Ashes talking points: England weren’t good enough, but Aussies shone December 8, 2021 There was a deep feeling of dread when Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns walked out onto the Gabba’s moderately green crease to open the batting in the first Test of this winter’s Ashes. But no one would have predicted the collapse that followed. Here are the talking points from England’s batting on day one of [...]
Eight Premier League stars in KPMG top 10 most valuable players list December 8, 2021 KPMG has underlined the financial supremacy of English football by naming eight Premier League stars among its top 10 most valuable players. Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund, valued at €142m (£121m), and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, valued at €128m (£109m) occupy the top two places. But the remainder of KPMG’s top 10 is comprised of [...]
Rob Lee: Newcastle United owners should hire Alan Shearer as top advisor December 7, 2021 Newcastle United’s new owners can bring the good times back to St James’ Park by hiring an icon of the club’s most recent glory days, Alan Shearer, to oversee football matters, says Rob Lee. Fellow Newcastle great Lee played alongside Shearer for six seasons as they challenged Manchester United’s domestic supremacy and enjoyed their first [...]
All eyes turn to Europe as rugby’s Champions Cup gets underway December 6, 2021 Come winter every season, European rugby halts its domestic competitions and looks towards the Champions Cup – the premier international club rugby competition in the world. This season, in a revised format, it’s imperative that teams get off to a flying start. Here’s what to look out for. Fast Start Last season saw a new [...]
San Francisco 49ers in position to buy Leeds United in coming years December 6, 2021 The San Francisco 49ers could exercise a clause in their deal with Leeds United which could see them buy the Premier League club by 2024. The group that funds the NFL this year increased their stake in United to 37 per cent in January before acquiring another seven per cent last month. The deal would [...]
Premier League talking points: Rangnick debut win heaps woe on Palace December 6, 2021 It was a tale of contrasting fortunes for the men in the Old Trafford dugouts for Sunday’s Premier League clash. While Ralf Rangnick formally began his Manchester United tenure with a scrappy 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, secured through Fred’s fine late goal, Patrick Vieira saw his team lose for a third consecutive game. With [...]
Steal the deal: Discovery in talks with BT Sports to derail sale to DAZN December 5, 2021 US media giant Discovery is in talks with BT Sports over a potential partnership deal that would derail months of talks with sports streaming service DAZN over a £600m outright sale. As talks between DAZN and the telecoms group have become mired over commercial details, Discovery has entered the mix with an alternative offer for [...]
Ed Warner: Crouch review recommendations could drive Premier League away December 2, 2021 I really wanted to embrace the “fan-led” Tracey Crouch review of football governance in England. But with each turn of its 162 pages my heart sank further at the unmistakable sight of the heavy hand of Whitehall. The Crouch review’s recommendations revolve around the creation of an independent regulator for the sport. This displays a [...]
Peng Shuai: WTA suspend tournaments in China over tennis star December 1, 2021 The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) have this evening suspended all WTA tournaments in China and Hong Kong over Peng Shuai’s sexual assault allegations and the events which subsequently followed. In a statement, WTA chief executive Steve Simon said: “With the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of [...]
Manchester United owner Avram Glazer buys cricket team in new UAE T20 league December 1, 2021 Manchester United owner Avram Glazer has succeeded in buying a cricket franchise at the second attempt after snapping up a team in the new United Arab Emirates Twenty20 league. Glazer, through his private equity company Lancer Capital, was outbid in an auction for two new franchises in the Indian Premier League, the world’s leading T20 [...]