Sports Ticker #119: Wimbledon worries, ICC's two-tier cricket and Mike Tyson litigation

In a fortnight which saw the World Snooker Tour launch a new global streaming service and Adidas enter F1 with a Mercedes partnership, we bring you updates on the legal action against Wimbledon's expansion plans, FIFA's interim transfer rules following the Diarra ruling and the possibility of a two-tier cricket Test system.

As always, if there are any issues on which you'd like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

Save Wimbledon Park serve legal action

The campaign group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) recently announced its intention to seek legal redress over the plans to expand the Wimbledon Tennis site. As previously covered in Sports Ticker #114, the All English Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) was given the green light last September to add 39 new courts, including one capable of seating 8,000 spectators, on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club which would triple the size of the site. In his reasoning for granting permission to the proposals, London's deputy mayor for planning suggested the development would "secure the future" of the Wimbledon Championships and bring with it "significant associated economic benefits". However, the plans have come under considerable scrutiny from local campaigners such as SWP who argue that the scale of the development would engender a "corporate ecocide" in its destruction of local biodiversity. Moreover, they claim that the plans would impose a "tennis industrial complex" over the area, with expansive purpose-built tournament infrastructure left dormant and unprofitable for most of the year. Accordingly, SWP has issued legal action against the City Hall on the basis that it erred in its decision to grant planning permission to the project. Solicitors for the group cite restrictive covenants and a statutory public recreation trust over the land as tantamount to errors in law and planning policy. In the hope that SWP served a Fault, the AELTC has launched its own legal action in response.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

FIFA introduces interim transfer rules

Following a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in October last year featured in Sports Ticker #115, FIFA has taken interim steps to address the finding that its previous transfer rules restricted former Chelsea footballer Lassana Diarra's freedom of movement. The world governing body engaged in talks with all key stakeholders prior to drafting the amendments and has confirmed that they will apply to the January transfer window. Controversy has arisen over whether FIFPRO was asked to participate in these discussions as FIFA allege they declined to take part, but the global players' union dispute this claim. Moreover, FIFPRO seems to take a negative view of the temporary measures, stating that they "do not provide legal certainty to professional footballers and do not reflect the judgement by the European Court of Justice." Despite this scepticism and the lack of representation for the players in the discussions, officials maintain that the changes address the areas of concern highlighted by the ECJ and are "legally sound". Uncertainty exists over whether the interim rules will be challenged but FIFA is aiming to introduce permanent rules which should be effective by the summer.

Two-tier cricket system put to the Test

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the chairs of cricket boards in India, Australia and England are reportedly exploring the idea of a two-tier Test system. The "Big Three" countries are said to be discussing splitting the 12 Test nations into two divisions following the success of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India in Melbourne on Boxing Day which drew a record 373,691 spectators across the five days. An official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the idea was considered in 2016, but that it ultimately opposed the proposal along with the cricket bodies of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh amidst concerns of decreased revenue and excluding smaller nations from playing against top teams. It appears that the talks have now been reignited, driven by broadcast money and the ongoing tension between international cricket and Twenty20 cricket's private franchise leagues regarding scheduling and players. 

Mike Tyson hit with heavyweight UK proceedings

UK proceedings have been brought against Mike Tyson and his company, Tyrannic, in the English High Court for $1.59 (£1.25) million by Medier.  Medier is a Cyprus-based company which promotes the online casino and sports betting site, Rabona. Medier alleges that they entered a promotional agreement with Tyson ahead of the proposed bout with influencer-turned-boxer, Jake Paul, but that Tyson terminated the agreement before going ahead to fight Jake Paul in any event.  The proceedings emerged a month after the highly watched fight that occurred in November in Arlington, Texas which saw Paul win by a unanimous decision. The event attracted a record-breaking audience, with more than 65 million households tuning in on Netflix and ticket sales producing approximately $18.1 million. Medier allege that the former heavyweight champion wrongfully terminated his deal with the company in March 2024, citing a breach of contract on the same day that his fight with Paul was announced. Tyson and Tyrannic are yet to file a defence to the claim. 

Sky partners with TGL 

Sky have announced a two-year partnership with Tomorrow's Golf League (TGL), giving Sky Sports customers in the UK, Ireland, DACH and Italy exclusive coverage of every match across 2025 and 2026. TGL will be presented by SoFi, the new team golf league founded by Tiger Woods' and Rory McIlroy's TMRW Sports and will be live from the custom-built SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens Florida. It started on 7 January 2025 and is set to continue until 25 March, following a 12-month delay caused by a power outage which resulted in the collapse of the air-supported dome roof at the SoFi Center. The league will feature six squads of four golfers who will compete in two hour matches across 15 custom-designed holes in a mixture of virtual and real-life action, representing a new way to watch the sport. Jason Wesseley, Director of Golf for Sky Sports, expressed his excitement at the partnership, stating "We're looking forward to working with TGL to make the tournament a truly entertaining viewing experience and are delighted to welcome TGL to Sky Sports, the home of golf."

Extra time...

…and finally, Crystal Palace FC has become the first football club in the world to provide fans with visual impairments access to assistive technology to offer a novel way to experience the game. A headset, available to home and away fans, stimulates the user's photoreceptor cells to increase the individual's ability to process visual information, working similarly to how a hearing aid boosts perception of sound. There are two different modes on the headset: the first acts as a magnifying glass, zooming in on particular parts of the pitch, whilst the second displays live broadcast footage, allowing fans to watch the match in real time whilst absorbing the stadium atmosphere. Sharon Lacey, COO of Crystal Palace, highlights the importance of clubs working together with a view to implementing this technology in other stadiums in the future. The initiative follows Newcastle United's campaign to offer football fans with hearing impairments haptic shirts which utilise microphones and vibrating sensors to enable fans to feel the stadium atmosphere. Together, these initiatives demonstrate a real shift towards inclusion in stadium sports that has the potential to revolutionise the experience for fans with disabilities. Click here to sign up.