Muamba announces retirement
By David Gold
August 17 – Fabrice Muamba has announced his retirement from football, months after miraculously surviving a heart attack during an English FA Cup tie.
Premier League
UEFA fair play rules are flawed, says Liverpool’s owner
By David Gold
August 13 – Liverpool owner John W Henry has cast doubt on whether UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules will work.
Manchester United lower stock value ahead of New York Stock Exchange debut
By David Gold
August 10 – Manchester United have announced they will float on the New York Stock Exchange for $14 (£9/€11) per share, rather than the $16 (£10/€13) originally announced.
London 2012 football final forces Community Shield to Villa Park
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – The traditional curtain-raiser to the English Premier League season, the Community Shield, is being switched to Villa Park from Wembley this Sunday as the national stadium will not be ready to host the event.
Top-flight footballers can learn from Olympians, say Townsend and Southgate
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – Football at the highest level can learn from the Olympics in terms of harnessing the feel good factor that has pervaded London 2012, according to two of Britain’s most respected voices.
Premier League launches new under-21 competition
By David Gold
August 6 – A new competition for players under 21 years of age in England is being launched to help improve the quality of home-grown young footballers in the country.
Manchester United to raise £210 million from New York flotation
By David Gold
July 31 – Manchester United has announced its intention to raise £210 million ($330 million/€269 million) from its flotation on the New York Stock Exchange.
Ferdinand charged by FA over Twitter “choc ice” comments
By Andrew Warshaw
July 31 – The social networking site Twitter, already proving hugely controversial in the Olympic Games, has also landed Manchester United and former England defender Rio Ferdinand in hot water after he was charged with improper conduct by the Football Association (FA).
FA charge Terry for abusive and insulting behaviour
By Andrew Warshaw
July 28 – Two weeks after being cleared of racial abuse in a criminal prosecution, former England captain John Terry was charged by the Football Association (FA) yesterday for virtually the same offence.
O2 end Arsenal sponsorship
By David Gold
July 25 – After the bombshell that Robin van Persie would not be renewing his Arsenal deal, O2 have decided to end their association with the Premier League club as well.
Miracle Man Muamba to carry Olympic Torch
By Andrew Warshaw at the Main Press Centre on the Olympic Park in London
July 21 – Fabrice Muamba, the Premier League footballer who almost died after suffering a cardiac arrest in an FA Cup tie late last season, is set to carry the Olympic Torch today.
Chelsea and Gazprom agree three season sponsorship deal
By David Gold
July 20 – Chelsea have inked a new sponsorship deal with Russian energy giant Gazprom which will see them supply gas and electricity to the club for the next three seasons.
Terry acquitted of racism charges
By Andrew Warshaw
July 13 – Former England captain John Terry was cleared of racial abuse today as one of the highest profile court cases involving a globally recognised sportsman reached its conclusion after five days of evidence.
Barclays secures new £40 million Premier League deal
By Andrew Warshaw
July 13 – Barclays may be embroiled in an unprecedented rate-fixing scandal that has plunged its global reputation into disarray but that has done little to affect its involvement in football with the announcement that the banking giant has extended its sponsorship of the English Premier League until 2016 in a three-year deal worth £40 million ($62 million/€51 million) a season from 2013.
FIFA investigating Premier League spot-fixing following Lundekvam claims
By Andrew Warshaw
July 11 – Worrying claims that spot-fixing was rife among players in the English Premier League are to be investigated by FIFA.