Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini charged with fraud over £1.35m payment November 2, 2021 Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, the former presidents of Fifa and Uefa, are facing trial after being charged with fraud by Swiss prosecutors. The charges relate to a payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.35m) made by Fifa to Platini in 2011, when Blatter ran football’s world governing body. Blatter, who was forced out of Fifa [...]
Smart shin guards: the latest weapon in football’s wearable tech arms race November 2, 2021 Football is no stranger to wearables, as evidenced by the ubiquity of GPS vests, but it is about to get a new weapon in the technology arms race: smart shin guards. Italian sports tech and analytics company Soccerment will today launch their pioneering protective gear, which captures data on every run, pass, shot and change [...]
David Haggerty interview: ITF president on revamping Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Finals, anti-vaxxers, Osaka, domestic abuse and Raducanu November 1, 2021 Eighteen months later and in a different location than planned, the first Billie Jean King Cup Finals finally begins today. The tournament formerly known as the Fed Cup has been rebranded in tribute to the trailblazing former world No1 and reformatted to create a climactic week-long finale that mirrors the new-look Davis Cup, itself taking [...]
Daniel Kretinksy: Czech billionaire poised to buy stake in West Ham United October 28, 2021 West Ham United are the subject of takeover interest from Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, according to multiple reports. Kretinsky, who co-owns Sparta Prague and holds major stakes in the Royal Mail and Sainsbury’s, is said to be close to buying a 27 per cent stake in the Premier League club. The deal, first reported by [...]
Why sport is playing against the clock when it comes to the climate crisis October 26, 2021 It is becoming increasingly apparent that the climate crisis touches everything and sport – often played outdoors and shaped by the weather – is, not surprisingly, no exception. Winter sports are in serious trouble. Alpine glaciers and skiing seasons are rapidly shrinking. Not a single event on last year’s biathlon circuit could proceed without using [...]
They are at it again: F1 row widens as Max Verstappen calls Lewis Hamilton ‘a stupid idiot’ October 23, 2021 Racing giant Max Verstappen called his main rival Lewis Hamilton “a stupid idiot” as the championship rivals clashed in practice for the United States Grand Prix. Hamilton, who is six points behind Verstappen, overtook the Red Bull driver at the concluding left-hander in Friday’s second session in Austin. Verstappen temporarily ran off the track before [...]
McLaren interview: North America, NFT’s and Drive to Survive October 22, 2021 Spanning five continents and 17 time zones, Formula 1 is a truly global sport. But with the expansion of the calendar in recent seasons and the increasing presence in the digital and online space, F1 teams are taking special interest in one market in particular: North America. McLaren are a case in point. The English [...]
Lawrence Stroll interview: Aston Martin, bonds and becoming F1 world champions October 21, 2021 Mention of bonds and Aston Martins usually calls to mind the fictitious adventures of 007, but for Lawrence Stroll, the words relate to his very real ambitions to shake and stir Formula 1. Less The World Is Not Enough; more Only The World Championship Will Do. Canadian billionaire Stroll this month launched a retail bond [...]
Ed Warner: Activity vouchers can solve post-Covid sport participation problem October 21, 2021 I addressed a bunch of politicians, advisors and sports industry types at a Westminster Forum this week on the challenges facing sport and the public funding priorities as we come out of the pandemic. The risk on these occasions is that you get caught in an echo chamber, telling the audience what it already thinks [...]
Exclusive: Apex Group replaces Sandals as West Indies sponsor in six-figure deal October 21, 2021 T20 World Cup holders West Indies will today announce a new shirt sponsorship with global financial services provider Apex Group. Apex is replacing holiday company Sandals on the sleeves of the West Indies men’s cricket team, who play England in their first match of this year’s T20 World Cup on Saturday. The three-year partnership, which [...]