FIFA President Sepp Blatter has risen to Number 19 in the annual list of the “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business” published by Sports Business Journal (SBJ).

The Swiss’ ranking is up two places from the 2010 list despite the corruption scandals which have engulfed FIFA this calendar year and seen the association tarnished by accusations of bribery, in both World Cup bids and the presidential race, and Blatter himself accused of racism, ultimately leading to calls for him to resign.

The FIFA President’s rise in the SBJ list is probably indebted to the TV deals brokered by association for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, in Russia and Quatar respectively, which will secure $1.85 billion, predominantly from the networks Fox and Telemundo. It is likely that the plan to reform and “clean up” the 107-year-old association by 2013 in response to the recent unrest appeased any sceptics.

There were only two other contributors to the top twenty from the world of football – Robert Kraft, owner of the MLS side New England Revolution (eighth), and Tim Leiweke, AEG president and Chief of MLS Champions LA Galaxy (eleventh).

Marketing agency RPM have been appointed by global insurance brand Aviva to handle experiential activity for its UK athletics sponsorship programme.

Under the terms of the agreement, RPM will create a campaign to showcase Aviva’s sponsorship of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland athletics team – including a branded roadshow.

A tour of shopping centres across the country over the next year will feature a number of elite athletes, as well as engage with consumers and demonstrate Aviva’s involvement with the sport in that time having visited 11 destinations around the UK last year.

Aviva has been a sponsor of British Athletics for the last 12 years and senior sponsorship manager at Aviva, Gerri Carr said: “We are proud to be highlighting the full extent of our athletics sponsorship, from our grassroots programmes in schools and clubs, the six Aviva Series televised events we stage each year, and importantly our funding for Aviva GB&NI Team elite athletes.

“Our long-standing commitment is paving the way for British athletes to achieve their dreams and we wanted to give the public a chance to feel a part of this. It’s important for us to deliver a powerful experience that stands out – and we believe that RPM is best placed to deliver this.”

A-League team Newcastle Jets have announced the launch of the Jet Well Community Program supported by Slater and Gordon Lawyers.

The Club also confirmed that John Hunter Children’s Hospital will once again be an Official Charity Partner of the Club for the upcoming 2014-15 Hyundai A-League season. 

The Jet Well program will see Newcastle Jets players undertake visits and activities at the Children’s Hospital to help local children feel well and provide them with the opportunity to meet their football heroes.

Robbie Middleby, Newcastle Jets Chief Executive said “We are delighted to be supporting the John Hunter Children’s Hospital once more this season and extremely pleased to welcome on-board a major national sponsor to help us expand our community work.”

“Slater and Gordon’s support will allow us to brighten the day of more children in both the Hunter and also in Children’s Wards when we travel to some away matches”

“We are also pleased to be able to support the growth of the Slater and Gordon business in the region and will work closely with their offices in Newcastle and the Valley.”

“This is just one way that our firm can give back to the Newcastle region in a meaningful way,” said Stuart Barnett, General Manager, Slater and Gordon.

“This is an invaluable initiative and we are so thrilled to be supporting something that is sure to lift children’s spirits while they spend time in hospital.”

The Atlanta Falcons have announced the appointment of Jared Miller to the newly-created position of Chief Technology Officer for AMB Sports & Entertainment Group, ampoule which includes a division that will operate the new Atlanta stadium currently in development. 

Miller will join the group on March 3 and will be responsible for sourcing and integrating innovative, pills leading-edge technology solutions to ensure the development of a world-class stadium facility.  He also will lead the deployment of technology solutions designed to meet the changing needs of Falcons fans and guests of the many other events that will be hosted at the new stadium.

Miller comes to the Falcons from NCR Corporation, vialis 40mg where he was vice president and general manager for travel & gaming solution management.  In this role, Miller oversaw the launch of two next-generation self-service kiosk products.  Before his time with NCR, he spent nearly 10 years leading the development of customer-facing emerging technologies in the airline industry.  Specifically, at United Airlines Miller launched customer mobile applications and employee applications that streamlined the airport lobby experience and delivered a more consistent customer experience.  While at Continental Airlines prior to its merger with United, he pioneered the introduction and widespread adoption of many innovative customer products, including self-service check-in, voice check-in, baggage service kiosks, mobile boarding passes and self-boarding.

“Jared has the skills and background to help us make the fan experience at the new stadium truly unique and memorable,”Greg Beadles, chief administrative and financial officer of AMB Sports & Entertainment Group said.  “We are excited to work with him in applying his creative and customer-focused approach to stadium technology and fan experience.”

“I am very happy to be part of the team working on this exciting project,” Miller said.  “I look forward to delivering technology that will help create a standard-setting stadium and an outstanding experience for its customers.”

