"If you want some accessible but informative insight into football then I suggest you couldn't do better than the Political Economy of Football website, which is not only intelligible but comes with the added bonus of being written by Addicks fan Wyn Grant." Ben Hayes - Charlton Athletic programme
Whilst no statement to this effect has been issued, reports are circulating in Coventry that the stadium management company at the Ricoh are contemplating shutting Coventry City FC out of the ground for their first home game of the season against Sheffield United tomorrow night.
Ian Lenagan has owned Oxford United since 2008 but he has now taken over as chairman from Kelvin Thomas. Also the owner of rugby league side Wigan Warriors, he made his fortune through setting up his own software company Workplace Systems International.
He wants to see promotion this year with the club in the Championship within five years. He admits that aspiring to the Premiership would be a step too far.
Ever since the Olympics Britain has been engaging in its national sport of football bashing. Endless comparisons have been drawn between the purity of the Olympians and the arrogance, greed and poor professional conduct of footballers.
Now a defence of the game has come from an unlikely quarter in the shape of a Financial Times editorial, although the comparison the Pink ‘Un draws with banking may not be welcome in the game.
It has been revealed that it was the chairman of rival Blue Square South club Salisbury City who came to the aid of Truro City and enabled them to pay outstanding player wages.
In a statement Salisbury chairman William Harrison-Allen made it clear that his company CGA Holdings was not investing in Truro City which would probably be in breach of football rules. Rather it was a property deal that will help Truro chairman Kevin Heaney keep the beleaguered club going.
I once knew a couple who hoped that Charlton would not return from their Selhurst Park exile to The Valley as they thought it would depress their house price and make it more difficult to sell, quite apart from the hassle caused by the hordes of rampaging Addicks on match days (they had moved there after the club left),
They were reflecting a commonly held perception that being near a football ground adversely affects house prices and sales. But now some research by Halifax suggests an opposite conclusion.
Transfer spending by Premier League clubs has grossed £275m over the summer to date, £25m down on the same point last year. Of course, much depends on what happens on what is often a frenetic last day of the transfer window.
This reflects the pressure of the impending introduction of Uefa’s financial fair play rules, rather than any loss of revenue by the competition. Deloitte are projecting revenues to grow by 1 or 2 per cent to over £2.3bn this year. At some point the £3bn threshold will be crossed, probably during the course of the next new television deal.
West Yorkshire Police have lost a court case over who should pay for policing around the Leeds United ground at Elland Road. They are expected to have to repay £1m to the club. However, the case has ramifications well beyond Leeds as it calls into question guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) to the individual forces about who should pay for what at games.
This article warns that branded football credit linked to a particular club may not be all that they are cracked up to be. The amount that they give to the club is generally miniscule and the fan can probably getter a better deal for themselves elsewhere.
There are some exceptions in terms of cards that offer interest free deals on season tickets or other discounts or preferential offers.
The Premier League’s television rights are its most valuable asset and it will take any steps it can to defend them. However, it may have gone too far in using an agent who was not a regulated solicitor in dozens of cases.
Such individuals should not carry out certain functions and a court has ruled that in receiving payment from the Premier League to represent them in a private prosecution Media Protection Services was acting as a solicitor when it was not recognised as such.
Following the £24m deal to sign Robin Van Persie from Arsenal, Manchester United’s shares fell to their lowest level since listing in New York a week ago. Shares traded below their $14 offer price yesterday, falling 2 per cent to $13.77 by the close in New York.