Equal Pay, Parental Rights, Personal Beliefs and Protest Movements – a review of recent developments in the areas of sport and employment law – Littleton Chambers

‘Across the board people have been reassessing how the traditional views of what it means to be an “employee” fit within our modern world.’

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Littleton Chambers, 21st July 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

Covid 19: The impact of the crisis on competition law and tax issues in sport – Blackstone Chambers

Posted July 13th, 2020 in chambers articles, competition, coronavirus, news, sport, taxation by sally

‘The Covid 19 epidemic and consequential lockdown measures have had a disastrous impact on the seasons of winter and summer sports alike. To take but one example, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has said that it envisages a loss of revenue of £200 million, prompting it to seek funds from the Covid Corporate Financing Facility. The combined impact on Premier League revenues as a whole is predicted in the Deloitte Annual Report for 2019-2020 to be around £1 billion. This article considers the potential impact of the Covid crisis on competition law and tax issues for sports clubs and regulatory bodies. It reflects some thoughts I gave for a Blackstone Chambers Sports Webinar on 25 June 2020.’

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Blackstone Chambers, 2nd July 2020

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org

Covid 19: The impact of the crisis on competition law and tax issues in sport – Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted July 2nd, 2020 in competition, coronavirus, news, sport, taxation by tracey

‘Covid 19: The impact of the crisis on competition law and tax issues in sport.’

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Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 2nd July 2020

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Posted June 30th, 2020 in divorce, insolvency, legislation, sport by tracey

Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020

Birmingham Commonwealth Games Act 2020

Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Football in the time of COVID-19: lessons to be learned from the recent decision in South Shields FC v The FA – Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted June 17th, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, news, sport by sally

‘A distinguished arbitral panel, chaired by Lord Dyson with Charles Flint QC and Andrew Green QC, recently delivered its award in the case of South Shields Football Club 1888 Limited v The Football Association Limited. The decision, which considered The FA’s powers to bring the 2019/20 football season to an end for Steps 3 to 7 of the NLS, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, is one of the first to examine the scope of regulatory decision-making in the field of sport in the wake of the current global health crisis. Nick De Marco QC discusses the case.’

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Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 12th June 2020

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org

South Shields Football Club 1888 Limited v The Football Association Limited – Blackstone Chambers

‘A legal challenge to The FA’s decision to end the 2019/20 football season in Steps 3-7 of the English football National League System without promotion or relegation on account of the COVID-19 pandemic has been dismissed. The arbitral panel, chaired by Lord Dyson with Charles Flint QC and Andrew Green QC, rejected the challenge brought by South Shields FC, a club sitting in an automatic promotion position at the point of cessation of the season.’

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Blackstone Chambers, 11th June 2020

Source: www.blackstonechambers.com

Insolvency in the English Football League: impact on players and staff – Littleton Chambers

Posted June 11th, 2020 in contract of employment, coronavirus, debts, insolvency, news, remuneration, sport by sally

‘In relation to the EFL, there have been dire warnings that in the absence of a substantially increased contribution from the Premier League, up to 60 clubs could go out of business.’

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Littleton Chambers, 2nd June 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

The Return of English Football: Project Restart and the Duty of Utmost Good Faith – Littleton Chambers

Posted June 10th, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, news, sport by sally

‘Ashley Cukier and Anirudh Mathur explore the duty of “utmost good faith” in the context of the PL and EFL Rules.’

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Littleton Chambers, 4th June 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

Revenue and Customs v Professional Game Match Officials Ltd – Old Square Chambers

‘The Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) recently held in Revenue and Customs v Professional Game Match Officials Ltd that part-time football referees are independent contractors (rather than employees, whose match fees and other payments are subject to PAYE).’

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Old Square Chambers, 1st June 2020

Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk

Employment status: Revenue v Customs Commissioners v Professional Game Match Officials Ltd [2020] 5 WLUK 118 – 3PB

‘Professional Game Match Officials Limited (“PGMOL”) is a company whose 3 members are The Football Association Ltd (“the FA”), The Football Association Premier League Ltd (“the Premier League”) and the Football League Ltd (“the Football League”), now referred to as the English Football League (“the EFL”).’