The international governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines (FEI) has re-opened the bidding process for the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018 following today’s Bureau meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI).

They have also specifically asked the Canadian bid from Bromont/Montreal to remain a part of that process.

There had been an expectation that the FEI Bureau would allocate the 2018 Games to Bromont/Montreal today following the Bid Committee’s strong presentation to the Bureau, but the Canadian delegation was unable to provide the full public sector financial support that was required before an allocation could be made. As a result, the Bureau is to re-open the bidding process for the 2018 Games, but with the clear intent that Bromont/Montreal remains in the mix.

“The Bromont/Montreal bid was very impressive on all technical aspects and it is hugely disappointing, both for the bid team and for the FEI, that the Bureau was unable to allocate the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018 today”, FEI President HRH Princess Haya said, “but unfortunately, without the necessary financial support, the FEI and the organisers would be exposed to an unacceptable financial risk.

“In these circumstances, re-opening the bidding process was clearly the only option open to us, but we are very hopeful that Bromont/Montreal will be a part of that new bidding process.”

All National Federations that submitted signed Expression of Interest documents prior to the November 2011 deadline for the first phase of the bidding process were informed that solid financial support to cover the cost of staging the event was a key requirement.
The FEI Bureau will now re-open the bidding process and the Bromont/Montreal bid team has confirmed that it will be re-bidding for the 2018 Games. Providing the Bromont/Montreal bid team can secure the required financial support, the Canadian bid will be evaluated in the same way as other applicants that come forward.

“We are of course extremely disappointed by today’s decision by the FEI Bureau not to allocate the 2018 Games to Canada, but despite our best efforts, we were unable to put the full financial support in place in time,” Bromont Bid Committee President Paul Côté said. “We obviously respect the FEI Bureau’s decision completely, and we will continue our efforts to secure the financial backing we need. We now need to redouble our efforts with our federal and provincial government partners. We have a very strong bid and we are confident that we can stage a wonderful FEI World Equestrian Games in Bromont.”

Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City today announced they have entered into a new multi-year agreement which will see California-based Match Analysis again delivering the team’s video and technical analysis.

Renewing the relationship provides Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes and his technical staff with complete touch-by-touch video and statistical analysis using Match Analysis’s Mambo Studio. Detailed individual analytics, upcoming opponent analysis, and complete touch-by-touch player video provided through Match Analysis’s Tango Online is accessible online by all coaches and players, with coaches also now having the ability to send video directly to players using the Match Analysis’ proprietary Tango ToGo system.

“At Sporting KC we are certainly always at the forefront of technology,” said Vermes. “We are a forward-thinking club which prides itself on using cutting-edge tools to keep us one step ahead of the game. The Match Analysis product suite certainly provides me, my coaching staff and all the players with a fantastic set of tools that’s significantly ahead of the technology we’ve been using for the past couple of seasons.”

“It’s fantastic that we’ve rekindled our partnership with Sporting KC,” said Match Analysis President Mark Brunkhart. “Sporting KC, as a club, is a technological leader in a league known for being at the forefront of analytical technology.  We’re really excited about working with Peter and his staff to help them leverage the most advanced and powerful tools available in the performance analysis market.”

English sports retailer, JD Sports have reported that sales have been in line with forecasts so far this year and that the recently acquired Blacks Leisure business is expected to post a loss of up to £15 million.

For the 19 weeks to June 9, the sportswear retailer reported a 1.5 percent increase in like for like sales.

JD said its gross margins remained be under pressure and additional overhead spending will impact its core retail results, particularly in the first half.

The group also updated investors on the performance of the recently acquired Blacks Leisure business.

JD has previously reported that Blacks posted a £2.2 million loss for the three weeks to 28 January due to the lack of stock in the business and its “excessively large and over rented” store portfolio.

Today, JD said full year operating losses at Blacks are expected to be at around £10 million with the potential for a further £5 million charge for restructuring, the bulk of which will be recognised in the first half.

“Whilst the business continues to restructure its store portfolio and operate with legacy buying decisions, it is difficult to be more precise on the short term outlook, but we remain of the view that Black’s market position can be exploited profitably in the medium term,” said JD.

“Our immediate priority is to significantly improve the customer proposition.”

New Cardiff Blues chief executive Richard Holland has quashed rumours the club will move from current stadium Cardiff City Stadium back to former home Cardiff Arms Park as he vows to bring back the crowds to the stadium.

The 38-year-old has replaced the departed Robert Norster having previously held posts as executive director of Chepstow and Hereford racecourses, as well as being vice-president of corporate relations and sales at Celtic Manor.

He joins the region during what is proving to be a challenging time on and off the field for domestic rugby in Wales.

All four professional regions, the Blues, Scarlets, Ospreys and Dragons, have played in front of disappointing crowds this season, with the Blues currently averaging attendances of around 7,000, which contrasts with the 22,000 that Cardiff City regularly attract to Championship games.

