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\t\tSheffield United previously had a consultancy deal with James Bord’s Short Circuit Science\t<\/p>\n
Sheffield United have terminated their consultancy contract with Short Circuit Science after the data company was named the preferred bidder of rivals Sheffield Wednesday last month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The business founded by former professional poker player James Bord had been advising Sheffield United on new signings and recommended the recruitment of Ruben Selles as manager last summer, but is now in the process of attempting to buy city rivals Wednesday<\/a> and was named preferred bidder by administrators from Begbies Traynor on Christmas Eve.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bord is part of a three-man consortium behind the Sheffield Wednesday bid along with associates Felix Roemer and Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil, who has been lined up as the club\u2019s new chief executive.\u00a0<\/p>\n Short Circuit\u2019s work for Sheffield United was controversial and played a role in the departure of Chris Wilder at the end of last season due to his reservations about the use of AI in their transfer model, although he has since returned to Bramall Lane in place of Selles.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sheffield United are attempting to offload many of the players signed by Selles, with the loan agreements for Ben Godfrey and Louie Barry set to be terminated and Swedish defender Nils Zatterstrom to be sent out on loan.<\/p>\n A source close to Short Circuit Science told City AM that the contract was cancelled by mutual agreement.<\/p>\n Carabao semis face uncertain future<\/p>\n The future of the Carabao Cup\u2019s two-legged semi-finals, which began last night and continue tonight, is expected to have a central role when the Independent Football Regulator<\/a> finally opens formal negotiations between the Premier League and the EFL over a much-delayed new financial settlement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Premier League clubs would like the Carabao Cup to move to a single semi-final to ease fixture congestion, which has been magnified by the expansion of the Champions League to encompass two extra midweek dates in January. While the EFL is willing to negotiate, it will not cut its flagship knockout competition without a significant increase in funding from the top flight.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under the terms of its current TV contracts the EFL is committed to retaining two-legged semis until 2029, and that three-year buffer could suit the league. The IFR\u2019s first responsibility after being formed last year<\/a> is to complete a State of the Game review, meaning formal talks over a new deal, which has been on the agenda for six years, are unlikely to begin until 2027, at which point the EFL will be preparing to go to market with a new TV tender.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the clock then ticking on its media rights auction, the EFL will be able to present the Premier League with a deadline for making an increased offer in return for dropping one semi-final from 2029 onwards, particularly as the IFR has been given backstop powers<\/a> to impose a financial settlement if the two leagues are unable to agree.\u00a0<\/p>\n While it will not say so publicly, the EFL also finds scheduling Carabao Cup ties a logistical challenge, as was shown earlier this week when it announced that next season\u2019s first round will take place before the league has kicked off over the weekend of 7 to 9 August due to the scarcity of midweek dates during the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n \t\t\tSheffield Wednesday: Joint bid could win \u00a330m fight for crisis-hit club<\/a><\/p>\n \tTNT\u2019s LIV Golf pledge<\/p>\n TNT Sports is planning to send production teams and commentators to all 14 LIV Golf<\/a> events it will broadcast live this year after picking up the UK and Ireland rights last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n LIV is not believed to have charged a rights fee for the fifth season of its global tour, but has secured a commitment that TNT will invest significantly in on-course production.\u00a0<\/p>\n TNT appears to have learned lessons from its recent coverage of the Ashes<\/a>, which was widely criticised for a hybrid approach which involved having only one commentator live at the ground in Australia with another working from a studio in London.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ironically TNT\u2019s biggest faux pas of the series came from commentator at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Rob Hatch, who wrongly told viewers that Ben Stokes had been run out in England\u2019s second innings based on a TV replay of Jamie Smith\u2019s earlier dismissal by Marnus Labuschagne.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stokes had faced just three deliveries when Hatch exclaimed: \u201cIt\u2019s happening again, it\u2019s happening again! Stokes goes, two run outs in two overs, England are imploding!\u201d before quickly correcting himself following the intervention of Alastair Cook. \u201cWell thankfully someone\u2019s looking out the window of the box, and it\u2019s Alastair Cook!,\u201d Hatch said drily.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first event of the LIV Golf seasons takes place in Riyadh on 4 February, with TNT due to announce its commentary and presentation teams imminently.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tennis shorts in fashion<\/p>\n Short-form tennis is emerging as one of the biggest growth areas in sport, with the first One Point Slam taking place ahead of the Australian Open<\/a> this week and the owners of the Tie Break Tens format in talks with several Masters tournaments about signing partnership agreements.\u00a0<\/p>\n Indian Wells will stage another Tie Break Tens event in March, featuring eight mixed doubles teams competing in 10-point matches, after Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina won a trophy christened the Eisenhower Cup last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The format in Melbourne is even shorter and simpler, with 24 amateurs and celebrities invited to play a single point against top players including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, with A$1m (\u00a3490,000) on offer if they win it.\u00a0<\/p>\n WSL wheeler-dealing<\/p>\n The Premier League transfer market may be deathly quiet to date, but there has been a flurry of activity in the Women\u2019s Super League where free-spending clubs are set for a record-breaking January window. <\/p>\n