Manchester United's women's team suffered a 5-0 home defeat by Chelsea on Sunday, making it back-to-back losses to open the season, with reporters in the press box at Leigh Sports Village again left without toilet paper.
In November, Inside Sport reported that journalists covering United's women's matches at the venue had taken to bringing their own toilet roll because of a shortage of the product at the council-operated facility.
United have repeatedly denied claims that they underinvest in their women's team, but criticism has continued to grow since head coach Marc Skinner left the club.
Spygate rift between Southampton and EFL deepens
Southampton and the English Football League appear to remain at odds as the club awaits the Football Association's verdict in the so-called Spygate affair.
Sources inside Birmingham City's boardroom told Inside Sport that EFL chairman Rick Parry, who attended St Andrew's for Southampton's recent Championship match, did not speak to any of the travelling Southampton delegation, preferring instead to spend his visit with Birmingham officials.
The apparent snub did not go unnoticed at Southampton, where there remains upset about how the decision to throw the club out of the play-offs unfolded. While the FA's punishment is still to be decided, any further measures would add to that feeling, given Southampton have already paid what the club regards as the ultimate penalty.
EFL insiders, however, said Parry had simply been in a different part of the boardroom and had not spotted the Southampton party.
BBC weighs succession plan ahead of Olympics
Federation bosses are closely monitoring the BBC's next move ahead of the Olympics following the departure of its head of major events and general sport, Ron Chakraborty, who is leaving the broadcaster at the end of the year after more than 28 years.
Chakraborty leads the BBC's Olympic coverage and, as a highly respected operator, leaves big shoes to fill.
"Ron is a great guy," one source said. "He did a brilliant job on this year's Winter Games. It will be interesting to see what they do for LA, producing 35 sports is not easy. There's nothing like it."
Some have accused the BBC, under director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, of showing little regard for television as it chases a younger audience by pouring resources into digital output.
Insiders say they are confident in their succession plan, believe in the team that delivered both the summer and winter Games, which remains in place, and say additional leadership oversight will be provided. They reject any suggestion that Los Angeles coverage will be compromised.
Southgate set to launch new podcast, The Dugout
Gareth Southgate, the former England men's manager, is set to expand his media portfolio with a new podcast focused on football managers, Inside Sport understands.
The show is expected to be named The Dugout and will feature broadcaster Mark Chapman and former Everton defender Conor Coady speaking to managers from across the game, according to insiders.
Southgate, along with long-time business partner Jimmy Worrall, has already launched The Football Boardroom, a podcast that aims to take listeners inside the game's corridors of power.
EFL clubs are due to meet this week in their respective divisions, where Inside Sport understands they will be briefed on the latest regarding financial distribution, as a deal with the Premier League edges closer.
Russini's NFL awards role in doubt after Vrabel scandal
Dianna Russini, the reporter at the centre of a huge NFL scandal, appears to have cast her final vote in the sport's prestigious end-of-season awards.
Russini, 43, resigned from The Athletic in the wake of explosive allegations over her relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. She had been one of 50 journalists selected to make picks in the Associated Press's NFL poll, a spot she had held since 2022.
Russini and Vrabel, who are both married with children, have denied having an affair, after pictures emerged of them together at an adults-only resort in Arizona.
Further images that appeared to show the pair kissing in a New York City bar in 2020 led some to call on the AP to release ballots from previous polls amid concerns over integrity. The AP has declined to do so.
Inside Sport asked the AP to clarify whether Russini would be voting this year. The organisation stopped short of directly answering the question but, in a statement, appeared to suggest that would not be the case.
"The makeup of AP's NFL awards voting panel changes regularly as sports reporters change positions and organizations, and this year is no different," a spokesperson said.
