National Football Museum records summer spike in visitors
October 13 – The Manchester-based National Football Museum welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors this summer, as numbers shot up 35% from 2022, eclipsing pre-Covid figures.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Fitzdares extend Mayfair Club theme to Fulham’s Craven Cottage
October 13 – Premier League Fulham have extended their partnership with London bookmaker Fitzdares until the end of the current season on the back of a “highly successful” debut year for the partnership last season.
African Football League start-up at last lands a sponsor in Visit Saudi
October 12 – Visit Saudi has signed up as the main sponsor for the inaugural CAF/FIFA African Football League (AFL) initiative that has struggled to find support within Africa and commercially.
‘Disenfranchised’ Parish says UEFA compromised by big clubs and game needs a regulator
By Samindra Kunti in Brussels
October 12 – Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has called for a proper regulator and organiser in European football to address the structural issues in the game, including the widening financial inequality among clubs.
Saudi 2034 support gathers momentum with 90+ FAs ‘buying’ into the programme
October 12 – Reports from Saudi Arabia are that about 90 countries have so far backed the kindgom’s candidacy to host the 2034 World Cup.
English referees boss Webb says VAR protocol reform is getting over the line
October 12 – English referees’ chief Howard Webb says steps have been taken to avoid a repeat of the controversy surrounding Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal for Liverpool against Tottenham that prompted nationwide debate about whether VAR should be scrapped altogether.
Wembley to focus on peace messaging rather than lighting the arch with Israeli flag
October 12 – The English Football Association is unlikely to mark the recent atrocities in Israel by lighting the Wembley arch in the colours of the Israeli flag when England take on Australia in a friendly on Friday.
Cypriot FA agrees national team deal with Greek online bookie Stoiximan
October 12 – Greek online gaming operator Stoiximan has become a sponsor of the Cyprus national football team in a four-year deal signed with the Cyprus FA.
UEFA postpones Israel’s Kosovo 2024 qualifier as travel ban keeps players on home soil
October 12 – UEFA has confirmed that the Euro 2024 qualifier between Kosovo and Israel has been postponed because of travel restrictions for Israeli national teams.
Ranking puts Burnley top of the Premier League youth charts, Toulouse head Big 5 leagues
October 12 – Burnley are fielding the youngest average aged team in the Premier League while Fulham are fielding the oldest. In Europe’s Big 5 leagues Toulouse top the age ranking.
AFC keeps up fan engagement momentum with hunt for Asian Cup Superfan
October 12 – The AFC has launched another fan engagement initiative with the Asian Cup Qatar 2023 now less than three months away.
Concacaf debuts on WhatsApp Channels platform with 1.6m users in first month
October 12 – Concacaf has upped its digital engagement game by becoming an early adopter of the new WhatsApp Channels service recently launched by Meta, announcing itself as one of the first major sports organisations to communicate directly to fans on WhatsApp.
Rooney completes return to England, landing at Birmingham City
October 12 – Former England captain and Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney has completed his managerial move to English Championship side Birmingham City on a three and-a-half-year contract.
Saudi path to 2034 could face obstacle of Indonesia-Aussie-Malaysia-Singapore joint bid
October 11 – Saudi Arabia, looking to be a shoo-in to stage the 2034 World Cup now looks to have a potential rival in the bidding process.
UEC attacks ECA ‘plutocracy’ saying UEFA will have to recognise their voice
By Samindra Kunti in Brussels
October 11 – Attacking the European Club Association (ECA) once again, the Union of European Clubs (UEC) reiterated that with a critical mass of members, it will become a key stakeholder in the European game and represent the interests of the continent’s small and medium-sized clubs.