It will be standing room only in the Sky Sports commentary booth during the Ashes Tests this summer, with Andrew Strauss and Shane Warne joining a TV team already bursting at the seams.
None of Sky’s regular crew of Test match pundits are due to make way for the arrival of yet another former England captain.
Strauss is also expected to be part of Sky’s coverage for the return Ashes series in Australia this winter, but does not intend to become a full-time analyst.
He's urned the chance: Ashes winner Strauss will be in Sky's commentary box this time around Inside knowledge: Andrew Strauss (right) will be analysing Andy Flower's England
The MCC look to have won their battle against the dwindling number of rebels wanting an independent inquiry into the Lord’s rebuilding shambles — especially after David Gower switched sides to support the club after the revised renovation programme was explained to him. However, MCC’s next confrontation will be with the ‘not in my back yard’ residents worried about the upheaval during 14 years of planned building work.
Spurs fans have voiced concerns about the club introducing a controversial secondary ticket service next season, through which supporters can offer White Hart Lane seats for sale at any price. The scheme is described as ‘legalised ticket touting’ by members of the Tottenham Supporters Trust. The club have met the trust to discuss the sensitive project, which follows Spurs’ partnership with online traders StubHub. In contrast, Arsenal offer an in-house exchange for unwanted tickets but only at face value.
Football League fury at Scudamore over paymentsFurious Football League clubs were in uproar on Wednesday after Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore threatened to withdraw their solidarity payments.
The 72 lower-league clubs were meeting at Walsall to discuss how their own monies could be better distributed. Championship teams are concerned about PL parachute payments of £60million over four years causing unequal competition.
Threat: Richard Scudamore (left) has been accused of bullying the Football League clubs More from Charles Sale... Charles Sale: Wembley crisis in the posh seats as debenture holders fail to renew 08/06/13 Charles Sale: Scandal of £1.5bn online ticket cons 06/06/13 Premier League chief Scudamore set to beat club counterparts to top football pay league 05/06/13 Clubs pressing for vote to oust Clarke at Football League's Portugal meeting 04/06/13 CHARLES SALE: Fans likely to get shirty as Nike release three new England kits in less than a year 03/06/13 Cole and Oxlade-Chamberlain grounded as Nike flex their muscles 02/06/13 CHARLES SALE: Life's not a beach for Roy's boys as England camp may have to abandon preferred base because of proposed fan zone just outside 01/06/13 Charles Sale: Real Madrid can tempt Spurs to sell Bale with £75m bid 30/05/13 Revenge is suite for swanky City as new London base dwarfs United's rival operation 29/05/13 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEYet before the two main proposals could be debated, FL chairman Greg Clarke read out an email he had received from the all-powerful Scudamore at 9.30am — just two hours before the start of the club summit.
Scudamore, who had knowledge of the two plans, made it clear in his message that if the talks advanced, the increased PL solidarity payment offers — worth £2.3m per season to Championship clubs, £360,000 in League One and £240,000 in League Two last time — would immediately be off the table.
The news of Scudamore’s intervention caused pandemonium, with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, whose club could be in the Premier League next season, saying he was ‘appalled’ by such bullying behaviour.
The two recommendations were subsequently not voted on. One was for parachute clubs not to receive the annual £2m-per-team the FL distribute themselves from TV rights. This would be shared around the rest of the Championship. The second was a salary cap proposed by Ipswich’s secretive owner Marcus Evans.
The acrimony could make life difficult in London’s Gloucester Place, where the two football organisations share a building. PL insiders claim the powderkeg email followed Clarke first seeking clarity from Scudamore about the FL proposals.
The referees’ ruling body, the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, may be consulting lawyers over their belief that elite ref Mark Halsey has breached his contract by writing a book and not giving them three months’ notice over his sudden retirement at the end of the season. Yet Halsey has still been given Manchester City versus Norwich as a farewell game on Sunday.
Farewell: Mark Halsey (right) will referee for the final time this weekendThere have been doubts at the end of the last two seasons about the Mittal family holding on to their 34 per cent shareholding at troubled QPR. But despite relegation from the Premier League after a crazy financial outlay to stay in the top flight, it is understood that Amit Bhatia, steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal’s son-in-law, has indicated he will be staying on board at Loftus Road.
More... Championship clubs angered by Premier League parachute boost Former Premier League striker Beattie targets promotion as he takes charge of Accrington