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3PB, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

“Project Restart” or a false start: can professional sports clubs compel their players to return to the pitch and waive health and safety liability? – Littleton Chambers

Posted May 20th, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, employment, health, health & safety, news, sport by sally

‘As elite-level leagues, sporting associations and other stakeholders debate whether competitions can be restarted in an era of physical distancing, it has been reported that some professional football and rugby clubs are proposing to require players to sign disclaimers in relation to the health risks posed by Covid-19 before they resume training.’

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Littleton Chambers, 14th May 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

Claims by clubs in the event of a cancelled season – Littleton Chambers

‘In this short piece, Andrew Nixon and Alex Harvey of Sheridans Sports Group, and David Reade QC and Nick Siddall QC of the Littleton Sports Group consider some of the potential claims which may arise from league seasons being cancelled, with a particular focus on the Premier League. The authors also look at how any losses may be assessed.’

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Littleton Chambers, 7th May 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

Insolvent FC – 3 Hare Court

Posted May 5th, 2020 in insolvency, news, sport by sally

‘Football insolvencies are different than others. In their community impact, yes, but, to some extent at
least, legally as well. They may also be becoming more common.’

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3 Hare Court, 4th May 2020

Source: 3harecourt.com

Comply with ADR duty or risk costs sanction – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The recent decision of DSN v Blackpool Football Club Limited [2020] EWHC 670 (QB) illustrates the need for litigating parties to consider and engage with alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures in trying to resolve their disputes.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th May 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

James Green and Stuart Sanders on the new UEFA guidelines for eligibility in international competitions – Littleton Chambers

Posted April 28th, 2020 in coronavirus, news, sport by sally

‘The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty across the world of professional football for players, clubs and fans alike. Almost all domestic football leagues have been suspended for the past several weeks (save for holdout Belarus, which has continued to hold professional matches in front of fans). As the lockdowns in European countries have been extended, many have speculated about the possible need to cancel domestic seasons outright. However, a vexed question has remained about the effect any such cancellation might have on one of the most prestigious and lucrative elements of the sport: qualification for European competitions.’

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Littleton Chambers, 24th April 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

“Give Me Just A Little More Time” – Littleton Chambers

Posted April 16th, 2020 in chambers articles, contracts, coronavirus, news, sport by sally

‘Bianca Balmelli and Nicholas Siddall QC analyse the legal issues arising from the differing responses of sporting events to the Covid-19 pandemic.’

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Littleton Chambers, 7th April 2020

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Legal realities of an ‘extension’ to the football season – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 9th, 2020 in contract of employment, contracts, coronavirus, delay, news, sport by sally

‘The football world, like almost every other sector of the economy, is grappling with the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In English football, the official position remains as set out in the joint statement issued by the main professional stakeholders on 20 March 2020: football is currently suspended but ‘all options’ are being explored ‘to find ways of resuming the season when conditions allow’.’

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7th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Sporting Event Cancellation Insurance: Will it play ball or be kicked into touch? – 4 New Square

Posted April 3rd, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, insurance, news, sport by sally

‘Many events, including music, theatre, conferences and exhibitions have been cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVID-19 and more will follow.’

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4 New Square, 25th March 2020

Source: www.4newsquare.com

What does Manchester City’s Champions League ban have to do with human rights? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 24th, 2020 in appeals, bias, disciplinary procedures, human rights, news, sport by sally

‘Last month European football’s governing body, UEFA, announced that English champions Manchester City had been fined 30 million Euros and banned from the Champions League – the most illustrious competition in European football. The Adjudicatory Chamber of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) handed down a two-year ban on the basis that Man City had breached Financial Fair Play Regulations. The club have responded fiercely, complaining of a ‘prejudicial process’ and alleging that the case was ‘initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA.’ Against this background it is thought likely that City will rely on human rights arguments in their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (a somewhat ironic development in the view of some commentators given previous criticisms of the human rights records of the club’s backers).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd March 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Coronavirus, sport & the law of frustration and force majeure – Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted March 23rd, 2020 in chambers articles, contracts, coronavirus, news, sport by sally

‘The decision of the English Premier League, Football League and the Scottish FA to suspend football matches as a result of corona virus is the latest in a series of unprecedented responses to the global pandemic. Nick De Marco QC discusses the legal issues in sport arising from the worldwide health crisis.’

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Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 13th March 2020

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org