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JUNE 23, 2026
Premier League's Front of Shirt Gambling Sponsorship Ban
Premier League (PL) front of shirt sponsorships will look distinctly different in the forthcoming 2026/27 season. Gambling logos will be absent from the league’s most commercially valuable inventory. Clubs that currently rely on betting operators as their principal shirt sponsor will need to obtain an alternative commercial partner. The change has been three years in the making, one where its legal, regulatory, and commercial implications extend far beyond a simple rebranding exercise.
JUNE 18, 2026
The Southampton Spygate Sanction: A Penalty Too Far?
Allegations of sporting espionage rarely arise within English football, and even more rarely in the immediate lead-up to a fixture carrying the financial and sporting significance of a Championship play-off semi-final. The incident involving Southampton F.C., which has since been referred to as the ‘Spygate’ affair, attracted considerable attention following claims that club representatives had observed their opponent’s training session contrary to English Football League (‘EFL’) regulations.
JUNE 12, 2026
Everton’s Sanction: VAR Required?
On 10 June 2026, the Premier League Independent Disciplinary Commission ordered Everton Football Club (‘Everton’) to pay Burnley Football Club (‘Burnley’) £35 million. This was as a financial sanction for breaches of the Profit and Sustainability Regulations (‘PSR’) arising from the 2021–22 season and assessed over a three-year accounting period.
MAY 21, 2026
Reopening Results: The Impacts of the Felipe Massa Case
The emergence of a legal challenge on behalf of Felipe Massa has reignited debate over whether historic sporting results can be revisited, and potentially altered, through legal proceedings. Massa, a Brazilian former Formula One (‘F1’) driver, missed out on the 2008 World Drivers’ Championship by a single point following the events of the now-infamous “Crashgate” scandal.
MAY 7, 2026
Will FIFA listen to Iran’s World Cup concerns or will they fall on deaf ears?
This article, the second in a two-part series, examines the historical use of boycotts and its relevance to the FIFA World Cup 2026. Against a backdrop of growing scrutiny over FIFA’s political neutrality, the question is no longer whether politics will shape the tournament, but how states and stakeholders will respond.
APRIL 28, 2026
FIFA, Global Politics and the 2026 World Cup Is FIFA truly neutral or is it a false illusion?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held from 11 June to 19 July across the United States, Canada, and Mexico – the first tournament hosted by three nations. The “United 2026” bid, led jointly by the US, Canadian, and Mexican football federations, prioritised existing stadiums, reducing the need for new construction.
APRIL 9, 2026
The Morocco vs Senegal AFCON Final Fiasco
On the 17th of March, the Confederation Africaine de Football (‘CAF’) overturned Senegal’s 1-0 win in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (‘AFCON’) Final. They awarded Morocco a 3-0 win and, by default, the AFCON title. A dramatic result in a tense footballing contest has since developed into one of football’s most contentious legal disputes. At the heart of this controversy lies a 15-minute protest by Senegal, following a Video Assistant Referee (“VAR”) decision, which CAF later deemed to be a breach of its competition regulations.
MARCH 27, 2026
Eligibility, Governance and Risk: Key Legal issues in delivering the Winter Olympic Games
The 2026 Winter Olympics has proved that the 4-yearly extravaganza is among the most prominent global sporting events, demanding complex co-ordination across multiple stakeholders. In the lead-up to the Games, sporting governing bodies must navigate an intricate regulatory landscape shaped by evolving compliance obligations, governance expectations, and commercial commitments. Critical considerations include athlete eligibility, procedural fairness, safety, integrity, and liability, all of which are essential to ensuring the effective delivery of the Games.
Can you Mutually Terminate a Contract
Mutual termination refers to an agreement between employer and employee to bring a fixed-term employment contract to an end prior to its agreed expiry date. It is typically formalised in a written settlement agreement accompanied by negotiated compensation. Unlike unilateral termination for breach, it is formally grounded in reciprocal consent rather than just cause or regulatory sanction.
Yasin Patel comments on the major potential impacts of the Employment Rights Act on the football industry, in City AM
Yasin Patel has provided comment in City AM on what the upcoming Employment Rights Act, due to come into force in 2027, will mean for the sports industry, in particular the impacts of the removal of the cap on pay-outs for unfair dismissal for the football industry.
Should Asia’s Primary Sports Arbitration hub be in Hong Kong?
In this article Yasin Patel and Caitlin Haberlin-Chambers analyses the development and legal framework of arbitration as a method of dispute resolution in sports with a focus on the rise of China as a sports “giant” and Hong Kong as a potential base for Sports Arbitration in Asia.
Bringing Judicial Review into Sports
Judicial review (“JR”) functions as a fundamental safeguard in our legal system ensuring that public decision-makers with power over individuals act within legal bounds and respect basic rights: and recently, its role has become ever more prominent. In 2024 alone there were approximately 3,000 JR applications, a 17% increase from 2023, reflecting growing public expectations that authority and governing bodies will be subject to oversight and accountability.
