Trump, the Super Bowl, wokery and sport’s shift to the right February 2, 2025 It might be the same man sitting in The Oval Office, but a lot’s changed since Donald J Trump first presided over a Super Bowl eight years ago. In 2017 America was perilously divided, with a newly-elected Trump in the White House and protest marches taking place on the streets outside it. This tension was [...]
The speeches that never got delivered and what they tell us about leadership January 30, 2025 From the Cuban missile crisis to the election of Donald Trump, history has seen inflection points where alternative outcomes weren’t just possible, but actively planned for. So what can words that were never heard teach us about communication in a crisis? Asks speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum There’s a joke in speechwriting circles about a speechwriter who [...]
Mike Ashley calls on Reeves to hold HMRC ‘to account’ after court victory January 27, 2025 Mike Ashley has called on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to hold HMRC “to account” after the Sports Direct tycoon won a victory over the taxman in a data protection court battle. In a ruling today, the High Court said HMRC had taken “too narrow an approach” when it refused to hand over personal information to [...]
Clear and simple calendars like NFL, not tennis, should be applauded in sport January 23, 2025 The NFL, unlike tennis, should be applauded for its clear and simple sport calendar that sees athletes thrive, writes Ed Warner. Naomi Osaka, Gael Monfils, Jack Draper. Each retired from the Australian Open mid-match. No substitutes bench in tennis, so the ultimate anticlimax for spectators. Injuries are an occupational hazard, but across sport the sheer [...]
‘We need to get back to our very best’: Boohoo boss vows to make 2025 a ‘year to remember’ January 22, 2025 The chief executive of fast-fashion giant Boohoo has said the group “needs to get back to our very best” as he vowed to make 2025 “a year to remember”. Daniel Finley was speaking a day after shareholders voted to keep co-founder Mahmud Kamani on its board in another blow to Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group. But [...]
Man United legend Bryan Robson to be hit with tax bill over ambassador role January 21, 2025 Former Man United legend Bryan Robson has lost a chunk of his IR35 case against HMRC leaving him exposed to a undisclosed tax bill
Why the football regulator shouldn’t ignore clubs below National League January 18, 2025 The case of Ebbsfleet United shows why the incoming football regulator’s powers are needed throughout the English game, says Damian Collins. The deeply entwined relationship between English football clubs and the communities they serve is never more evident than at the midpoint of the season and the turn of the year. Whilst most Europeans enjoy [...]
Richest women’s football teams: Arsenal rival Barcelona for top spot January 17, 2025 Arsenal are now rivalling Barcelona as the richest women’s football team in world football, according to new analysis by Deloitte. The all-conquering Catalan club remain No1 in the business advisory firm’s ranking of the biggest women’s teams by revenue generated. But Arsenal are a very close second, having also recorded revenue of €17.9m (£15.1m) for [...]
Forget the gloom, sport’s broad palette offers many reasons be cheerful January 16, 2025 Elite sport may make us despair at times but we shouldn’t forget that the wider ecosystem offers so many opportunities to connect and participate, says Ed Warner. Memo to self: don’t always be a miserabilist. The data says that the most upbeat editions of this column garner as many readers as the more downbeat. So, [...]
Most retailers will hike prices in response to Reeves’ NI Budget raid January 15, 2025 Two thirds of CFOs have said their business will be forced to raise prices as a result of higher wage bills, according to a new survey. Around 70 per cent of respondents to the survey, which looked at the attitudes of CFOs at 52 retailers, were “pessimistic” or “very pessimistic” about trading conditions over the [...]