logo
RFU keen on hosting Chelsea matches at Twickenham for seven years

RFU keen on hosting Chelsea matches at Twickenham for seven years

Times28-04-2025

The RFU would be open to the lucrative prospect of hosting Chelsea at Twickenham during the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge but expects that Richmond upon Thames borough council would block the move.
Chelsea will be in the market for a temporary home for up to seven years if they choose to build a new 60,000-capacity stadium on the site of Stamford Bridge. The club's alternative option, to build a stadium in Earl's Court, would not require a groundshare arrangement.
If Chelsea were to rebuild Stamford Bridge, they would have to groundshare with Premier League rivals, hire out Wembley as Tottenham Hotspur did, or revive interest in playing at Twickenham.
Chelsea first made a request to play at the home of rugby in 2014. The RFU

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mark Bullingham: Bill Sweeney-style bonus nets FA chief £1.32m salary
Mark Bullingham: Bill Sweeney-style bonus nets FA chief £1.32m salary

Times

time29-04-2025

  • Times

Mark Bullingham: Bill Sweeney-style bonus nets FA chief £1.32m salary

The FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has become the highest-paid leader of a sports governing body after a £450,000 bonus took his income for last year to £1.32million. Bullingham's earnings for the year ending July 2024 included a salary of £869,000 as well as the long-term incentive plan (LTIP) bonus. The total eclipses that of the RFU's chief executive, Bill Sweeney, whose earnings of £1.1million — made up of a £358,000 LTIP bonus on top of an increased salary of £742,000 — provoked a storm in rugby union. The FA said last year's bonus reflected the organisation exceeding 'ambitious' performance targets over two years. That included financial targets as well as those on the pitch, with the England men's and women's teams reaching the finals of Euro 2024 and the 2023 World Cup respectively. Bullingham's pay the previous year was £850,000. The FA's highest-paid employee is the England head coach, Thomas Tuchel, who receives about £5million a year. The Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, earned £1.98million in its most recent financial year, but Bullingham, 50, is the highest-paid executive at an English national sports governing body. The annual accounts, published on Companies House, state the FA 's remuneration committee 'considered financial achievements that saw the organisation exceed its [financial] target over the period and secure longer-term financial stability through England and FA Cup broadcast rights deals. 'Other achievements include senior men and women's tournament performance, the growth of the women's and girls' game and improvements to grassroots facilities were also recognised.' Another £550,000 in LTIPs was paid to two other unnamed members of the FA's senior management team, the accounts reveal. The FA's turnover rose to £551million from £482million, with £164million invested into the game. There is a new three-year LTIP plan in operation for August 2024 to July 2027 which has the potential to deliver similar or even greater bonuses. An FA spokeswoman said Bullingham's remuneration was 'benchmarked extensively and independently by PriceWaterhouse Coopers'. She added: 'It is performance-based — Mark has led the business to meet and exceed robust and ambitious performance targets on and off the pitch and deliver our 2020-2024 strategic objectives. 'The FA has a turnover of over £500million — equivalent to a FTSE 250 company — and is responsible for governing the national sport. To attract and retain high-calibre executives, the total remuneration package on offer needs to be competitive in the context of a leadership role in our market. 'In order to be competitive, the opportunity to earn a bonus and a long-term incentive plan are important — but payments are only made if performance targets are delivered or exceeded.' Bullingham joined the FA in 2016 from Fuse Sports and Entertainment, having previously been director of marketing for sailing's America's Cup. He took over as chief executive in 2019. Kieran Maguire, the football finance author and academic at the University of Liverpool, said: 'Mark Bullingham's bonus is presumably related to the FA's increased profitability and ability to run without third party debt. The success of the Lionesses and the men's team reaching the Euro 2024 final also appears to be a contributing factor.'

Why rebuilding Arsenal around Bukayo Saka has been Mikel Arteta's top move
Why rebuilding Arsenal around Bukayo Saka has been Mikel Arteta's top move

