Chelsea accused of penalising disabled fans with ‘appalling’ coach subsidy decision August 29, 2023 Chelsea supporters have accused the club of penalising disabled and vulnerable fans by taking the “appalling decision” to remove subsidised coach travel to domestic away games. Blues chiefs said this week that it was “not financially sustainable” to maintain the subsidy, which the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust believes costs £250,000 a year – less than some [...]
Lessons for sponsors from sport’s biggest summer of protests since the suffragettes August 29, 2023 Sport sponsors need to be clear on what they stand for – not just what they stand next to – if they are to avoid blowback from protests, says marketing expert Matt Readman. This has been the most disrupted summer of sport for over a century. The pitches, courses and tracks of the UK now [...]
Luis Rubiales: Prosecutors look into ‘sexual assault’ as mother goes on hunger strike August 28, 2023 Spanish prosecutors began enquiries on Monday into whether Luis Rubiales committed sexual assault by kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso – as the football chief’s mother went on hunger strike over the storm surrounding her son. Rubiales appeared to grab Hermoso before kissing her on the lips at the medal ceremony for last week’s [...]
Premier League summer spending tops £2bn for first time – and more records set to fall August 28, 2023 Premier League spending has passed the £2bn mark for the first time in a single transfer window as England’s leading clubs have flexed their financial muscle. With several days left before the transfer deadline on Friday at 11pm, top-flight teams have already exceeded the record £1.92bn lavished last summer. And they could yet surpass £3bn [...]
Luis Rubiales kiss row: Spanish FA threatens legal action over Jenni Hermoso claim August 26, 2023 The Spanish Football Federation has announced an intention to take legal action over comments made about its president Luis Rubiales by World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso. Hermoso was quoted in a statement issued by Futpro, the players’ union representing her, as stating “in no case did I seek to raise (lift) the president” during a [...]
Explained: How Tour Championship format works and FedEx Cup prize money is shared August 26, 2023 This weekend’s finale to the PGA Tour promises to answer a host of questions, but the most pressing for casual golf fans may surround the unusual mechanics of the Tour Championship format and the way that $75m of FedEx Cup prize money is carved up. From a sporting point of view, the most intriguing storylines [...]
World Rugby streaming service to make all World Cup games available everywhere August 25, 2023 World Rugby has announced the launch of RugbyPass TV, a new streaming platform that will ensure live coverage of every game at the Rugby World Cup is available everywhere. British-based rugby fans will be able to follow the tournament in full on ITV’s channels, but in territories without blanket broadcast coverage the games will be [...]
Nike to sell Mary Earps England goalkeeper shirt after caving in to fan demands August 24, 2023 A limited number of replica Mary Earps goalkeeping shirts are finally being made available to buy by England kit manufacturer Nike. Earps had said prior to the World Cup it was “hugely disappointing and very hurtful” that the replica kits were not available to purchase. Calls for Nike to put things right have grown louder [...]
Fifa opens disciplinary case against Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales over kiss August 24, 2023 Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales’ refusal to quit over his kiss on Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso is set to be tested after Fifa opened proceedings against him. It comes on the eve of an emergency meeting of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), at which action is expected to be taken over the conduct [...]
Qatar tightens grip on elite padel with takeover of rival Spanish-owned circuit August 24, 2023 Qatar Sports Investments, the owner of French football champions Paris Saint-Germain, has confirmed its takeover of the World Padel Tour. The move concludes around 18 months of wrangling over control of the fast-growing sport at elite level, following the launch of QSI’s rival Premier Padel circuit. It will see Premier Padel become the main tour [...]