THE BREAKDOWN: Premier League Winners & Losers, Enhanced Games Makes Its Entrance, & The World of Rugby League (E21)

In what is virtually a Man City free show this week, we were reminded of how much is still going on in the world of sport. It’s a week where a number of topics we’ve covered over the last few months seem to have had major developments, from the WTA to LIV 2.0’s most recent deadline to what looks like the recovery of Gianni Infantino. Add to this a proper look at what is happening in French football as the business struggles continue to blight the league, and a look at whether trouble could be hitting Italy next, and we have ourselves a breakdown.

Stuart Cain is the CEO of Warwickshire, one of England’s most historic sporting institutions and the newly crowned champions of the 4-day game. This is a case for county cricket from Championship winners themselves. It’s a format that comes under a lot of heat: poor attendances and a challenging business model make it an easy target. Stuart puts forward one of the most compelling cases for not just the County Championship, but also the Blast, which has taken a back seat in the shadow of the Hundred. Bringing it all together, the underlying argument is that you can’t look at cricket formats in isolation. County Cricket may not make money, but the England Test team does. Where do those players come from? I won’t give away the whole show. Let’s get to it. I’m delighted to welcome Stuart to the Business of Sport.

The Football Regulator has released the first draft of its State of the Game report. Lock in. This is like Christmas for Charlie Snr. After months of talking about what could come from it, Charlie delivers an explanation for the ages, even by his standards. Add to this a look at the damage the City case is doing to the Premier League after a crushing result at Anfield, a check in with F1 which is balancing excellent business reportings with murmurings of discontent, and a long overdue look at the AJ vs Fury fight which for now seems like it’s finally going to happen. A big emphasis on for now. All of that plus a deeper look at Everton’s impending sale on Substack, and we have ourselves a Breakdown.

What happens when a football club goes into administration? It’s a fans worst nightmare. An owner who decides they can no longer fund the club and as a result the community asset that has been the bedrock of many people’s lives for over a century faces closure. That is exactly what happened with Torquay United. 125 years old with a long history of Football League participation could not protect them from financial disaster. Then came Michael Westcott, Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, and their consortium of Torquay fans, all business people who couldn’t let their club disappear. Having two people in the chair opposite was a welcome change, both with different skills and experiences but one ambition: to restore this football club to the EFL and bring the community pride back to the team. The business reality of getting that done is another thing entirely though. I love these stories; proper football conversations from the part of the pyramid that can often be overlooked. I’m delighted to welcome Michael & Mark to the Business of Sport.

What a week it was last week. Man City’s very well publicised indiscretions will once again be looked at as we question the grounds for appeal and take a look at the role of the Premier League in securing this verdict, while also taking a peak across the pond as the LA Clippers come to terms with a very strong set of sanctions for 113 less guilty charges charges, albeit one serious one. Add to this yet more chaos at Celtic as fans pelt their main shareholder with tennis balls on a golf course, the claims from LIV 2.0 that teams are going to be worth $100m, and the revelation that despite being in serious financial trouble, the WTA are increasing their prize money, and we have ourselves a breakdown.