Team Lotus head honcho, Tony Fernandes, believes Formula 1 needs to do more to promote itself better in new markets if it is to grow its fan base in the future.

Formula 1 is currently undergoing an expansion to the calendar outside of Europe – with India and South Korea having been added in the past two years, and Russia coming in 2014 – grand prix racing is facing the challenge of attracting new spectators if the events are to be a success.

Memories still remain of venues that have struggled to attract an audience such as Turkey who had to be dropped from the calendar because of a lack of support – Fernandes thinks that a different approach may be needed.

Writing in the latest edition of the FIA Institute’s IQmagazine, the AirAsia and Queens Park Rangers FC boss said that efforts have to go beyond the traditional way of trying to create a culture of grass roots motorsport.

“We need to keep the sport simple when it is introduced to new countries,” said Fernandes. “Motor racing, and specifically F1, is complicated, but the more understandable we make it, the easier it will be to get the newer countries involved.

“You can’t take F1 to India for the first time and treat that audience the same way you would the hugely knowledgeable tifosi at Monza. Italy has 90 years of heritage; India is brand new. Cricket exploded when they made the sport simple and accessible – first with the one-day game and now with Twenty20.”

He added: “I also think the teams and the drivers need to spend more time in the countries they’re visiting.

“When I was in the music business nothing beat bringing an artist to the country. Touching and feeling the sport is important. And we have to get away from the idea that F1 is a once-a-year thing that then goes away. It can’t just be about that.

“There needs to be bigger, wider promotion of the event, more coverage around the event, more TV programming from behind the scenes, as well as more journalists engaging with the event and more television promoting the rest of the season.”

Fernandes believes that the benefits of a big promotional push have been proven by the way that the football business grew when television companies started a major marketing effort.

“Football exploded into new markets and got really big when Sky and a few other TV channels came along and promoted it hard,” he explained. “There may be a lesson in that.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has vowed to prevent corruption from the sport in the country following the jailing of three of the national team’s key players  who were  convicted of participating in a ‘spot-fixing’ scam.

Former captain Salman Butt received a 30-month sentence 30, and bowler Mohammad Asif receiveds given a one-year term after they were found guilty by a London court earlier this week. Mohammad Amir was given a six-month jail term after pleading guilty while agent Mazhar Majeed, the alleged ‘fixer’ was jailed for two years and eight months after pleading guilty. All four will serve half of their sentences before being eligible for parole.

Butt and Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Lord’s Test match against England in August 2010. The International Cricket Council has already indicated it will investigate evidence linked to other players that became apparent during the trial. The PCB, said in a statement the sentences were part of “a sad day for cricket in the country”.

PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said: “Instead of having pride in playing for their country, these players chose to disappoint their supporters, damage the image of their country and bring the noble game of cricket into disrepute. There is little sympathy in Pakistan for the sorry pass they have come to. (The) PCB is determined to ensure that any form of corrupt behaviour from Pakistan cricket is stamped out.”

The ICC sent anti-corruption directives to the PCB in October 2010, and the national body said it has made progress in discouraging young players away from corruption. “Training courses under PCB education program upgraded for all players and particularly younger entrants into international cricket to inform them of the law and spirit of the game, the inducements that may be offered to them by unscrupulous elements, and the pitfalls associated with deviant behaviour,” the PCB said in a statement.

The PCB has brought in a stricter code of conduct and a new registration system for player agents. The statement said: “These are just some of the measures being contemplated by the PCB. More would follow as and when the need arises. Ridding Pakistan cricket of any possible corrupt behaviour will remain a high priority for the PCB. The PCB will also work closely with the ICC and its member Boards in ensuring that the game of cricket globally is made totally free from the taint of corruption.”

Two days and 13 hours of discussions between the NBA and the players union provided no resolution leading to NBA commissioner David Stern officially cancelling the first two weeks of the season.

Stern termed the negotiations to being “very very far apart on virtually all issues.” Stern also suggested that the cancellations, just the second work stoppage in league history to knife into the regular season, essentially guarantees that a full 82-game season has also been lost after fruitless talks found NBA owners and players unable to agree on key items such as luxury-tax specifics, contract lengths and annual raises.

Not considered major issues that would derail negotiations as recently as last week, but they became contentious issues on the 102 day of the lockout and over the last 48 hours as the sides’ ongoing inability to agree on a workable split of annual Basketball Related Income. Players have always wanted a 53-47 split while the league and owners have voiced a 50-50 split which has proved to be a major stumbling block.

“We think that we made very fair proposals,” Stern told reporters in New York, describing himself as both sorry and sad about the parties’ inability to get close to the framework of a deal before Monday’s deadline to start the regular season on Nov. 1 as scheduled.

