CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT SKY HAS LEFT STAFF REELING

ALL change at Sky Sports, where new US owners Comcast appear to be making their presence felt. Over three months, MD Barney Francis has been promoted to a global role, executive editor Andy Cairns has stepped down after 30 years and head of planning Brendan Henry has also left, along with Soccer Saturday producer Ian Condron.

One insider has claimed that the developments have caused panic among staff, although the broadcaster denied that was the case and said that suggestions disgruntled workers had demanded a meeting with head of football Gary Hughes were wide of the mark.

Heading in the other direction is much-respected broadcaster Jacqui Oatley. Sky have been looking at diversifying and bringing in Oatley, an impressive operator, makes sense. The first woman to commentate on and later present BBC’s Match of the Day, will join on a freelance basis from august and will work on both Sky news and Sky Sports news while continuing to appear on the BBC and iTV.

TOTTENHAM’S players and staff were given a rude awakening — literally — on their flight from London to Singapore for their pre-season tour.

Many of Mauricio Pochettino’s travelling party were getting some shut-eye in the business class section of their Singapore Airlines flight at 2am, when all the cabin lights flickered on. Moments later, with the group still wondering what was going on, the cabin crew began serving the earliest of early breakfasts.

When pressed for an explanation, one member of the party was told that there was an issue with the onboard fridges which raised concerns the food would not keep until the morning and triggered a decision to serve it immediately without taking the risk. ‘We’d have rather have had the extra kip,’ bemoaned a member of the Spurs contingent.