Manchester United sale: Will bidders call the Glazers’ bluff? April 25, 2023 Five months after Manchester United’s owners, the Glazers, fired the starting pistol on a potential sale, bidding is finally expected to draw to a close on Friday. The Glazers’ bankers, the Raine Group, surprised some earlier this month by extending the process to a third round of offers for the 20-time English champions. It has [...]
Wrexham’s promotion: ‘Feelgood fairy tale’ or ‘brand-building exercise that sticks in the craw’? Our writers debate April 25, 2023 Wrexham clinched the National League title at the weekend, securing their promotion to the English Football League two years after being bought by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. But is the story, which has been played out in a reality TV series as well as on the pitches of England and Wales, an [...]
Why 2023 is the year of the litmus test for women’s rugby, cricket and football April 24, 2023 On Saturday afternoon more than 50,000 fans will descend on Twickenham Stadium to not only watch England’s final match of the Women’s Six Nations against France but also be part of history. Because the fixture is set to smash all previous records for attendances at a women’s rugby match and set a new standard in [...]
Exclusive: 777 Partners confirm they’re looking at ‘interesting assets’ amid Everton takeover rumours April 24, 2023 777 Partners has confirmed it is “looking for interesting assets” amid reports that the US investment group is close to takeover of struggling Premier League club Everton. Owner of the British Basketball League and its leading club London Lions, as well as European football clubs Hertha Berlin and Genoa, 777 has been on a buying [...]
Wrexham targeting successive promotions after sealing return to Football League April 24, 2023 Wrexham are targeting another promotion next summer after the Hollywood-owned Welsh club clinched their return to the English Football League on Saturday. The decisive 3-1 win over Boreham Wood came two years after actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took charge at the Racecourse Ground, and executive director Humphrey Ker insists they are just getting [...]
London Marathon: 45 Guinness World Records smashed including for runners dressed as a boxer and 3D dinosaur April 24, 2023 Tens of thousands of people braved the pouring rain to complete what is likely to have been the largest London Marathon in history and which also saw a new top time in the men’s elite race. Some 49,675 runners registered for this year’s race, up from the previous record of 43,199 in 2019 – and around 48,000 [...]
Three charts that show the chasm between Manchester United and Brighton’s spending April 22, 2023 Manchester United’s vast financial advantage over Brighton is illustrated by analysis of both clubs’ spending over the last decade as they prepare to meet in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final. When Manchester United last met Brighton and Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium in the 1983 FA Cup final replay, it was already a financial mismatch. Although [...]
Wimbledon’s 38-court expansion delayed AGAIN ahead of Championships April 21, 2023 Wimbledon’s 38-court expansion plan has been delayed yet again after the latest planning meeting was postponed. The proposed expansion would see the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) – which at present is around 40 acres – nearly triple in size to over 110 acres using land from the nearby Wimbledon Park Golf Club. It [...]
Ed Warner: Demise of UK Athletics is a scandalous situation April 20, 2023 I’ve largely kept my counsel on the shambles at UK Athletics since I left in 2017 but reports that the governing body is at risk of collapse have flipped my switch. Five years encompassing five chairs and six CEOs (some permanent, others interim), unnecessary politicking, pursuit of vanity projects, timidity and simple sloppiness have laid [...]
LIV Golf chief hints at peace talks with PGA Tour ‘sooner rather than later’ April 19, 2023 LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman has opened the door to peace talks with the PGA Tour on the eve of the upstart circuit’s event in Adelaide this week. More than a year of fighting over access to the game’s top male players appeared to have left relations between the two tours in irreparable condition. [...]