By Sportingintelligence 22 April 2012 In 2010, in Sportingintelligence’s inaugural review of global sports salaries, the New York Yankees were revealed to be the world’s best paid sports team by average first-team salary. The 2010 report was here. It made global headlines HERE. In 2011, Barcelona and Read Madrid usurped the Yankees, as we reported […]

By Nick Harris SJA Internet Sports Writer of the Year 22 April 2012 AS the Premier League title race comes to the boil, Rio Ferdinand has spoken about the culture of success at Manchester United, ‘the desire’ for glory that pervades Old Trafford, and why he hopes that United’s blend of experienced winners and fearless […]

By Brian Sears 20 April 2012 Manchester United just need to execute some classic top-of-the-table – win their last two home matches and draw their last two away games – to ensure they’re the champions of England for a 20th time, and 13 times in the Premier League era. Unlucky for everyone else. In the all-time table in the Premier League’s […]

By Brian Sears 20 April 2012 Chelsea thrashed Tottenham in the FA Cup last Sunday and showed no ill effects of that 6pm kick-off when they subsequently shocked Barcelona 1-0 in midweek – but they have yet to win a single Premier League game this season against another London team. As our inter-London tables (below) show, Chelsea […]

By Brian Sears 13 April 2012 Wolves are trying desperately to extend their Premier League status into a fifth campaign but with a nine-point gap between themselves and safety already, and just five games to go, that looks a forlorn task. There’s just no way to sugar that pill; it can’t be done. Will there be […]

By Brian Sears 13 April 2012 After the surprise defeat of Manchester United by Wigan in midweek – a result that gave Wigan their first ever points against United in 14 league meetings – the title race has become a little more open again. With five games to play, Manchester City trail United by a mere […]

By Brian Sears 6 April 2012 At the start of this Easter weekend, Manchester City trail Manchester United by five points in the Premier League title race. By the time they kick-off at Arsenal on Sunday afternoon that gap could be eight points. What greater motivation can Roberto Mancini’s men have, then – aside from […]

* As the 2012 County Championship gets underway, Scott Oliver weighs up the most successful counties in English cricket history. And looking beyond the headline finding that Yorkshire top the all-time achievement rankings, he explains how much of their success can only be recalled through the haze of the ages, and explores how the game – […]

By Brian Sears 5 April 2012 After a March slowdown in scoring, the Premier League is back on track for another season of record scoring – just. A hectic Easter schedule of football will see 20 top-flight games played between Friday night and Wednesday. In the last moments of the last day of last season, […]

* JOHN ROBERTS wrote for the Daily Express, The Guardian, the Daily Mail and The Independent, where he was the tennis correspondent for 20 years. He collaborated with Bill Shankly on the Liverpool manager’s autobiography, ghosted Kevin Keegan’s first book, and has written books on George Best, Manchester United’s Busby Babes (The Team That Wouldn’t Die) and Everton (The Official Centenary History). As Matthew […]