Aston Villa’s ‘significant’ Covid-19 outbreak puts Liverpool FA CUp third round tie in doubt January 7, 2021 Aston Villa have reported a major Covid-19 outbreak at the club which threatens the viability of tomorrow’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool. Villa said a “large number” of players and staff tested positive earlier this week. More positive test were reported in a second round today. The club has closed its training ground, meaning it [...]
Liverpool v Real Madrid: History may be on Jurgen Klopp’s side, but more recent form does not bode well for another famous Anfield comeback April 14, 2021 It’s Liverpool v Real Madrid in the Champions League this evening, so get ready for lots of talk about famous European nights at Anfield. Not for the first time, the Reds need something approaching a miracle to overturn a first-leg defeat and progress to the next round. On this occasion, Liverpool must win by at [...]
The uncomfortable question for Tottenham and their manager: What is Jose Mourinho for? April 12, 2021 “He’s a specialist in failure,” Jose Mourinho said of Arsene Wenger in February 2014. In seven years since, Mourinho has won fewer trophies than Wenger – if, as the Tottenham Hotspur manager likes to, you count the Community Shield – and his old adversary left the dugout three seasons ago. For a coach who has [...]
Trevor Steven: Manchester City’s make-or-break week in their quadruple bid starts against Tottenham April 16, 2019 Last week I was lucky enough to visit Manchester City’s training facilities and witness how they are building not only success on the pitch but also a global brand. It was mind-blowing; they are so ahead of the game, I have never seen anything like it. Winning the quadruple would be the ultimate endorsement of [...]
HR tech startup Orka raises £29m to scale earned wage access product February 22, 2021 HR startup Orka Technology Group has raised £29m in fresh funding to support its earned wage product and drive its UK expansion. The Manchester-based startup is designed specifically for hourly workers with its labour-as-a-service platform allowing people to find temporary employment. Last year the startup announced Orka Pay, which allows hourly paid workers to withdraw [...]
One more miracle? Manchester City and Liverpool’s Premier League title race approaches its last hurdle May 9, 2019 Before the dramatic events of this week unfolded, most observers, whether impartial or otherwise, would have agreed that the Premier League title race was likely a foregone conclusion. But we now live in a post-Vincent Kompany 30-yard screamer, post-Champions League semi-final comeback mayhem world which has made a mockery of such assumptions. Anything is possible [...]
Fifpro boss Jonas Baer-Hoffmann on player power, biennial World Cups, Super League and Qatar February 15, 2022 There is a common thread that connects the two biggest football stories of the last 12 months, the failed European Super League breakaway and debate over biennial World Cups. It can also be seen in concerns about player welfare, disagreements over economic models and what global players’ union Fifpro says is a tidal wave of [...]
UK public borrowing unexpectedly picks up to hit record £209bn this year October 21, 2020 UK government borrowing rose unexpectedly in September, pushing the budget deficit to a new record high of just under £210bn and the total debt pile to its biggest level as a proportion of GDP since 1960. The government borrowed £36.1bn last month, according to the Office for National Statistics’s (ONS) best estimate. That comfortably beat [...]
Lockdown extended in north-west regions of England August 14, 2020 The government extended lockdown restrictions on regions of north-west England today, saying there was no evidence that the coronavirus infection rates in the areas had fallen. “The latest evidence does not show a decrease in the number of cases per 100,000 people in the area, and the health secretary, in collaboration with local leaders, has [...]
PZ Cussons washes pre-pandemic struggles away as soap sales boost profits January 26, 2021 A surge in hand washing products helped PZ Cussons shine as pandemic-led demands boosted its first-half profits. The consumer group’s focus brands grew revenue by 21.9 per cent as overall growth reached 14.6 per cent across the world. Carex led the way with £313m of sales, a 10 per cent increase on the previous year, [...]