Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle United off as bid withdrawn July 30, 2020 The Saudi Arabia-backed bid to takeover Newcastle United football club has been withdrawn this afternoon. A consortium made up of the Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben brothers had reportedly made a £300m bid to businessman Mike Ashley for the Premier League team. In a statement, the group said: “With [...]
CVC looks to add coronavirus clauses to Six Nations investment July 15, 2020 CVC Capital Partners is reportedly looking to add coronavirus clauses to its planned £300m investment in the Six Nations rugby union tournament, which will allow the buyout firm to withhold funding if the pandemic disrupts the sport further. The private equity group is in the final stages of agreeing on a deal to take a [...]
Consumer spending surges as lockdown restrictions end July 14, 2020 Brits rushed back to the shops in June after lockdown restrictions ended, prompting the biggest jump in sales since May 2018 as consumers indulged in some much-needed retail therapy. According to new data from the British Retail Consortium, total sales rose 3.4 per cent in June in the first month of growth since lockdown measures [...]
Manchester City’s two-year ban from Champions League lifted July 13, 2020 Manchester City’s two-year ban from European football has been overturned by the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), it said this morning. The decision means it will compete in next season’s Champions League, providing a major financial boon for the team’s by Abu Dhabi-controlled owner City Football Group. CAS ruled that Manchester City did not [...]
Wigan Athletic football club enters administration amid ‘significant impact’ of coronavirus pandemic July 1, 2020 Wigan Athletic has entered administration following the “significant impact” of the coronavirus pandemic on the football club’s finances. Paul Stanley, Gerald Krasner and Dean Watson from Begbies Traynor have been appointed as joint administrators, the Championship team said in a statement. Krasner said: “Our immediate objectives are to ensure the club completes all its fixtures [...]
Premier League could move or postpone Leicester home games due to lockdown June 30, 2020 The Premier League is waiting to hear whether the newly imposed lockdown in Leicester will force the club to postpone home games or move them to a new venue. The league’s chief executive Richard Masters was quizzed by MPs on the situation following the government’s decision to impose a stricter lockdown in the city after [...]
Football is in ‘rescue mode’ says Premier League boss June 30, 2020 The boss of the Premier League has said football is in “rescue mode” after restarting earlier this month. Chief executive Richard Masters said: “There is so much uncertainty. At the moment we’re in rescue mode, we’re trying to finish the season… Then we’ll turn our mind to next season”. Masters, who was appointed to run [...]
BBC coverage of FA Cup scores biggest audience since football’s return June 29, 2020 Saturday’s FA Cup match between Norwich City and Manchester United was the most-watched UK football match since football returned to TV screens after months of lockdown. The quarter-final match, which finished 2-1 to Manchester United, saw 6.4m people tune into the action on the BBC, with a further 1.7m views on iPlayer. Sunday’s semi-final clash [...]
What pubs, cinemas and hairdressers will look like under new lockdown rules June 25, 2020 The government has published new lockdown rules spelling out what pubs, restaurants, museums, theme parks, cinemas and hairdressers will look like when they reopen on 4 July as the UK finally emerges from months of lockdown. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday announced that the UK’s “long national hibernation is beginning to come to an [...]
BBC’s first ever Premier League broadcast scores 4m viewers June 21, 2020 The first ever Premier League match to be broadcast on the BBC attracted a peak audience of almost 4m viewers yesterday, as the top-flight football competition returns to TV after months of lockdown. Last night’s match between Bournemouth and Crystal palace on BBC One pulled in 3.9m viewers, making up almost a quarter of the [...]