Sports Ticker #153 - North of England Olympics bid and Alpine's Gucci F1 sponsorship deal In a fortnight that saw, Burnley succeed in a landmark case against Everton arising from the latter’s breach of Premier League financial regulations, Pep Guardiola manage his final Manchester City FC game, England’s Red Roses win their fifth consecutive Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam victory and Sunderland AFC qualify for Europe for the first time since 1973, we bring you news of the potential 2040 North of England Olympic Games bid and the fashion sponsorships making waves in the worlds of F1 and tennis. 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. Olympics 2040? Sounds Champion! UK government eyes first hurdle in North of England games bid The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games may not be the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity many English fans once thought following the announcement that the UK government has commissioned an initial strategic assessment to host the quadrennial event in 2040, this time in the North of England. Uniquely for an Olympic Games, the proposals are for a multi-city affair, likely centred in Manchester. The event would bolster an already exciting roster of upcoming tournaments to be held in the UK over the next decade, including the Euros 2028, the European Athletics Championships 2026 and the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2026, with further bids in for the World Athletics Championships 2029 and Women’s FIFA World Cup 2035. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, commented, “we saw what London 2012 can do for the country and we believe that it’s time to bring the Olympics home to the North