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South China Morning Post
8 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Top football clubs need to repay Asian fans with value for money
A famous English football club playing in Hong Kong is always a special occasion for the city's fans, who rarely get to watch their heroes perform live. Manchester United, arguably the biggest team in the world, are usually one of the most eagerly anticipated visitors. But they arrived in the city last week under a cloud, at the end of their worst top-flight season in half a century, languishing in 15th place in the English Premier League. United secured victory on Friday, beating a battling Hong Kong select XI 3-1. But the postseason Asian tour has raised questions. The whistle-stop trip at the end of a gruelling season has been criticised amid concerns about the welfare of players facing a punishing schedule. One former footballer described it as 'mad' and a British radio pundit branded the tour 'utterly ridiculous'. Hong Kong supporters, meanwhile, still smarting from the notorious non-appearance of revered superstar Lionel Messi in the city last year, might question whether they received value for money. Ticket prices ranged from HK$1,390 to HK$2,990, significantly higher than the sum I paid to watch United play Arsenal in the premier league.
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
‘I know how special this club is': Kevin Maher's Southend close to EFL return
Kevin Maher is no stranger to winning promotion with his beloved Southend. The club stalwart helped them earn back-to-back promotions as a player in 2005 and 2006 and was a near ever-present in their season in the Championship in 2006-07. Now he stands on the verge of a managerial achievement that could possibly eclipse anything from his playing days, given the Shrimpers' recent travails. Even the lofty heights of League Two have seemed unreachable in the past few years. Many Southend fans assumed for a long time that a route back to the Football League this season would prove beyond them after finishing seventh, 28 points behind second-placed York. But those struggles on and off the pitch help to explain why Maher is so keen to grasp this opportunity, as Southend prepare to face Oldham in the National League playoff final at Wembley on Sunday. Maher says it will be a proud moment to lead out his players given his affiliation to the club, which dates back to 1998 when he signed as a 22-year-old from Tottenham. He never got the chance to play at Wembley despite competing in three playoff finals – all were staged in Cardiff as England's national stadium was being rebuilt. Yet despite the emotion his approach is a calm and measured one. 'It's not the occasion, it's what it entails, it's the game itself,' he says. 'Hopefully we've got many more days to come with success for the football club and this is an opportunity we want to take. Playoff games are cup games, so anything can happen. What you've got to do is come out on the right side of results and we've managed to do that so far.' Peaking in the playoffs is always an art form and Southend have indeed come good at the right time, battling past Rochdale and Forest Green, who finished fourth and third in the league respectively, to reach Wembley, where they will be backed by close to 25,000 fans – the capacity of the game upped to 50,000 after Shrimpers' fans lobbied MPs for their ticket allocation to be increased. It could have been more but for unfortunately timed engineering works closing Wembley Park tube station. 'It's madness,' says Maher. 'I guess us and Oldham have put a spanner in the works. We as a club could have taken close to 40,000 with us . So you could have had 70,000 in the stadium for a game in the fifth tier of English football. 'I'm gutted for the fans who have missed out. It always seems to be fans who suffer when there's bureaucracy going on.' The demand for tickets shows not only the size and history of Southend but the belief and passion Maher has instilled in the club. They finished the regular season with home attendances at Roots Hall nearing 10,000 – double what they were attracting when he took over in October 2021. Back then the club had just endured back-to-back relegations, falling into non-league in a tailspin of debt, missed wage payments and winding-up orders from the high court. In 2023 the situation was so dire fans started making plans for a phoenix club, and there was a points deduction in 2023-24 before finally a sale to Justin Rees, the new chair, saved the club from liquidation. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Maher remained in his post through all the chaos, a guiding hand on the tiller. Few understand the club's history like him. 'It's the story of what the club is,' he says of the era of financial struggles. 'We don't shy away from that or dismiss what's come before. First and foremost we should be proud that we have a football club. You wouldn't have this football club without people sticking with us and being loyal. But we always look forward as well. 'I've been at this football club and we've won things, even as under-23s manager, and that's my focus. We will be incredibly proud of the players no matter what they do, but the focus is winning.' Perhaps that is where Maher's vast experience will truly count. He knows results will ultimately define him and Southend, and how badly the club need Football League status to continue their story. Oldham, for a long time rivals of the Shrimpers in League One and Two, are apt opponents in the playoff final and crave promotion for similar reasons. So what would victory on Sunday mean to Maher? 'It would mean everything, of course, that's an easy one. I know how special Southend is as a club. But I don't allow myself to get carried away because I've got too much respect for our opponents. We'll make sure we are ready when we cross the white line. It's about performing on the day. You enjoy it more when you win.'
