How Manchester City made shareholder loans the Premier League’s new battleground October 11, 2024 Amid the claims and counter-claims that spewed forth after Manchester City’s legal challenge to the Premier League’s associated party transaction rules, one fact was undeniable: shareholder loans have now joined APT, PSR and FFP in the lexicon of football fans. City’s lawyers argued that if their sponsorship deals with Abu Dhabi entities such as Etihad [...]
Has Fifa wildly overestimated the value of Club World Cup media rights? October 11, 2024 Was Fifa too hasty in rejecting Apple’s reported $1bn (£760m) offer for media rights to next summer’s inaugural beefed-up Club World Cup? That is a question football’s governing body may have to ask itself as time ticks down towards the new 32-team tournament in the US next summer. With only eight months to go until [...]
Derby weekend can ignite spark in Premiership October 11, 2024 This weekend Premiership Rugby has deliberately created drama with the continuation of derby weekend, where all five fixtures are focused on local rivalries. Sale Sharks play Newcastle Falcons, Gloucester host Bath, Northampton travel to Leicester, Exeter Chiefs take on Bristol Bears and unbeaten Saracens head south to Harlequins. Derby days are always special days as [...]
Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton October 10, 2024 Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, had its fabric roof ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton this week. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane having been a Category 5 just hours before it hit Tampa – home of the baseball team and former Super Bowl winners the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who [...]
Cheque mates: Harry Kane and Magnus Carlsen top up stakes in football brand October 10, 2024 England captain Harry Kane and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen have taken part in a $100m funding round for the company behind the football-themed entertainment and dining venue Toca Social. The move will help Toca Football launch further sites in London, where it already has a venue at the O2, as well as Paris, Mexico and [...]
IMG partners with British Cycling Events in new deal October 10, 2024 British Cycling Events and IMG have announced a six-year partnership aimed at supporting the growth of the organisation’s portfolio. The firm, a subsidiary of British Cycling, was set up to deliver various two-wheeled events across Great Britain. The partnership, the organisation states, will aid events such as the Tour of Britain be elevated. IMG have [...]
Gareth Southgate reveals stance on Manchester United job October 10, 2024 If Manchester United chiefs decide to sack Erik ten Hag before the end of the season they can forget about hiring Gareth Southgate to replace him. The former England head coach, who stepped down in the summer, said today that he has no intention of returning to football management “in the next year”. “Sometimes when [...]
‘Everything has a beginning and an end’: Rafael Nadal announces retirement October 10, 2024 King of Clay and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 38. Nadal won the French Open a record 14 times and is second only to Novak Djokovic for most Grand Slams. He will play his last matches at next month’s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, [...]
Rosberg warns Aston Martin F1 team not to become PSG October 10, 2024 Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg has warned Aston Martin not to turn into Paris Saint-Germain in their pursuit of racing success. The German likened the hiring of design guru Adrian Newey, reportedly for £30m per season, and others to the Parisian Ligue 1 club having Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe on their books at [...]
Arsenal are overachieving in the Premier League, but do fans appreciate it? October 10, 2024 In a parallel universe, Arsenal have already beaten Manchester City to the title. Forget Pep and Mikel’s inflamed war of words in this season’s scrap for the Premier League trophy; the Gunners have bagged the prize for outperforming their playing budget. Football, though, must ultimately be about fans’ dreams, not investors’ and bank managers’ bottom [...]