Criminal Liability in Sports
Who is to blame if someone gets seriously hurt in a game through a reckless tackle? Criminal liability in sports sits at the intersection of law, ethics, and athletic culture, raising complex questions about consent, risk, and accountability. While athletes implicitly accept a degree of physical danger inherent in their sport, what happens when injuries exceed what is reasonably expected or when conduct appears reckless or intentional?
Why Are There So Many Acl Injuries In Women’s Football?
Yasin Patel and Caitlin Haberlin-Chambers explore why female footballers are more suspectable to ACL injuries and, and what can be done by clubs and governing bodies to limit the frequency and severity of these injuries.
RUGBY UNION EX-PLAYER GROUP CLAIM: A CANARY FOR SPORTS GOVERNING BODIES?
A class action lawsuit led by prominent ex-players has brought to the fore the questions being asked about the connection between rugby union and the effects of head impact injuries upon players.
Silencing Homophobia in Sport: Are Clubs Doing Enough to Tackle Online Hate?
Despite ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity and visibility, homophobia remains a pervasive issue in sports both in the UK and globally.
Football Club Ownership: Billionaires, Princes, Hollywood and Wrexham
The acquisition of Wrexham AFC by high-profile figures from Hollywood has garnered widespread attention, thrusting the club into the global spotlight. However, beneath the glamour lies a complex web of legal concerns and potential challenges that the not-so-new owners have already encountered and may confront in the future.
Are Sports And Private Clubs Really Welcoming And Open?
Clubs like the MCC, Muirfield, Garrick and more have opened their membership to women. But have they really? Are they for all? Are they truly Equal?
Should there be More Mixed Gender Sport - Part 2
This is the second part of the article “Should there be more mixed gender sport”? The first part considered the Law and the various arguments and examples of mixed-gender sports and events. This second part looks at transgender and intersex athletes and how different sports and governing bodies deal with this challenging issue.
Should there be More Mixed Gender Sport - Part 1
This article delves into the ongoing debate surrounding the expansion of mixed-gender sports, a discussion hinging on issues of gender and sex discrimination versus the quest for fair competition. The first part looks at the Law and the various arguments and examples of mixed-gender sports and events. The second part looks at transgender and intersex athletes and how different sports and governing bodies deal with this challenging issue.
Are Higher Levels of Testosterone, Doping?
The issue of anti-doping measures has taken a prominent role in the sporting world. The International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) had delegated the responsibility for adjudicating alleged anti-doping rule violations during the Olympics to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration (“CAS”). Since March 2016, the CAS Anti-Doping Division has replaced the IOC Disciplinary Commission in hearing and deciding on doping cases at the Olympic Games.
Do Olympic Cheaters Prosper?
In this concluding article of the exploration of the Paris Olympic Games 2024, Yasin Patel, Robyn Waugh, and Caitlin Haberlin-Chambers analyse the topic of doping around the Olympics, delve into the controversies surrounding the management of doping controls, and examine the challenges encountered during the sporting spectacle.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Part Two
In the second of a three-part series on the legal challenges of the 2024 Olympic Games, Yasin Patel and Caitlin Haberlin-Chambers delve into the complex legal challenges that have emerged throughout the course of the Paris 2024 Olympics. This segment aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the various legal hurdles encountered by organizers, athletes, and stakeholders as they navigate the multifaceted landscape of this major international sporting event.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Part One
This article forms Part one of a three-part analysis into the Paris 2024 Olympics. In this article, Yasin Patel and Caitlin Haberlin-Chambers explore the legal issues within the context of controversies in the lead up to the 2024 Games.
Freedom of Expression in Sports
As the Paris Olympics dazzles the world, we ask the question, should athletes be allowed a political voice in Sports? Should they be allowed to have “freedom of expression”? This article aims to delve into the varied approaches adopted by the sport governing bodies of the Olympics and football. Navigating the delicate balance between politics with a lowercase “p” and Politics with an uppercase “P,” this exploration will delve into the nuanced terrain of athletes aligning themselves with political messages, shedding light on the crucial role of freedom of expression in fostering societal progress and human development within the realm of sports.
Government Intervention in football
Government intervention in sport involves regulatory actions by a government to influence decisions on socio-economic matters within the realm of sports. This interference has led to the suspension of national sports organizations by international governing bodies.
Everton: Can the Toffees Free Themselves from this Sticky Situation?
On Friday 17 November 2023, the Premier League released a statement that “An independent Commission has imposed an immediate deduction of 10 points on Everton FC for a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (“PSRs”).” Everton faced a momentous sporting sanction and were docked 10 points for breaching financial fair play rules. This has had a massive immediate effect on Everton, on their season and as a result they dropped from 14th to 19th place with only goal difference keeping them ahead of Burnley. It is seismic news for the Premier League and possibly one of the biggest moments in Premier League history.
Government Interference in Sport - Why the ICC Suspended Sri Lanka
Government interference in sport refers to regulatory actions taken by a government to influence decisions made by individuals, groups, and organizations on socio-economic matters. Such interferences have led to the provisional or permanent suspension of national sports organizations by international governing bodies.