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
49ers Expand Sporting Empire to Buy Scotland's Rangers FC
Rangers Football Club, one of two giants in Scottish football, has been bought out by an American consortium of 49ers Enterprises and health entrepreneur Andrew Cavenagh. Rangers, who have been lagging behind fierce rivals Celtic FC in recent years, will benefit from an immediate cash injection of £20 million ($27 million), subject to shareholder approval at the club's general meeting on June 23, according to a club statement.
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
Man City savour Club World Cup, Etihad expansion and CFG success
Excitement is high as City prepare to defend Fifa Club World Cup title, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak says
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Southend 'don't want season to end'
Southend United boss Kevin Maher says the club are "not ready to finish our season" as they prepare for Sunday's National League play-off final against Oldham for the Shrimpers would seal a return to the English Football League for the first time since 2021 and complete a remarkable comeback for a club that was on the brink of extinction a year ago due to long-standing financial the stability brought by the club's eventual takeover last July, Southend have had a rollercoaster of a time trying to reach the play-offs, only doing so on the final day of the regular season after a goalless draw at then needed extra-time to beat Rochdale in the eliminator before edging past Forest Green Rovers on penalties to make it to that drama means Maher knows how significant Sunday's game is."It's huge - what's gone on here the last few years means that this seemed a long way off not so long ago but that's what happens in football, things change very easily," he told BBC Look East."It's a credit to everyone involved in the club that we've managed to take it to this stage but obviously we want more." After just three wins in their first 13 games of the season, it looked like Southend were more likely to be focussed on avoiding relegation rather than seven wins in the next 15 - and only four defeats - kept them in the hunt for the top seven at the end of only three more losses - and that final-day draw against the Heed - saw Southend into the final play-off spot."It's been a slow burner," Maher said."There have been bumps along the road and setbacks that we've overcome but we've got a group of players that have given everything for the football club and given themselves an opportunity to finish the job off." 'We're only thinking about winning' Given the turmoil of the past few years when the club have faced a raft of winding-up petitions over unpaid taxes, a 10-point penalty, and were only 42 days away from going under at one point, for Southend to have a shot at regaining their EFL status is the sale to new owners COSU (Custodians of Southend United), a consortium led by Australian businessman Justin Rees, took a year to the uncertainty, Maher has got the Shrimpers to Wembley - an achievement he says has come ahead of schedule."When we spoke to the people at the top of the club, they knew it would be a transitional season because there was so much behind the scenes that needed to be done," he said."But when opportunities come you've got to be ready for them and we feel like we've been ready."We're building momentum and have been getting stronger as the season has gone on and we kept saying to the players we're not yet ready to finish our season and it's felt that way the last four or five weeks." Sunday's opposition Oldham, like Southend, have battled against dire financial problems, after their own takeover in says both clubs will feel they deserve to be back in League Two."They've had a tough couple of years as well. But when you look at Southend and what we've had to do, what the club's been through, the fans stood by the team and the club, I think they deserve this and we want to get it over the line," he said. Maher 'gutted' for fans who can't make final The build-up to the game has come against the backdrop of a ticketing row over the reduction in allocation for both clubs due to engineering works on the London trains are stopping at Wembley Park Stadium with Southend and Oldham's initial allocation being capped at 17,500 because of safety overall capacity has since been increased to 50,000 following pressure from MPs but it has left Maher sharing supporters' frustrations."You've got the fifth tier of English football in the national stadium and they can't get enough people in, which is madness," he told BBC Essex."I guess us and Oldham have put a spanner in the works with the number of people that'll come because, speaking to the club, we would've taken close to 40,000."Oldham are a huge club and they could take 20,000 to 30,000, so you could've had 60,000 to 70,000 watching the fifth tier of the English pyramid, which is unbelievable."I'm gutted for the fans who have missed out." 'I couldn't have dreamed of playing at Wembley' One player determined to make the most of the Wembley experience is prolific defender Gus right-back scored the crucial spot-kick that beat Forest Green on penalties after Southend had equalised four minutes from the end of extra time to force the on his match-winning moment, Scott-Morriss - who has scored an incredible 17 times this season - said the realisation of reaching Wembley soon hit him."I've never played there before and when the penalties went in, that's the first thing I thought of," he been at the club for three years and playing full-time for the first time, Scott-Morriss has directly experienced Southend's off-field hardships."It's been a real rollercoaster ride since I've been here," he told BBC Look East. "Nothing's really been plain sailing - even this season, so there's that real connection with the fans."We could have been knocked out quite easily twice [in the play-offs] - even the Gateshead game was like a play-off game, we knew it was do or die and we got the job done."I couldn't have dreamed of playing at Wembley three or four years ago. I'm excited for the challenge and, hopefully, it'll be one to savour for the future."
