English League One soccer club Leyton Orient have confirmed that they will move to the courts next week asking for a judicial review of the Government’s decision to house Premier League club West Ham United in the Olympic stadium after the Games.

If successful, the club’s chairman Barry Hearn’s decision to go to the law could mean months of discussion are still to come, on an issue the Government thought it had finally settled last month.

Speaking at an International Sports Security Conference, Hearn confirmed: “Our lawyers, Mischon de Reya have been instructed to proceed with all haste to a full application of a judicial review. 

“We will make a written application next week. 

“We want the whole West Ham rubber stamping to be put on hold, whilst the parties have an opportunity to do something they haven’t done properly. 

“This is to consider the effect on Leyton Orient Football club and to consider whether the plans they have for West Ham’s occupancy of the Olympic stadium is a proper resolve of government application of funds.”

Hearn sees the judicial review as “part of his battle plan” to force the Government to change its mind, adding: “We hope the judicial review will be granted which gives all the parties, Government, Minister of Sport, Minister of Culture, West Ham United, an opportunity to judge whether this system was fundamentally flawed. 

“Or whether it was in breach of European law or British law. 

“It will also give an opportunity for Leyton Orient to put their case that West Ham moving into the Olympics stadium, under their current pricing arrangements, is a fundamental breach of law.”

The Orient case will be that by allowing West Ham to move into the Olympic stadium, “it puts the future of Leyton Orient football club seriously in doubt. 

“It is certainly a breach of competition law and predatory pricing law.”

Orient, says Hearn, will argue “West Ham are going to give tickets away, or make thousands of rickets available on a hugely discounted basis which gives them an unfair advantage under European competition law. 

“That is predatory pricing, a case of a large commercial entity moving into an area with a pricing policy aimed at putting other people out of business.”

Hearn admitted his growing fears for the club if their legal battle is unsuccessful, saying: “We will go out of business if West Ham, under their current rules operate out of the Olympic stadium and we are left where we are left.”

Hearn hinted that one way out of this potential impasse could be compensation, adding: “What is the way forward? Is it a compensation issue? Or should we be part of the Olympic Park itself rather than be the forgotten tribe of East London? 

“We are open to suggestions but we can’t get the dialogue started unless everything else is put on hold. The whole point of judicial review is everything stops.

“We are still holding fire on any future action against either the Premier League or Football League. 

“We have sent letters to them and we are waiting a reply from the Premier League on our case against them. 

“We believe the Premier League are fundamentally flawed as well in their decision making process under their own rules. 

“The Football League have been deafening in their silence. 

“I am sure common sense will tell them they have an obligation to represent and support a member club of their company. 

“Leyton Orient are one of the founder members of the Football League and we have rights within that membership of the Football League.”

Hearn feels it is the Coalition Government that is responsible for what he calls ‘the present mess’, stating: “I have to say I blame the incumbent Government. 

“They preach the big society, community values, family values. 

“They have totally ignored a community, family club with a history dating back to 130 years. 

“I blame people that have ignored us and tried to hide behind, ‘Oh the Premier League have sanctioned it’ without considering the Premier League rules themselves and have taken that as black and white as a job done. 

“I blame bullies in society, people who think they can ride rough shod over the little man.”

Nanjing of China has won the right to host the 2nd Asian Youth Games in 2013, allergy the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced.

Also at the OCA general assembly held here on Saturday, price Phuket of Thailand was picked to stage the 4th Asian Beach Games in 2014 and Nha Trang of Vietnam was chosen as the venue for the 5th Asian Beach Games in 2016.

OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah signed host city contracts with representative of the three cities.

Nanjing will host the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in 2014, following the inaugural event in Singapore in August, so the 2nd Asian Youth Games one year earlier will give organizers the chance to test the venues and the cultural events program.

The Asian Beach Games began in Bali, Indonesia, in 2008 and is proving very attractive for National Olympic Committees due to its low cost of hosting in terms of venue construction and opportunities to promote tourism within Asia and beyond.

The 2nd Asian Beach Games will be held next month in Oman, from December 8-16, and the 3rd edition will be at Haiyang, Shandong Province, China, in June 2012.

The host of the 2013 Asian Indoor/Martial Arts Games has still to be decided. Incheon, Bahrain and Kaohsiung are all interested in staging the event, which combines two previous Games – the Asian Martial Arts Games and Asian Indoor Games.

Sportradar, medical a German sports and betting data company, has signed a multi-year data partnership with the Slovak League Clubs Union (ÚLK), the governing body of the two top-level football leagues in Slovakian club football.

As part of the deal, Sportradar will become the official data partner of the Liga top division and the 2.Liga second tier.

Sportradar will also acquire the worldwide and exclusive rights to collect, archive and distribute sports data from the two leagues, as well as distribute data to the media and betting industry.

ÚLK and Sportradar will also jointly implement an advanced data collection system for all matches in the Liga and 2.Liga.

Sportradar secured the agreement with UFA Sports Slovakia, the ÚLK’s exclusive marketing representative.

