3 h. ago Female rugby chief quits after owner suggested she 'sleep with league boss' to help 'smooth over' club's financial woes amid mounting bills

The crisis-hit Super League outfit were taken over by a consortium led by businessman Dario Berta on the eve of the season.

Economics

8 h. ago Diploma finance chief quits after ‘lapse of judgment’ at company event

Chris Davies has resigned, with immediate effect, and the firm has launched a search for a new chief financial officer.

Politics

9 h. ago Chelsea players to donate share of Club World Cup bonuses to family of Diogo Jota

Chelsea will use a portion of Club World Cup bonuses paid to players to make a financial donation to family of Liverpool star

Sport

3 d. ago John Textor teams up with football financier in push to buy Sheffield Wednesday

Working with former investment banker Keith HarrisFormer Palace shareholder Textor keen on crisis-hit clubJohn Textor has teamed up with the football financier Keith Harris in an attempt to buy Sheffield Wednesday.Harris, a former investment banker, has brokered takeovers at West Ham, Manchester City and Aston Villa, and put together a consortium to buy Everton last year, although that bid was unsuccessful. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago Mjällby making minor miracles in an extraordinary Swedish football story

Former third-tier club with no financial muscle from remote municipality of 14,000 inhabitants lead country’s top flightFor Mjällby’s opponents, a trip to the far south of Sweden feels like a journey to the Earth’s end. “When teams come on here on the bus they drive and drive, through the farms, past the fishing harbours,” says Hasse Larsson. “They keep driving and then, when they can’t drive any further, they find our stadium.”They discover an institution whose heart and soul are rooted in Sölvesborg, a remote municipality of 14,000 inhabitants. Nowadays they find a club front and centre of an extraordinary story unfolding in Allsvenskan, the country’s top flight. Mjällby are four points clear at the top with 12 games left; they have lost once and, should they escape intact from a visit to the champions Malmö on Saturday, the unlikeliest of dreams will become vivid. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Keir Starmer urges those involved with Morecambe to ‘do the right thing’

The National League club are at risk of closure due to a financial crisis.

Politics

1 week ago Sheffield Wednesday players release statement amid club’s financial turmoil

Both players and staff at the club have been hit by late wage payments for three successive months

Economics

1 week ago ‘It becomes your life’: Holmesdale Fanatics take Palace’s fight to the authorities

Influential supporters’ group are leading the protests against what they see as Uefa’s unjust demotion of their club to the Conference LeagueWhen the Holmesdale Fanatics say they are planning something, it is usually worth paying attention. The receptionist at Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon looked bemused when presented with a suitcase full of fake bank notes last month by members of the Crystal Palace supporters’ group. They claimed it represented the “contradictions of their supposed ‘fundamental values’ of integrity and fairness and the reality of their business methods and general conduct”.Uefa has said it followed the correct procedures after its club financial control body demoted Palace from the Europa League to the Conference League because they were deemed to have broken multi-club ownership rules. But for the HF, it was a call to arms. Continue reading...

Sport

4 w. ago Jess Phillips says Labour rebels should not be surprised by the action taken against them – UK politics live

Home Office minister defends Keir Starmer’s decision to remove whip from four MPs and says Labour must ‘act as a team’Good morning. Chief whips tends to be quite secretive, and when four Labour MPs had the whip suspended yesterday, there was no detailed, public explanation as to why they were being punished for rebelling when so many other backbenchers, who have also voted against the party, have not been singled out. As Eleni Courea and Jessica Elgot report in our overnight story, we were just told they were regular rebels.But the best explanation came from the Labour party source who told Geri Scott from the Times that the four MPs – Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff – were being punished for “persistent knobheadery”.I don’t think that the discipline that has been meted out over the last 24 hours is linked to [the welfare bill] because many more people voted against the government than these four people.I actually don’t know because I’m not pa...

Politics

last month ‘It’s not fair’: Crystal Palace fans march in protest at demotion from Europa League

‘We earned the right to be there and will show support’Palace in Conference League after ownership breachFurious Crystal Palace supporters have demanded that Uefa reverses its decision to demote the FA Cup winners from the Europa League to the Conference League next season as they staged a protest march outside Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening.It was confirmed last week that Uefa’s club financial control body had concluded Palace breached its multiclub ownership criteria, with the south London club expected to appeal to the court of arbitration for sport against a decision that their chair, Steve Parish, described as “probably one of the greatest injustices that has ever happened in European football”. Continue reading...

Sport

last month Starbucks tells corporate staff in US and Canada to work in office at least four days a week

Seattle-based coffee chain offers payment to those who opt to quit instead as it seeks to ‘re-establish in-office culture’Business live – latest updatesStarbucks has ordered its corporate staff to work from the office at least four days a week from late September and is offering cash payments to those who choose to quit instead.Brian Niccol, the chief executive of the Seattle-headquartered coffee chain, said many of its employees would be required to work in the office for a minimum of four days a week, up from three, from Monday to Thursday. This will apply to its Seattle and Toronto support centres and regional offices in North America. Continue reading...

Politics

last month Football transfer rumours: Arsenal’s Trossard to snub Fenerbahce for Bayern?

Today’s rumours are without a lightbulbManchester United have realised they still have a Scott McTominay-sized hole in their midfield and want to fill it with the former Bayern Munich playee Corentin Tolisso. The box-to-box midfielder turns 31 in August but has just had one of the best seasons of his career at Lyon – scoring 10 goals and registering nine assists in all competitions – and, given the French club’s financial problems, there may be a deal to be done for around £15m.After weeks of negotiations, United are also reportedly closing on a move for Bryan Mbeumo after agreeing terms with Brentford. The fee is thought to be north of £60m, with the shrewd Bees keen on using some of that money to buy a replacement in Omari Hutchinson. The winger flickered in a struggling Ipswich side last season but was one of England’s best players in their under-21 Euros campaign, scoring in the final against Germany. Continue reading...

Sport

last month British and Irish Lions injury woes mount with Mack Hansen a major doubt for first Australia Test

Blair Kinghorn may not be ready in time for Brisbane clash, with Garry Ringrose already ruled out

Events