candlestick Park, San Francisco in August 1966 it would be another two and a half years until they played live. When they walked out onto the roof of Apple Records HQ on Savile Row a small matter of 885 days later, they launched straight into a brand-new track: Get [...]
Chelsea-Spurs stalemate shows that the absence of fans has taken the devil out of derbies November 30, 2020 Viewers would have been forgiven for not realising it, but Sunday’s Premier League goalless draw between Chelsea and Tottenham was a derby. And not just any old derby; a London derby between two teams with a genuine rivalry, both historically and in terms of current competitiveness. Yet this was a game that lacked the blood [...]
The making of Chris Kamara: How ex-footballer went from lads and dads’ hero to prime time national treasure November 27, 2020 As a football player and later a manager, Chris Kamara forged a successful if, by some standards, unspectacular career in an unfashionable era. England recognition never arrived, and his biggest victories came outside a top division that had not yet become the millionaires’ playground of today. More than two decades since he left the game, [...]