Wembley Stadium to Stage EURO 2020 Showpiece as 13 Host Cities Announced

European Soccer’s governing body UEFA has selected London’s Wembley Stadium as the host for the EURO 2020 Final and Semi-Finals.

Wembley beat off competition from Germany’s Munich, who received hosting rights to a quarter final and three group games. 

FA Chairman Greg Dyke was feeling positive after the announcement: “On behalf of everyone at The FA and our President HRH The Duke of Cambridge, I am delighted Wembley Stadium and London have been awarded the right to stage the semi-finals and Final of UEFA EURO 2020.

“It will be a great honour to be part of what will surely be a superb celebration of 60 years of the UEFA European Championship.

“My thanks go to all our partners in the bid – particularly the Government, Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London – and of course to UEFA President Michel Platini and the UEFA Executive Committee. I also congratulate all of the other successful bidding nations.”

UEFA’s new ‘EURO for Europe’ concept also saw Baku in Azerbaijan, Rome in Italy and Saint Petersburg in Russia announced as a Quarter Final host as well as staging three group games. 

Euro2020

Further hosting rights were awarded to Brussels/Belgium (three group games, one round of 16 game), Copenhagen/Denmark (three group games, one round of 16 game), Budapest/Hungary (three group games, one round of 16 game), Amsterdam/Netherlands (three group games, one round of 16 game), Dublin/Republic of Ireland (three group games, one round of 16 game), Bucharest/Romania (three group games, one round of 16 game), Saint Petersburg/Russia (three group games, one quarter-final), Glasgow/Scotland (three group games, one round of 16 game) and Bilbao/Spain who have also received three group games and one round of 16 game.

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said a number of reflections had led to the Executive Committee’s decision in Lausanne in December 2012. “Let me say it is a decision only about 2020,” he emphasised. “2020 is the 60th anniversary of the European Football Championship. Obviously the fact that the EURO will feature 24 teams instead of 16 puts an additional burden on countries hosting such an event. It becomes much more difficult for many countries – the requirements are becoming bigger and bigger.

“An opportunity like this, to give many cities and many countries the possibility to host even just one part of a EURO, is certainly an excellent thing, especially in times when you have an economic situation where you cannot expect countries to invest in the facilities such an event requires. Certainly one of the purposes of this decision is to help countries who are perhaps not sure today whether they should build a national stadium – giving them the impetus to build such a stadium. Instead of having a party in one country, we will have a party all over Europe in 2020.”

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International Cheer Union Partners with IFAF for 2015 World Championships

The International Cheer Union (ICU) and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) have agreed a partnership to promote both sports at the 2015 IFAF World Championships, to be held July 4-18, 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The ICU and the IFAF have each been recognized by SportAccord as the official governing body for their respective sports. Both Cheerleading and American Football have a rich 100-year history originating from American university sporting programs in the late 1800s. More than a century later, both sports are thriving and growing rapidly.

Tommy Wiking, IFAF’s President said, “Cheerleading and American Football obviously have a long history of working together, American Football athletes on the gridiron, and Cheerleading athletes in the same venue engaging the American Football spectators. The 2015 IFAF World Championships will bring together both of these great sports at one event, promoting an atmosphere of national pride for both the American Football and Cheerleading fans in this uniquely historical and now famous game environment.”

“This is quite an exciting time for both the sports of American Football and Cheerleading,” said Karl Olson, ICU’s Secretary General.  “What began more than 100 years ago at an American university campus for both of our sports is continuing to grow on all continents at a very rapid pace.”

As a complement to IFAF’s qualified national teams traveling to Stockholm for the 2015 IFAF World Championships, ICU’s respective national cheer federations plan to send their own national cheer teams to support and perform during their nation’s American Football games, as well as compete against the other national cheer teams for a 2015 World Cheerleading Game Day Championship title. 

