Ed Warner: The row over sport banning Russian players will be even bigger in 2023 January 12, 2023 Wimbledon will be here before we know it. Expect the debate about banning Russian and Belorussian stars to start soon. The tug of war over the two bellicose nations’ participation at next year’s Paris Olympics and Paralympics has already begun. Schisms within sports and between their leaders and politicians are inevitable. Last year, backed (or [...]
Cricket champions Surrey swap Adidas for Andy Murray-backed City boys’ startup January 5, 2023 Surrey County Cricket Club have become the latest team to sign a deal with Castore, the Andy Murray-backed British sportswear startup founded by two former City workers. The reigning men’s County Champions today announced a multi-year agreement for their men’s and women’s teams to swap Adidas kit for apparel made by Castore, starting in the [...]
Ineos hire new chief executive for sporting branch December 27, 2022 British chemicals company and growing sports player Ineos have hired Jean-Claude Blanc as the firm’s new sport chief executive. Blanc will begin in post from February of next year and will be responsible for the development of facilities for each of the teams and franchises Ineos owns. The company, founded by Britain’s richest man Sir [...]
Best of 2022: Michael Doughty on quitting football to found ethical brand Hylo Athletics December 26, 2022 In this interview first published in October 2022, former Premier League footballer Michael Doughty explains why he walked away from the game to set up sustainable sportswear brand Hylo Athletics. The longer that Michael Doughty’s playing career went on, the harder he found it to ignore the effects of climate change. “I saw way more [...]
Freed From Desire: Why did 90s hit become England’s World Cup goal music? December 6, 2022 Lashed home by Harry Kane, dinked by Bukayo Saka or headed by Jude Bellingham, each England goal at this World Cup has had one thing in common. All have been celebrated to the sound of 90s dance hit Freed From Desire, the track that the Three Lions nominated to be played every time they rippled [...]
Ed Warner: Is Infantino a moonbeam or a clown? Either way, Fifa boss is here to stay December 1, 2022 Gianni Infantino. Moonbeam or clown? Flibbertigibbet? Certainly. Problem-solver, or problem to be solved? All depends on where you are coming from – quite literally. Just don’t expect Fifa’s demon/angel (delete according to taste) president to be going anywhere soon. Most likely not until 2031. Football’s Swiss-Italian head honcho has been front and centre of the [...]
Ed Warner: Manchester United should have refused to tear up Cristiano Ronaldo contract November 24, 2022 Watching Cristiano Ronaldo’s conversation with Piers Morgan I was instantly reminded of Princess Di’s (in)famous interview with Martin Bashir, so much in the news in recent months. No sense here though that the footballer was duped into his doe-eyed criticisms of Manchester United – certainly not if we accept Morgan’s subsequent justifications for the guest [...]
Size matters: Why tiny Qatar decided it needed to host the World Cup November 16, 2022 Sport business and geopolitics expert Professor Simon Chadwick explains the economic, security-related and nation-building reasons why Qatar is hosting the World Cup. With the start of the men’s World Cup in Qatar imminent, fans are looking ahead to the action starting. Some will be anticipating Harry Kane retaining his Golden Boot, though others may feel [...]
Magic materials, paperless tickets and Web3: Sports technology trends to watch in 2023 November 16, 2022 Rebecca Hopkins, chief executive of the STA Group, picks out the sports technology trends to watch in the next year. It is exciting to realise how far sport has come in the past 12 months and whilst the post-pandemic era is throwing up more external challenges than could have been predicted, the sector remains as [...]
Trussonomics, Super League and Qatar World Cup: Why proactive PR matters November 10, 2022 Communications expert Matthew Fletcher-Jones explains why Qatar and Fifa are fighting a losing PR battle over perceptions of this year’s World Cup. Imagine you proposed a revolutionary approach, promising growth and a brighter future. Yet you never got out of the blocks as your first step was revealing that the rich would get richer. Revolutions [...]