West Bromwich Albion

Sky Sports are planning to announce scheduled English Football League (EFL) TV picks from August up until the third round of the FA Cup in January before the start of the 2024-25 season. The broadcaster, who will also show every game from all three EFL divisions on the opening day of the new campaign, are taking this action to avoid any potential fan disruption. By November, Sky plan to announce TV picks for January to March, and the rest of the season will follow a ‘traditional’ notice period as they keep up with main storylines. Every match from across all three leagues — the...

Ainsley Maitland-Niles reflects on his time at Arsenal, his many loans and on how his move to French club Lyon is working out

A new agreement with Sky Sports will bring an end to iFollow for domestic football fans

The 2023-24 Championship campaign has reached its final hurdle. Leicester City will be returning to the Premier League after their 3-0 victory over Preston North End on Monday secured the league title — their first game since promotion was confirmed following Queens Park Rangers‘ 4-0 win against Leeds United on Friday night. Rotherham United’s 1-0 defeat by Plymouth Argyle on April 5 confirmed their relegation to League One. However, there are still several things to be decided heading into the league’s conclusion this week: a final automatic promotion spot, four play-off places...

Ipswich have a stinker in the derby, Doncaster are flying and 'Fergie Time' is still going strong - what you missed outside the top tier...

A year has passed since Ecuador winger last played for his parent club as he continues a rebuilding phase of his career in the Championship

The Labour Party has challenged the UK government to hurry up and introduce an independent regulator for football or the opposition will make it “an election issue” in constituencies with crisis-hit clubs. Speaking during a parliamentary business debate on Thursday, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell asked her opposite number Penny Mordaunt why the government had not yet introduced the Football Governance Bill that was promised in November’s King’s Speech, the formal statement of the government’s intended programme of legislation. “The much-needed and heralded...

The fun of the EFL: A 34-year-old's first-ever red card, an embarrassing victory tumble, and the world's worst ever corner

The English Football League (EFL) has secured record deals of at least £148million ($188m) for its international TV rights across a four-season period. The new deals ensure record guaranteed international rights fees for EFL clubs, with two agencies, Pitch International and Relevent Sports, representing the organisation across global TV markets until the conclusion of the 2027-28 campaign. The deals could see the EFL — which runs the second, third and fourth tiers of English football (the Championship, League One and League Two), as well as the League Cup and the EFL Trophy — bank more...

Florida-based businessman Shilen Patel has completed his takeover of Championship club West Bromwich Albion. Patel, who becomes West Brom’s chairman, replaces outgoing owner Guochuan Lai, who had been in control of the club since September 2016. Patel acquires an 87.8 per cent shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Brom, through Bilkul Football WBA, LLC — a company ultimately owned by Patel and his father Dr Kiran C. Patel. The proposed price tag is understood to be £10.5million, which will be paid in three instalments over 18 months — £2.5m...

Ex-Arsenal chief raises eyebrows, Frazer gets frosty reception, and could Gordon Brown be independent regulator?

English Championship club West Bromwich Albion have agreed a takeover deal with Florida-based businessman Shilen Patel. Patel emerged as the preferred candidate to takeover the club by outgoing owner Guochuan Lai, who had been in control of West Brom since September 2016. Patel will acquire an 87.8 per cent shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. The takeover is set to be ratified next week after Patel, who will be named as West Brom’s chairman, arrived in Birmingham on Thursday to close the deal. Patel will be in...

The takeover of West Bromwich Albion by Florida-based businessman Shilen Patel is a step closer after the Championship club’s current owner Guochuan Lai agreed a deal to repay a loan he secured on shares in West Brom’s parent company. Lai borrowed £2million from a company controlled by local entrepreneur Alex Hearn in 2021. Repayment was scheduled for last week but the Chinese businessman failed to settle the debt, which meant Hearn was entitled to claim at least 2.35 per cent of West Bromwich Albion Holdings. The outstanding amount had already grown to more than £4million and a default...

Matt Slater breaks down all you need to know from the Paris meeting of European football's governing body, and more

West Brom have identified individuals who disrupted Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with Wolves. The Championship club have issued an update, which stated that individuals have been identified as part of the club’s investigation and that their “ticket accounts have been suspended”, as well as having their details passed to police. Six people were arrested and a man was taken to hospital as the fixture on Sunday at the Hawthorns was suspended for over 30 minutes following crowd trouble. Police were forced to intervene as fights appeared to break out in the stands. A...