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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Manchester United expects annual core profit to return to pre-COVID levels
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Friendly - Hong Kong v Manchester United - Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong, China - May 30, 2025 Manchester United players pose for a team group photo before the match REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 8, 2025 Manchester United players pose for a team group photo before the match REUTERS/Scott Heppell/File Photo Manchester United raised their annual core profit forecast on Friday to levels last seen before the pandemic as the club's strong performance in the Europa League drove ticket sales and broadcast revenue. Ticket sales jumped more than 50% to 44.5 million pounds in the three months to March as the club had a good run in the Europa League, before losing the finals to Tottenham Hotspur. United's New York-listed shares rose 4.4% in U.S. premarket trading. The club's annual core profit, which excludes player trading and finance cost, is expected to jump 21% to 28% to a range of 180 million to 190 million pounds for the year ending June. United had their worst Premier League season since they were relegated in 1974 and hopes of participating in a European competition next season were dashed after they lost the Europa League final. "We had a difficult season in the Premier League, which we all know fell below our standards and we have a clear expectation of improvement next season," CEO Omar Berrada said in a statement. United's absence from European competitions, which are lucrative sources of broadcasting revenue, deals a huge blow to the club's future finances and has drawn anger and disappointment from fans. Jim Ratcliffe, who holds a stake of about 29% in the club and runs their football operations, has taken steps to revive the club's fortunes, including by cutting jobs, raising ticket prices and stopping free lunches at staff canteens. United reported a net loss of 2.7 million pounds for the three months ended March 31, smaller than the 71.5 million pounds it posted a year earlier. The Glazer family, who own a majority of the club, have faced strong criticism from fans for saddling the club with debt, overspending on players and putting off investments on infrastructure. Manager Ruben Amorim said in May that the club did not need a big squad since they were not playing in the Champions League. In March this year, United announced plans to build a new 2-billion-pound 100,000-seat stadium, next to the existing Old Trafford. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Everton give Goodison fitting farewell as Ndiaye double seals Saints win
Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Southampton - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - May 18, 2025 Everton fans outside the stadium during the last match for the men's team at Goodison Park REUTERS/Scott Heppell LIVERPOOL - Everton gave Goodison Park a fitting farewell after Iliman Ndiaye scored twice to give the home side a 2-0 victory over already-relegated Southampton on Sunday as the "Grand Old Lady" hosted its final Premier League game after 133 years. Everton's win in their penultimate match of the season -- but last game at Goodison before moving to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock -- left David Moyes' side 13th on 45 points. Bottom-placed Southampton have 12 points from 37 games. Tears and cheers greeted the Everton team introductions on an emotional afternoon and it took Ndiaye less than six minutes to spark bedlam when he took the ball on the half-turn before driving towards goal and curling a shot into the bottom corner. The 25-year-old Senegal international completed his double in first-half injury time when James Garner played a ball through two defenders and Ndiaye beat goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale with a dummy and then tapped into the empty net. With Tim Cahill, Wayne Rooney, Duncan Ferguson and dozens of other Everton greats watching, the hosts ran roughshod over Saints, who did little to spoil the party. The score could have been more lopsided as Beto had two goals ruled out for offside. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Tonali on target as Newcastle beat 10-man Chelsea 2-0
Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Chelsea - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - May 11, 2025 Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali scores their first goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell NEWCASTLE, England (Reuters) -An early goal from Sandro Tonali and a late Bruno Guimaraes effort gave Newcastle United a 2-0 home win over Chelsea on Sunday that moves the Magpies a step closer to Champions League football next season, with Blues striker Nicholas Jackson denting his side's hopes by being sent off in the first half. The win leaves Newcastle in third spot on 66 points, three ahead of Chelsea, who hold the fifth and final Champions League spot with two games to play. Aston Villa are level with Chelsea on points, with Nottingham Forest, who face already-relegated Leicester City later on Sunday, two points further back. Midfielder Tonali ghosted in at the far post to steer home a pass from Jacob Murphy in the second minute, and the home side's task appeared to become easier when Jackson had his initial yellow card upgraded to a red in the 35th minute following an elbow to the head of Newcastle defender Dan Burn. Despite going down to 10 men, Chelsea dominated for much of the second half, forcing Eddie Howe to make a number of changes to bolster the home side's defence, and Guimares sealed the three points with a shot from outside the box that deflected off a defender before sailing into the net in the 90th minute. (Reporting by Philip O'Connor; editing by Clare Fallon)
