Why the 2026 World Cup could help the USL to relegate MLS April 3, 2025 The United Soccer League is challenging MLS for US supremacy. If the 2026 World Cup is a hit, the USL’s pro-rel gamble may just pay off, says Ed Warner. Qualifying is well under way for the 2026 World Cup. Four countries have already booked their places to add to the trio of North American hosts. [...]
Exclusive: Hundred franchises could do own sponsorship deals April 2, 2025 Teams in the Hundred could soon be allowed to negotiate their own front-of-shirt sponsorship deals, as the England and Wales Cricket Board, counties and prospective investors finalise the sale process. The ECB struck deals to sell 49 per cent stakes in the eight Hundred franchises to a variety of international investors earlier this year in [...]
Zak Brown admits cynically using Red Bull F1 Horner investigation April 2, 2025 McLaren team principal Zak Brown has admitted to cynically using Red Bull’s 2024 investigation of Christian Horner to destabilise their Formula 1 rivals. Horner was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a Red Bull colleague, something he denied and was cleared of by an independent investigation last year. The news played a part in the [...]
Chelsea and Manchester City fans face ban from Club World Cup April 2, 2025 Chelsea and Manchester City fans who have received football banning orders will be banned from travelling to the US this summer for the Club World Cup. Supporters who have previously committed “thuggish behaviour” – including violence, disorder, pitch invasions, use of pyrotechnics and online hate crime linked to football – will be required to surrender [...]
British Basketball Federation hands 15-year licence to Glickman April 2, 2025 The British Basketball Federation (BBF) has defied Super League Basketball (SLB) clubs by signing a 15-year deal with Marshall Glickman’s GBB League Ltd (GBBL) to operate the men’s professional league from 2026. SLB clubs warned last week that they would take legal action to block the sale of the licence, which they say is illegal. [...]
ECB facing pressure to drop prices in Hundred franchise sale April 2, 2025 The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could be asked to accept less than the £520m offered by new investors for 49 per cent of the eight Hundred franchises if they refuse to hand over control of the competition’s next television contract, which will begin in 2028. The ECB wants to continue its successful policy [...]
Parliament warns against extending Premiership Rugby Covid-19 loans April 2, 2025 A top parliamentary committee has insisted Premiership Rugby clubs who are “financially unviable five years post-pandemic” should not have their Covid-19 loans extended. The damning report from the Public Accounts Committee – an influential group of backbench MPs who probe state spending – singled out the process in which £124m of loans funded by the [...]
Premier League to introduce new offside tech this month April 1, 2025 The Premier League will finally introduce semi-automated offside technology this month after a number of delays. The system, seen as an upgrade on the controversial VAR system currently used to judge offsides, has been tested in a non-live capacity across a number of Premier League and FA Cup games. But it comes much later than [...]
Ancelotti in Spanish court accused of €1m tax fraud April 1, 2025 Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will tomorrow appear in court accused of tax fraud of more than €1m. The 65-year-old former Premier League manager will stand trial in Madrid on charges of defrauding the Spanish tax office to the tune of £836,857 in undeclared earnings from image rights a decade ago. The trial is expected [...]
Ineos and New Zealand Rugby end deal after settling £27m sponsorship row April 1, 2025 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos has formally ended its partnership with New Zealand Rugby after reaching a settlement over a £27m sponsorship deal due to run until 2027. NZR, which is responsible for the All Blacks and Black Ferns, sued Ineos in February after the chemicals giant had stopped making payments in order to “exit our [...]