Welcome to the pre-Christmas Talking the Blues Podcast, in which we catch up on the two defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal, before reflecting more widely on progress. Unfortunately, I had to leave […]
The Analysis Series: The erosion of the traditional football calendar: Commercial cynicism and broadcast imperatives in the Premier League 2025–2029 cycle
The commercial evolution of the Premier League has reached a juncture where the preservation of sporting tradition is increasingly subordinated to the exigencies of broadcast revenue and inventory management. In my […]
The Friedkins acquisition & restructuring of Everton Football Club: Strategic, financial & operational analysis of their first year (2024/2025)
The relative stability of the club 12 months after the acquisition by the Friedkins is welcoming, and after years of near terminal decline, provided a platform from which the club can grow, […]
The Analysis Series: Broadcast rights, solidarity mechanisms, and financial redistribution in the English Football League
The structural transformation of the English football pyramid The 2024/25 football season represented the most significant restructuring of broadcast rights and financial distribution mechanisms in the modern era. For decades, the economic […]
The Analysis Series: Systemic Risk in the European Football Economy: A comparative analysis with the 2008 banking crisis and frameworks for prudential mitigation
Summary The global financials of professional football, particularly within England and Europe, have undergone a radical transformation over the last two decades. No longer merely a collection of civic sporting institutions operating […]
Talking the Blues Podcast – Nottingham Forest (h), a catch up, confusion from the host but plenty of fun
Welcome to this week’s Talking the Blues Podcast with George and Andy Costigan, in which we catch up on recent games including Saturday’s tremendous victory against Nottingham Forest. Paul get’s into a […]
The Analysis Series: Analysis of the 2025 IOPC Hillsborough Report
The publication of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Operation Resolve report in December 2025 represents a watershed moment in the modern history of British policing and state accountability. Concluding […]
Manchester United (a) version II – the football regulator and City of Liverpool infrastructure
Welcome to a re-recorded edition of Talking the Blues, with Andy and George Costigan in fine and joyous form following our victory earlier this week at Old Trafford. We look at the […]
Talking the Blues – Victory at Old Trafford – after all these years I only needed to get one thing right!
Welcome to this week’s momentous Talking the Blues’ Podcast. After all these years Andy and George get to celebrate an Everton victory under Moyes at Old Trafford. I only needed to do […]
Systemic Risk Assessment: The English Premier League in the 2025–2029 Cycle
The fragility of dominance The English Premier League (EPL) enters the 2025–2029 cycle as the undisputed commercial hegemon of global association football. With aggregate revenues that eclipse its European rivals and a […]
The Analysis Series: Analysis of the Premier League’s New Financial Regulations: Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) and Sustainability and Systemic Resilience (SSR) Rules
The Premier League clubs have voted to implement the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) and Sustainability and Systemic Resilience (SSR) rules from the start of the 2026/27 season. This overhaul is […]
Talking the Blues Podcast – another international break, Pickford, bad pitches from the past
Welcome to this week’s Talking the Blues Podcast with George and Andy Costigan. It’s another international break so after a little bit of chat regarding Everton we turn to a variety of […]
Talking the Blues Podcast – Fulham (h) & what is happening with transport infrastructure?
Welcome to this week’s Talking the Blues Podcast with George and Andy Costigan. We look back on our 2-0 home win against Fulham – a result which lowered the blood pressure in […]
Analysis Series: Governance Structure of Association Football: Integrity, Financial Regulation, and Strategic Failure
I have written for many years about the relationship between governance and the fundamental wellbeing of an industry and its key participants, customers, owners, operators (companies) and suppliers. By almost any metric […]
Talking the Blues Podcast Sunderland (a) at the stadium of sweetness and light?
Welcome to this week’s Talking the Blues podcast with George and Andy Costigan. We look back at the Sunderland game, and ask was it all sweetness and light? Legendary stuff as usual […]
The Analysis Series: An Analysis of Rights and Media Funding Limited (R&MF)
The Opaque Architecture of Football Finance: Rights and Media Funding Limited (R&MF) has established itself as one of the most significant, yet least transparent, financial institutions operating within European football, specialising in […]
Talking the Blues Podcast, Spurs at home, and is it time we heard more from the owners about their plans?
Welcome to this week’s Talking the Blues Podcast with Andy and George Costigan. In a far wider ranging conversation we discuss the game but also the whole squad and what are we […]
The Analysis Series: The role of US banks in financing Premier League clubs
JPMorgan JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) occupies a highly influential position within the financial architecture of the English Premier League (PL). The bank’s involvement extends beyond traditional corporate lending, including M&A advisory, […]
The Analysis Series: Analysis of BDT & MSD Partners: Corporate Restructuring, Global Credit Platform, and Football Financing
The Michael Dell investment complex The entity formerly known as MSD Capital has undergone a decisive transformation from a proprietary single-family office (SFO) into a globally significant, institutionalised merchant bank, BDT […]
The Analysis Series: Ares Management Corporation: Credit, Capital Structure, and the Football Investment
ARES and football investment Ares Management Corporation (ARES) is an established, leading global alternative investment manager, distinguished by its asset-light, fee-centric business model. The firm’s strategy encompasses complementary primary and secondary investment […]