Mihir Bose: Lies, damn lies and alienating statistics

mihir

One important reason why football of all ball games is the most popular game in the world is because it is simple. Its rules are easy to understand and have none of the complexity that, for example, rugby has. Football’s celebrated off side rule may be a diverting after dinner conversation with which to bait those who do not care about the game but it is nowhere near as mind blowing as trying to work out why a penalty is given in rugby.

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Spurs suffer financial pain of Champions League exclusion

Spurs logo

By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent

January 23 – The importance of qualifying for the Champions League has been underlined yet again, this time by Tottenham Hotspur announcing a loss of £4.3m for the year ending June, 2012 compared to the profit of £700,000 they recorded the year before which covered the period when they were competing in the competition.

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Reds take full control of MUTV

MUTV logo

By Mark Baber

January 22 – Manchester United have acquired the one-third minority equity stake in Manchester United Television (MUTV) held by BSkyB (Sky) giving the club 100% control of its television channel.

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Puma boots up to sell replica African kits in Brazil

puma

By Mark Baber

January 22 – In preparation for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Puma has signed a new sub-license deal with the Cameroon, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Senegal aimed at the South American market as well as entering into a partnership with Centauro, one of the largest sporting goods retail chains in Latin America which has over 130 stores in Brazil.

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Man Utd head to Qatar for winter training camp

MU training_in_snow

By Andrew Warshaw

January 22 – Qatar’s Aspire academy, which has been attracting increasing publicity as one of the world’s most sophisticated sports facilities since the Gulf state won the right to stage the 2022 World Cup, has struck another coup by being chosen by Manchester United for a mid-season training camp this week.

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Wembley to stay a ‘clean’ venue

FA naming_rights

By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent

January 22 – London’s Wembley stadium will not be going the same way as other iconic grounds and be re-titled as part of a naming rights deal – at least not yet, according to the English Football Association.

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