ICU President Jeff Webb commented, “Cheerleading is certainly a unique sport. While it is very competitive from the Competition aspect, Cheerleading also has the ability to enhance the game experience for other sporting events. ICU values the great relationship we have with the IFAF organization and IFAF President Tommy Wiking. We know that the 2015 IFAF World Championships will be a wonderful event for all of the competitors and we look forward to working together to help make this event a great experience for the fans.”

RPA Appoints Two New Non-Executive Directors

The Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) today announced the appointments of two new Non-Executive Directors and two new Restart Trustees.

Harry Keogh and Joe Ryan will assume the roles of Non-Executive Directors whilst Jeremy Beard and Simon Vaughan-Edwards will become trustees of Restart, erectile the official charity of the RPA.

Having served as a Non-Executive Director of the RPA for over ten years Bill Page will stand down from the role on August 31st.

Current Non-Executive Director, cough Vic Luck, help will step down from his role as a Restart trustee with Jeremy and Simon joining current trustees Bill Page, Mark Campion and Ben Kay with immediate effect.

Vic, who acts as Chair of the RPA Management Board, will relinquish the position in the summer of 2015 and the appointments of Harry and Joe will ensure a smooth transition and the best interests of our members are protected.

The RPA Management Board is responsible for the governance of the Rugby Players’ Association, working in conjunction with the RPA Players’ Board, which comprises of elected Player Representatives.

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium to Have WiFi after Sky Bet & The Cloud Deal

English Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion have signed a deal with Sky Bet and The Cloud to implement free WiFi across the Amex from the start of this season.

The new deal will allow fans to browse the web, look through social media and use the brand new Albion mobile app from anywhere in the stadium.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber told seagulls.co.uk, “The ability to get online has become a big part of matchday. Our fans want to get online– everything from catching up on scores to uploading videos from the stands.

“For us, mobile is a great way of bringing the fans closer to the action and there’s an opportunity to expand on that in the future with competitions, games or other interactive tools.

“Having fast, free internet across the ground is key to engaging with fans.”
Vince Russell, who is managing director at Sky’s public WiFi service, The Cloud, reinforced the Albion chief executive’s idea to bring the club closer to its fans.

“We know that football fans love to get online when they are in or near the stadium – to get the latest sports updates or share their own pictures and comment.

“Launching Sky’s public WiFi service, The Cloud at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, is another great example of Sky’s ability to use the latest technology and innovation to give sports fans an even better experience.

“It’s also a great way to bring the club closer to its fans.”

Edward Martin, head of sponsorship at SkyBet, also stressed how good the betting opportunities will be with the new service.

“This is an exciting and ground-breaking deal for Sky Bet. We know that for a lot of football fans, having a bet on the match can make it even more exciting but we are also aware of the frustration that this can cause when they try to place bets inside a busy stadium.

“With The Cloud service in place and alongside our industry-leading mobile apps and website, from next season Brighton fans will be able to place their bets quickly and conveniently at the ground and also keep an eye on how their other bets are faring up and down the country.”

Women’s Squash Association Announce NextSquash Partnership

The Women’s Squash Association (WSA) has reached an agreement with NextSquash to provide support to the association at both strategic and operational level. 

The appointment of NextSquash, which is led by former Dutch champion Tommy Berden, is the first major decision of the entirely new WSA Board, which was installed last month at the association’s AGM in New York during the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.

Australia’s world No11 Kasey Brown, the newly-elected WSA President, explains the appointment of NextSquash as WSA’s new partner: “Our members have asked for quite some time now to get Tommy and his company involved. They have proven to be successful promoters and are highly respected by the players and fellow organisers.”

WSA’s Chairman Latasha Khan added: “NextSquash has a wealth of squash knowledge and an extensive network within the global squash community. They know how to run events at all levels and can contribute a great deal to our association. We are excited to work with them as we continue the WSA vision to Inspire; Empower; and Entertain while strengthening our tour.”

NextSquash has an extensive and proven track record in event management. Amongst many PSA and WSA events, the Dutch-based company was responsible for the execution of the Women’s World Open 2009 in Amsterdam and the highly-successful combined Men’s & Women’s World Opens 2011 in the spectacular New Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam.

