Ladbrokes profits slump February 18, 2010 LADBROKES was on a losing streak in 2009 with the recession leading punters to place fewer and lower bets. Pre-tax profits slumped 28 per cent to £191.3m after a tough year in which it was forced to tap shareholders for £274.6m in October. The UK’s biggest bookmaker said its 2,000 UK betting shops suffered a [...]
League shouldn’t tamper with rules February 17, 2010 WHEN it comes to the plans to introduce a play-off for the fourth Champions League place, I’m with David Moyes and Rafael Benitez. They are both against plans for the teams who finish from fourth to seventh in the Premier League battling it out for the lucrative spot – and so am I. Firstly, it [...]
RBS opens talks for US Sempra February 16, 2010 ROYAL Bank of Scotland has begun discussions with potential buyers for the US parts of its Sempra Commodities business after JPMorgan paid $1.7bn (£1.1bn) for the European and Asian arms. JPMorgan yesterday signed a deal for RBS Sempra’s global oil and metal trading operations, plus its coal and gas capabilities on the continent and in [...]
Wenger cool on Champs League play-off plans February 16, 2010 ARSENE Wenger has voiced his opposition to Premier League proposals to introduce a play-off for the fourth Champions League spot. League chiefs are considering an overhaul of the current system that would see teams from fourth to seventh battle it out for the lucrative place. But Arsenal manager Wenger, whose team have qualified for the [...]
Sports minister joins debate over football club debt levels February 16, 2010 THE government is to press ahead with calls for tougher financial controls for football clubs, despite widespread criticism from within the industry. Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe yesterday weighed into the debate, calling for an overhaul of the way teams’ finances are regulated. The move follows increasing concern about the long-term viability of debt-laden clubs in [...]
Premiership set to debate new debt cap February 15, 2010 DEBT-LADEN Premier League clubs could be forced to cap borrowing at just a quarter of their turnovers. The drastic measures, called for by Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, would be the strictest financial constraints on any major football league in the world. He proposed the changes in light of the financial misery that has been heaped [...]
Beckham: Ferguson still a father to me February 15, 2010 AC MILAN v/s MANCHESTER UTD FORMER Manchester United icon David Beckham insists Old Trafford kingpin Sir Alex Ferguson remains like a father to him as he prepares to face his old mentor for the first time since leaving the club almost seven years ago. Beckham, who is on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: SHOULD THE PREMIER LEAGUE SET A NEW BORROWING CAP TO STOP CLUBS RACKING UP MASSIVE DEBTS? February 15, 2010 DAVE WHELAN | CHAIRMAN, WIGAN ATHLETIC The Premier League is in trouble – we can’t have a situation where a massive club like Portsmouth is going out of business. Something drastic needs to be done and I think capping the amount of borrowing at clubs is the answer. I’m going to be pushing for this. [...]
Vieira is back in the groove at City February 15, 2010 PATRICK VIEIRA insists he is revelling in the physical challenges of the Premier League since moving to Manchester City. The 33-year-old is re-adjusting to life back in England, five years after leaving Arsenal for the Italian Serie A. And he’s been thrown in the deep end with City preparing to face uncompromising Stoke City for [...]
New football regulator threat sparks anger February 15, 2010 WHITEHALL is threatening to introduce a mandatory regulator to oversee British football as part of a backlash against debt-laden clubs. With several teams currently battling for survival, Whitehall is studying plans it hopes could help prevent clubs from going under. But the idea has sparked fury among Premier League insiders who will fiercely resist the [...]