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Man United reach Europa League final after dispatching Athletic Bilbao
Soccer Football - Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 8, 2025 Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell Soccer Football - Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 8, 2025 Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui in action with Athletic Bilbao's Unai Gomez Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff REUTERS Soccer Football - Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 8, 2025 Manchester United's Casemiro celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell Soccer Football - Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 8, 2025 Manchester United's Mason Mount celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Harry Maguire Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff REUTERS Soccer Football - Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 8, 2025 Manchester United's Mason Mount scores their first goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell MANCHESTER, England - Manchester United booked their berth in the Europa League final after a 4-1 semi-final win Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, with Mason Mount scoring twice to hand the hosts a 7-1 aggregate win and a chance for the beleaguered team to hoist some silverware this season. United, who are languishing in 15th place in the Premier League, kicked off the night with a comfortable cushion thanks to their stunning 3-0 victory a week earlier in Bilbao. But Mikel Jauregizar put Athletic on the score sheet in the 31st minute after a terrible clearance attempt by Harry Maguire landed at the Spaniard's feet and he unleashed a blistering shot from outside the box into the top corner. Mount drew United level in the 72nd minute, latching onto a pass from Leny Yoro before turning and firing past goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Casemiro headed home from a free kick seven minutes later, and Rasmus Hojlund put the game out of reach in the 85th when Amad Diallo cut the ball back from the byline into the six-yard box and the Dane tapped into an empty net. Mount completed his double in added time when he spotted Agirrezabala well out of his net and fired a shot from just inside the visitors' half. United, the Europa League champions in 2017, will play Tottenham Hotspur in an all-Premier League final on May 21 at Bilbao's San Mames Stadium. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- Scotsman
New push to ban Red Arrows flypast over Edinburgh Military Tattoo at festival time
A motion in a bid to ban flypasts over Edinburgh Castle for the Tattoo will be discussed at Thursday's council meeting. Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Aerial displays over the Scottish capital could be banned over environmental and noise pollution concerns, according to plans put forward by an Edinburgh councillor. Flypasts take place every year for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo every year in August, and sometimes happen as part of other events as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Royal Airforce Red Arrows fly past over St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. Picture: Scott Heppell -| Scott Heppell -Now Green councillor Dan Heap has brought a motion to the city council to explore banning the displays. And he said the noise disturbance the aerial displays cause – and the potentially traumatic impact flypasts can have on people fleeing war – were grounds to try and get rid of them. Cllr Heap said: 'We want to reduce these to, preferably, zero, but at least get fewer. The main user of these, the Edinburgh Tattoo, has already decreased them, there's fewer than there used to be. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But it has a number of flight paths of jet aircraft during the tattoo, which is in August – it's purely for entertainment.' Cllr Heap said the city's Green group believed the negative environmental impacts of the displays were severe. He said: 'I've been trying to get a hold of what the precise emissions are from these particular jets, and that's not public – but I found some other military jets. 'And they have significant carbon emissions. And yes, it's a relatively brief flyover, but they're flying from airbases that aren't near Edinburgh. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Sometimes they come from Lossiemouth [in Moray], or from an airbase in England. So they're flying quite a long way. Red Arrows perfect new display. | AS1 Emily Muir / RAF / SWNS 'And yes, it might seem like the flight is relatively short over the castle, very short. But you've got to factor in the time they're flying to and from the air base.' Cllr Heap said that while passenger flying was essential, air displays were purely for entertainment. The motion aims to use licensing to restrict the number of air displays in the city, given the events that involve them require public entertainment licences. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cllr Heap envisions a public safety element or some other reason being adhered to event licences that bans flypasts, but he said officers would be better equipped to explore what using licence conditions to ban flypasts would involve. The motion, if passed by councillors, would call on officers to present a report on ways in which such a ban could be enacted by the August full Edinburgh council meeting. It also says that displays involving drones or model aircraft would be allowed.
