Premier League: Palace play kingmaker again as City falter April 6, 2015 CRYSTAL PALACE 2 MANCHESTER CITY 1 MANCHESTER City manager Manuel Pellegrini conceded his team’s hopes of defending their title had suffered a major blow after Crystal Palace all but killed off another Premier League hopeful last night. Goals from Glenn Murray and Jason Puncheon left City nine points adrift of leaders Chelsea and made the [...]
Rodgers brushes off mutiny talk and reiterates Champions League hopes April 6, 2015 LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers has dismissed suggestions of dressing-room unrest and insists he has been too quick to write off the team’s chances of earning Champions League qualification. The Reds boss denied that Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Arsenal, which left them seven points adrift of the Premier League’s top four, had led to heated exchanges [...]
Platini in thirdparty ban plea to Borgen boss April 1, 2015 FOOTBALL’S European governing body Uefa and players’ union FifPro have joined forces to lobby the European Commission to outlaw the controversial practice of third-party ownership (TPO). TPO – when a player’s transfer value is owned in full or part by a speculating investor – is already banned at all levels in England, having gained notoriety [...]
Raheem Sterling insists Liverpool contract row not about money as he vows to gun down transfer suitors Arsenal April 1, 2015 Unsettled Liverpool and England forward Raheem Sterling insists he wants to beat Arsenal in Saturday’s Premier League showdown despite admitting to being flattered by their interest in him. Sterling, 20, admits he is undecided over his Anfield future after turning down a new contract worth £100,000. The Gunners, who could all but end Liverpool’s Champions [...]
European glory worth €100m to English clubs March 31, 2015 WINNING the Champions League could be worth more than €100m (£72.3m) to an English club next season in prize money alone after governing body Uefa announced an increase in merit payments for 2015-18. This year’s Premier League winners could scoop a maximum of around €113m (£82m) if they go on to lift European club football’s [...]
Can professional video gaming take off in the UK? Gfinity just launched the first eSports arena – welcome to the weird world of video game voyeurism March 31, 2015 It’s been a big couple of weeks for UK sport. Roy Hodgson’s England side took a step closer to qualifying for Euro 2016, the Six Nations came to a dramatic conclusion, Sheffield boxer Kell Brook defended his world title – and the UK’s first eSports arena staged its premier event. Professional video gaming has launched [...]
The Saints go marching on to profitability: Southampton’s David Bence is heading for a sustainable business model March 30, 2015 Those who read the business press as opposed to only the sports pages might have already adjusted themselves to the fact that Premier League football clubs can occasionally make profits, especially now that new financial fair play rules have begun to constrain the wage demands of the top players. But the story of Southampton Football [...]
Newcastle United score record £19m profit thanks to TV income and new sponsorship deals March 30, 2015 Newcastle United yesterday reported record profits of £18.7m last season – but its debt in the form of an interest-free loan from owner Mike Ashley remained static at £129m. The Premier League club put the profit down to increases in TV income and new sponsorship deals. The Magpies announced a recorded profit for the fourth [...]
Experimental Hodgson set to trial Kane March 30, 2015 PROLIFIC forward Harry Kane has the chance to follow in the footsteps of a Tottenham legend when he makes his full international debut in England’s friendly with Italy in Turin tonight. England manager Roy Hodgson last night confirmed his intention to hand Kane his first senior start in his side’s clash at the Juventus Stadium, [...]
Premier League clubs agree £1bn for good causes if TV rights deal remains after Ofcom investigation March 26, 2015 The Premier League yesterday conditioned a £1bn grant for a variety of good causes, including grassroots football, on its new bumper £5bn TV rights deal not being overturned by a regulatory investigation. The body that oversees England’s 20 elite football clubs says its offer will not stand if an investigation by Ofcom, instigated after a [...]