Sky Sports’ drastic cost-cutting across the board after paying £11million a match to retain Premier League rights is being blamed for the demise of the Victory Shield, the home nations international Under 16 tournament. The FA announced this week that England are pulling out of the event with immediate effect in order to achieve a more varied fixture list, including more foreign opposition. England have pulled out of the home nations international Under 16 tournament . But it is understood this surprise move has been prompted by Sky allegedly withdrawing their title sponsorship as well as reducing live coverage and wanting further changes to the format and another backer found. Gareth Southgate, FA’s head of National Teams, said: ‘We feel due to the uncertainly around the Victory Shield and the potential changes suggested by Sky, it is a good time to review our fixtures and make an early decision.’ However, Sky say that their recommendations, including shortening the time between games, would have raised the profile of an historic competition that first took place in 1925 and whose notable players include Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kenny Dalglish, Trevor Brooking, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney. Meanwhile, Sky’s price hikes involving all their programming since almost breaking the bank by committing £4.2bn to Premier League football are significantly more than the Isleworth spin machine suggested. The variety bundle has gone up 7.1 per cent, sports by 4 per cent — double for Virgin cable subscribers — the HD pack by 9.8 per cent and the full total by 6.4 per cent . Referee Martin Atkinson travelled in business class on return from Munich . It did not give the impression that referee Martin Atkinson and his assistants were a team on returning from officiating Bayern Munich’s destruction of Porto in the Champions League. Atkinson and assistants Mike Mullarkey and Stephen Child travelled in business class on their Lufthansa flight home while fourth official Darren England was in economy. England head coach Peter Moores has influential supporters on board . England head coach Peter Moores will report to the new England director of cricket, who in turn will have ECB chief executive Tom Harrison as his boss in the structure going forward. But it certainly helps Moores’ survival hopes that his assistant Paul Farbrace is highly rated and considered an important voice in the dressing room. BT Sport are to broadcast the inaugural European Games in Baku in June, having finally agreed terms. The deal will be announced on Thursday along with Team GB, whose best known names are Olympic boxing and taekwondo gold medallists Nicola Adams and Jade Jones. Brazilian legend Pele will enjoy a short stopover in London on Thursday . Pele’s London highlife . Pele's enduring reputation as the world’s greatest footballer will be enhanced during a short stopover in London. The Brazilian legend is due at the Halcyon Gallery in Mayfair on Thursday to promote an art exhibition inspired by his life and to celebrate his 75th birthday in October. On display will be pop artist Andy Warhol’s original acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas 1977 work of Pele in his final year with New York Cosmos. The painting is valued at $10million — and no picture of Ronaldo, Messi or Maradona can compete with that. Later, Pele will be going to a party organised by his agents Ten10, where he will be introduced to other clients including Jack Wilshere. Willie McKay, one of football’s most notorious agents, has been declared bankrupt at a hearing in Glasgow. McKay, who used to run his agency business from the multi-millionaire tax haven of Monaco and had racing stables in Yorkshire, revealed assets of just £987, while court documents detailed that he owed £713,292. When football democracy is so skewered that Sepp Blatter’s three rivals for the FIFA presidency are denied the opportunity to address the Central American CONCACAF confederation, no wonder Blatter feels no need to set up an election team. However, it does look like Blatter has been promising his support for the 2019 FIFA leadership to CONCACAF chief Jeffrey Webb, who is noticeably more aligned to Blatter than he was a few months ago. There is no stopping the Kevin Pietersen charm offensive with his KP24 foundation backing a campaign for a pioneering cancer treatment to be made available on the NHS.
Sky allegedly withdrew their title sponsorship of Under 16 tournament . BT Sport are to broadcast inaugural European Games in Baku in June . Brazilian legend Pele is due in London on Thursday for an art exhibition .