Exclusive: Leicester Tigers and DCMS face scrutiny over £6m Covid loan renegotiation November 5, 2025 Leicester Tigers and DCMS are facing questions after they altered the repayment terms of the club’s £6m Covid-19 loan to interest-only until 2028. The change, which only emerged in the Prem Rugby club’s most recent financial accounts, casts further doubt on DCMS’s chances of recouping its £474m lending to sporting and cultural bodies – raising [...]
Former FCA and EY bigwig named football regulator chief executive October 7, 2025 Former FCA and EY bigwig Richard Monks has been named chief executive of the Independent Football Regulator. The appointment of the former Big Four partner comes after confirmation of media rights advisor David Kogan being named chairman. Monks is the first executive appointment made by the Independent Football Regulator after the Football Governance Bill passed [...]
David Kogan: Chair of football regulator appointed despite ongoing inquiry October 6, 2025 Media rights advisor David Kogan OBE has been confirmed as the first chair of the Independent Football Regulator despite an inquiry into his appointment remaining ongoing. Kogan was named preferred candidate by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year but questions about his suitability were raised after he revealed he had donated [...]
Nandy warns Kogan indecision having real-world consequences September 10, 2025 Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has warned that the limbo over David Kogan’s appointment as head of the Independent Football Regulator is “obviously having real-world consequences”. Media rights expert Kogan was named the preferred candidate for the newly created role of chair of the IFR, after the Football Governance Bill passed through parliament this year. But [...]
Independent Football Regulator launches consultation on plans September 4, 2025 The incoming Independent Football Regulator (IFR) plans to have access to banks and law enforcement, as well as the ability to force rogue owners to sell clubs as guidance is published. The IFR published plans for a new Owners, Directors and Senior Executives’ Test, which they say will “raise standards and give powers to take [...]
Government commit £1.5m to cricket domes, including in Luton August 25, 2025 The Government has committed £1.5m in funding towards the construction of two indoor cricket facilities ahead of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. The cash injection will see Luton and Lancashire get domes to ensure cricket can be played year-round. DCMS secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Cricket has a remarkable power to inspire and unite communities [...]
Rolex sponsored Wimbledon stars made to pay for own watches July 9, 2025 A Rolex sponsorship or ambassadorial contract is widely seen as a must-have endorsement by aspiring young tennis players, yet such deals can prove to be a mixed blessing. Such is the value and scarcity of the Swiss luxury watches that their endorsement department operates a strictly enforced tier system, with only their A-list clients such [...]
British basketball at war: How can BBF and SLB bloody battle be resolved? July 4, 2025 British basketball is no stranger to turmoil but even by its warped standards the raging civil war between SLB clubs and governing body the BBF is extraordinary. At its heart is a power struggle for the right to run the domestic league. But it also involves claims of dishonesty, mission creep, vindictiveness and outright illegality [...]
Government to hand £500m to sports events, athletics Worlds may miss out June 19, 2025 The Government will back major UK events such as the 2028 Euros and 2027 Tour de France depart to the tune of £500m, but did not publicly back the World Athletics Championships. DCMS Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on Thursday evening pledged £900m of investment into major sorting events and grassroots sports, with £500m reserved for [...]
Tories: Labour desperate to use bookies tax to bail out Rachel Reeves June 17, 2025 Shadow sport and gambling minister Louie French has ripped into the Government over its plans for gambling taxes so soon after a sector white paper, describing them as a threat to bookies and horseracing. The Conservative MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup said Labour were “desperate” to find “easy tax rises to bail out Rachel [...]