Czech billionaire buys 27 per cent of West Ham in £150m deal November 10, 2021 Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has completed a deal which will see him acquire 27 per cent of Premier League club West Ham for £150m. The 46-year-old could use the initial investment to launch a takeover bid of the Hammers, who are currently majority owned by David Gold and David Sullivan. Kretinsky has stakes in both [...]
Azeem Rafiq fallout: How much did sponsor pressure contribute to resignations? November 10, 2021 The business of sport and sponsorship is volatile at the best of times, an ever changing landscape of decisions and consequences. It is nothing new for sponsors and clubs to renegotiate their terms – the Indian Premier League saw this in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – or quit altogether, as Norwich City decided [...]
Formula 1 must remember fans as on-track rivalries bloom November 9, 2021 An injury-time score, a shot at goal in the red, a final-over victory. Whatever the occasion, sports fans love a tight affair. The 2005 Ashes, the 2018-19 Premier League title race, and now the 2021 Formula 1 drivers’ championship; it could really be that close. The closest intra-team championship in the last five years came [...]
The light fantastic: How Okkulo is looking to ‘re-code’ athletes’ vision November 9, 2021 Filmmaker Mel O’Connor has had quite the story arc. He quit his job on Emmerdale and turned down work on an Idris Elba movie to follow his dream of developing an altogether different kind of visual experience. The result is a product, Okkulo, that he believes can not only revolutionise sport science but may also [...]
Newcastle United announce Eddie Howe as their new head coach November 8, 2021 Newcastle United have today announced the appointment of Eddie Howe as their head coach. The club, who were last month purchased by a Saudi Arabian-led consortium, had been looking for a head coach since they sacked Steve Bruce in October. On his appointment, Howe said: “It is a great honour to become head coach of [...]
Chelsea v Liverpool to mark return of safe-standing in the top flight November 8, 2021 Chelsea FC will host the first safe-standing football match in the top flight for nearly three decades. The London club will play Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on January 2 with thousands of fans able to stand up throughout the game. The Blues’ application to be part of a safe-standing trial has been approved by sports [...]
West Ham in wonderland and Alisson in blunderland as Hammers stun Liverpool November 7, 2021 Almost two years into his second coming at West Ham United, David Moyes has never had it so good. This afternoon they ended Liverpool’s 25-match unbeaten run with a 3-2 victory that lifted them above the Reds into third place. No wonder Moyes was beaming amid the bubbles at full-time. What’s equally impressive is the [...]
Mikael Silvestre interview: Cut-throat Solskjaer’s neck shouldn’t be on the line November 4, 2021 Under-fire Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job should not be on the line in Saturday’s derby against Manchester City, says former Old Trafford team-mate Mikael Silvestre. Criticism of Solskjaer reached fever pitch after last month’s 5-0 humiliation at rivals Liverpool, and subsequent results – a win over struggling Tottenham Hotspur and the last-gasp draw [...]
The impossible job? Upgrading manager proving no easy task for Newcastle owners November 3, 2021 Twenty-eight days on from the club’s takeover, Newcastle United are still to make the managerial upgrade that was widely anticipated. Steve Bruce was put out of his misery two weeks ago, yet the club’s new majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, have not yet settled on a successor. The wait illustrates the scale of [...]
Cherries on top: Bournemouth and Scott Parker the perfect match November 3, 2021 Tonight on the south coast, AFC Bournemouth will be looking to continue a start to the Championship season that has gone from impressive to record-breaking. Heading into their match against struggling Preston North End, the Cherries have amassed 37 points from their opening 15 games, with a positive goal difference of 18. That’s the best [...]