Will Women Ever get Equality in Football?
This article will examine the rise in women’s football since the Football Association (“The FA”) lifted its ban on women playing football 50 years ago and explore the different international, regional, and national initiatives that have been implemented to tackle gender and sex discrimination ingrained in the culture of women’s football.
The Effects of Kolpak and Brexit upon Cricket and Rugby – What happens next?
It has finally happened: the issue that has dominated the front pages of our national newspapers for what seems an eternity: Brexit. As various sectors of the economy brace themselves for severe disruption, the further permutations of Brexit are starting to affect the sporting world, if they haven’t already. The focus of this article is Kolpak cricketers based in England and Wales, what effect Brexit will have on their status in the county game and what the future holds for professional cricket in the UK.
Racism and Football - What are the Possible Solutions?
So how do we resolve the age old problem of racism in the game? Is there actually a problem? Has the problem been caused by discrimination? Should we give people jobs based purely on colour? What of equal opportunities? Who is going to pay for the advertising, extra training and the jobs? And why do we have to do anything? Yasin Patel looks at some possible solutions to tackle the problem of discrimination in our national game.
SEMENYA & SEX(UALITY): IS CAS RIGHT?
Caster Semenya’s Appeal to Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court from her unsuccessful case at CAS was rejected last week. The case has attracted international coverage for various reasons and from a plethora of agencies throughout the globe. Athletes, governing bodies, human rights agencies, medical experts, coaches, fans and women’s groups have all been involved in some capacity in the world champion’s fight for justice and fairness for herself and others in situations like hers. This article takes a deeper look into Semenya’s case, the question of sex and sexuality and the arguments at CAS ..
Sports Stars & Unpaid Wages - The ‘INPL’ - The World’s Biggest Professional Cricket ‘League’
You may have heard of the IPL, BPL, PSL, Big Bash and Twenty20. All professional cricket leagues. But have you heard of the world’s biggest professional cricket ‘league’? The International Non-Paying League, the “INPL”? Not one you join out of choice, but circumstance. A ‘league’ where your position in the table is based upon the amount of money you are owed or not been paid by franchise’s, teams, owners and cricket boards ..
Have sports stars been caught out by Corona
It is not just in the worlds of finance and commerce where the effects of the global Corona Virus pandemic are currently being felt. The sporting world is also suffering at the hands of this novel virus. And many clubs are doing anything to make savings. But will that be enough? As has been publicised this weekend, Wigan Athletic Football Club have called in the administrators as a result of their financial woes. Seven years after winning the FA Cup, their fall from those dizzy heights has reached a new low ..
Yasin Patel represents athlete at CAS in Anti-Doping Case
Yasin Patel is appearing before the top International Sports Court, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Representing a professional sportsman appealing their ban after an alleged anti-doping rule violation, Yasin will appeal to a distinguished Tribunal to try and get the ban overturned ..
Ticket Touts – How do they get away with it?
This weekend the Rugby World Cup Final between England and South Africa will be watched by billions around the globe. Inside the Yokohama International Stadium, a capacity crowd of 72,327 spectators will watch the match. Tickets are already sold out. However, tickets costing £717 are being sold for £12,500 by ticket touts ..
Racism, Football And The Game’s Problem
In recent days, weeks and months, newspapers, radio stations, television programmes, sports and chat shows, social media and other mediums have been reporting and debating the question of racist incidents in football: the England International match against Montenegro on the 25th March 2019 ..
Suck my d**k, you n****r, you n***o
Offended by the title. And so you should be, but what are you going to do about it? Complain? What if you heard your team-mate say it to an opponent? Would you complain then? Are you an honest, fair, person? Or are you worried that you will be viewed as a ‘snitch’? Which is it and what would you do? Read on and see if you article effects your viewpoint..
Tax avoidance and evasion? Legal or Illegal?
Tax avoidance and tax evasion are two areas that fill the column spaces of many papers. And almost inevitably, as many sportspeople are high earners, they will be mentioned in them. However, local authorities are now also getting into the act. So, in light of the recent articles and leaks on the subject including those..
Image Rights
SLAM pride ourselves in assisting sports players and entertainers to maximize their income and profit and that includes the setting up of Image Rights companies. By doing so, we have assisted International athletes in generating thousands of pounds where before, they had lost out through the use of their image…
NOVEMBER 28, 2016
PULIS ‘ROBBED’ BY OLD CLUB, CRYSTAL PALACE
In what would be termed in footballing terminology as a ‘thrashing’, Anthony Pulis (‘Pulis’) the ex-Crystal Palace Football Club (‘the club’) manager was ordered to pay £3.77 Million pounds to his ex-employers…
OCTOBER 12, 2016
DRUGS – STRICT LIABILITY OR FLEXIBLE?
On the 4th October 2016, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) reduced a ban imposed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) from 2 years to 15 months. Was this right? Why did CAS reduce the sentence and effectively give guidance for cases of ‘doping’ where…