By Paul Nicholson
September 1 – The just closed record transfer window means that gross spending by Premier League clubs has surpassed £10 billion since the first transfer window in January 2003. And according to industry analysts, clubs are not spending above their means – ridiculous as some of the amounts paid appear.
By Samindra Kunti
September 1 – In October India will host their first major international tournament, the U-17 World Cup. Six host cities will welcome 24 teams, including England and debutants New Caledonia. In an interview with Insideworldfootball, tournament director Javier Ceppi discusses the build-up and preparations as local organisers seek to cross the finish line in time for the opening game between the hosts and the United States of America on October 6.
September 1 – Paraguay says it wants to definitely join Argentina and Uruguay in a regional bid to host the centenary World Cup in 2030. And Chile may come on board too.
September 1 – China kept their Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying hopes alive after a 1-0 home win over Uzbekistan in Wuhan. Asian World Cup qualifying is going down to the wire with only Iran and Japan having secured places with a final round of fixtures to be played this weekend.
September 1 – Real Madrid has teamed up with GoPro to produce an eight-part behind the scenes documentary – Hala Madrid – that will broadcast on Facebook’s new Watch video platform in the US.
By Mark Baber
September 1 – Inter Milan’s long refusal to get entangled with betting companies is now at an end as the Chinese-owned club has signed online bookmaker bwin as its first official betting partner.
September 1 – One key figure will conspicuous by his absence when Spain take on Italy in the mother of all World Cup qualifiers on Saturday in Madrid.
September 1 – English Championship club Aston Villa, who have geared up for a promotion push back to the Premier League after a season in the second tier, have introduced a new dedicated travel service to get season ticket holders to Villa Park.
August 31 – Eight months after the Chapecoense air disaster that shocked the football world, the families of many of those who lost their lives say they have been abandoned both by the club and the media.
By David Owen
August 31 – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has been forced to scrap original plans for a new version of its ADAMS data management system at considerable expense.
August 31 – Former FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb, the most high-profile official snared in the FIFAGate corruption scandal, has waived his legal right to so-called “unconflicted counsel”, agreeing to continue with his current law firm, according to local media reports in his native Cayman Islands.
August 31 – Las Vegas’ new pro soccer team now has a name – Las Vegas Lights FC. The name was chosen via an online poll and emblazoned across the Fremont Street Experience LED Canopy.
August 31 – Rwanda wants to stage the under-17 World Cup in 2019 – possibly in conjunction with Morocco – and has already communicated that to FIFA according to the president of the Rwandan FA (FERWAFA), Vincent Nzamwita (pictured).
August 31 – When he was managing Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson rarely had a good word to say in public about deadly rivals Liverpool.
August 31 – Premier League fans like what they are seeing, think the league is more exciting than ever, would take their children to games and is no longer the exclusive domain of the working class English male.