Manchester United have hired a project manager to oversee a revamp of their Carrington training facility.
The club are also close to appointing preferred partners for the redevelopment of Old Trafford.
United have met with companies across a wide range of disciplines including architecture, engineering, crowd modelling and transport.
Meanwhile, the club have issued 1,000 tout-related sanctions since the start of the season in a clampdown on those who attempt to sell tickets for big profits.
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When new Burnley striker Wout Weghorst said that his childhood dream was to play in the Premier League following his move, the more cynical observers may have rolled their eyes.
However, it would appear that the Dutchman was not just trying to score a few points.
Following Burnley’s 3-0 win at Brighton last month when he scored his first goal for the club, the target man’s representatives contacted a number of newspapers to request clippings of match reports to go in the 29-year-old’s scrapbook.
Palmer fury at golf club snub
Carlton Palmer has become embroiled in a row with his local golf club after they unanimously rejected his application to become a member.
The former Sheffield Wednesday and England midfielder tried to join the city’s highly rated, 127-year-old Abbeydale club, having been nominated and seconded by fellow former footballers.
However, a number of members were unimpressed and raised concerns over his conduct, including stories previously reported by the press.
As a result, Palmer, 56, was denied membership and has hit out at what he describes as an ‘archaic’ process.
Chelsea can cater for media
The Government gave Chelsea and Roman Abramovich just one minute’s notice before announcing the oligarch had been sanctioned on Thursday.
Meanwhile, some of the terms of the licence — which appear to defeat the whole purpose by complicating any sale — have left some rubbing their heads and others rubbing their bellies.
The latter was the case at Stamford Bridge yesterday, when members of the press pack who feared the media spread — one of the finest in the top flight — would be no more were delighted to see the usual pre-match fare. It turned out Chelsea had paid caterers in advance for the full season.
Kit man joke raises smiles
It has hardly been a laughing matter but some smiles were raised when a misunderstanding followed mobile network Three’s decision to suspend their shirt sponsorship of Chelsea, hours before they were due to face Norwich.
One journalist tweeted that there was ‘a kit man in Norwich now heading down to Sports Direct to buy 20 plain blue football tops’, only to find that other outlets then began to report the ‘development’ as actual news.
The reporter had to clarify that the post was a joke.
Support for ban call
British Cycling chair Frank Slevin has been contacted by his Belgian, Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian counterparts — each offering their support for his position — after he called for bans on Russian and Belarusian competitors.
Slevin also wants representatives from Russia and Belarus suspended from their positions on the management and organising committees within the Union Europeenne de Cyclisme and Union Cycliste Internationale.
Ramsey steps up security
Aaron Ramsey is stepping up security at his £5million Wales home with plans for a new boundary gate and pillars after a spate of burglaries at footballers’ houses.
The on-loan Rangers star’s luxury five-bedroom pad boasts a reading room, snooker room and helicopter landing pad.
Four years ago, he was given the go-ahead by planners for a 15metre x 37metre swimming pool enclosure including plunge pool and steam room.
Council officials are expected to make a decision on the new gate next month and there have so far been no objections.
Clarkson fires back
F1 host Tom Clarkson was thrown into a bit of a panic when seconds before the team principals’ press conference went live, mischievous Red Bull supremo Christian Horner ripped up his script.
Clarkson responded by firing the first question to Horner about their arch-rival’s Mercedes car and asking whether he thought it was legal.
Yorkshire set third date for EGM
Yorkshire are scrambling to find contact details for all their honorary life members — including Sachin Tendulkar — to finally put their much-awaited EGM together.
Last week, this column reported how the crisis county hit out at members for spreading unfounded rumours ahead of what promises to be a turbulent summit in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.
Sportsmail also reported how the meeting — which would potentially pass key reforms and allow the return of England matches to Headingley — had been cancelled for a second time over an administrative blunder thanks to a ‘technical issue’ which meant that notice it was happening had not been sent to all members.
It has now been rearranged for March 31 — the day of the ECB’s deadline.
Who will fill hosting void?
There is growing concern at the lack of offers to host major sporting events that have been stripped from Russia.
The Olympic world moved faster than Boris Johnson and Co in sanctioning the country following its invasion of Ukraine. But now there are grumblings about Western nations’ double standards in demanding sports bodies pull dozens of elite events from Russia then refusing to offer to host them.
The fear is this will either drive the events into the arms of other nations that can afford to use sport to wash their image, or cause the events to be cancelled completely.
A case in point is the UK, which is due to host only one world championship level event in 2024, with Ireland yet to host any.
UEFA in London move
UEFA are to open a London office next month.
Insiders believe the move is part of their attempt to scupper any further moves over a breakaway European Super League, with a presence in the English capital enabling them to keep a closer eye on future developments.
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