By Andy Cole 11 February 2010 Portsmouth were given a seven-day stay of execution yesterday at the High Court from being put into administration, or worse, but their financial problems aren’t new; they have roots dating back to at least 2006. As somebody who signed for Pompey that year I can give you an insight, […]

By Brian Sears 10 February 2010 Omens, omens. The last time Chelsea and Cardiff met in an FA Cup match (in 1927), we all know what else happened that year. That’s right. Saudi Arabia became independent of the United Kingdom. (And Cardiff went on to win the Cup). If you’re interested in such ephemera and […]

. Premier League: concise guide to the clubs (last updated 9 Oct 2012) . NB i: This page includes club details for all clubs who have been in the Premier League since 2009-10. NB ii: ‘Latest total wages’ in the club profiles below is club’s bill for ALL employees (many hundreds), not just the players’ […]

. UDO ONWERE had a 12-year career as a professional footballer with clubs including Fulham before he hung up his boots and pursued a new career in law. He now works for leading law firm Thomas Eggar on tax and estate planning issues and works extensively within the sports, media and entertainment industries. . . […]

By Nick Harris 1 February 2010 A UK government report into sports-related betting corruption in Britain, published today, recommends the formation of a pan-sport integrity unit to gather intelligence on suspicious cases and co-ordinate the response.  It is generally accepted that Britain does not have a widespread problem with betting-related corruption but it has been […]

By Nick Harris 1 February 2010 Britain needs a multi-sport anti-corruption unit with wide-ranging powers to tackle the threat of betting-related malpractice, according to a substantial government-commissioned report, published today. The Sports Betting Intelligence Unit, which will be based at the Gambling Commission if it comes to fruition, has been proposed by Rick Parry, the […]

2010: what happened then . January . 10 FOOTBALL Africa Cup of Nations (to 31), Angola. Winners: Egypt (Story 1) (2) (3) 18 TENNIS Australian Open (to 31), Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Winners: R Federer / S Williams (Story 1) (2) (3) (4) . February . 7 N.F .L Super Bowl XLIV, Sun Life Stadium, Miami. Winners: New […]

By Brian Sears 30 January 2010 . A feature of the domination of the Premier League in recent years by England’s “big four” clubs – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – has been how rarely any of that quartet have lost at home to “other” sides from outside their elite group. This is the […]

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 […]

By Andy Cole 29 January 2010 Imagine this scenario: you’re in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, playing against Manchester United, your former club with whom you won the Champions League, and then you score a goal – not a bad goal at all, as it happens – which at the moment you […]