July 29 – This Friday’s Irish Cup final between Ballymena United and Glentoran is set to be the first official football fixture played in front of spectators in the UK since lockdown in March.
July 29 – Relegated Bournemouth are considering legal action over a massive goalline technology blunder in June that should have awarded a key goal against Aston Villa who survived in the Premier League at their expense.
July 29 – Viewing figures from the US show record numbers for the women’s club game and a significant breakthrough for the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League).
July 29 – Professional sport in Australia including top-flight football has once again been plunged into chaos because of the reprecussions of Covid-19.
By Paul Nicholson
July 28 – Regional confederation Concacaf has rescheduled and re-formatted the 2022 World Cup qualifiers that will see all 35 of its FIFA member associations compete for the three places at the Qatar finals, plus the half spot inter-confederation play-off.
July 28 – Concacaf has scheduled the 2021 Gold Cup in the US for next July, and in a unique revamp of qualification – and to take account of lost international windows due to the Covid pandemic – the preliminary rounds will see the 12 competing teams centralised in the US.
July 28 – The long drawn out proposed £300 million takeover of Newcastle United by a Saudi Arabian-led consortium spearheaded by the country’s Public Investment Fund looks on the brink of collapse as confusion increases over who will actually control the club and their links with the Saudi government.
July 28 – The whole of next season’s Premier League might have to be played in front of reduced crowds whenever spectators are finally allowed in, according to a senior government adviser.
July 28 – In the wake of the activities of pirate broadcaster BeoutQ, UEFA has moved to protect itself from similar behaviour by issuing a tender for companies to assist in its anti-piracy efforts, with a deadline of September 4 for bids.
July 28 – Almost 10 years after Paris St. Germain were acquired by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) to become one of the world’s richest clubs, their lesser-known cross-town poorer sister, Paris FC, are now also being funded by Middle Eastern money.
July 28 – Brazilian playmaker Oscar says he would be willing to switch nationality to play for China if FIFA changed its eligibility rules.
July 28 – South African football will return to action behind closed doors with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the Nedbank Cup, officials have announced.
July 28 – AC Milan have held on to their main shirt sponsor Emirates airline in a three-year deal that will see them take a reported annual €4 million cut in the sponsorship fee.
By Paul Nicholson
July 27 – Musa Bility has entered the FIFA integrity debate again with a hard-hitting letter to the chair of the African Union and the secretary general of the United Nations imploring them to “intervene and reform FIFA and organizations such as CAF”.
July 27 – With interesting timing, FIFA has imposed a 10-year ban on the president of Guinea-Bissau’s federation, Manual Nascimento (pictured), over “an incident of mob justice.”