Times

time29-04-2025

  • Times

Why rebuilding Arsenal around Bukayo Saka has been Mikel Arteta's top move

When Arsenal played out their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Wednesday, the biggest cheer of the night came not for either of the hosts' goals but when Bukayo Saka emerged from the substitutes' bench. To Arsenal supporters that evening, the result was secondary to witnessing the man who carries their hopes of silverware appear unscathed having suffered an injury scare against Ipswich Town three days earlier. That Arsenal are in the Champions League semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain and within touching distance of the European glory that has largely eluded the club is in no small part down to Saka. It is fitting that he is the sole survivor from the wreckage of their most recent European final in the Europa League six years ago against Chelsea, when he was an unused substitute wearing No87. Arsenal were in the doldrums then. Having missed out on qualification for the Champions League after finishing fifth in the league, they needed to win but were blown away by Eden Hazard in a 4-1 hammering. Understandably, the mood was sombre on the six-hour journey back from Baku. To rub salt into their wounds, Chelsea had already qualified for Europe's elite competition and their preparations had been disrupted by their under-fire head coach Maurizio Sarri storming out of training on the eve of the game. 'It was maybe the worst flight I ever had, nobody was talking,' reflected Alexandre Lacazette, the former Arsenal forward. The one glimmer of hope was Saka, who was given his first Premier League start at the beginning of the next season by Unai Emery. When Emery was sacked in November 2019 after a deterioration in results, one of the first things head coach Mikel Arteta did was to identify Saka's technical gifts, football intelligence and personality as crucial in his attempt to transform the culture at Arsenal. Upon taking charge in December 2019, Arteta presented the club's hierarchy with a blueprint for how to make Arsenal consistently successful, which contained five phases. He has never shed light on the exact details of this plan but revealed that Arsenal were in phase three in March 2023, when they first challenged for the Premier League title. Last month, he said the club were approaching the final phase. 'We are in phase four to five, establishing yourself at the highest level in the Champions League,' Arteta said. 'Consistently performing with a DNA that is very clear, with a lot of unity throughout the club and being very close to touching big trophies.' The journey has not been smooth. Months after lifting the FA Cup in August 2020 at an empty Wembley Stadium during the pandemic, Arteta's job was under serious threat. Arsenal went into a tricky London derby against Chelsea lying 15th on the back of a run of seven league games without a win. Arteta was grateful to Saka for scoring the third goal in a 3-1 victory on Boxing Day that strengthened his position. The following month, he felt emboldened enough to terminate the contracts of Mesut Özil, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos. Deadwood was to be offloaded at any cost. While these departures did not immediately improve the club's fortunes on the pitch, Arteta was backed in the summer transfer window. Arsenal's net spend under Arteta has been £460million as they have cut their losses on highly paid, underperforming players and brought in the likes of Declan Rice for £100million and Kai Havertz for £60million. The steady improvement has resulted in Arsenal re-establishing themselves as Champions League regulars. After they were knocked out by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals last season, they have looked better equipped to deal with Europe's top teams. By cutting out the costly mistakes, Arsenal conceded only three goals in the group stage and six in all during the competition. David Raya, the goalkeeper, has been in fine form in the competition. He has faced shots worth 10.4 expected goals on target (xGOT), meaning he has conceded 4.4 goals fewer than the average goalkeeper would have when tested with those shots. They finished behind only Liverpool and Barcelona in the 36-team group phase, losing only to Inter Milan, who have also reached the last four, and in the knockout phase have benefited from resounding first-legs wins against PSV Eindhoven (7-1 away) and Real Madrid (3-0 at home). Only Inter have been behind for a lower percentage of minutes (1 per cent) than Arsenal (6 per cent). Saka's return from a hamstring injury in time to face Real in the quarter-finals was vital and, despite missing a penalty, his delicate chip killed off Real's hopes of a comeback in the second leg. It feels that with Saka fit and firing against PSG, Arsenal have every chance of reaching their first Champions League final since losing 2-1 to Barcelona in 2006. One notable statistic from Madrid was that Rice and Thomas Partey misplaced only one pass between them in the second leg. With Partey suspended, after picking up a yellow card, will Arteta be more cautious in midfield and move Mikel Merino from his recent role as a makeshift striker? The next week could provide another pivotal moment for Arteta. Reaching the final in Munich would be worth at least another £16million on top of the £100million they have already earned from the competition this season. The status of European champions would only help to attract more elite targets to try to win the domestic crown. Arsenal are in pole position to sign Martín Zubimendi, the Spain midfielder, from Real Sociedad for £51million, and have taken an interest in Joan García, the Espanyol goalkeeper, Nico Williams, the Athletic Bilbao winger, and Benjamin Sesko, the RB Leipzig forward. It would also go some way to redressing Arsenal's position as great underachievers in Europe. Not since the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994 have they tasted continental success and since Arsenal reached the Champions League final 19 years ago, Chelsea have won it twice in 2012 and 2021 with Tottenham Hotspur runners-up in 2019. 'I'm an optimist and I believe I will win it and the sooner, the better,' Arsène Wenger said, the last time Arsenal reached this stage in 2009. They lost 4-1 on aggregate to Manchester United and the Frenchman never fulfilled his ultimate ambition. Arteta now has the mantle and can take a significant step towards turning the club's dream into reality over the next eight days, helped by Saka, now a superstar, who has five goals in seven matches in the competition this season. Arsenal v PSG

RFU keen on hosting Chelsea matches at Twickenham for seven years
RFU keen on hosting Chelsea matches at Twickenham for seven years

Times

time28-04-2025

  • Times

RFU keen on hosting Chelsea matches at Twickenham for seven years

The RFU would be open to the lucrative prospect of hosting Chelsea at Twickenham during the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge but expects that Richmond upon Thames borough council would block the move. Chelsea will be in the market for a temporary home for up to seven years if they choose to build a new 60,000-capacity stadium on the site of Stamford Bridge. The club's alternative option, to build a stadium in Earl's Court, would not require a groundshare arrangement. If Chelsea were to rebuild Stamford Bridge, they would have to groundshare with Premier League rivals, hire out Wembley as Tottenham Hotspur did, or revive interest in playing at Twickenham. Chelsea first made a request to play at the home of rugby in 2014. The RFU

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store