How to ‘actually’ cultivate culture: Lessons from high-performing sport cultures
LinkedIn is flooded with posts about organisational culture. You can’t escape it. Companies pride themselves on having a positive, [insert buzzword here] culture. And there’s no shortage of tropes that come with trying to “improve” it.
Think: the dreaded pizza “party,” table-tennis tournaments, mandatory team-building days, vague company-values campaigns, or anonymous surveys that never lead to action.
These gestures do little to change a culture, and employees can smell the BS from a mile away.
So, how do we make a real difference? Where do organisations get it wrong? And what do we actually mean by culture? Research into high-performing sport environments may hold some answers, writes Sports News Blitz’s Ted Purcell.
Biggest talking points from the EFL Championship double Gameweek 13 and 14
While most of the EFL was halted due to the start of the FA Cup, the Championship continued as usual.
Sports News Blitz’s Charlie Gardner shares some of the biggest talking points from the double gameweek action from the second tier of English football.
Premier League on Sky Sports: Chelsea vs Wolves betting preview and tips
Stamford Bridge sets the stage for Saturday’s evening clash as Chelsea welcome struggling Wolves for a crucial Premier League encounter.
The Blues head into the fixture buoyed by their recent derby triumph over Tottenham, while Wolves arrive in West London desperate to halt a dismal run that has left them bottom of the table.
Here, Sports News Blitz outlines all the best bets and key stats ahead of the clash.
Top matches from Round 1 of the FA Cup: Yorkshire derbies and hat-trick heroes
Leagues One and Two of the EFL were suspended from Friday, October 31, to Monday, November 1, all thanks to the return of the FA Cup.
Before current holders Crystal Palace begin their defence of the trophy, the first round has already seen a couple of upsets and surprises in fixtures that would be hard to find anywhere else.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Charlie Gardner shares some talking points from the first round of the FA Cup.
Premier League analysis: Winners and losers from Matchday 10
Arsenal’s win over Burnley saw them strengthen their lead at the top of the table with a fifth consecutive win, while Manchester City climbed to second with a solid victory over Bournemouth on Sunday.
Liverpool bounced back at Anfield, ending both their own winless run and Aston Villa’s streak of victories with a crucial home triumph - and Chelsea emerged on top in their heated London derby against Tottenham.
With momentum shifting across the table, Sports News Blitz writer Eloise Stevens looks at the winners and losers in the Premier League from Matchday 10.
Premier League news: Aston Villa’s costly mistakes cause a setback against Liverpool at Anfield
Aston Villa travelled to Anfield on Saturday to face Premier League champions Liverpool and came away empty-handed after a 2–0 defeat.
The home side finally snapped a worrying run of losses, while Villa were left reflecting on missed chances and a night to forget.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Harrison Pearce takes a look at the mistakes that led to a disappointing result for Unai Emery’s men.
Man Utd winning run ends at City Ground with draw against Nottingham Forest
After three straight wins, Manchester United were looking like a team that was headed in the right direction. However, a dramatic draw at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest put a halt to Ruben Amorim’s winning streak.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Robert Bore reflects on Manchester United’s Premier League draw.
Premier League betting tips: Tottenham to beat Chelsea, Eli Kroupi to score at the Etihad, and more
Read on for a breakdown of the best bets from the Premier League's TV games from Sports News Blitz’s punting laureate - The Bookie Basher - including a huge London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea.
Premier League on Sky Sports: Tottenham vs Chelsea betting preview and tips
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the scene for Saturday’s early evening showdown as high-flying Spurs host London rivals Chelsea.
Here, Sports News Blitz outlines all the best bets and key stats ahead of the clash.
Premier League on Sky Sports: Man City vs Bournemouth betting preview and tips
The Etihad Stadium hosts an intriguing Sunday showdown between Manchester City and high-flying Bournemouth.
Here, Sports News Blitz outlines all the best bets and key stats ahead of the clash.
