Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium Set to Host Rugby League’s Magic Weekend in 2012

Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium is in line to host rugby league’s Magic Weekend next year according to media reports.

The news, generic set to be confirmed on Friday when the new Super League fixtures come out, ed will see an entire round of Super League games take place within the two days in East Manchester.

It is believed the RFL have made the move to boost flagging crowd numbers by bringing the event back to the sport’s hotbed.

The inaugural Magic Weekend, ampoule christened Millennium Magic, took place at Cardiff in 2007.

It moved to Scotland’s Murrayfield Stadium in 2009 for the next two years before returning to Cardiff last season when the weekend kicked off the new season.

The attendance during the 2010 event in Edinburgh fell to just over 52,000 for the weekend, and although that figure rose to over 60,000 last term in Cardiff, that still meant the stadium was less than half full on both days.

But it is unlikely that predicament will continue at the Etihad Stadium, which is within striking distance of the majority of Super League big hitters including Salford Reds, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves and St Helens.

CAS Ruling on FC Sion Should be Final Decision on Matter says Platini

UEFA president Michel Platini believes the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision on FC Sion’s revolving dispute with UEFA on November 4 should be the conclusion to the matter.

Sion were thrown out of the Europa League for fielding ineligible players in their play-off match against Celtic and UEFA has since rejected numerous attempts by the club to regain their place via the Swiss civil court in the Canton of Vaud, insisting that the CAS is the only authority with jurisdiction over the matter.

UEFA chief Platini is adamant that such an approach through the civil courts cannot be allowed to take root in football and that all such matters must be left in the hands of the CAS.

Platini told French broadcaster RTL: “If tomorrow you receive a red card on the pitch and you go to a judge because you cannot play in the next match, and the judge says you are right, what can we do? Everything must depend on the CAS.

“Today, we have in principle an independent disciplinary process in the federations, in UEFA, in FIFA. If nobody respects its decisions and goes before civil courts, now that justice today moves slowly, I ask myself how this could happen.

“What do we do if a club relegated to the second division go to a court because they have a first division budget and want to stay there?”

The CAS hearing date is based on all parties’ availability, and a statement on UEFA’s website read: “UEFA has constantly insisted on the need for a rapid decision on the merits of the case and has therefore already confirmed its availability, in an effort to respect all of the dates proposed by the CAS.”

WWE WrestleMania XXVII Generate Substantial Economy for Atlanta

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announced that WrestleMania XXVII (27) generated $62.1 million in economic impact for the city of Atlanta, according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation.

This is a new record for WrestleMania’s economic impact, and a $17 million increase over WrestleMania XXVI. WrestleMania XXVII also generated approximately $7.8 million in local, state and county taxes.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, said: “We are proud to have partnered with an organization that not only helped significantly contribute to the economy of Atlanta, but also gave back to the community in a multitude of ways. WrestleMania Week brought tens of thousands of fans from across the world to our great city and furthered Atlanta’s reputation as one of the sports and entertainment capitals of the world. We look forward to the possibility of hosting a future WrestleMania.”

John P. Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events for WWE, said: “WWE is thrilled that the city of Atlanta and the great state of Georgia were the recipients of the largest economic windfall to date for WrestleMania. We would like to thank Mayor Reed and all of the public and private sector partners in Atlanta for embracing WWE and our worldwide fans, and for helping create an exceptional outcome for WrestleMania XXVII.”

A capacity crowd of 71,617 fans from all 50 states and 30 countries attended WWE’s pop culture extravaganza this past April. Key highlights from the study included:

The $62.1 million is made up of direct, indirect and induced impact generated from spending by non-locals visiting specifically for WrestleMania XXVII. Also 75% of fans that attended WrestleMania were from outside the Atlanta area, with 61% staying three nights or more.

52% of fans that attended WrestleMania were between the ages of 20 and 34, 21% were under the age of 20 and 20% were between the ages of 35 and 49.

