
Kai Cenat plays 'Akinators' thinking of his crush's name. Who shows up? 'Stupid a**. Dumb a**'
'Akinator' is a video game developed by the French company Elokence, and engages players in an intriguing experience
2023-06-02 20:46

Arsenal vs Man City LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and more as Bukayo Saka misses out
Arsenal host Manchester City at the Emirates this afternoon, hoping to boost their Premier League title aspirations. In a game filled with tactical chess moves, Mikel Arteta’s side have lost the last 12 Premier League matches against the champions, but the fitness of Bukayo Saka is a big question mark heading into the contest. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, will be forced into a big midfield decision, with Rodri suspended. “Having success against City is something you have to value, the way we played as well and it gave us confidence and a lift that we can beat them,” said Arteta. “One thing for certain is that we know we will have to be at our best in every department for 100 minutes and then we will have a chance.” Follow live updates from Arsenal vs Man City in the Premier League and get the latest match odds here. Read More The tactical conundrum behind Arsenal’s quest to end absurd Man City streak How do you replace the best holding midfielder in the world? Mikel Arteta gives Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Arsenal vs Man City
2023-10-08 22:50

Why Wrexham’s celebrity owners and lavish spending must be the exception not the norm
As the new League Two season got underway last month, the bookmakers were clear in their opinion; Wrexham were the favourites. The team to beat. Eight games in, Phil Parkinson’s side sit fourth– just three points off table-toppers Gillingham – having won four and drawn three since their opening-day defeat to MK Dons. Two places above them in second is Notts County, Wrexham’s promotion rivals from last season who have also made an impressive start back to life in the Football League. Notts County, like Wrexham, were one of the early season favourites for the title despite this being their first season back in the fourth tier since 2019. While it may come as no surprise that two teams littered with Football League talent have taken little time to acclimatise to England’s fourth tier, it does point to a stark financial inequality that is beginning to emerge at the base of the Football League. In the case of Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney may not be throwing around cash in such a carefree manner as their American counterpart, Todd Boehly, in the Premier League at Chelsea, but they certainly aren’t spending prudently either. The club’s financial records for their promotion-winning season aren’t yet available, but the records from the season prior paint a clear picture of the new owners’ willingness to part ways with cash in their bid for promotion. £1.2m spent on transfers and agents – up from just £10,000 the year before – alongside a 294 per cent increase in football costs and losses of £2.9m which far outweighed the average net loss for a club in the National League, which sits around £1.1m according to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance. Some of that can be explained by the owner’s purchase of the freehold for the stadium and their 404 per cent increase in revenue – up to nearly £6m – but, regardless, the picture is as clear as ever. The big spenders rise to the top. One of last season’s big revenue drivers is expected to be Welcome to Wrexham, the hugely popular fly-on-the-wall documentary. The second season airs this week, showcasing the club’s second full season under their new owners, a campaign which ultimately concluded in Wrexham’s promotion back to the Football League for the first time since 2008. The show has attracted eyeballs and acclaim for its presentation of a football club at the heart of its community, and rightly so. In the second episode of the new series, for example, the story follows a young 17-year-old autistic fan, Millie Tipping, who strikes up a heartwarming relationship with star striker Paul Mullin whose own son, Albi, shares the same disorder. That focus on the community is an uplifting thread that runs throughout the documentary. But it’s also no wonder when the alternative is confronting the fact that Wrexham seem intent on financially bulldozing the lower leagues with boatloads of cash and hefty wage bills. After all, there were no other clubs in the National League last year whose kits were adorned with the sponsorship money of a social media giant like TikTok. No other teams in England’s fifth tier who could ring up and tempt a former England international goalkeeper out of retirement to help secure promotion. This year, their squad has been boosted – yet again – by the arrival of talent from higher divisions in the form of Will Boyle, George Evans and James McLean, the latter a £250,000 signing from Wigan Athletic reported to be on “championship wages”. When added to a squad that had already picked off supreme talents from the leagues above when the Welsh side were still in the National League, it’s clear to see why the bookmakers had them right at the top of their odds sheet. Money talks. They are not the only ones following this path in League Two. Salford City were the poster boy for big spending when they first reached the division under the ‘Class of 92’ ownership group. Stockport County too, who pipped Wrexham to promotion in the documentary’s first season, have spent handsomely, bringing Nick Powell to the club after he left Stoke City in the summer. But as Wrexham’s documentary hits TV screens, it should be the big spending of Reynolds and McElhenney that is put under the microscope. The celebrity status and goodwill garnered from the documentary should not distract from the vast spending that could dramatically alter the lower league landscape. Their openness with the fanbase and their effect on the local community is to be celebrated. One only has to look into the shenanigans at Southend United and Scunthorpe Town to realise stable ownership is far from guaranteed. However, look beyond that and their on-field strategy – fueled by rocketing sponsorship income and aggressive spending – is creating an unwanted blueprint. Succeeding in the Premier League has long been dictated by an owner’s willingness to spend. Football must now avoid a world where big-name owners, vast sponsorship deals and the same ability to spend are the only ways to journey up the football pyramid. Read More Welcome to Wrexham: The seasons we never got to see behind the scenes Welcome to Wrexham: Best sporting moments from season one Welcome to Wrexham: Best moments to look out for in season two Wrexham’s legendary goalkeeper Ben Foster in profile Wrexham’s star striker ‘Super’ Paul Mullin in profile Ben Foster: Retired keeper set to star in Welcome to Wrexham season 2
2023-09-19 21:58

Pegula appoints himself NHL Sabres president, dissolves parent company that also oversaw NFL's Bills
The NFL's Buffalo Bills and the NHL's Sabres will operate as separate entities after the teams’ owner Terry Pegula dissolved their parent company
2023-08-29 01:53

Arsenal 4-0 PSV Eindhoven: Player ratings as Gunners mark Champions League return with big win
Player ratings and match reaction from Arsenal's Champions League opener against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday 20 September.
2023-09-21 05:21

Starbucks' sales in China come roaring back
Starbucks' China business is back after dropping due to Covid restrictions last year.
2023-08-02 06:20

Sigourney Weaver calls for more films about 'capable, diverse and incredible' women
Sigourney Weaver believes more movies about strong women are needed in Hollywood.
2023-08-05 15:29

Man City's Stones faces lengthy injury absence: Guardiola
Manchester City defender John Stones face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an injury in Tuesday's 3-0...
2023-11-08 07:26

'Woke, woke, woke: 'Harry Potter' fans SLAM 'woke' public demanding a Black actress to portray Hermione
Will we see a Black Hermione Granger in the upcoming HBO Max series? Fans are absolutely devastated
2023-05-16 13:48

Who was William Benjamin Adams? Man whose remains were found nearly 3 decades ago after he vanished during a stroll identified
William Benjamin Adams had been suffering from dementia, his family said and several efforts were made to find him but they turned to be unsuccessful
2023-10-01 04:22

Now Sophie Turner's team claims she was 'pressured to party' by Joe Jonas as split battle pits fan against fan
Joe Jonas officially filed for divorce from Sophie Turner on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, after two children and four years of marriage
2023-09-08 14:22

New drama shines light on UK 'poltergeist' mystery
In an ordinary house in a north London suburb in the late 1970s, children levitated, objects flew across rooms, heavy furniture moved on its own and a young...
2023-11-29 14:59
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