Premier League news: Top five Tottenham vs Chelsea games of the modern era
Chelsea travel to Tottenham on Saturday for a London derby that promises to be as tenacious and entertaining as ever, with both clubs currently fighting for the top four.
Ahead of the showdown at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Sports News Blitz writer Will Thomas ranks the top five games between the two sides in the modern era.
Premier League on Sky Sports: West Ham vs Newcastle betting preview and tips
Super Sunday kicks off at the London Stadium as a struggling West Ham side take on a resurgent Newcastle.
Here, Sports News Blitz outlines all the best bets and key stats ahead of the clash.
Premier League on Sky Sports: Sunderland vs Everton betting preview and tips
The Stadium of Light hosts Monday night football as high-flying Sunderland take on Everton in the Premier League.
Here, Sports News Blitz outlines all the best bets and key stats ahead of the clash.
Premier League power rankings: Wolves remain at the bottom of the table, Chelsea in an identity crisis, Liverpool fall, and more
The 2025/26 Premier League season has flipped on its head in the space of a month. Liverpool’s title challenge has gone up in smoke, and the newly-promoted clubs might survive.
Our last entry remarked that ‘Liverpool are massively overperforming their xG for, against, and expected points tally’, and so the passage of time has proved regression is real.
If further evidence was needed, then Mats Selz, the best keeper in the Premier League last year and previously Europe’s worst for preventing goals, has resorted to letting in corners.
Every week here on Sports News Blitz, betting expert George Dempsey will be compiling the only table that matters - our very own Premier League power rankings.
Liverpool analysis: Five reasons why the wheel has fallen off for Arne Slot’s Reds
Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on the night of Wednesday, October 29, continued their poor run of form to make it six losses out of their last seven games.
The Reds fielded an unusual starting line-up for their match against Palace, with five of their players featuring from the academy or making their senior debut.
Big players such as Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike, Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz were all rested from the squad.
Liverpool weren’t able to carry the momentum gained from their UEFA Champions League 5-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt into the Brentford game on Saturday, October 25, as they were comfortably beaten at the G-Tech 3-1, mounting pressure on the club’s hopes of retaining the Premier League.
Sports News Blitz writer Will Thomas explores what’s going wrong for the Reds.
Arsenal’s Premier League dominance: Why Mikel Arteta’s frighteningly effective side will be hard to stop
Arsenal’s rise to the summit of English football has been gradual, deliberate, and frighteningly effective.
Now, after years of near misses and rebuilding under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have finally developed into a team capable of dominating every facet of the Premier League.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Ben Phillips explores what makes Arsenal the favourites for the title this season.
Inside the mind: Deconstructing the cult of the manager - The four myths of ‘Zombie Leadership’
In the second article of Sports News Blitz’s new series, ‘Inside the Mind,’ Ted Purcell tells all on why sacking the manager rarely solves a club’s problem.
EFL recap: Plenty from League Two, managerial changes in League One, the Championship’s Sheffield Wednesday special, and more from the midweek action
Another late one this week as there were a few games set to be played on Monday and Tuesday this week, but nevertheless, no shortage of entertainment.
It was a week of cup games where Wycombe took Fulham to penalties and Grimsby Town were shrugged off by Brentford.
Read on for Sports News Blitz’s weekly EFL recap, written by Charlie Gardner, to find out what happened in the leagues.
Champions League 2025/26: Outright Betting & Matchday 4 Preview
The opening phase of the 2025/26 Champions League reaches the halfway stage during the first week in November.
Matchday 4 features some eye-catching fixtures, many of which will have a significant bearing on the race to progress to the last-16 of the competition.
Read on as we look at the latest betting for the Champions League, before previewing what promises to be a thrilling fourth round of matches.
Man Utd news: Mbeumo, Cunha shine as Amorim’s resurgent Red Devils overcome tricky Brighton test
Manchester United beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday to continue their recent resurgence under Ruben Amorim.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Robert Bore reviews an exciting Red Devils performance.