Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose 25 per cent stake in Manchester United is awaiting approval, appears to have made a better start to his involvement with the Premier League giants than the Glazers.
Ratcliffe and INEOS sport director Sir Dave Brailsford headed to Carrington and Old Trafford last week for a series of meetings with staff, which many commented was the first contact they had had with those at the top of the club since the Americans took over in 2005.
Ratcliffe also wrote to the Manchester United Supporters Trust, although he did not do likewise to The 1958 – the underground, vocal protest group. MUST were seen as the closest to an official fan club and a safer option.
In the meetings, Ratcliffe is not thought to have commented on reports he is planning to make job cuts. However, he did point out that his role was purely to work on the football side of the club and said that the commercial operation – which equates to a large number of United’s employees – was not his business.
Instead, he told staff, his job was to address the ‘performance gap’ and to return United to the top of world football. Reaction from those present was said to be positive.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left) has been speaking to staff at Manchester United with his 25 per cent stake in the club awaiting approval
Some staff reported that the engagements were the first they had had with the top since the Glazer family took over in 2005
VAR, VAR away
Good news to report from the Carabao Cup. Agenda understands that there will be no VAR in the competition’s semi-finals – and we can thank Middlesbrough for that.
Given that the Championship side do not have VAR equipment installed at the Riverside Stadium the view is that – in the interests of fairness and consistency – the tournament will remain a VAR-free zone.
Sadly, such equipment is installed at Wembley and so VAR will rear its head at the final.
The Carabao Cup semi-finals won’t have VAR due to Middlesbrough’s stadium not having the equipment installed
No replays?
Those seeking to scrap FA Cup replays may want to have a word with some of the Premier League’s players if they are looking for support.
Insiders have disclosed that a large group of stars were desperate to avoid draws in their third round games as subsequent rematches would wreck their winter break plans.
Indeed, some are known to have had to cancel their luxury getaways having failed to win (or lose) at the first attempt.
Backing Wilder
Paul Heckingbottom is due a sizable bonus should Sheffield United stay up this season – despite getting the sack.
The former Blades boss was shown the door last month and replaced by Chris Wilder as the South Yorkshire side seek an unlikely escape from the drop.
And should Wilder complete what many consider a mission impossible, Heckingbottom may well be raising a glass to his successor after managing to ensure that a Premier League survival clause in his contract remains intact – on a pro-rata basis – despite his dismissal.
Former Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom will be due a sizeable bonus if the Blades stay in the Premier League
Chris Wilder was appointed in Heckingbottom’s place with the club struggling this season
Sound as a dollar
Few sportsmen, let alone cricketers, are honoured with their image on a bank note. Just how much Sir Viv Richards is revered in his native Antigua has been shown by his appearing on new Eastern Caribbean two dollar notes (worth about 60p and previously denominated only by a coin) issued to mark the Central Bank’s 40th anniversary.
The Master Blaster has been obligingly autographing the notes when approached by fans in Antigua.
Norrie on court
A practice hit with a top 20 tennis player was among the raffle prizes being offered at the British Tennis Journalists’ Association annual awards lunch at Wimbledon, helping raise money for the Give It Your Max charity.
As it turned out the lucky ticket holder was someone who would not exactly struggle to arrange such a thing – Helen Norrie, whose son Cam happens to be GB’s highest ranked player and the world number 18.
Cam Norrie’s mother, Helen (left) has won a practice hit with a top 20 tennis player in a raffle
Brit Cam is ranked No 18 in the world and No 1 in Britain, with his mother wining the award at the British Tennis Journalists’ Association annual awards lunch at Wimbledon
A curious tale
Keith Bradshaw’s autobiography, ‘An Outsider at Lords’,’ is being published later this month to coincide with the Test at Adelaide, where he was chief executive after his five years running MCC.
The book is unusual in that it is coming out two years after Bradshaw’s death from cancer at the age of 58. He started writing it before falling ill and subsequently detailed in his Will that it should be published.
The book contains some entertaining yarns including the time the Queen’s security team once visited his grace and favour house in advance of her visit – and their dogs found traces of cocaine on Jamaican bank notes he had brought home from the 2007 World Cup.
‘I thought if the press, particularly someone like (former Sports Agenda editor) Charlie Sale of the Daily Mail, heard of this, that could be the end for me,’ he wrote.
Bradshaw added that, following another visit two years later, he asked a guard if they had found any drugs at the house again. ‘Same story, sir, just the dollars again so we didn’t worry about it,’ was the response.
Padel’s UK boost
A trailblazing padel venture is looking to reshape the sport’s future in the UK. Padium, which brands itself as the country’s ‘premium padel club’, has turned heads with its brand new £4.5m centre slap bang in the middle of Canary Wharf – attracting the likes of John Terry, Jos Buttler and NBA star Jimmy Butler to try out the facilities.
They have now opened conversations about becoming the home for Team GB’s cohort of players, offering the nation’s current crop access to their eight courts in the heart of London’s financial district.
With the sport itself aiming for a berth at the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, the centre could yet play a significant part in delivering athletes to the world stage in Australia.
The company, founded by entrepreneur Houman Ashrafzadeh, is looking to accelerate the game’s explosion in Britain and have two more sites set to be finalised.
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