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This article argues that West Ham could overtake Spurs on and off the pitch. There is no doubt that the move to the Olympic Stadium represents a big opportunity for West Ham. For example, fast train connections from Stratford International will present new marketing opportunities in Kent, taking it beyond its traditional base in East London and Essex.
Sao Paolo’s Corinthians have seen a surplus of €330,000 in the preceding year turn into a deficit of €29.9m in the 2014 financial year. The main factors appear to have been stadium construction costs and a big tax bill.
The transfer window appears to have been relatively quiet, particularly at the lower end of the table. Of course, the January window is always quieter than the one in July because it is thought to be more difficult to obtain value. The high spending in the summer may have led to more restrained spending now.
AC Milan are considering proposals to leave the San Siro for a 48,000-capacity stadium. They share the stadium with Inter Milan. The San Siro once had a capacity of 85,000, but AC Milan averaged 40,061 last season while Inter had 46,246.
They have teamed up with the designers of Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena and Beijing’s Bird Nest stadium. It is hoped to open the new stadium in time for the 2018-19 season.
Ebbsfleet United’s stadium at Stonebridge Road is over 100 years ols and the club is planning a major revamp. Each stand would be replaced over the next few years at a cost of £3m. Work on the first phase, replacing the stand along Stonebridge Road, would start at the end of the current season if planning permission can be secured. Capacity would increase from 4,000 to 6,000.
Wonga is to end its shirt sponsorship at Blackpool after five years. The Championship strugglers may not find it easy to attract a new sponsor.
The payday lending sector has been hit hard by a tightening of regulations, although, as a market leader Wonga is expected to survive while other firms cease trading. Its sponsorship of Newcastle United will continue, although its name is being removed from children’s kits.
Alan Shearer will be able to go on admiring big centre forwards until mid-2019 after Match of the Day won the Premier League highlights package. The BBC made a bid of £204m over three years, 13.5 per cent more than its current deal.
The BBC”s main competitor, ITV, did not bid. There had been speculation that ITV would use its financial strength to match the BBC. Its cash flow has been strong in recent months while the BBC has been making programming cuts.
Thai tycoon Dejphon Chansiri has purchased Sheffield Wednesday. His family controls Thai Union Frozen Products, the world’s largest producer of canned tuna and one of the biggest worldwide general seafood producers. It owns the John West brand in the UK.
The value of the deal was reported to be about £30m. The club lost £3.7m in the 2012-13 season, which is quite a low figure compared with some Championship clubs, on turnover of £15m, It had £11m in debt.
The Bernebau, the iconic home of Real Madrid, may have a change of name. The Santiago Bernebau may in future be known as the Abu Dhabi Bernebau. This follows a sponsorship deal with oil company IPIC which owns a Spanish company and is itself owned by the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
English clubs are dominating the world transfer market to such an extent that they are now involved in nearly as many deals as Brazil, the world’s biggest production line for players.
According to a Fifa report, of the 13,090 transfers in 2014, England was responsible for 9.6 per cent of transfers compared with just over 10 per cent for Brazil. The number of transfers involving English clubs increased by 193 over the previous year, while Brazil’s total declined by 101.