3 out of 5 Premier League players go bankrupt
By Mark Baber
March 5 – Xpro, the charity for ex-professional players, has revealed the shocking fact that three out of five Premier League players go bankrupt within five years of retirement.
Premier League
West Ham say Olympic Stadium deal is near
By Andrew Warshaw
March 5 – After months of inconclusive meetings and several delays, English Premier League club West Ham could now be days away from finally securing agreement to move into the London 2012 Olympic stadium – and avoid it becoming a classic post-Games white elephant.
Not all is rosy in the English Premiership money garden
By Paul Nicholson
March 5 – Manchester United may sit on top of the money league as the world’s most value sports club, but their colleagues in the Premier League are finding it much tougher to compete at their level, both on the pitch and off it.
ESPN licks its wounds and exits UK with BT Vision sale
By Paul Nicholson
February 26 – US broadcaster ESPN’s long awaited arrival into the UK television market was launched on the back of Premier League football rights. Its exit from the market, confirmed yesterday, comes following the loss of those same Premier League rights – such is the make-or-break power of the English league in the pay TV market.
Gill to stand down at United and switch his focus to foreign fields
By Paul Nicholson
February 20 – David Gill, chief executive of Manchester United, is to stand down from the position he has held since 2003 but will remain on the board as a director of the club.
Hammers kept waiting for green light on move to Olympic Stadium
February 19 – A further delay in a decision rubber-stamping West Ham’s move to the Olympic stadium used for London 2012 looks set to frustrate the club and its supporters.
Reds prove devilishly hard to beat on and off the pitch
By Paul Nicholson
February 15 – Manchester United’s corporate investors are having as happy a time off the pitch as the team is currently having on it. The two are linked.
PFA chief Taylor says he is not the Pompey pooper
By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – Professional Footballers’ Association chief Gordon Taylor has angrily denied claims his organisation is scuppering a bid by Portsmouth fans to take over the ailing English club.
Pompey future in the balance as High Court date looms
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
February 12 – The latest stage in the long-running battle to prevent Portsmouth from being expelled from English football is set to take place on Thursday with another High Court hearing into efforts by fans group Pompey Supporters’ Trust to save the club.
Premier League votes for its own financial sustainability regs
By Mark Baber
February 8 – The Premier League has voted in its own set of financial controls on its member clubs, though some clubs feel the rules do not go far enough.
Chelsea join Premiership elite headed to Asia
February 8 – Chelsea are headed to Asia pre-season on their ‘Here to Play, Here to Stay’ tour, which will see the west London-based club play matches in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.
Spending up but volume down, as transfer window sees a huge shift to ‘Free’
By Mark Baber
February 3 – English transfer spending in terms of money spent may be higher this transfer window, but the volume of transfers is down 16% and loans down 17%.
[b]Exclusive:[/b] Trio of Premier League window shoppers help carry January spending to £120 million
By David Owen
English Premier League clubs spent about £120 million in the latest January transfer window, double their outlay in January 2012, but well short of the record £225 million splurged two years ago, when strikers Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll were the subject of deals thought to amount to a combined £85 million. The top clubs generally refrained from buying, with the result that – according to analysis by Deloitte,
Fulham debt free as Al Fayed converts loans into equity
By Mark Baber
January 31 – Fulham chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, has converted his £212m in loans to the club into equity, leaving Fulham effectively debt-free.
AC Milan swoop for €22m Balotelli as transfer deadline nears
By Mark Baber
January 30 – The long-running soap opera that has become Mario Balotelli in England looks to be drawing to a close with AC Milan’s announcement that he has agreed a four-and-a-half year contract.