David Beckham is fast running out of time to get his proposed Major League Soccer franchise off the ground in Miami, with the league officials having already granted him leeway in finalising long-delayed plans.

MLS commissioner Don Garber warned the Beckham group last month that the deadline for them to become the 24th team in the MLS was looming, without giving a specific date.

But the end of this month is now accepted by Beckham’s aides as the absolute cut-off for having a signed contract in place with new investors who will help fund the building of a stadium on land already purchased for the project in the Overtown area of Miami.

David Beckham is running out of time to see through plans for his MLS franchise in Miami

The talk in Miami is of how little Beckham has been seen in Florida of late. But that is seen as a strategic move, with Beckham not wanting to raise false hopes — after so many setbacks in the last three years over finding a stadium site — until there is concrete news to announce.

But despite leaving it so late, the ownership company Miami Beckham United are still confident of fielding an MLS side in 2018 at a temporary home before their new stadium is ready for the 2019 season.

MLS commissioner Don Garber (left) has warned Beckham that the deadline is approaching

Gordon Lord's surprise defection from being the ECB’s head of elite coaching to a similar role at the RFU will only strengthen former England cricket supremo Andy Flower’s powerbase at the Loughborough academy as well as his command of the England Lions that effectively makes him another national team selector.

The World Cup is set to increase from 64 games to 80 in 2026, when it is very likely to be staged in the United States. This gives American TV network Fox even more value for the shadowy TV rights deal agreed 11 years in advance with the disgraced FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke in February 2015.

Valcke admitted terms had been reached with Fox without any tender because of fears the TV network might take legal action over the decision to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from summer to winter, when it will clash with Fox’s flagship NFL coverage.

Last year Valcke was banned from all football for 12 years for a series of misdemeanours including facilitating the sale of other under-valued TV rights.

Germany celebrate winning the 2014 World Cup - the tournament looks set to expand in 2026

Despite the chronic recent problems with train travel for the general public, an increasing number of football clubs from the Premier League downwards are choosing to go by rail rather than fly to and from away matches.

Arsenal have booked private chartered trains because of the ease of travel from their training ground to Watford railway station for trips to Manchester City, Everton and today’s FA Cup tie at Preston.

But one problem with going by train is having to run the gauntlet of fans on platforms after poor results, as Arsene Wenger discovered when he received a barrage of abuse following Arsenal’s defeat at Stoke in December 2014.

Arsene Wenger could have to face fans during Arsenal's train trips for away games this season

ECB HIT OWN WICKET

The England Cricket Board’s hapless commercial department have only themselves to blame for losing model Test match sponsors Investec five years into a 10-year deal.

Investec have taken advantage of a break clause halfway through the contract following this summer’s England Test series against South Africa and the West Indies.

As Sports Agenda revealed last month, this was always a strong possibility after Investec reacted with dismay to the crass decision by the ECB to make financial sector rivals NatWest the new England shirt sponsors.

And the need to find kit backers arose when Waitrose quit, partly because ECB-appointed agents began talking to potential new partners before the supermarket giant had decided whether to extend their three-year contract.