Why the rise in footballers’ image rights values mean clubs and players are locked in contract negotiations for longer January 12, 2017 When David Beckham was asked in 2002 why his contract negotiations with Manchester United, which eventually took a year to complete, were taking so long, he was frank in his response. “It’s not the salary that’s a problem,” he admitted. “It’s just the image rights that needed a little perking.” Go onto any football social [...]
West Ham United 3, Manchester United 2: Fireworks as Hammers send Boleyn Ground off with a bang May 11, 2016 Emotional West Ham boss Slaven Bilic hailed a fitting farewell to 112 years of football at the Boleyn Ground as his side produced a dramatic fightback to boost their Europa Leagues and dent the top-four aspirations of Manchester United. A goal from defender Winston Reid inside the final 10 minutes settled an enthralling contest after [...]
European Super League discussed in secret meeting between Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City chiefs March 2, 2016 A cabal of executives from the five biggest Premier League clubs have convened in London to discuss breaking away from the Champions League, according to reports. Representatives from Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool were photographed by The Sun at the Dorchester Hotel in London, where they are believed to have talked about [...]
Edinburgh ranked one of the world’s top cities for investment in new survey June 26, 2017 Investment activity in commercial real estate in Edinburgh, relative to the city’s current economic size, has seen Scotland's capital ranked as one of the world’s top cities for investment in the latest JLL Investment Intensity Index 2017. The index, which compares the volume of direct real estate investment in 150 cities, over a three-year period, [...]
Betting: Jose Mourinho to add to trophy cabinet with EFL Cup win February 23, 2017 The first trophy of the season is up for grabs on Sunday, and for one manager, it will be the first piece of silverware at their new club, as Manchester United take on Southampton in the EFL Cup final. United boss Jose Mourinho loves this competition – he won it in his first season at [...]
Brighton’s brilliant beancounter: 20 years on, how a lifelong fan saved the Seagulls from extinction August 30, 2017 At 9pm on Christmas Eve 1996, Paul Samrah, a well-to-do partner at mid-tier accountancy firm Kingston Smith, sorted through the last of his mail in preparation for the festive break. “It was the last envelope I opened,” Samrah recalls to City A.M.. To his horror, he had been slapped with a two-year ban from Brighton [...]
The fall-out of Manchester United and Jose Mourinho image rights negotiations could be worth millions as Chelsea own former manager’s trademark May 26, 2016 One of the stumbling blocks that has appeared to be holding up Jose Mourinho's expected appointment by Manchester United has been a conflict over the ownership of the former Chelsea manager’s so-called image rights. This comes as no surprise when you consider the potential costs to United should they have no control over the Special One's lucrative image rights. In particular, [...]
Mamadou Sakho: Liverpool suspend defender over possible doping violation following Manchester United victory April 23, 2016 Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho will not feature against Newcastle this weekend after the club suspended him over a possible doping violation. The centre-back has been charged by Uefa for failing a drugs test after testing positive for a fat burner supplement, according to reports in France. Sakho has until Tuesday to respond to the charge [...]
England rugby head coach Eddie Jones takes another corporate job with investment bank Nomura March 21, 2017 With the Six Nations wrapped up and no England rugby fixture for three months, Eddie Jones has taken on a new job. The England head coach, who suffered his first defeat after 18 matches in charge against Ireland on Saturday, has secured a second role in the financial sector after agreeing a “three-year partnership” with [...]
Premier League Betting: Tottenham Hotspur will have to wait before ending St Totteringham’s Day curse against Arsenal April 28, 2017 The final day of last season still sends shivers down the spines of Tottenham fans. Needing just a point to finish above Arsenal for the first time in 21 years, Spurs were beaten 5-1 by already relegated Newcastle – allowing Gunners fans to celebrate ‘St Totteringham’s Day’ for yet another year. Since 1995, Spurs have [...]