Paqueta phone celebration raises eyebrows at FA as judgement looms
The Football Association is expected to publish the independent commission’s full judgement in the acquittal of Lucas Paqueta on spot-fixing charges imminently, days after spotting a possible double meaning in his goal celebration during West Ham’s win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
After converting a penalty, the Brazilian mimed receiving a phone call and then throwing away the imaginary device before kissing the West Ham badge on his shirt, which fans took as confirmation that he would be staying at the club amid interest from Aston Villa.
The added significance of Paqueta throwing away a phone was not lost on certain members of the FA’s disciplinary department, however, as the 27-year-old’s inability to provide them with an old handset led to them charging him with two counts of failing to cooperate with their investigation into allegations that he had broken betting rules.
While Paqueta was cleared of four counts of spot-fixing in July, the non-cooperation charges were upheld, and the player is waiting to discover his punishment.
The independent commission’s written judgement is understood to run to hundreds of pages and will provide a fascinating insight into their reasons for clearing him.
ECB set to make job cuts
The England and Wales Cricket Board is preparing to make more staffing cuts despite enjoying a bumper summer that has delivered record attendances and TV viewing figures, as well as a £520m dividend for the sport through the part-sale of The Hundred franchises.
The success of The Hundred is largely to blame for the retrenchment, as from 1 October the eight teams will be responsible for their own commercial and marketing operations, functions that were previously undertaken centrally by the ECB.
As a result the ECB’s marketing team is likely to feel the brunt of the efficiency savings, 12 months after 15 roles were made redundant by the governing body last October.
Investors circle Wrexham
Wrexham are continuing to draw interest from potential investors from the US who have been attracted by the compelling story of their rapid rise from the National League to the Championship in the space of three years.
The Welsh club sold a minority stake last October to the New York-based Allyn family, billionaire owners of medical device company Welch Allyn, and further share sales could be in the pipeline.
Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are intent on retaining operational control as majority owners, but have made clear they are open to accepting further investment from the right partners.
WSL mulls cost cap dilemma
Women’s Super League organisers are facing a dilemma over how robustly to enforce the stricter financial controls they plan to introduce this season.
As reported by Morning Wire last month, the WSL has set up a Financial Regulations Working Party with a brief to explore ways of reducing the huge gap in spending power between the clubs.
While a move away from the current soft salary cap, which limits spending on transfers and wages to 40 per cent of each parent club’s revenue, is likely it is unclear whether the sanctions for a breach with be fines, player registration embargoes or the ultimate punishment of points deductions used by the Premier League and EFL.
At the heart of the issue is the WSL’s difficulty in attempting to create a more competitive league without deterring owner investment.
Falcons sale got 150 bites
Newcastle Falcons attracted inquiries from more than 150 interested parties before entering exclusive negotiations with Red Bull, which completed its takeover of the Prem Rugby club in July.
Around a dozen of those groups have been described to Morning Wire as credible buyers, leading to hopes elsewhere in the top flight that English rugby is now seen as an attractive investment following a torrid few years in which Wasps, London Irish and Worcester Warriors all went out of business and Newcastle came close to following.
Aussie reject doubles move
The Australian Open will not follow the US Open’s experiment in staging the mixed doubles the week before the other championships in New York despite the tournament’s reputation for embracing innovation.
The Melbourne Grand Slam became the first to expand to 15 days with a Sunday start last year, a move which was quickly followed by the French and US Opens this year, but organisers have no plans to make another change.
Expansion remains on the agenda Down Under however, as the schedulers continue to face complaints from players over late-night finishes, and many observers are convinced they will eventually move to a Saturday start, so the championships take place over three weekends.
Wimbledon remains wedded to its traditional 14-day Championships with a Monday start despite the changes elsewhere.