The Welsh Rugby Union is "set to take over Newport Gwent Dragons with a deal expected to be finalised within a matter of weeks." It has been "in talks with the board of directors at the struggling region for some time" and it is "understood agreement is close." The Dragons were put up for sale last April but the search for new investors has "proved fruitless despite apparent interest from some parties." The decision to relinquish control was made by its board after it agreed "new investment was needed in order to try and close the gap, both financially and on the pitch, between the Dragons and the three other Welsh regions" (WALES ONLINE, 3/1).
Manor's "hopes of a last-minute rescue deal to return to the Formula 1 grid have evaporated," as the team officially withdrew its entry to the '17 championship. Although Manor's parent company, Just Racing Services, ceased trading earlier this year, the company that held the official '17 entry "remained a going concern" (MOTORSPORT, 3/1).
Premier League side West Ham United has "only banned around half of the number of supporters" it "promised to exclude from the London Stadium" as it heightens security measures for the return of Chelsea on Monday. Bottles and coins were thrown during the EFL Cup tie between the sides in October, when West Ham won 2-1, "leading the club and stadium operators to identify 200 people who they said would be banned." In total, "140 supporters have been banned from the London Stadium, but it is thought that figure includes the 23 fans excluded prior to that Chelsea fixture for other incidents" (LONDON TIMES, 3/1).
Bundesliga side Hoffenheim "abandoned the use of a drone in training," with CEO Peter Gorlich saying, "It ended up in the drawer." A drone was part of Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann's "winning formula," with the club "on track to qualify for European competition for the first time." But Gorlich said that testing the idea had turned out to be "rather disturbing and distracting" for the players (ESPN.com, 3/1).
The first Barcelona academy in Sub-Saharan Africa will be located at Lagos' Centre of Excellence. The academy, known as FCBEscola Lagos, is "located temporarily at the Teslim Balogun stadium" and is modeled after Barcelona's La Masia Academy (THIS IS AFRICA, 2/27).
