Shorts: Marylebone Cricket Club, West Ham United, Bukayo Saka

Marylebone Cricket Club have named Julian Metherell as their next President, with his one-year term set to begin on 1st October 2026.

Ed Smith, President, Marylebone Cricket Club, announced the nomination at the club’s 239th Annual General Meeting. Metherell has been an MCC member for 40 years and has sat on the MCC Committee following his approval at the 2025 AGM.

He has led the club’s negotiating team throughout the ECB’s sales process to find an investment partner for a 49% stake in the London Spirit franchise in The Hundred. Metherell has also acted as Chair of London Spirit since the franchise transferred to its new owners on 1st October 2025.

With a background in finance, Metherell has previously served as a Partner at Goldman Sachs and as Chief Financial Officer of Genel Energy. He has also operated as Non-Executive Chair of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) between 2019 and 2024. During his upcoming presidential tenure, Lord’s is set to host the men’s and women’s Australian teams for the 2027 Ashes series.

Julian Metherell, incoming President, Marylebone Cricket Club, said, “I am deeply honoured to take on the role of MCC President, following in the footsteps of many of my cricketing idols. I have a long connection with MCC and I have many cherished memories at Lord’s. This is a really exciting time to be involved with MCC, especially as it starts a new era of ownership of a professional cricket team and I am looking forward to driving forward both the Club and London Spirit.”

Ed Smith, President, Marylebone Cricket Club, said, “During such an exciting period for MCC, I wanted to choose a successor with huge expertise and experience, combined with a deep passion for the game and for the Club. Julian Metherell is a great and trusted friend to cricket and an exceptional candidate. It is with enormous pleasure that I nominate him as the President of MCC from 1st October 2026.”

West Ham United have created a British Sign Language version of the club’s anthem, ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’, to mark Deaf Awareness Week.

The Premier League club have collaborated with the West Ham United Disabled Supporters’ Association (DSA) and Performance Interpreting on the video. It features men’s first team players, including captain Jarrod Bowen, Mads Hermansen, Kyle Walker-Peters and Freddie Potts, alongside deaf supporters, with each participant signing a line of the song in British Sign Language (BSL).

West Ham United have scheduled the track to be played on the big screens. The initiative has been proposed by the DSA as part of its ongoing work to improve accessibility and ensure all fans can connect to the matchday experience.

Jarrod Bowen, Men’s First Team Captain, West Ham United, said, “Taking part in this was a really special experience. ‘Bubbles’ means so much to everyone connected to West Ham, and learning to sign it gave us a new perspective on how important it is that all supporters can share in those moments together. I’m sure it’s something fans will be proud to see before the game on Sunday.”

Cathy Bayford and Trevor Bright, Co-Chairs, Disabled Supporters’ Association, said, “As Co-Chairs, Trevor & I are incredibly proud of the DSA’s work in leading the BSL initiative at the London Stadium, and now to showcase the provision with the help of the first team players and other members of the DSA, especially this month as we recognise UK Deaf Awareness Week. As the DSA we will continue to work alongside the Club to make the matchday experience as inclusive and accessible to all spectators. We encourage all those with accessibility issues including hidden disabilities, to take a moment to sign up to the Disabled Supporters Association. Together we are a louder voice!”

Arsenal and England footballer Bukayo Saka has visited a North London academy training session to promote the Chase football coaching programme.

The initiative, which Chase has funded to provide access to introductory coaching qualifications for individuals from low-income backgrounds, has helped over 4,000 aspiring coaches across the UK. During the session, Saka has met with academy coach Ibrahim Fuad, whose playing career has been cut short due to visa issues, but who has since launched his own football academy after receiving funding from the Chase programme.

Chase has also commissioned recent YouGov research, which has revealed that 93% of former players view coaching as a valuable way to stay connected to the sport, while 67% have agreed that free coaching qualifications would keep more ex-players involved in the game.

Bukayo Saka, Chase Ambassador, said, “Not everyone’s path in football looks the same, and for many players who don’t go on to play professionally, coaching is a brilliant and rewarding way to stay involved. It was really inspiring to meet Ibrahim and his team to hear about his journey and see the impact he’s having within the community. The Chase football coaching programme is so important; by expanding access to skills training and pathways into coaching, it’s helping to build positive role models for young people and inspire the next generation.”

The Ping Pong Society has partnered with Table Tennis England to host the inaugural Ping Pong Society Corporate Cup at OVO Arena Wembley.

The final of the tournament has taken place alongside the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, coinciding with England’s World Championship match. The event has marked 100 years since London hosted the first World Championships in 1926.

The competition has seen corporate teams from Two Circles, Brent Council, Happl, Ciima, Mobius, Event Merch, Google and Super compete on the Wembley floor. Following a group stage at Bounce Farringdon featuring more than 50 players, Super have defeated Event Merch in a deciding game to claim the trophy.

Liam Pitchford, English Table Tennis Player, and Sally Lockyer, CEO, Table Tennis England, have presented the trophy to the winning team. The tournament has also featured a partnership with Gavin Rumgay, Scottish Table Tennis Player, who has provided coaching.

Sunil Jindal, Founder, Ping Pong Society, said, “100 years on from the first ever World Championships, we’re back playing in the country where it all started. Our finalists played their Corporate Cup final at Wembley, alongside the world’s best, with Liam Pitchford and the CEO of Table Tennis England presenting the trophy. It’s a moment we’ll be looking back on for a long time.”

Sally Lockyer, CEO, Table Tennis England, said, “It’s a fantastic initiative – how amazing it is for the finalists to come and play the final here, next door on the tables to some of the world’s greatest table tennis players. We’re really pleased with the first Corporate Cup. We want to make sure we can extend that over many years to come.”