Sky to cut ties with £5m-a-year ambassador David Beckham after three advertising campaigns

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Sky will not be renewing David Beckham's ambassador contract which has cost the network an astonishing £20million over four years.

The deal has seen Beckham star in three advertising campaigns and do a few days work a year for the Sky Academy grassroots sports initiative. 

But even with Beckham's undoubted global appeal, that doesn't seem to offer much value for money for £5m-a-year, nor warrant Sky describing it as 'a great relationship'.

David Beckham's time as an ambassador for Sky has reached its 'natural conclusion'

Beckham will now focus on other ventures after his 'great relationship' with Sky came to an end

It is understood Sky were panicked into offering Beckham such generous terms in 2013 to stop him fulfilling a similar role with rivals BT Sport. They were just starting their Premier League coverage and Sky were obsessed at the time with smashing the new opposition.

A Sky Sports spokesman said: 'Sky's partnership with David Beckham has come to its natural conclusion. It was a great relationship with an iconic sportsman and we wish David all the best.'

Sky moved to employ Beckham in 2013 to stop him fulfilling a similar role with rivals BT Sport

More disgruntled former referees and linesman are complaining they haven't received an England cap, introduced in 2008 to honour officials who have represented their country at international level. 

They include former elite referee Mark Halsey, who upset the establishment - as did former linesman Glenn Turner, who officiated in more that 100 matches, thus qualifying him for the cap. 

Turner said: 'I was told by the FA referee's chief Neale Barry in August 2012 when I resigned that my cap was in the post. I'm still waiting. It seems to me if your face didn't fit with Barry or David Elleray then you didn't get a cap.' 

An FA spokeswoman said it was thought Turner's cap was put in the post.

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey is among several former officials complaining

The RFU say they had a list of 20 genuine candidates to be chief executive before interviewing nine and then a short-list of four ahead of appointing insider Stephen Brown.

The interest in the job is not surprising considering Brown's predecessor Ian Ritchie was the country's highest-paid chief executive of a sports governing body, earning a package of £700,000 that included a £100,000 World Cup bonus. 

It is understood Brown, who was a certainty to be appointed despite the elaborate recruitment process, will have around the same basic salary.

Steve Brown was appointed RFU Chief Executive on 1 September 2017

No wonder the Six Nations have failed to find a sponsor prepared to pay £17m-a-year compared to previous backer Royal Bank of Scotland's £11m. 

The rugby market has collapsed to the extent Aviva are paying 40 per cent less (£2m down from £5m) to extend their title backing of the Premiership for another season.

HAMMERS LAY DOWN LAW 

West Ham, who started the Premier League season with three successive away defeats while the London Stadium was being reconfigured from athletics, have put their foot down over such disruption happening next season.

British Athletics are already selling tickets for the 2018 Muller Anniversary Games, the London Diamond League meeting, due to be staged in Stratford on July 27 and 28. 

West Ham are determined to avoid another situation of having a run of away league games

But West Ham, who have a veto clause in their contract if another event interferes with the football season, are demanding the meeting be moved to an earlier date.

They want the London Stadium back in football mode by the start of August, especially after their inconvenience from the World Championships this summer. A British Athletics spokeswoman said the Diamond League dates are not fully decided until November.

West Ham have had to juggle with athletics and concerts being held during the summer

The sports governance reforms introduced by Minister of Sport Tracey Crouch will see imminent female appointments to both the FA and RFU boards which were men-only domains for decades. 

The RFU council will be asked to approve digital expert Genevieve Shore at their meeting on Friday. The FA's choice to replace Heather Rabbatts will be named next week.

The FA will announce the successor of Heather Rabbatts as a director on the board next week