Everton’s new owners are preparing to raid their Premier League rivals, Inside Sport has learned.
According to those with knowledge of the situation, the US-based Friedkin Group are seeking to appoint a chief executive.
Fulham’s highly-regarded Alistair Mackintosh has admirers on the blue half of Merseyside, although he is understood to be settled in west London. A recruitment firm is heading the search, with Brighton’s Paul Barber and ex-Arsenal exec Vinai Venkatesham – who is sorely missed at the Emirates – among those looked at.
Everton executive chairman Marc Watts of The Friedkin Group watches at Goodison Park
FAN BEHAVIOUR LEAVES CLUB BOSSES CONCERNED
The latest example in the seemingly growing trend in instances of fans being unable to behave themselves comes via the EFL.
Inside Sport has been made aware of a growing number of incidents in relation to away directors being targeted by home supporters at matches across the competition.
The sight of away officials celebrating goals from their sides in the directors’ box has been commonplace in the game for decades. However, it would now appear that it is too much to handle for some, with issues on the rise over the past 12 months and an increased number of reports made.
The situation is so serious that the EFL has now been moved to issue a ‘Ground Criteria Survey’ which will seek the views of clubs. After the results are collated, the expectation is a tightening of the regulations surrounding seating of away directors.
In the meantime, clubs have been asked to review their current set-ups and make sure everything is being done to keep those present safe. A sad and damning situation.
McLAREN CHIEF LEAVES F1 TEAM
Steve Atkins, the former Chelsea communications chief, is to leave McLaren.
Atkins, widely regarded as one of the best in the business, broke the news to staff this week, explaining that after two years which included a World Championship he wished to pursue a role closer to home that will allow him to spend more time with family.
There is unlikely to be a shortage of suitors for Atkins, who departs next month.
EFL CLUBS RESPOND TO DANGEROUS GOALPOSTS SURVEY
Earlier this month, this column revealed concerns that dangerous goalposts were being used across the game after a goalkeeper suffered an horrific injury in a League Two clash earlier this season.
Seventy-one clubs responded to an EFL survey, with the league made aware that the offending nets are being used across the competition.
The PFA, FA and refs’ body PGMOL will meet with the league and the manufacturer, who believes they have found a mitigation measure. Clubs buying new goals have been urged to consider different designs and carry out a risk assessment.
EFL clubs have had their say on dangerous goalposts after being sent a survey
TRUMP CONTACTED OVER BOXING ABSENCE
Umar Kremlev, the disgraced Russian President of the International Boxing Association, which has been banned by the IOC, has written to Trump alerting him to the fact that boxing is currently not on the Olympic programme for LA28.
The idea is to get Trump to force the issue as a key debating point in the IOC Presidential election, which will be decided in March.
Umar Kremlev has contacted President Donald Trump over boxing’s inclusion in the Olympics
AI TO DETERMINE BEST-RUN CLUB IN EUROPE
Much chatter behind the scenes at rival Premier League clubs as technical staff await the results of a pioneering in-depth study conducted by boffins at St Gallen University and world-leading AI technology PLAIER.
The findings, the first of its kind, will rank technical staff when they release results based on pure data of the best run clubs in Europe across key factors such as squad quality, recruitment, performance, results and finance.
PLAIER is already used by leading Premier League clubs to identify areas where they can get a competitive advantage over rivals with insights from the world’s largest football database assembled and they are about to put the finishing touches to their painstaking research.
PLAIER, which can even tell head coaches their best starting xi for any given opponents, already predicted this season’s PL champions with claims at the start of the season that Liverpool had a fractionally stronger squad than defending champs Man City.
ATHLETICS WORLD SHOCKED BY CRAM APPOINTMENT
Eyebrows have been raised in the world of athletics after Laura Muir announced Steve Cram as one of her coaches.
Cram will continue to work for the BBC despite taking on the Olympic silver medallist, which raises obvious questions over impartiality given he will no doubt be behind the microphone while Muir, 31, races in the 1,500m.
CAPTAIN MARVEL LANDS HMRC WIN
Some good news for Bryan Robson in the week Mail Sport reported that the Manchester United legend was to see his salary as club ambassador ‘substantially reduced’ as part of INEOS’s wide-ranging review of operations at Old Trafford.
Captain Marvel has triumphed in the majority of his case against HMRC, with the amount he was ordered to pay in outstanding tax expected to be less than it cost the taxman to bring the matter to tribunal.
The case centred around whether Robson, who worked as ambassador from 2015 to 2021 under his own company, was actually a deemed employee of the club.
