Free-to-air victory for cricket as some IPL games set for ITV, reports February 27, 2023 Free-to-air broadcaster ITV will show 16 regular season matches of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) after the broadcaster struck a deal with DAZN for the rights to the cricket franchise competition. The two broadcasters have purchased the rights for the famous competition with 16 matches to be exclusively shown on ITV while DAZN will [...]
Harry Kane to Manchester United? Striker upgrade could turn Erik ten Hag’s improving team into title contenders – Trevor Steven February 27, 2023 Erik ten Hag has brought the good times back to Manchester United but the signing of Harry Kane would make them serious Premier League title contenders, says Trevor Steven. If the hallmark of a good manager is improving your players then I have to take my hat off to what Erik ten Hag has accomplished [...]
Erik ten Hag heralds new era for Manchester United after winning first trophy in Carabao Cup February 26, 2023 Manchester United celebrated their first silverware under manager Erik ten Hag and the end of a six-year trophy drought after beating Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. Midfielder Casemiro’s header and an own goal from Newcastle defender Sven Botman decided an absorbing contest at Wembley that United deserved to win. Newcastle, seeking their first [...]
Graham Potter “suffering” after Chelsea woes deepen with defeat at Tottenham February 26, 2023 Under-fire Chelsea manager Graham Potter admits he and his team are “suffering” after losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for the first time in five years. Oliver Skipp’s first goal for Spurs and a late second from Harry Kane earned a 2-0 win that lifted them back into the top four and deepened [...]
Why this has to be the turning point in David Moyes and West Ham’s season February 26, 2023 Before West Ham United welcomed fellow strugglers Everton to the London Stadium last month, reports emerged that manager David Moyes might be for the chop if they lost to his old team. The Hammers duly won their first Premier League match in eight attempts and Moyes lived to fight another day. Five games later, having [...]
Loris Karius: Football’s forgotten man set for second chance with Newcastle United in Carabao Cup final, five years on from his Champions League nightmare February 25, 2023 Five years on from his Champions League horror show, Loris Karius has the chance to resurrect a once promising career and help end Newcastle United’s trophy drought in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday. In an age of wall-to-wall coverage of football from the Champions League right down to the [...]
Football regulator WILL have more powers to investigate club owners but WON’T block takeovers linked to Saudi Arabia or Qatar, says sport minister Stuart Andrew February 23, 2023 The incoming independent football regulator will be given wider powers to investigate prospective owners – but will not block takeovers by Saudi Arabia or Qatar. A regulator will have more scope to look into the backgrounds of would-be buyers of English teams, similar to the checks in place in financial services. “We are looking at [...]
The gap between the football brand behemoths and the rest is likely to grow February 23, 2023 The bidders for football club Manchester United are now in a virtual data room, filling their spreadsheets and compiling their questions. The job of the Glazer family’s investment banking advisors, Raine Group, is now to find ways to squeeze every possible dollar out of this football asset. One trick of the bankers’ trade is to [...]
Football regulator may help deliver long-term sustainability for beautiful game February 22, 2023 This paper of free markets and liberal economics may not, you might think, be in favour of a new regulator. But a new referee for the business side of the beautiful game is not one to be dismissed out of hand. In fact, it has plenty going for it. At first principles, the best results [...]
Government publish white paper on plans for football regulator February 22, 2023 The UK government will today publish a long-awaited white paper on its plans for an independent regulator for English football. The policy document will propose the introduction of a regulator tasked with stopping financial failings from occurring lower down in the pyramid, as well as a stronger owners’ and directors’ test. Fans will be given [...]