“I’m sure the players think the same thing,” Stern said. “But the gap is so significant that we just can’t bridge it at this time.”

Asked if he was prepared to rule out an 82-game schedule now that all games through Nov. 14 have been formally scrapped and not merely postponed, Stern said: “Yes, I think that’s right. And with every day that goes by, we need to look at further reductions in what’s left in the season.”

Stern and players association executive director Billy Hunter were in similar positions in 1998, when a 204-day lockout only left time for a 50-game regular season.

Hunter said on Monday, intimating that cancelling games and forcing NBA players to miss checks has been the owners’ intent for months: “I’m convinced that this is all just part of the plan.

“I think everybody’s waiting for the players to cave,” Hunter added. “They figure that once a player misses a check or two, it’s all over. I’m saying … that would be a horrible mistake if they think that’s going to happen, because it’s not going to happen. The players are all going to hang in.”

NBA players displayed their solidarity all day long with dozens of “LET US PLAY” tweets and #StayUnited hash tags at the urging of union president Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul. Yet as one source close to the talks observed: “People were tweeting ‘LET US PLAY’ all day long and the owners’ offers got worse by the end of the day.”

Sources told ESPN the primary stumbling block in Tuesday’s talks centered around a punitive luxury-tax system being pushed by the owners that the union views as a virtual hard salary cap.

Stern cited the owners’ willingness to surrender their longstanding insistence on an actual hard cap as an example of how the league “made concession after concession.” But sources said that owners proposed system changes this week that included a luxury tax of $2 for every $1 that teams strayed above the tax threshold — doubling the tax that was applied in the previous collective bargaining agreement — and didn’t stop there.

The owners, sources said, also want teams that stray beyond the tax line three times in a five-season span to pay $3 for every $1 over the tax limit. Sources said that the proposed tax penalties would rise to $4 for every $1 dollar over the threshold for any team that crossed into tax territory in five straight seasons.

Sources said that owners also pushed for contract limits of four years for free agents re-signing with their current teams and three years for free agents joining new teams, with the union proposing five years and four years, respectively. Sources say that the league, as ESPN.com reported last week, likewise continues to push for tax-paying teams to be denied the use of their Larry Bird and mid-level exceptions and is still pushing for the mid-level exception to be reduced from a maximum of $5.8 million annually over five years in the previous CBA to a two- or three-year maximum contract that can’t exceed $3 million annually.

“It makes no sense for us to operate under the current model, where taxpayers … have a huge advantage over other teams,” NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said.

Referring to suggested penalties for big-spending teams, union president Fisher said: “It’s still as close as you can get (to) a hard cap.”

No further negotiating sessions have been scheduled and none are expected before next week, sources said, with Hunter and Fisher scheduling a meeting with union members Thursday in Los Angeles.

 

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Related discussion First 2 weeks of NBA season cancelled

A federal judge has sided with the the National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) in ruling that the league improperly negotiated to receive US$4bn in income from television networks even if a lockout occurs, cancelling games in the 2011 season over failing discussions to agree a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

U.S. District Judge David Doty upheld a complaint from the players’ union yesterday, March 1, overruling an earlier decision on the matter by a special master, or arbitrator.

Doty, who has overseen the NFL labor contract since 1993, ordered a hearing to consider the award of money damages and equitable relief to the players.

The judge agreed with the union that, in extending the contracts into the 2011 season, the NHL had failed to get the best terms available to maximize revenue in 2009 and 2010.

Spokesman for the NFLPA, George Atallah stated: “This ruling means there is irrefutable evidence that owners had a premeditated plan to lock out players and fans for more than two years.”

The union is now seeking to have the money placed in escrow during any potential lockout, rather than allowing the NFL to use it to fund operations. The league responded by saying that the money is a loan that will have to be repaid if no games are played.

In his decision, the judge stated: “The NFL negotiated access to over $4bn in rights fees in 2011 if it locks out the players. Of that sum, it has no obligation to repay $421m to the broadcasters.”

The NFL extended contracts and altered lock out provisions with DirecTV, CBS Corp., News Corp.’s Fox, Comcast Corp.’s NBC and Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN Inc.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello released a statement playing down the issue, reading: “Our clubs are prepared for any contingency, this decision included. The ruling will have no effect on our efforts to negotiate a new, balanced labor agreement.”

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka has resigned from his post after 22 years at the helm.

Chingoka had previously indicated that he would stand for re-election when his term ended in 2015, but a ZC statement said that the 60-year-old had retired as both chairman and board member “on his own accord” during Thursday’s meeting.