“Together we will enable all fans of Slovak football to be able to utilise the full breadth and depth of the content offered,” ÚLK president Dušan Tittel said.

“This partnership opens up some really interesting opportunities.”

Carsten Koerl, chief executive officer of Sportradar, added: “Today, Slovakia is a rising football nation developing with steady footsteps. Our market leading betting and sports data services will help to engage fans of Slovak football in new ways and across all platforms.”

The European Judo Union (EJU) has announced Italian Judo President Matteo Pellicone has passed away this morning after a long illness.

The President of Italian Federation FIJLKAM was 78 years.

In December of 2012 Pellicone was re-elected as President of the Italian Federations for Judo, discount Lotta, Karate and Martial Arts (FIJLKAM), for the next Olympic cycle.

Born in Reggio Calabria at 11 January 1935, he graduated in Economics and Commerce and exercised the activity of accountant. He had practiced different sports from a young age and later he was dedicated to wrestling Greco Roman style.

Under his guidance, Italian judo won numerous successes, and he celebrated various medals at the Olympic Games: two gold medals for Giuseppe Maddaloni and Giulia Quintavalle, three silver medals and seven bronze medals.

The EJU reacted: “With deep sorrow, the Italian Federation announces that President Matteo Pellicone left us in the early hours of the morning. His passing leaves a great void in the world of Sport that has had in his figure, humanly passionate and sporting expert, a great reference point.”

European Tour Chief Executive Officer, George O’Grady, said the Hong Kong Open faces an uncertain without increased sponsorship, as local institution HSBC said it was not interested in backing the tournament.

O’Grady said the European Tour could not “write cheques to sponsor Hong Kong”, although it is the underwriter for next week’s tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

The open was without a title sponsor until UBS agreed to return for one edition. Prize money is down to US$2 million from US$2.75 million and organisers needed a handout from the government’s Mega Events Fund.

Because of the financial crisis in Europe, the tour has lost a number of events. O’Grady didn’t say Hong Kong would be next, but stressed that finding financial backing is vital.

“We might look rich, but we’re not. We can’t just write cheques to sponsor Hong Kong,” he said. “Sponsors can choose whether they want to keep Hong Kong going. We would like to keep it, but it is a factor of economics again.

HSBC has ruled out sponsoring the tournament. Giles Morgan, the bank’s global head of sponsorship and events, said: “Sponsorship is a business investment and we don’t need to sponsor everything in golf, we need to sponsor flagship events. We already sponsor the rugby sevens, which is Hong Kong’s most iconic event and we don’t need to do both.”{jcomments on}

Geoff Cousins, advice Global Sponsorship Director for Jaguar, generic has speculated the prestigious car brand may return to motorsport in the near future.

Although Mr Cousins said a return to Formula One – where Jaguar Racing had a five year stint at the beginning of the twenty-first century – is unlikely, he said “our roots are in racing and we would love to go back at some point, possibly at Le Mans or Class Racing”.

Mr Cousins also said that sport has helped turn around the way Jaguar is perceived by the public. “Five or six years ago, Jaguar was seen as the old man’s car and the old man’s brand” he said. “I think it (sport) has been absolutely fundamental in turning the Jaguar brand around in the UK.”

He also outlined his criteria for selecting potential sponsors: “For me, it is important to work with a partner who wants to work with you as much as you want to work with them. Therefore, you get the stuff that’s not written down in the contract because it’s a two way street.” 

Finally, after talking about the Olympics, Mr Cousins talked about the Jaguar Academy of Sport, where potential stars of the future, with ambassadors such as Jess Ennis, Mo Farah and Sir Chris Hoy heavily involved. He said that being involved with younger athletes means that they have an affinity with the brand, before stressing that the Academy was “holistic development programme”, designed to coach and help younger athletes.

Read more about Geoff Cousins in our exclusive interview here>>

Leicestershire County Cricket Club has announced today that the Club made a profit of £294, see 022 for the year ending 30th September 2011.

Total income increased by £650,000 with increased funding from the ECB due to the India Test series and Donations from members.

Most of the other income streams have exceeded budget, helped by winning the Friends Life t20 Trophy and the subsequent participation in the Champions League.

The Foxes also said the expenditure had secured major savings in the coaching department and a further coach not being employed until after the financial year end.

Chief Executive, Mike Siddall said: “The Board is delighted to see a healthy profit after the massive loss in 2010.

“We have implemented a number of measures to bring the Club’s finances under control. The Club has no debt and all payments to HMRC and creditors are up to date, which is a far better position than we were in 12 months ago.

“Leicester City Council has signed a Deed of Variation with regard to the covenant on Grace Road which now gives the Club some tangible security to offer its bankers.

“However, the current year will not have the benefit of the exceptional income received in 2011 and, with the economy close to recession, commercial income is difficult to secure.

“The Directors have set a break-even budget for 2012 and we will need the support of members and corporate sponsors to achieve this target. With this in mind we have strengthened the commercial department in order to produce greater sponsorship and related income.”