Manchester United's bid to extend the life of a temporary car park at its Carrington training complex has run into resistance from counter terrorism police, who have raised concerns about the risk of an attack on the site.
The Premier League club wants to keep the temporary facility, originally brought in for contractors during a £50 million refurbishment of Carrington, in place for a further three years. United lodged a planning application with the local council, and as part of that process Greater Manchester Police were entitled to respond. Given what they called the "high profile nature" of the site, they consulted colleagues in counter terrorism, who assessed the proposal.
In a message to the council, police flagged the lack of a secure entry and exit point for visitors. They said they "implore the application to provide suitable secure pedestrian access" to ensure every visitor to the site is vetted, and warned of the risk of "bad actors" entering among a group of pedestrians.
The plans have also triggered a strong objection from a local action group, Friends of Carrington Moss, who set out their complaints across four pages. They said they were "particularly disappointed that United did not consider it necessary to consult with communities in advance of submission," and argued that approval would increase car dependency in the area and does not amount to "sustainable development."
The group's objection, which also branded United "shameful," said: "The applicant repeatedly states throughout its documentation that Manchester United is a world leading football club. It is clearly not world leading in sustainable operations." The group also claimed United removed two mature trees and "totally stripped" other vegetation, and disputed the club's timeline, saying the car park was fully in use by March 2025 rather than August, as the planning documents had suggested. Manchester United have been contacted for comment.
Infantino's jet-setting re-election push
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, fighting to keep his job, has been clocking up huge air miles as he travels the world seeking support, according to flight logs seen by Inside Sport.
On Friday his private jet, provided by FIFA sponsor Qatar Airways, flew from Doha to Rabat, where Infantino recently summoned officials for crisis talks. It then flew on to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, where Infantino attended an Under-14 tournament despite a request from one of his vice presidents to stay away.
Victor Montagliani, the Canadian president of CONCACAF who is seen by many as a potential successor to Infantino, had asked the Swiss official not to attend, amid concern his presence would distract from the event. Under Infantino, FIFA provides the Caribbean Football Union with up to $5 million per four-year cycle, and he may have used the trip to remind officials of that funding at a president's meeting.
The following day, the same jet flew from Punta Cana to Paris. In total the trip covered around 11,800 miles, at an estimated cost likely to run into the hundreds of thousands.
Silence from Gary Lineker's podcast
There was significant attention earlier this year when former England striker Gary Lineker's The Rest Is Football podcast signed a deal with Netflix reported to be worth £14 million to produce a daily show throughout the World Cup. That deal has since been extended for two more seasons, with a promise to focus on the Premier League and Champions League through twice-weekly episodes from August.
But the Premier League's opening weeks have passed without any coverage from the show, prompting jokes about the longest World Cup holiday in the industry. One insider said: "It's been noticeable on social media that nobody seems to be questioning where they are or demanding a new episode. The Rest Is Football? More like The Rest is F*** All."
Tottenham links in Match of the Day shake-up
Changes to Match of the Day under BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski have also drawn comment. Three of the four new arrivals to the programme, Robbie Keane, Toby Alderweireld and Thomas Frank, have either played for or managed Tottenham Hotspur, the club Kay-Jelski supports, with some joking it amounts to a "Tottenhamification" of the Saturday-night show.
EFL clubs resist VAR expansion
Video Assistant Referee technology is not expected to be introduced at English Football League matches in the near future. Clubs have discussed bringing VAR into league games but have overwhelmingly decided to keep it limited to the play-off finals, the Carabao Cup final and Premier League semi-finals, amid what was described as "significant opposition."
Football Video Support, the FIFA-approved system that allows coaches a set number of "challenges" to request a review of game-changing incidents, has met a similar response, with an "overwhelming majority" of clubs raising concerns. An offer from Premier League clubs aimed at ending the deadlock over financial distribution to the EFL is expected to be put forward in the near future.
