Chelsea fans’ group hail supporter power after Stake.com sponsorship deal axed July 6, 2023 The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has welcomed suggestions that the Premier League football club has shelved a possible sponsorship deal with crypto betting platform Stake.com. Chelsea had been in talks to make Stake.com their new front-of-shirt sponsor for next season, replacing mobile network Three, which chose not to renew its £40m-a-year contract. The news provoked a [...]
Ian Poulter calls for heads to roll at PGA Tour and DP World Tour after U-turn on LIV July 5, 2023 Ian Poulter has called for heads to roll at the top of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour if there is to be a way back for him and other players who joined LIV Golf. The chances of a reconciliation – and possible Ryder Cup return – appeared to increase with last month’s proposed [...]
Enhanced Games president likens doping to ‘being gay 50 years ago’ July 3, 2023 Ever thought about watching a 100m race where you knew everyone was using substances to artificially enhance themselves, rather than finding out a couple of years later when a ban is issued? Well the Enhanced Games may be for you. The idea pits competitive sport alongside the world of performance enhancing drugs in an Olympics-style [...]
MPs call for football regulator to be established by end of the year June 30, 2023 A football regulator should be established in shadow form by the end of the year and given statutory powers before the next general election in order to prevent more clubs going out of business, MPs have said. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee also urged the Premier League and English Football League to thrash out [...]
Ed Warner: When risk in sport is a smart choice June 29, 2023 This week columnist Ed Warner looks at risk in sport and how sometimes, such as in Bazball in cricket, it can be the smartest choice. A team of sub-10 second sprinters can be beaten to 4x100m relay gold by a quartet who have never broken that magic barrier. The trick is risk management in the [...]
Bayern Munich end £17m-a-year Qatari sponsor deal following fan protests June 28, 2023 Bayern Munich have ended a long-standing sponsorship relationship with Qatar following sustained protests from some supporters. Germany’s most successful football club have sported Qatar Airways’ logo on their shirt sleeves since 2018 in a deal reported to be worth around €20m (£17m) a year. That replaced a similar sponsorship agreement with Doha Airport, while the [...]
Women’s tennis gets financial boost as WTA Tour pledges more equal prize money events June 27, 2023 The WTA Tour has announced plans for a major increase in the number of tennis tournaments that will pay equal prize money to women and men. From 2027, at least seven WTA 1000 events, the most important tournaments outside of the Grand Slams, will offer equal prize money, the tour said. By 2030, all 10 [...]
Manchester United forecast record revenues as fans protest Glazers’ stalling on a sale June 27, 2023 Manchester United chiefs expect to achieve record revenues of up to £640m this year after raising their guidance for investors. United’s revenue for the three months to March 2023 increased 3.5 per cent on the same period last year to £481.1m. It comes after the 20-time English champions enjoyed a return to form on the [...]
Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha team up to buy hometown football club Croydon Athletic June 27, 2023 Rapper Stormzy and Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha have agreed to buy their hometown football club, AFC Croydon Athletic. Stormzy and Zaha are part of a three-man consortium, which also includes former Palace kit man Danny Young, that has exchanged contracts for a takeover with the current ownership. No financial details have been disclosed and [...]
Explained: What changes to transfer and loan rules mean for Premier League clubs June 26, 2023 Big clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City are unlikely to return to hoarding top talent and farming them out on loan despite the relaxation of post-Brexit transfer red tape. Chelsea turned recruiting promising players, loaning them out and ultimately selling for a profit into a fine art in the later years of Roman Abramovich’s [...]