Should football brace itself for a dementia claims crisis? February 10, 2021 Last week the Football Association’s head of medicine, Charlotte Cowie, announced the governing body was considering “likely risk factors” for dementia among players. The review comes as concern grows across contact sports around the potential link between neurodegenerative disorders and head trauma. The concern isn’t new – Alan Shearer’s 2017 documentary Dementia, Football and Me [...]
Burnley and Asda are unlikely warnings of debt-driven troubles February 10, 2021 It has been a week of mixed messages. Not just on the release from lockdown, but on the economy. The Bank of England indicated that banks have been given six months to prepare for negative interest rates. The Monetary Policy Committee was quick to clarify that this did not mean that they would necessarily cut [...]
Philanthropic finance could well be another jewel in the City’s considerable crown February 9, 2021 The aftermath of Brexit and the midst of a global pandemic may seem an odd time to be talking about philanthropy, yet the UK has a golden opportunity to position itself as the leading global centre for philanthropy and global investment. Our Beacon Collaborative report published today, “The UK as a Centre of Excellence for [...]
What Euro 2020 in a Covid-19 world will look like for football fans, sponsors and broadcasters February 9, 2021 Euro 2020 is scheduled to take place across 12 European cities in June and Covid-19 will mean changes to the way major sporting events operate. Hygiene protocols, new technology solutions and fan behaviours will emerge that present both challenges and opportunities for brands and rights holders. Safety is paramount Any British fans who do physically [...]
Sport on TV: How to watch India v England, the Six Nations, Liverpool v Man City and Super Bowl LV in the UK February 6, 2021 What better way to beat the lockdown blues than by gorging on a feast of sport on TV? Answer: none. And this weekend’s fare is the most abundant yet this year, with an England Test series on terrestrial TV, the first round of the Six Nations, a Premier League title showdown between Liverpool and Manchester [...]
Why Test cricket is back on Channel 4 and what it means for the future of sport on terrestrial TV February 2, 2021 For the first time since the heady 2005 Ashes series, Test cricket is returning to British terrestrial television. Channel 4 has bought the rights to show England’s tour of India, which begins on Friday in Chennai. But why is cricket back on a free-to-air broadcaster? Who stands to gain? And what does this mean for [...]
UK betting giant Entain takes punt on Tabcorp as it eyes up Australian market February 2, 2021 Ladbrokes owner Entain has today announced that it has made an offer for betting firm Tabcorp Holdings’ wagering and media business. The non-binding indicative offer signals a desire from Entain to expand its services in Australia by becoming the country’s biggest betting company owner. Entain already has a small presence in the Australian betting market [...]
Premier League set for its lowest January transfer window spend since 2012, barring unexpected deadline day splurge February 1, 2021 The Premier League is heading for its lowest January spend since 2012, barring an unexpected transfer deadline day flurry of activity. Heading into the final hours of the transfer window, English top-flight clubs had forked out around £78m. Unless they spend more than £40m before tonight’s 11pm deadline, it will represent their lowest outlay for [...]
Why football clubs face an increased threat from cyber criminals during the transfer window January 31, 2021 It isn’t just football’s wheeler-dealers springing into action this month for the January transfer window. Increasingly, it is open season too for cyber criminals who see the game as rich pickings for various forms of hacking. “Right now there are big amounts of money changing hands,” says Max Heinemeyer of cyber defence firm Darktrace. “So this [...]
Sports teams facing end of gambling shirt sponsorship January 31, 2021 Sports teams are facing the prospect of being banned from displaying gambling logos on their shirts, the Sunday Times reported. Officials have warned members of the sports industry that a crackdown on gambling sponsors is under consideration. Such a move would be a seismic shock for sports clubs, and mark the biggest shake-up in sports [...]