“We are looking forward to working with WSA,” said 34-year-old Berden. “The women’s game has improved tremendously over the past decade and I’ve experienced first hand as a promoter that the girls are well-received wherever they compete. We have always been committed to grow the sport and I am very upbeat about the opportunity to work with the current WSA crew to secure an even better future for women’s professional squash.”

PHAR to Evaluate Commercial Opportunities for National & Putra Indoor Stadiums

The Malaysia Stadium Corporation has appointed PHAR Partnerships to evaluate commercial opportunities at the National Stadium and Putra Indoor Stadium including the potential naming rights.

The Malaysia Stadium Corporation manages the largest collection of sports and entertainment arenas in South East Asia including the National Stadium, bronchi Putra Indoor Stadium, National Hockey Stadium, National Aquatics Centre and the National Squash Centre.

The research work by PHAR Partnerships is part of the Malaysia Stadium Corporation’s vision to become the leading sports city for the region. The Malaysia Stadium Corporation are looking to develop ancillary revenues through commercial partnerships which will improve the experience of the consumer, attract major international events and introduce an increasing variety of events and experiences for sports and entertainment fans in the region.

Dr Helmie, CEO of Malaysia Stadium Corporation, said: “PHAR Partnerships are world leaders in stadia research and evaluation. Working with PHAR Partnerships will provide us with a unique insight and understanding into the value of our stadia to commercial partners and how best to package commercial opportunities.”

Alastair Macdonald, Head of Research and Insight at PHAR, said: “We are thrilled to be working for Malaysia Stadium Corporation. Our research will provide comprehensive and transparent analysis on the true value of Malaysia Stadium Corporation’s commercial opportunities, which will be invaluable for both the rights holder in helping inform its decision-making and support its negotiations with brands in justifying the value of the commercial partnership.”

Aston Martin Racing Partners with Craft Racing to Expand Brand in Asia

Aston Martin Racing and Craft Racing AMR have formed a partnership that sees the Asia-based race team responsible for developing the Aston Martin Racing brand in the region, through its participation in some of the major Asian racing series. 

The Asian team will also collaborate on technical development with Aston Martin Racing, provide support for customer racing teams, as well as promote the sales of the Vantage-based race cars.

Craft Racing AMR is regularly regarded as one of the top motorsport teams in Asia and its founders and team have been involved in motorsport in the region for more than two decades.

Since 2010, the team has enjoyed a strong and successful relationship with Aston Martin Racing and will be racing a Vantage GT3 in the GT Asia championship, one of the most exciting and intensely competitive major pan-Asia series, which concludes this year at the immensely popular Macau Grand Prix where works driver Darren Turner (GB) will pilot one of Craft Racing AMR’s Vantage GT3s.

The team is also planning to take part in the highly anticipated inaugural Asian Le Mans series – the class winners of which will be qualified to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – scheduled to begin in Korea, and then on to Japan, China, and finally to Indonesia.

This experience and understanding of the car made the team the perfect choice for Aston Martin Racing when looking for a partner team that would focus on key championships on the other side of the world from its head-quarters in Banbury, UK.

James Walters commented: “This isn’t something we step into lightly. Last year we announced that The Racer’s Group would play a similar role in the USA and we’re delighted that our relationship with Craft Racing AMR has grown so strong that we can do the same with them, but to cover the Asian region.”
“Our range of Vantage-based race cars offer a highly-competitive option for a wide scope of Asian GT championships and endurance races and I’m sure that together, we will grow the presence of Aston Martin Racing at each event.”

Mark Goddard, Team Principal and Craft Racing AMR Team co-founder added: “We are extremely happy to take our relationship with such an iconic brand to a higher level and we are confident that Craft Racing AMR will bring further success to Aston Martin Racing in both GT Asia and the Asian Le Mans Series. We also have a programme of long distance races, such as the MME 12 Hours of Sepang and the Dubai 24 Hours.”

