1. Who we are
Dragon Football (dragonfootball.co.uk) is an English football news, data and analysis website covering the Premier League, the EFL, the National League and the women's game. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and protect your personal data.
1.1 Data controller
The data controller responsible for your personal data is:
- Dragon Sports Media Limited
- Company number 15866644 (registered in England and Wales)
- Registered office: 2 Alexandra Gate, Fford Pengam, Cardiff, CF24 2SA, United Kingdom
- ICO registration: ZA367891
- Contact: [email protected]
1.2 Group ownership
Dragon Sports Media Limited is part of the Lovells Group. DragonBet (dragonbet.co.uk) is a separate Lovells Group business, licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (licence 64908). Dragon Sports Media Limited and DragonBet do not share user personal data.
2. What personal data we collect
2.1 Newsletter subscribers
- Email address (required for subscription)
- First name (optional)
- Marketing preferences and opt-outs
- Collected via: the Beehiiv subscription form on our site
2.2 Website analytics
- IP address (truncated / pseudonymised)
- Browser and device information
- Pages viewed, time on site, referrer
- Collected via: Google Analytics 4 (only when consent is granted)
2.3 Contact enquiries
- Email address and message content you send to us
- Received at: [email protected]
2.4 Cookies
See Section 8. We only use non-essential cookies with your consent.
2.5 What we do not collect
- We do not run identity-graph tracking (no LiveRamp, Zeotap or similar)
- We do not collect payment or banking data
- Links and widgets pointing to DragonBet display information only; they do not collect data about you
- We do not knowingly collect data from users under 18 (see Section 10)
3. Why we process your data (lawful bases)
Under UK GDPR Article 6, every processing activity requires a lawful basis. We rely on the following:
| Purpose | Data used | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Send newsletter emails | Email, name, preferences | Consent (Art 6(1)(a)) |
| Provide site content | IP (session-only) | Legitimate interests (Art 6(1)(f)) |
| Website analytics (GA4) | IP, device, page views | Consent (Art 6(1)(a)) |
| Respond to enquiries | Email and message content | Legitimate interests (Art 6(1)(f)) |
| Security, fraud prevention | Access logs, IP | Legitimate interests (Art 6(1)(f)) |
| Comply with legal obligations | As required by law | Legal obligation (Art 6(1)(c)) |
4. Who we share your data with
4.1 Sister company DragonBet
DragonBet is a separate legal entity within the Lovells Group. Dragon Football does not share newsletter subscriber lists, contact data, or personal data with DragonBet. If you create an account with DragonBet directly, their own Privacy Policy applies to that relationship.
4.2 Processors
We use the following third-party processors to deliver the service. Each has a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) in place with us.
| Processor | Purpose | Transfer mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Beehiiv (USA) | Newsletter delivery | UK-US Data Bridge / SCCs |
| Sportmonks (Netherlands) | Sports statistics API, no user PII shared | Within UK-adequate territory |
| Google (Google Analytics 4, USA) | Website analytics | UK-US Data Bridge / SCCs |
| 20i / StackCP (UK) | Website hosting | UK-adequate |
| Automattic (WordPress.com, USA) | WordPress core services | UK-US Data Bridge / SCCs |
| CookieYes (India) | Cookie consent management | SCCs |
4.3 Legal disclosure
We may disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
5. How long we keep your data
| Data category | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Newsletter subscriber data | For as long as you remain subscribed, plus 30 days after unsubscribe |
| Google Analytics data | 14 months (GA4 default) |
| Server access logs | 90 days |
| Contact form enquiries | 12 months |
| Cookie consent records | 12 months (refreshed on expiry) |
6. Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the following rights over the personal data we hold about you:
- Right of access (Art 15)
- Right to rectification (Art 16)
- Right to erasure (Art 17)
- Right to restriction of processing (Art 18)
- Right to data portability (Art 20)
- Right to object (Art 21)
- Right to withdraw consent (Art 7)
- Right not to be subject to automated decision-making (Art 22)
To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We will respond within one month.
Right to complain
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk, or by calling 0303 123 1113.
7. Marketing communications
We only send marketing emails (the Dragon Football newsletter) to subscribers who have given explicit consent. Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe link. You can also unsubscribe at any time by emailing [email protected].
8. Cookies
Dragon Football uses cookies for:
- Strictly-necessary cookies (site functionality, consent preferences)
- Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4, only with your consent)
- Embedded-content cookies (Beehiiv newsletter form, social sharing, only with your consent)
Our cookie consent is managed by CookieYes. You can view, change or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time via the "Cookie Settings" link in our footer. For a full list of cookies used, see our separate Cookie Policy.
9. How we protect your data
- All data is transmitted over TLS (HTTPS)
- Access to personal data is restricted to authorised staff only
- Systems are kept up to date with security patches
- We use a web application firewall and automatic intrusion detection
- We have Data Processing Agreements in place with all third-party processors
- We carry out periodic security reviews
10. Users under 18
Dragon Football includes gambling-adjacent content (links to DragonBet, betting context). On first visit, users are shown an age gate. If you indicate you are under 18:
- The DragonBet "Bet Now" call to action and any betting links are hidden
- Affiliate links to DragonBet are suppressed
- No additional data about you is collected
- The age preference is stored only in your browser's sessionStorage (not a cookie, not on our servers)
We do not knowingly collect personal data from users we have reason to believe are under 18. If a child has provided data to us (for example, by subscribing to the newsletter), please email [email protected] and we will delete the record.
11. International transfers
Some of our processors are based outside the UK. Where data is transferred outside the UK, it is protected by one of the following mechanisms:
- UK-US Data Bridge (for transfers to certified US providers)
- Standard Contractual Clauses (for other transfers)
- Adequacy decisions (for transfers to countries the UK considers adequate)
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates when the most recent changes were made. Material changes will be signalled on the site homepage.
13. Contact us
- Email: [email protected]
- Post: Dragon Sports Media Limited, 2 Alexandra Gate, Fford Pengam, Cardiff, CF24 2SA, United Kingdom
- ICO: if you believe we have not handled your data correctly, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk