Racism, elitism and sexism ‘entrenched’ in English cricket, damning report finds June 27, 2023 Racism is entrenched in English cricket and other forms of discrimination are widespread and deep-rooted, according to a damning report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) published today. Half of more than 4,000 respondents said they experienced discrimination, with women “marginalised and routinely experiencing sexism and misogyny”, and “little to no focus [...]
Explained: What changes to transfer and loan rules mean for Premier League clubs June 26, 2023 Big clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City are unlikely to return to hoarding top talent and farming them out on loan despite the relaxation of post-Brexit transfer red tape. Chelsea turned recruiting promising players, loaning them out and ultimately selling for a profit into a fine art in the later years of Roman Abramovich’s [...]
Ryan Reynolds joins Wrexham co-owner and RedBird in buying stake in F1 team Alpine June 26, 2023 Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and RedBird Capital Partners, which has a stake in Liverpool’s owners, have invested in Formula 1 team Alpine. Otro Capital, Reynolds’ Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob McElhenney and their fellow actor Michael B Jordan, who owns a stake in AFC Bournemouth have also invested. The €200m (£171m) cash injection is for 24 [...]
Inside the PTO Tour: Triathletes plotting their own path, backed by a billionaire June 26, 2023 Ibiza usually moves to the beat of its clubbing crowd but for one weekend last month it was a different Lycra-clad set working up a sweat: top triathletes, including Alistair Brownlee, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Kristian Blummenfelt. In the shadow of world-famous nightclubs like Pacha, some of the sport’s biggest names took on a 100km swim-bike-run [...]
Boost for the Hundred as England cricket chiefs close in on new headline sponsor June 25, 2023 The Hundred is set for a major boost, with the England and Wales Cricket Board understood to be close to announcing a new headline sponsor for the competition. A multi-year deal with a brand that has not previously been involved in cricket is being finalised and there is optimism that it will be signed this [...]
Chelsea owners caught in backlash over investment in French club Strasbourg June 22, 2023 Chelsea and co-owner Todd Boehly are facing a backlash from Strasbourg supporters as they close in on a deal to buy a large minority stake in the French football club. Confirmation is said to be imminent that the Blues have acquired a shareholding of around 40 per cent in the team from Alsace. Strasbourg would [...]
Andrew Strauss and Bryan Habana to return to sport at first ever Padel Classic in London June 22, 2023 Sporting greats Sir Andrew Strauss and Bryan Habana are set to come out of retirement next summer for an all-star padel pro-am tournament at the Hurlingham Club. The Padel Classic, which will also feature a corporate tournament, is scheduled to be played on the lawns of the exclusive south-west London venue on May 15-16 2024. [...]
Ed Warner: Rugby, boxing, netball, Para sport – what should Saudi Arabia buy next? June 22, 2023 Challenge accepted! A reader last week asked what the most investable sports worldwide are from the perspective of a sovereign wealth fund such as Saudi Arabia’s PIF. He had rugby union in mind, but wanted a long train journey to dredge up others. A return trip on Avanti West Coast to the first Ashes Test [...]
Chelsea begin clear-out and raise almost £100m by selling Havertz and Kovacic June 21, 2023 Chelsea have begun a major squad clear-out and raised almost £100m by agreeing deals to sell Kai Havertz to Arsenal and Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City. Germany forward Havertz, who scored 32 goals in 139 goals during three seasons at Chelsea, is set to move across London to Arsenal for an initial fee of £60m, [...]
Q&A: Why Premier League gave Chelsea’s Paramount Plus sponsorship the red card June 20, 2023 Chelsea’s hunt for a new main shirt sponsor hit the news this week when it emerged that the Premier League had refused to sanction a potential deal with Paramount Plus. Here’s why the agreement was not allowed, why this situation isn’t unique to Chelsea or the top division of English football, and what it means [...]