Martin Cloake
Top 5 sporting leagues by salary
Filed under: Sport
We hear much about how English football's Premier League is the richest in the world. But the EPL is not the world's highest payer of sports stars. Read on for the top five biggest-paying sporting leagues on the planet. And it's not the one the New York Yankees (right) play in.Pick of the early market news
It's a tale of bananas, bikes and the bonus paid to Rupert Murdoch (right) this morning as the wires start up. It's a pretty quiet start to what's expected to be a slow day on the markets. Senior figures are also floating ideas about the effects of financial regulation, and what the effects of existing rules will be.Football money not trickling down
Filed under: Sport
While Premier League football clubs spent £350m on transfers this summer, less of the money is going to lower tier clubs or even staying in the English game. Analysis of spending patterns indicates that football's free-market fundamentalists are ill-advised to cling to the notion of trickle-down economics.BBC staff rage over pensions 'robbery'
Filed under: Public Services, Media
BBC staff have voted overwhelmingly in favour of striking over proposed changes to their pension scheme. It's potentially the biggest staff revolt in years. The combination of journalists, the BBC and pensions may not initially prompt sympathetic feelings among our readers. So do staff have a point?5 infamous financial sporting scandals
Filed under: Sport
Allegations against members of the Pakistan cricket team have provoked outrage (right) in Pakistan. But sport and betting have a tumultuous history. We've selected five notable scandals. These are tales populated by characters named Shoeless Joe, rumours of murder, and painted racehorses...Pick of the early market news
Strong US manufacturing data and the buzz of merger and acquisition rumour fuelled a market surge yesterday. Markets across the globe were up between 2 and 3%. Today's early announcements brought good news for retailer Dixons and better than-expected news for recruiter Hays.10 British football transfer milestones
Filed under: Sport
In football these days multimillion pound fees are, if you'll excuse the somewhat mixed metaphor, two a penny. It's all come a long way since the first £100 transfer in 1893. So here are 10 milestones in the ever-rocketing world of British transfer fees, including that set by Cristiano Ronaldo (right).Football transfer spending down 22%
Filed under: Sport
Spending by England's top flight football clubs tumbled 22% in this year's transfer window. The 20 clubs spent a combined £350m, down from the £450 lashed out last summer. Analysis by Deloitte shows this is the lowest figure since 2006, when Premier League spending peaked at £500m. Ghana's Asamoah Gyan (right) was the day's biggest signing at £13m.Pick of the early market news
A sea of red spread across the boards at one stage yesterday as markets plunged worldwide before an afternoon recovery returned to positive territory. Better than expected data on US consumer confidence sparked the recovery. This morning has started quietly.Lionel Richie fronts Walkers ad push
Cheesy Like Sunday Morning could well have been your reaction to Lionel Richie's first appearance in an advert for 30 years (right) over the Bank Holiday weekend. He's promoting Walkers Crisps alongside long-time face of the brand Gary Lineker. It's enough to keep you up All Night Long.















