Superleague Greece side Olympiakos Owner Evangelos Marinakis' takeover of League Championship club Nottingham Forest is being "assessed" by the English Football League, with Marinakis "facing accusations of match-fixing in Greece." He denied the allegations and is "still waiting to find out whether the case against him will go to trial." The sale would end Fawaz Al-Hasawi's five-year ownership of Forest. While Al-Hasawi agreed to sell the club to Marinakis, the purchase cannot be completed until he passes the EFL's owners' and directors' test (BBC, 5/10).
English football side Blackburn owner Venky's will "need help reorganising the club following relegation to League One," local businessman Ian Battersby said. Battersby and Ian Currie, through their company, Seneca Partners, contacted Venky's with a "joint-ownership proposal" in May '16 that was rejected. Debts have risen to £104.2M ($134.9M) since the club lost its Premier League status in '12 (BBC, 5/10).
The Welsh Rugby Union takeover of Pro12 side Newport Gwent Dragons and buyout of Rodney Parade has been "approved by Newport RFC shareholders." A 75% "Yes" vote was required for the proposal to "get the green light." In the end, it was about 81% in favor of the resolution. The WRU can "proceed with taking full charge of the Gwent region," in which it already had a 50% share (WALES ONLINE, 5/9).
Almost 50 former players and staff employed by rugby side Bradford Bulls before the club's liquidation in January "launched legal proceedings against three different parties" including the Rugby Football League. Following "several weeks of deliberation," 47 separate cases will now be brought against the RFL, Bradford Bulls Northern Ltd. -- the holding company of the club when it was placed into liquidation -- and the new company that replaced it, Bradford Bulls 2017 Ltd. (London GUARDIAN, 5/10).
Members of League of Ireland First Division side Athlone Town "agreed to hand over phone records and bank account details" to the FA of Ireland "in an attempt to prove their innocence in the investigation into suspicious betting movements around their game with Longford." Two days of FAI interviews with players and officials for the club were completed Tuesday. The FAI its expected to confirm its next move "before the end of this week" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 5/10).
Scottish Premiership side Inverness will "take on 100 kids" in a preseason clash at the Caledonian Stadium. In what has been billed as the "biggest home game ever seen in the UK," Richie Foran's side will "warm up for the new campaign by playing an army of children." Kids can take part "by buying the club's new kit" (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 5/10).
