Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.
Soccer story I have been keeping an eye on -
A radical scheme to redesign the structures of English professional soccer, called 'Project Big Picture,' led by the EFL chairman and the owners of Liverpool and Manchester United, was been shot down by the Premier League's clubs.
The 'Project Big Picture' proposals:
The Premier League cut from 20 to 18 clubs, with the Championship, League One and League Two each retaining 24 teams.
The bottom two teams in the Premier League relegated automatically with the 16th-placed team joining the Championship play-offs.
The League Cup and Community Shield abolished.
Parachute payments scrapped.
A £250m rescue fund made immediately available to the English Football League and 25% of all future TV deals.
£100m paid to the Football Association to make up for lost revenue.
Nine clubs given "special voting rights" on certain issues, based on their long time in the Premier League.
"English football is the world's most watched, and has a vibrant, dynamic and competitive league structure that drives interest around the globe," a Premier League statement said.
"To maintain this position, it is important that we all work together. Both the Premier League and the FA support a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the game, including its competition structures, calendar and overall financing particularly in light of the effects of Covid-19.
"Football has many stakeholders, therefore this work should be carried out through the proper channels enabling all clubs and stakeholders the opportunity to contribute."
Hockey news I've been following -
NWHL commissioner and founder Dani Rylan Kearney (@DaniRylan) announced that she is stepping down as part of a major restructuring of the league's governing model. Toronto Six Chair Tyler Tumminia has been appointed as interim Commissioner.
Rylan Kearney, who launched the league in 2015, will now become president of the original NWHL ownership group controlling four of the league’s six teams, which are the Metropolitan Riveters, Connecticut Whale, the Buffalo Beauts and the Minnesota Whitecaps.
Rylan Kearney’s day-to-day job will now be finding new independent owners and leading operations for the four franchises. The two other league teams, the Toronto Six and Boston Pride, already have independent owners.
“This is a landmark day signalling the start of a new era of growth,” said NWHL board of governors member John Boynton. “It begins with governance and a new structure and will result in major steps forward for the league on the ice, in our arenas and as a business.”
What I have been learning about -
I became engrossed in Spencer Kelly's (@spenley) dive into the world of the America's Cup, one of the biggest and toughest sailing races in the world.
Kelly joins INEOS Team UK in their pursuit of the America's Cup in 2021. In the process, showing how the team is designing their boat and the training each sailor has to undertake in their bid to defeat defending champions Emirates Team New Zealand.
Sporting event I am excited for -
This weekend will see the first Old Firm in more than 10 months. Plenty has happened both on and off the field in that time.
For the first time in the history of the famous derby there will be no fans allowed into the stadium, as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. However, tensions are still expected to be high with Celtic one point behind Premiership leaders Rangers as they resume their search for a 10th successive title. Highlights from the last Old Firm:
What I've been watching -
High Score on Netflix. The docuseries offers a history of the video games industry that showcasing how video games have gone from the basics of pong through the golden years of arcade cabinets and home consoles. While showcasing how the modern eSports industry has developed.
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Jonathan