Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, arrives with solid sporting pedigree. Only a few days into his role, Burnham has already spoken out against FIFA’s controversial new investment proposals. His personal interest in sport has long translated, especially in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, into backing for sport, whether professional, mass participation, or…
With marathon season in full flow, Boston and Tokyo down of the majors, London calling this weekend, perhaps the biggest debate in the event organising world in 2026 has been the Paris Marathon’s decision to remove single use plastic and paper cups from the course except for runners on pace for sub 2:50. Regular runner…
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? It turns out, based on the recent social media trend, that an inordinate amount of men think about crossing the Rubicon. And with golf more popular than ever, it may well be that many more men, women and children than anticipated are thinking about this weekend’s…
In great comedy, the character themselves is often the butt of the joke rather than those they’re railing against. When Basil Fawlty mocks the Germans, we the audience (yes even in the 1970s) are meant to be laughing not at the mortified tourists but at Fawlty himself, for his inability to move on, his stubborn…
England’s last two great Test victories have ended the same way. One of the world’s best fast bowlers charges in. Ben Stokes stands tall, crunching through cover point for four. The crowd goes wild. At Trent Bridge in 2022, just as at Headingly in 2019. But there the similarities end. During England’s implausible triumph against…
Generally at the Winter Olympics, athletes are preoccupied with speed or style. Beat the field down (or for those of a cross-country bent, up) that hill. Spin higher, faster, more beautifully. Curling is a glorious anomaly of the winter games. It is a sport you win with odd shoes on. It is a sport you…
Former Prime Minister Harold Wilson once quipped that a week is a long time in politics. Governments may change but the wisdom of his words abides. In 2021, three weeks is more than enough time for ministers to forget their old departments. Until September 15th, Oliver Dowden was the Secretary of State for Digital,…
After all the soul searching, all the rebranding, all the praise and criticism, it turned out it was just cricket. It’s true, there were more fireworks, DJs and sponsored snacks and slightly fewer balls than usual, but at its essence, what was great about the start of cricket’s new competition, was great cricket. The…
What does 2021 have in store for the global sports industry? The SMS team explores the trends they expect to see over the next 12 months. Game, mindset and match – sport and mental health Throughout 2021, the myriad benefits of sport for mental health will become more and more crystallised, and as this…
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