Bundesliga faces identity crisis as it debates the abolition of its fan ownership model in favour of increased investment March 1, 2018 For as long as football fans in England have complained about sanitised atmospheres, expensive tickets and disastrous owners, Germany has been held up as the exemplar of how much more supporter-friendly our national game could be. Affordable entry prices, safe standing areas and an ingrained respect for fan culture are all cited as examples of [...]
Harnessing tech can help break the glass ceiling March 1, 2018 While issues around diversity and inclusion have been well and truly thrust into the spotlight following a year of sexual harassment and gender pay inequality scandals, the numbers still paint a bleak picture. In the UK, there is still no single sector where women make up more than 33 per cent of total senior management [...]
Disruption is everywhere – but so are the investment opportunities February 27, 2018 I’m not usually a subscriber to “this time it’s different”, but when it comes to the emerging disruption in so many industries, “this time it’s more than average” doesn’t really seem to cut it. This time I have a feeling it really may be different, because today’s disruptions are everywhere, and that means that there [...]
Kylie Jenner’s Snapchat shun shows “financial fragility” of social media February 23, 2018 US celebrity Kylie Jenner yesterday wiped around $1.3bn (£900m) off the market value of Snap. She did so by using another social media platform, namely Twitter. Snap shares fell around seven per cent after Jenner tweeted: “So does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me… ugh this is so sad.” While [...]
The ‘big tech’ backlash: How sustainable is the success of Google, Facebook and Amazon? February 22, 2018 In recent months it has felt like the tide is turning against big tech. Google has been fined for market abuse in the EU. Silicon Valley heads have been hauled in front of the US Senate and the UK Parliament to answer for the abuse of their platforms by extremists and Russian saboteurs. The repeal of [...]
Wigan to investigate FA Cup pitch invasion as Manchester City seek answers following Sergio Aguero confrontation February 20, 2018 Manchester City are seeking an explanation from Wigan Athletic for the pitch invasion that occurred following their shock 1-0 loss in the FA Cup fifth-round on Monday night. City striker Sergio Aguero had an altercation with a fan as supporters of the League One side spilled onto the DW Stadium pitch to celebrate their against-the-odds [...]
Formula One 2018: Red Bull launches new-look F1 car earlier than usual February 19, 2018 Formula One team Red Bull today unveiled a new look for 2018 – shunning a traditional approach to show their hand as close to the season start as possible. Red Bull’s RB14 car will take to the track at Silverstone today for pre-season filming. The bright red and yellow Red Bull livery against a navy [...]
London Fashion Week 2018: Why do brands still hold catwalk shows in a digital age? February 19, 2018 You might be hard-pressed to identify anyone sat on the front row at Mulberry’s spring/summer fashion show last Friday. Once the reserve of top buyers and the fashion press elite, the front row has undergone a revolution in the past decade. Actresses and models sat shoulder to shoulder with a new breed of fashion VIP: [...]
As the Brexit negotiations continue, it’s time for the City’s Leave voters to stand up February 19, 2018 Most people working in the City and the broader field of financial and professionals services supported Remain in the June 2016 referendum. There isn’t much City-specific polling to back this up, but since possessing a degree, living in London and working in a profession are all demographic attributes associated with an increased likelihood to have [...]
Winter Olympics 2018: Olympic Athlete from Russia who was designated clean tests positive in Pyeongchang February 18, 2018 Olympic chiefs are facing further embarrassment over their handling of Russian doping after one of the country’s athletes who was permitted to compete at the Winter Games after being designated clean tested positive. The Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) team confirmed that it had been notified of a possible infringement of anti-doping rules but declined [...]