Opinion: Why Derby County’s financial woes show that football is broken and needs fundamental change September 20, 2021 The unfolding disaster at Derby County should never have been allowed to happen, but sadly this is just the latest example of a game that has increasingly allowed itself to lose touch with reality. We have seen the collapse of FA Cup winners Bury and the demise of Macclesfield, while others, such as Wigan and [...]
Tottenham Hotspur 0, Chelsea 3: Blues cruise in London derby underlines their Premier League title credentials September 19, 2021 Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have produced some memorable ding-dong battles in recent history. This wasn’t one of them, however, such was Chelsea’s overwhelming superiority. The visitors won 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but it would not have flattered them unduly had they triumphed by a greater margin. With four wins from five Premier League [...]
London Irish target millennial rugby fans with Netflix-style monthly ticket subscription for home games September 14, 2021 Premiership Rugby club London Irish have launched a monthly ticket subscription service in an attempt to woo millennials ahead of the new season. Prices start from £30 per month for adults and £9 for children and include entry to all league and cup games at the Exiles’ new stadium, as well as all perks afforded [...]
Exclusive: Coutinho, Ronaldo, Bale, Grealish and other mega transfers to push Premier League spending to £55bn by 2050 September 9, 2021 Premier League clubs’ spending sprees will amount somewhere close to £300m annually in the next 30 years, according to new research that was shared with City A.M. this afternoon. The average outlay per club is set to be £286,996,502 in 2050, an increase of 135.99 per cent, while the average fee paid by top-flight clubs [...]
World 12s: Plans unveiled for rugby union’s £250m answer to the Indian Premier League, featuring eight franchises playing 12-a-side, 30-minute matches September 7, 2021 Some of rugby union’s biggest names have announced plans to launch a new 12-a-side tournament, World 12s, in England next year. The competition would feature eight franchise teams playing in 30-minute matches over three consecutive weekends in August and September. World 12s chairman Ian Ritchie, the former head of the Rugby Football Union and Premiership [...]
World 12s: Ex-RFU chief Ritchie reveals plans for ‘IPL of rugby’ : CityAM September 7, 2021 Some of rugby union’s biggest names have announced plans to launch a new 12-a-side tournament, World 12s, in England next year. The competition would feature eight franchise teams playing in 30-minute matches over three consecutive weekends in August and September. World 12s chairman Ian Ritchie, the former head of the Rugby Football Union and Premiership [...]
Squeezed out by club and country, sparkling cameos may not be enough to win Jesse Lingard a place in England World Cup squad September 6, 2021 Bukayo Saka may have made the most heartwarming contribution to England’s 4-0 win over Andorra on Sunday but Jesse Lingard’s was the most potent. The Manchester United attacking midfielder scored twice yesterday, breaking the visitors’ resistance early on and adding England’s third with a characteristically confident finish from 18 yards. Lingard might have had a [...]
World Cup farce as Brazil v Argentina qualifier abandoned as health officials enter pitch to demand deportation of Argentina players September 6, 2021 A Brazil v Argentina World Cup qualifier was abandoned after Brazilian health officials demanded the deportation of three England-based Argentinian players for failing to quarantine. Officials walked onto the pitch just six minutes into the game in Sao Paulo last night to insist that the trio of Premier League players – Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano [...]
Premier League summer spending falls to 2015 levels as clubs seek value in football’s post-Covid transfer market September 1, 2021 Premier League clubs cut their summer transfer spending to the lowest level since 2015 in response to the pandemic. Gross spending by England’s top-flight teams in the summer window, which closed last night, fell 11 per cent to £1.1bn, according to analysis by Deloitte. Net spending was down 38 per cent to £560m, and both [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo completes Manchester United return for initial fee of £13m August 31, 2021 Cristiano Ronaldo has officially completed his return to Manchester United from Juventus on transfer deadline day for an initial fee of €15m (£13m). The Italian club confirmed the terms of the blockbusting transfer this morning. The fee could rise to €23m if Ronaldo and United hit certain targets. United announced the completion of the deal [...]