Premier League gives green light to semi-automated offsides February 13, 2025 The Premier League has moved a step closer to implementing semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) after announcing it will be trialled in the FA Cup fifth round next month. The introduction of SAOT in the English top-flight was scheduled for last autumn but has been repeatedly held up due to league chiefs’ concerns over its reliability [...]
Everton sponsor Stake to leave UK after gambling probe into porn ad February 12, 2025 Club officials of Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City could run the risk of imprisonment or fines after Stake became the latest gambling firm to lose its UK licence after a probe into a porn ad on social media. The Gambling Commission will write to Everton – sponsored by Stake – as well as Nottingham [...]
Premier League clubs may vote on new financial rules despite PFA threat February 12, 2025 Premier League clubs will have the option to vote through new financial rules on Thursday despite the threat of legal action from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) if they do so. The 20 top-flight teams will gather for a meeting in central London to discuss, and potentially vote on, a new system to replace the [...]
Ratcliffe and Ineos bite back after being sued by New Zealand Rugby February 11, 2025 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos has blamed the “deindustrialisation of Europe” after the Manchester United co-owner was sued by New Zealand Rugby over its latest cost-cutting measure. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) went public with the dispute on Monday, claiming that Ineos had breached its sponsorship agreement by failing to pay an instalment of the £27m, six-year [...]
Footballers to be given way to sell their data by player union Fifpro February 11, 2025 Footballers are being given a new way to manage, protect and, if they wish, monetise all of their data via a single platform provided by global union Fifpro. The project is designed to bring together personal information, tracking data, medical records and statistics currently siloed in different organisations and give players access to it all. [...]
CMA and ASA probe Chelsea-linked Vivid Seats over ticket touting February 7, 2025 Consumer group FanFair Alliance has reported Vivid Seats, a company part-owned by Chelsea chair Todd Boehly, to watchdogs for alleged illegal ticket touting. Chelsea fans have described the involvement of Boehly, the highest-profile member of the club’s US ownership group, as a “breach of trust” after it emerged this week. Vivid Seats offers tickets to [...]
Nandy rejects football regulator pay fears: ‘£130k is more than reasonable’ February 7, 2025 Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has dismissed concerns that the incoming football regulator’s effectiveness will be inhibited by more modest public sector pay. Recruitment for the regulator’s first chair is under way but fears have been raised that the calibre of candidate could be restricted by the salary of £130,000 for the part-time role. While still [...]
EFL board set to discuss National League promotion demand February 5, 2025 The EFL board will meet on Thursday amid renewed pressure from the entire National League to increase the number of promotion places from two to three. All 72 National League clubs, which represent the fifth and sixth tiers of English football, wrote to the EFL this week demanding the increase with immediate effect. The issue [...]
Making it Raine: US bank to earn £10m from Hundred franchise sales February 5, 2025 The Raine Group is on course to bank around £10m in commission from its role in the sale of the eight Hundred franchises. Morning Wire has learned that the New-York based bank will earn fees worth two per cent of the price paid for 49 per cent stakes in the franchises sold by the England [...]
Man City splurge drives third biggest Premier League January spend February 4, 2025 Manchester City’s record £180m outlay saw Premier League clubs rack up their third biggest January transfer window spend ever. English top-flight clubs spent a total of £370m during the winter transfer window, which closed on Monday night after a flurry of late activity. The biggest deal saw struggling champions Manchester City make Spanish midfielder Nico [...]