The Week in Sportbiz: ATP Tour omits Alexander Zverev from new campaign, Bundesliga courts private equity, Matchroom signs Campbell Hatton December 10, 2020 The ATP Tour launched its new marketing campaign this week, and tennis fans didn’t need Hawk-Eye to notice there was someone missing. Stars of the men’s circuit Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal naturally featured prominently in the promotional material. So did some less well-known names, including world No34 Hubert Hurkacz, No37 Jannik Sinner [...]
Post-Brexit transfer rules: How they work and why legal experts believe they are good for English football December 9, 2020 Post-Brexit transfer rules will be “easier and better” for English clubs and “a good thing for football”, according to a leading immigration lawyer. From January 2021, all overseas signings will have to prove their eligibility via a points system that takes into account factors including how many games they have played. In addition, English clubs [...]
Banning betting companies from sport sponsorship will create a huge void that may never be filled December 7, 2020 A few months ago, football club Swansea City announced its university namesake as its new shirt sponsor and thereby broke ties with a betting company. They may be just the first of many football clubs to break away from gambling and, like Swansea City, they will take a financial hit from the switch. This year’s [...]
Trevor Steven: Born again Tottenham are genuine Premier League title contenders December 4, 2020 As Tottenham prepare to host Arsenal this weekend, the north London rivals could hardly be in more contrasting form. Spurs sit top of the Premier League after 10 games, 13 places above their neigbhbours, so the momentum is firmly with them. And I put that down to three main factors: Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and [...]
Premier League agrees £250m bailout package to help EFL clubs survive pandemic December 3, 2020 The Premier League has agreed a £250m bailout for struggling clubs outside the top division. The aid package for the English Football League (EFL) includes £50m in grants for teams in Leagues One and Two. A further £200m in interest-free loans will be made available to clubs in the Championship. The long-awaited deal to mitigate [...]
It’s coming home: Former City banker bids to bring England’s 1966 World Cup glory back to life December 1, 2020 A former City banker hopes to bring England’s finest footballing hour back to life by showing the 1966 World Cup final in colour for the first time. Neil Canetty-Clarke is one of the leading figures behind #FullColour66, which aims to raise £700,000 via a unique crowdfunding campaign that launches today. Investors can pledge as little [...]
Return of fans to sport will encourage brands to lift the handbrake on big campaigns November 30, 2020 When The Beatles walked off-stage at Candlestick Park, San Francisco in August 1966 it would be another two and a half years until they played live. When they walked out onto the roof of Apple Records HQ on Savile Row a small matter of 885 days later, they launched straight into a brand-new track: Get [...]
Chelsea-Spurs stalemate shows that the absence of fans has taken the devil out of derbies November 30, 2020 Viewers would have been forgiven for not realising it, but Sunday’s Premier League goalless draw between Chelsea and Tottenham was a derby. And not just any old derby; a London derby between two teams with a genuine rivalry, both historically and in terms of current competitiveness. Yet this was a game that lacked the blood [...]
Argentine prosecutors investigate death of soccer star Maradona November 29, 2020 By Jorge Otaola and Ramiro Scandolo BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentine justice officials on Sunday seized medical files from the doctor of Diego Maradona as part of their investigation into the recent death of the soccer star. Maradona died at age 60 on Wednesday after a heart attack. The search order was requested by prosecutors [...]
The making of Chris Kamara: How ex-footballer went from lads and dads’ hero to prime time national treasure November 27, 2020 As a football player and later a manager, Chris Kamara forged a successful if, by some standards, unspectacular career in an unfashionable era. England recognition never arrived, and his biggest victories came outside a top division that had not yet become the millionaires’ playground of today. More than two decades since he left the game, [...]