Craft Racing won the GT Asia Team Championship at its first attempt back in 2010. The team has since won numerous races in Asia and is the 2012 MSS GT3 champion. The best result to date, as Craft Racing AMR, was the 24 Hours of Dubai, which saw the team take an impressive third overall in their debut 24-hour endurance race.

Aston Martin Racing’s works driver Stefan Mücke (D), who raced with the Craft Racing AMR team in Dubai, will race alongside Frank Yu throughout the GT Asia series, which begins at Motegi, Japan on 11/12th May 2013.

PGA National Russia Joins International Association of Golf Tour Operators

PGA National Russia has announced that they have recently joined International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) as part of Braemar Golf’s membership porfolio.

The prestigious club opened in September 2012 and has already gained high acclaim amongst the Russian golfing fraternity for the quality of the design and exceptional conditioning.

The 7,400 yard European Golf Design layout has been inspired by the classic Scottish links and heath land courses.The course is complimented by a luxurious club house which features 10 bedroom suites, 3 bars, 2 restaurants and a function suite.

Commenting on their membership to IAGTO, Club President Alexander Yarunin said “We are delighted to have joined IAGTO and look forward to welcoming some intrepid golf explorers to Russia. People may not think of Russia as a viable golf destination, however we have a number of excellent courses in the Moscow region designed by leading architects such as Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones and European Golf Design so making an interesting golf itinerary will be possible. Also our weather and long day light hours from May through to September offer perfect golfing conditions.”

Russia is starting to become increasingly popular with tourists who predominantly visit the historical site of Moscow and St Petersburg , but with the winter Olympics coming to Russia in 2014 and the Football World Cup in 2018 the country is gearing up for sports tourism.

Ecclestone Looking to Get French Grand Prix on 2013 F1 Calendar

The French Grand Prix may return to the Formula 1 increasing the 2013 calendar to 20 races, according to F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

“As far as I’m concerned, yes,” replied Ecclestone, when asked whether the race could replace the New Jersey Grand Prix, which has been postponed for a year because of construction delays.

“We’re ready to sign. We’ve got a pen and we’re ready to sign.”

Ecclestone admitted, however, that there was still uncertainty surrounding the venue.

Magny-Cours, which hosted the race between 1991 and 2008, is in the running alongside the Paul Ricard circuit, where it was previously run.

The latter track, which is owned by Ecclestone, had been scheduled to go on the 2013 calendar after a deal was agreed with the government of Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this year.

However, it was scuppered when Sarkozy lost the country’s Presidential election to socialist candidate Francois Hollande in May.

Formula One Track Considered for London Olympic Stadium

It has been revealed today that one of the bidders for the Olympic stadium includes a Formula One race-track, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The application to turn the stadium and the Olympic Park into an F1 circuit is now being considered by the London Legacy Development Corporation.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the unlikely-sounding plan is one of four bids under consideration by the agency, although local football club West Ham is still the favourite to take over the ground.

“The bid was tabled by a company based in Wanstead, east London, which discussed its plans with Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone before finalising its bid,” said the paper. “Ecclestone confirmed that he had been approached and that he had expressed an interest in staging the race if the bid was successful.”

The Telegraph explains that the plan involves cars racing along “a track running into the stadium and then around the Olympic Park, which has considerable wide-open spaces, though is designed for pedestrians rather than 700 horsepower F1 cars”.

Turning the Olympic Park into an F1 circuit would present major engineering and environmental challenges and would not sit easily alongside London 2012’s green image. It was also hoped that the area would become an “urban quarter” after the Games rather than a race track.

Although the plans sound far-fetched it is not entirely beyond the realms of possibility. It notes that 2014 Winter Olympic host city Sochi plans to stage a Russian Grand Prix around the new stadium, and points out that F1 ringleader Ecclestone “has long harboured ambitions of a London Grand Prix”.

West Ham remain the favourites to take over the stadium, but there have also been bids from University of East London in collaboration with Essex County Cricket Club, which could play some games there, and the University College of Football Business, which specialises in football qualifications.