The move to Cardiff City Stadium, where the Blues have played since 2009 after taking up a 20-year lease, has proved unpopular with a section of the region’s support and there had been speculation that they could make a return to the Arms Park.

But Holland insists that crowd numbers can be improved and that a move will not be necessary.

“We have two big weeks ahead with London Irish and Racing Metro in the Heineken Cup, particularly the Racing game which is at home,” he said. “I want to re-engage the critics who are not so keen on Cardiff City Stadium and also look at how we can open ourselves up to a new market.

“The stadium is brilliant, a fantastic facility, and the team need people to support them, especially for the game against Racing as we want to secure a home quarter-final and it would be brilliant to have that home quarter-final for the fans.

“The more people that come down the better the atmosphere and hopefully the team will perform in line with that.”

When asked about the prospect of a return to the Arms Park, he added: “My brief is to make it work at Cardiff City Stadium, full stop.

“I live in the north of Cardiff and I drive to the ground every day and it takes me 25 minutes. Over Christmas I caught the train to a game and it took me 17 minutes plus a short walk to the stadium.

“When I got there the facilities were world class. Our pricing structure is great value, £24 for a family ticket, two adults and two children, is very accessible.

“We go to great lengths to make it easier with a free shuttle to and from Cardiff. The football club gets a big crowd and that’s what I want to happen at the rugby.

“We need to engage with people in all four corners of our region and I will make sure we do that hopefully that will bear fruit.”

Doping offenders would be allowed back into the Team GB team if the British Olympic Association by-law banning them is expunged according to BOA chairman Lord Moynihan.

The BOA are to challenge the decision by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) that the lifetime ban is “non-compliant” with their code at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Both the BOA and Wada are hoping CAS will make a decision before the end of April.

Moynihan insisted the bylaw had the overwhelming support of British athletes, but said the likes of sprinter Dwain Chambers would be welcomed back into Team GB if the CAS ruling went against them.

“If (the bylaw) is overturned by the lawyers, you can rest assured they will be fully embraced into the team, they will have the same treatment as anybody else and we will wish them luck,” said Moynihan.

“We are going to CAS to try to win this case, we believe we need to do so on behalf of clean athletes and reflect the 90-95% of athletes who consistently ask for this selection policy.”

Moynihan said the BOA’s case was a strong one, adding: “We have full autonomy to decide who we are going to select and we believe that is a very strong position in front of CAS.

“This is not a sanction or double jeopardy, this is a selection policy. The right of team selectors is the basis for a strong appeal.”

Moynihan revealed the costs of the legal fight would be made public in end-of-year accounts.

He also rejected the suggestion that the BOA’s lifetime ban offered no chance of redemption for drugs cheats.

“Those who have knowingly cheated other athletes out of selection did so knowingly, they knew the consequences of it,” he added. “It doesn’t leave me angry, it leaves me very sad about those guys.

“They made the decision to cheat their fellow athletes, they knew the price they were going to pay and ultimately when you talk about redemption you’ve got to talk about the redemption of those clean athletes who were denied selection as a result of an athlete who was taking a cocktail of drugs to enhance their performance, and denied that athlete who has trained week in week out, year in year out, the chance of getting selected for the pinnacle of their sporting career, namely the Olympic Games.

“You never hear of them again, they get no redemption in the whole of their life,” Moynihan told BBC Radio Five Live.

“My worry at the moment is that the so-called World Anti-Doping Agency has a policy which is obviously different to us, that you only lose two years, however serious the offence is.

“So if you time it right after an Olympic Games, you would never miss an Olympic Games. Where’s the redemption for clean athletes?”

Werder Bremen, order the German Bundesliga soccer club, buy have appointed the BTD Group as their new e-marketing partner at their home ground, bronchi the Weserstadion.

The club has opted to employ a cash-free, electronic payment system within their stadium, where fans will be able to make purchases using their electronic Werder Cards.

BTD will take complete control over the e-payment system which was originally fitted by Nuremberg-based stadium development company ArenaCult, with technical updates being planned as part of wider stadium renovations.

Klaus Filbry, manager of marketing, management and finance for Werder Bremen, told Pressbox.com: “The goal of this e-business strategic reorientation for Werder Bremen is to offer the best in terms of service and quality on both the internet and within a stadium environment. We strive to offer a more customer-orientated and usable system.”

As well as helping to implement the system onto Werder Bremen’s new online shopping portal, BTD is now responsible for the conceptual development of the Weserstadion and its entire e-business strategy.

Stefan Leibhart, chief executive and founder of the BTD Group, added: “Werder, a club with a distinctively high profile, have requested BTD to reorganise and enhance their e-business systems and we are very much looking forward to taking on this challenging task.”