Ed Warner: Does society have a responsibility to retiring athletes? August 25, 2022 We may be just days away from seeing the last of Serena Williams in competitive tennis. The US Open, which starts next week, is marked out as the retirement party for the greatest tennis star of the modern era. At 40 years old, she’s late to step away from elite sport and does so with [...]
England’s outgoing Commonwealth chief still sees future for Games August 24, 2022 Team England’s outgoing chief executive insists there is a future for the Commonwealth Games despite debate surrounding where a multi-sport tournament rooted in Britain’s former Empire sits in the 21st century. Paul Blanchard is preparing to leave his position at the head of the team who hosted this year’s competition in Birmingham games after seven [...]
Decoding football’s transfer market: How can clubs reach objective player valuations? August 23, 2022 As football’s transfer window enters its final few days, one question certain to be at the centre of discussion is: how do you arrive at a fair and accurate valuation for a player? Is Everton’s young attacker Anthony Gordon, for example, worth the £60m that Chelsea are said to be willing to spend on him? [...]
Manchester United takeover could cost $8bn (£6.7bn) but minority sale more likely August 18, 2022 Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, are more likely to sanction the sale of a minority stake but such a deal could pave the way for a full buyout costing as much as $8bn (£6.7m). That is the view of sports business experts following a surge in speculation that the Glazers could be persuaded to [...]
Ed Warner: Value of hosting sport found in hearts and minds as well as spreadsheets August 18, 2022 Just what does constitute a sport? Breaking – otherwise known as breakdancing – will debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics. So how about singing with a dose of choreographed body-poppery? The unlikely combination of Vladimir Putin and Sam Ryder is bringing Eurovision to the United Kingdom in 2023. Seven cities – cut from 20 – are [...]
Pandemic widened gap between Premier League and European rivals, says Deloitte August 18, 2022 The pandemic saw the Premier League increase its financial advantage over its rivals in European football, according to a report published today by Deloitte. Despite the almost total absence of ticket revenue as supporters remained locked out of stadiums, Premier League clubs grew revenue during the 2020-21 season and, unlike their competitors, reported improved operating [...]
Ryan Howsam: Why Staysure boss bought Legends Tour and how it can be profitable August 17, 2022 Sports sponsorship usually follows a playbook – Brand X pays to be associated with Team Y or Competition Z – but Ryan Howsam, founder of insurer Staysure, has ripped it up with golf’s Legends Tour. Howsam, a keen golfer in his youth who played off a scratch handicap, got involved with the circuit formerly known [...]
A green and gold decade: Australia prepares for spell as host of sport’s biggest events August 15, 2022 The sun-kissed nation of Australia is about to embark on a decade-long installation as the centre for world sport. Although it was beaten by Qatar to the rights to stage the men’s football World Cup later this year, the country is set to co-host the women’s equivalent as well as Rugby World Cups, a second [...]
Players as part owners: Is Cesc Fabregas’ deal with Como the future of football? August 14, 2022 As athletes transition to life after professional sport it is natural for them to consider what comes next, and such considerations were highlighted recently by Cesc Fabregas’ recent signing with FC Como. In addition to his wages, the Italian club has said that Fabregas will also become a co-owner. So could this be a trend [...]
Trevor Steven: Manchester United must use transfer window to fix serious problems August 11, 2022 The Premier League season may have started but the transfer window remains open until the end of the month – and Manchester United have already shown that they have the greatest need of the top teams to make use of the market. Sunday’s home defeat to Brighton in their opening game served up the familiar [...]