Ladbrokes, who like their betting rivals often search publicity at every turn, wouldn’t remark about Thompson or the probe, which is understood to be betting-associated. Bookmaking giants Ladbrokes have suspended their head of trading Jon Thompson and launched an investigation into how he was working the division. A brand new ebook by Sky’s head of boxing Adam Smith about household ties within the sport has a foreword by Ricky Hatton, which is unusual given the style through which he misplaced a promoter’s contract with the Television station. The foreword, in which Hatton describes Smith as ‘my lengthy-time good friend whom I met as a rookie professional’, bodog betting was clearly written before the axe fell. Nike will not want to off-load the devoted soccer business with the £20million-a-yr England shirt deal that runs until 2018 on board. But any Nike takeover of the Three Lions will make a mockery of the contract ensures defending the Umbro name put into the present England shirt contract and the St George’s Park sponsorship.