By Mark Baber
June 17 – Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City fear their worldwide “secret scouting database” may have been “hacked” by an employee of a unnamed Premier League rival, according to unsourced reports in British Sunday tabloid newspapers.
By Tom Parsons
June 13 – Manchester United Megastore officials caused a stir when they announced that they would not print some of their ex-players’ names on the back of the club’s newly launched home kit.
By Mark Baber
June 11 – The saga over Chelsea’s search for a new stadium has taken a new turn, as Jose Mourinho returns, with the revelation that the club may be invited to bid on a 17-acre plot of land, owned by Transport for London (TfL) near Earls Court and just a mile north of current home Stamford Bridge.
By Mark Baber
June 9 – Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse’s representatives have informed Newcastle officials that his religious beliefs forbid him from representing or advertising a loans company, posing a dilemma for the club which has accepted sponsorship from pay-day loans company Wonga.
By David Owen
June 6 – Aggregate revenue at English Premier League clubs is projected to surge through the £3 billion barrier next season, on the back of the league’s new broadcast deals, according to the latest report by professional services firm Deloitte. The 22nd Annual Review of Football Finance compiled by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group says that Premier League clubs’ revenues nudged up 4% in 2011-12 to a record £2.36 billion.
June 5 – Andros Townsend, one of the most promising young wingers in English football, has been banned from the game for four months, three of them suspended, and fined £18,000 after breaching betting regulations.
By Mark Baber
June 4 – Manchester United shares are getting positive recommendations from stock tippers with the club generating increased revenue from television and merchandising and having reduced interest payments on its longer term debts. This is despite an expected loss of $1.50 per share for the quarter.
By Tom Parsons
May 29 – Everton fans caused a twitter storm over the club’s proposed new club badege with 20,000 people signing a petition against the change. The club moved quickly to apologise and reverse the decision.
May 28 – Vincent Tan, Malaysian owner of newly promoted English Premier League club Cardiff City, has indicated that he would be prepared to sell or float the club on the stock markets.
By David Owen
May 28 – He is within two months of his 40th birthday – and now he can claim to be the £120 million man. Kevin Phillips, the former Baldock Town, Sunderland, Southampton, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham, Blackpool and (eight times) England striker, blasted Crystal Palace back into the Premier League from the penalty spot on Monday, sending opponents Watford, another of his former clubs, into the depths of despair.
By Paul Nicholson
May 24 – Manchester United will cut their interest payments by £10 million a year under a new loan secured with the Bank of America at lower interest rates.
By Paul Nicholson
May 23 – The difference between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in English football was emphasised again by the release by the Premier League of their broadcast payments to clubs for the 2012/13 season just finished. Even within the Premier League, the payments to clubs show a huge gap with Manchester United at the top earning 34% more than bottom placed QPR.
By Mark Baber
May 17 – Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore (pictured) has prevented Football League clubs from passing measures to create a fairer level of financial competition in the Championship, leading to accusations of high-handedness from the ‘big brother’ league.
By Tom Parsons
May 16 – News that the English Premier League could have its first-ever play off for a Champions League spot if results went a certain way this weekend, has sparked a wave of social media excitement and betting activity.
By Mark Baber
May 14 – News International is to use Premier League football clips to drive subscriptions to its Sun+ service, the digital offering of the UK’s highest circulation tabloid newspaper. The subscription will cost £2 a week in the UK.