“In his parting remarks he indicated that his decision was based on the need to have a well defined succession plan in which it had been agreed that a year before his term he would step down and assist the incoming Chairman,” read the ZC statement.

“He will therefore impart his knowledge based on experience both locally and on the international scene and at times undertake missions assigned by the Board upon request.”

Chingoka could therefore continue to represent Zimbabwe at the International Cricket Council, where he was recently elected to the Governance Review Committee.

The ZC board appointed Chingoka’s deputy Wilson Manase as chairman, with Maureen Kuchocha coming in as vice-chairman.

Oslo’s bid to host the winter olympic and paralympic games in 2022 has suffered a major blow after the government decided not to support the bid financially.

The right wing populist Progress Party adopted a resolution during its congress on Sunday which said hosting the Olympics would be too costly and take funds away from essential areas such as healthcare and education.

Atle Simonsen, head of the party’s youth wing said that believing that the Oslo Olympics would cost below $8.3bn is like believing in Santa Claus, when the Sochi ones cost $83bn.

Norway’s prime minister and conservative leader Erna Solberg said that it was too early to decide on how to proceed as they first need to agree with the city of Oslo on the cost and how to divide them.

This marks a new bump on the 2022 winter games’ road, as Krakow’s bid is facing a referendum and Lviv’s one is put on hold until after the national presidential elections, taking place on May the 25th.

The host city for the 2022 games will be chosen by the IOC in Kuala Lumpur on July the 31st, 2015.

Scottish League Cup winners Aberdeen FC has appointed digital sports agency Sotic to deliver a completely new online presence to engage and communicate with their supporters’ and sponsors throughout the world.

The agreement comes as Aberdeen FC is experiencing its most successful season for 19 years winning the Scottish League Cup, reaching the semi-final of the Scottish FA Cup and closing in on a second place in the Scottish Premiership culminating in Derek McInnes being named PFA Scotland Manager of the Year.

Aberdeen FC is capitalising on their on-pitch success by appointing Sotic to deliver a world class digital platform, providing fans with a content rich cutting edge website to meet their needs across multiple platforms. A key part of the solution will be bringing the live match day experience to life online.

“We want the success of the club on the pitch to be replicated through our digital channels,” Aberdeen’s IT Manager, David Bowman said. “The information we provide to our fans needs to be more accessible across the ever growing diverse environment, and we believe Sotic will help Aberdeen FC create an effective integrated digital solution. During the pitch process we were impressed by Sotic’s approach and track-record in delivering time critical high profile sports solutions and we look forward to working with them over the next five years in this changing environment where we move from push news stories to real fan participation.”

Leo Mindel, Director of Sotic added: “Aberdeen FC is one of Scotland’s leading professional sports brands, with exciting and progressive plans for the future. We are looking forward to delivering the club with an interactive presence bringing fans closer to the live atmosphere experienced at a Dons game. We will work closely with the club to deliver an adaptive customer experience to their fans across a true multichannel platform and make better use of their rich library of digital assets.”

The new multichannel presence will be launching early July ahead of the new season.

English League Two team, illness Cheltenham Town have secured a groundshare deal which will see Gloucester City play their home matches at the Abbey Business Stadium next season.

Gloucester, drugs who play their football in Blue Square Bet North, order have been groundsharing with the Robins for three years and this new deal will see them through a fourth.

Cheltenham Town chairman Paul Baker said: “I am delighted that we have been able to extend our groundshare with Gloucester City for a further season.

“It is a good commercial arrangement for Cheltenham Town, especially in a difficult economic climate where the generation of sponsorship and other commercial income has been to say the least challenging.”

2015 Rugby World Cup organisers have played down a report claiming to list the 12 finalised venues for the tournament.

A Sunday newspaper suggested the venues for rugby’s showpiece had already been agreed upon.

But organisers have branded the reported list as inaccurate, with a final decision not due to be announced until later this month.

“That list is not at all true. It is entirely speculation,” said a spokesman for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. It is not the final list.”

A long list of 17 venues was announced in October last year, with five due to be cut when this month’s final announcement is made.

The only rugby stadiums in the long list were the three named in Sunday morning’s reports – Twickenham, the Millennium Stadium and Gloucester’s Kingsholm ground.

The remaining venues, apart from the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, are football grounds.

“The long-list has been in the public domain for a long time,” the spokesman added.

“The use of football stadiums was a part of the bid which was well documented.”

Second-tier football club Leicester City’s King Power Stadium is among the long list of venues, but Aviva Premiership high-fliers Leicester Tigers’ nearby Welford Road home was overlooked.

Other high-capacity football venues included are Wembley, Old Trafford and St James’ Park.