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BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
What to look out for as SWPL returns
The SWPL is back with new faces, a new structure, and new champions Hibs looking to retain their action gets under way on Sunday, so here are some things to keep an eye out for in the women's top flight. New structure In a bid to make the league more competitive, the number of teams has been reduced from 12 to 18 rounds of matches, the league will split into a top six and bottom four, with the clubs in each section playing each other team finishing 10th will be relegated, while the second-bottom side will face a relegation play-off against the winners of the SWPL 2 play-off on paper a 10-team top division should be more competitive, the worry is the quality gap will example, last term Motherwell secured their first ever top-six finish - but then lost all 10 post-split last time Hamilton Accies, who won promotion last season by winning SWPL 2, were in the top flight they finished bottom with just 14 United fared even worse last term, mustering just seven points to be one of three teams relegated. New managers After securing a second successive cup double for Rangers, manager Jo Potter left to take the manager's job at Crystal Palace. The Ibrox club have turned to Leanne Crichton as the replacement. As a player, the Scotland midfielder was a serial winner with Glasgow City before returning as assistant coach after a spell with Motherwell. Now Crichton is leading a Rangers team that are desperate to bounce back from their final-day disappointment of letting the league title slip from their grasp. They're not the only ones with a new face in the dugout. Brian Graham left Partick Thistle this summer and joined promoted Premiership outfit Falkirk to continue his playing career. Graham has been replaced at Petershill by David Elliot, who has spent the majority of his playing and managerial career with the Glasgow club and will have his first taste of managing in the SWPL when his side travel to Hamilton on Sunday. New signings SWPL sides have been busy in the transfer window and there's a couple of interesting signings to look out for. Aberdeen have been one of the more active teams this summer with one name standing out among the rest. Goalkeeper Katie Cox joined the Dons from WSL winners Chelsea on a season-long loan deal. The 19-year-old academy graduate signed her first professional contract last year and although she is yet to make her senior debut, she spent last season as part of the treble-winning side's travelling fans have been getting excited about Wales international Alice Griffith, who has signed up for two years in Govan. The midfielder travelled with Wales for the Euros this summer after playing an important part in their qualification campaign. The arrival of Griffith may bring back memories of fellow Wales international Rachel Rowe, who won the Scottish Cup and and SWPL Cup in a successful spell with Rangers. How to follow opening day on the BBC Hearts v Celtic will be live on the BBC Sport Scotland app, website and iPlayer. It kicks off at 13:00 BST on BBC Alba has live coverage of champions Hibernian's home game against Aberdeen. That kicks off at 16:10 and will also be on the BBC Sport Scotland app, website and iPlayer.
Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Kingsmill and Hovis agree £70m merger in competition test for Reeves
Kingsmill and Hovis have agreed to a £70m merger to create Britain's biggest bakery, testing the competition watchdog's resolve after pressure from Rachel Reeves to approve more deals. Associated British Foods (ABF), which owns Kingsmill through its Allied Bakeries division, on Friday said it planned to purchase rival baker Hovis from its private equity owner, Endless. The deal will create the UK's biggest bread company, overtaking the current market leader, Warburton's. It comes as both Hovis and Kingsmill have struggled with profitability amid falling demand for sliced loaves in recent years. ABF's tie-up must be approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is under pressure from the Government to wave through more mergers. Clive Black, of Shore Capital, said: 'If [Ms Reeves] is interested in protecting jobs, then absolutely this is going to be a very good test case, because I severely question the viability of these two businesses in the long run if they don't merge. 'I think it could be quite dangerous, from a practical perspective in terms of jobs and supply chains, if the CMA took a very simplistic view of things, because both businesses are loss-making.' In an unprecedented intervention this year, Marcus Bokkerink, the CMA chairman, was ousted by ministers following warnings from the Chancellor that it needed to rip up red tape to boost growth. He was replaced on an interim basis by Doug Gurr, the former Amazon UK boss, with the intervention widely interpreted as signalling that Britain would be open to approving more takeovers. ABF owns Kingsmill through Allied Bakeries, which was founded in 1935. Hovis has been owned by the private equity firm Endless since 2020. It was formerly owned by Premier Foods, the owner of Mr Kipling. Demand for sliced loaves and traditional bakery products has fallen amid rising worries over excess carbohydrate consumption and concerns around so-called ultra-processed foods (UPF). Soaring costs in the wake of the pandemic have heaped further pressure on bakeries. The price of wheat, which surged due to the Ukraine war, has proved particularly burdensome. Kingsmill and Hovis have faced steep competition from Warburtons in recent years, which has pivoted away from traditional loaves towards other baked goods like crumpets, bagels and flatbreads. George Weston, the chief executive of ABF, said: 'This transaction will create a UK bakeries business that is both profitable and sustainable over the long term.'
Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
Wrexham smashes club transfer fee to land Nathan Broadhead
August 15 - Wrexham smashed its club record for a transfer fee in announcing the signing of Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town on Thursday. Broadhead, 27, signed a four-year deal with Wrexham that is worth around $10 million, according to multiple reports. The Wales international and former Wrexham Academy player can earn an additional $3.4 million in performance-related add-ons. Broadhead scored 13 goals in 2024 while Ipswich Town earned promotion to the Premier League. He began his youth career at Bangor City before joining the Wrexham Academy and then moving on to Everton when he was just 10 years old. "It's been a long time coming and I'm delighted to join the Club," he said. "Belief is going to be the biggest thing for us this season. We want to get everyone from North Wales down to the SToK Cae Ras and to show that belief in us." Wrexham's previous record transfer fee was the reported $4 million paid earlier this summer for Lewis O'Brien. Broadhead marks the ninth player the club has signed this summer on contracts totaling more than $27 million. Other notable additions include former England defender Conor Coady and New Zealand international Liberato Cacace. The spending spree is part of Wrexham's efforts to continue its meteoric rise through EFL divisions. The summer transfer window closes Sept. 1 Broadhead made his Premier League debut with Everton during the 2020-21 season, and scored 10 goals in 20 appearances while on loan with Sunderland in League One the following season. He began the 2022-23 season on loan at Wigan Athletic before a permanent move to Ipswich Town that January. "I'm delighted to welcome Nathan to the club, he's a local boy who had a real desire to come and play for his hometown club," Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said. "We're all looking forward to working with him in the coming seasons." After three consecutive promotions, Wrexham lost its first match in the Championship League 2-1 to Southampton after conceding two late goals last weekend. The club's next match is Aug. 23 against Sheffield Wednesday. --Field Level Media
