Sport’s overreachers like Sussex and Leicester are guilty of hope not greed February 12, 2026 As long as sport’s governing bodies and regulators reward risk over restraint, the cycle of boom, bust, sanction, repeat will continue, writes Ed Warner. First the disclaimer: I live in Sussex and although its county side isn’t my first cricketing love – that “honour” belongs to Middlesex CCC – I’ve enjoyed days at Hove’s County [...]
PM Starmer asked to back £500m Alexandra Palace darts injection February 11, 2026 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been called upon to contribute to a £500m, one-off private-public cash injection to keep darts at Alexandra Palace. The north London venue first hosted the World Darts Championship in 2007 but a move away from the venue has been touted by tournament organisers Matchroom, with the sport exploding in popularity [...]
Real Madrid decision sounds death knell for European Super League February 11, 2026 Real Madrid have become the final club to abandon the ailing European Super League project in a move that effectively kills off any prospect of a breakaway football competition in the foreseeable future. It follows talks between Real Madrid, governing body Uefa and influential umbrella group European Football Clubs leading to an “agreement of principles”, [...]
CVC’s Global Sport Group to announce deal with Gordon Brown-linked Pimco February 11, 2026 CVC Capital Partners’ new sporting arm Global Sport Group is set to announce a deal with Gordon Brown-associated asset management group Pimco. The deal will see the firm which manages around $2 trillion in assets heavily involved in debt financing, according to Sky News’ Mark Kleinman. The senior debt financing is set to be worth [...]
Thomas Frank sacked: Tottenham count cost of £6.7m compensation payout February 11, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur have sacked manager Thomas Frank less than eight months after paying £6.7m in compensation to poach him from Premier League rivals Brentford. Frank’s departure comes after Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Newcastle on Tuesday night, a result that left them just two places and five points above the relegation zone. The compensation [...]
Exclusive: Prem Rugby kicks plan to hike stadiums to 15,000 into touch February 11, 2026 Prem Rugby has torpedoed proposals for a top-flight shake-up that would have seen champions Bath Rugby’s stadium deemed too small for the top flight, City AM can reveal. A study, run by Deloitte, looking at how Prem Rugby can raise the minimum standards of entry to the English top flight raised the prospect of increasing [...]
Jonathan Barnett: Gareth Bale’s former agent denies ‘sex slave’ claims in full February 10, 2026 The British football super-agent who negotiated Gareth Bale’s world record transfer to Real Madrid, Jonathan Barnett, has denied any wrongdoing after a woman alleged he kept her as a “sex slave” and threatened to kill her. Barnett, 76, is the subject of a range of serious allegations made by an Australian woman in a US [...]
Dupont image rights row puts Toulouse in rugby spotlight again February 10, 2026 French rugby giants Toulouse are facing the threat of a second salary cap-related sanction after a media investigation into star player Antoine Dupont’s image rights payments. The so-called Le Petit General has been an integral part of France and Toulouse teams in recent years but is now at the centre of a storm, alongside Stade [...]
‘Crown jewel’ of Olympic Games memorabilia put up for sale at auction February 10, 2026 An ultra-rare winners’ medal from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 is set to be sold at auction in Denmark next month. The silver gong – gold medals were only introduced in 1904 – is believed to be the world’s oldest Olympic medal and has an estimated value of 200,000–300,000 Danish kroner [...]
Are we seeing the death of the corporate box in sports stadiums? February 10, 2026 The future landscape of sports stadiums is undergoing a radical revolution: clubs and architects alike are growing in confidence, wanting their arenas to be 365-day businesses that go far beyond the 90 minutes of enjoyment football offers. Look at the planned chimneys on Birmingham City’s master plan and the three towers on Manchester United’s 100,000-seat [...]