Football’s data wars takes another turn, but can players really protect their information? July 11, 2023 A former Leyton Orient, Scarborough and Yeovil Town manager may seem an unlikely figure to be at the forefront of football’s data wars, but a landmark announcement in the Netherlands this week can be traced back to Russell Slade. Fifpro, the international union for professional footballers, on Tuesday announced the creation of a new database [...]
Arsenal fans pay £12,500 for debentures to skip 5-10 year season ticket waiting list July 11, 2023 Arsenal fans desperate for a season ticket at the resurgent club are shelling out more than £12,000 for debentures that allow them to bypass the waiting list for a seat. The Gunners’ return to Premier League title challenging form last season has seen demand swell for season tickets, even though prices range from £974 to [...]
Meerkats at the cricket? Compare the Market becomes new sponsor of The Hundred July 11, 2023 Compare the Market is to become the new main sponsor of The Hundred, English cricket chiefs have announced. Morning Wire revealed two weeks ago that the England and Wales Cricket Board was finalising terms on a multi-year deal with a principal partner making its first entry into the sport. That partner has now been confirmed [...]
England Cricket refuses to cash in on Bazball brand (and Australians could benefit) July 10, 2023 Rarely can a sports team have become as synonymous with a slogan or philosophy as the England men’s Test cricket side and Bazball. It has proliferated every discussion of their successes and failures during the current Ashes series and since head coach Brendon McCullum, from whom the term derives, brought his buccaneering style to the [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Sally Bolton interview: Wimbledon CEO on taking the Championships to the US July 2, 2023 Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton on growing the Championships’ presence in the US, how it chooses its partners and its unique business. In SW19, there is no mistaking when the Wimbledon Championships are in full swing. Thousands of tennis fans descend on the All England Club; the air is thick with the scent of grass, Pimm’s [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]