Dan Corso, Atlanta Sports Council Executive Director, said: “WrestleMania XXVII was a tremendous success and provided a positive financial impact on metro Atlanta. This is a noteworthy example of our city’s collaborative ability to recruit and successfully host major sporting events, and it hopefully bodes well for securing a future WrestleMania.”

Romania secures final place in New Zealand

Romania has been confirmed as the 20th and final team to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011). The entry was confirmed after it defeated Uruguay in the second leg of the final qualifying round in the Bucharest.

Romania won 39-12 in the final match at Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf which qualified it for all seven tournaments.

The team will compete in Pool B against England, prescription Argentina, overnight viagra Scotland and Georgia.

“We are thrilled for Romania,” said CEO for Tournament Organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011 Martin Snedden.

“It’s been a long hard road for both teams, with their qualification journey having started in 2008, but sadly there can only be one winner,” he added.

The qualification rounds for RWC 2011 which involved 184 matches and 80 nations across five continents has ended.

The team will travel to five centres in New Zealand, visiting Ashburton and Queenstown and playing matches in Invercargill, Dunedin and Palmerston North.

“It’s great that these communities finally know who they will be hosting as I know they have been working hard on their plans. I am sure they will really swing behind the players and their supporters and give them the warmest of welcomes come September next year,” said Snedden.

FA Confident in Securing Wembley Euro 2020 Final

Football Association (FA) general secretary Alex Horne has revealed his confidence in Wembley securing the Euro 2020 final while also not ruling out the possibility of hosting Euro 2028.

There is increasing speculation Germany will pull Munich’s Allianz Arena out of the running to host the final because they do not want to damage the country’s chances of winning the right to host Euro 2024.

FA general secretary Alex Horne admitted he is increasingly confident about securing the right to host the 2020 final.

“We’re really confident with our bid,” Horne said. “We know what the Germans have been saying.

“We know that they’re thinking about 2024, but nothing has been confirmed.”

Horne also revealed the FA are considering mounting a bid to host a future European Championships, adding: “I wouldn’t rule out looking at Euro 2028.”

Euro 2020 will be held in 13 different countries to mark the 60th anniversary of the tournament and only Wembley and Munich’s Allianz Arena have put in bids to host the climax of the competition – the semi-finals and final – ahead of the vote on 19 September.

Horne added: “We are really happy with our bid, it’s a really strong bid to host the final and semi-finals. UEFA know us really well – they gave us two Champions League finals in quick succession in 2011 and 2013, so we are really confident we will get a result on September 19. We are in a great position.”

10 Sports Broadcasting Deals of the Week: 01/08/14

1

Rogers Signs New 10-Year Deal to Broadcast WWE

Thursday, 31 July 2014

2

Eurosport Secures Media Rights to Tour of Poland

Thursday, 31 July 2014

3

Northern Ireland Football League Appoints New Official Streaming and Data Partner

Thursday, 31 July 2014

4

ONE World Sports Signs Champions Hockey League Broadcast Deal

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

5

BT Sport to Broadcast Germany’s Friendlies after World Cup Win

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

6

BBC Wales & S4C Ink New Guinness Pro12 Broadcast Deal

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

7

PGA Tour Expands CBS Sports Broadcast Partnership

Tuesday, 29 July 2014

8

BT Sport Secures Portuguese Primeira Liga Rights

Tuesday, 29 July 2014

9

BT Sport Signs British Basketball Broadcast Deal

Friday, 25 July 2014

10

 Pac-12 Networks Partner with YouTube to Launch New Channel

Friday, 25 July 2014

Worcester Warriors Fires CEO Charles Cameron

Charles Cameron has been sacked as Worcester Warriors Chief Executive Officer.

A permanent CEO will be appointed but in the meantime Anthony Glossop, generic a non-executive director who chairs the board, herbal will take on a part-time executive role.

Anthony Glossop said: “I would personally like to thank Charles for his hard work during his period with us, which I appreciated.”

Charles Cameron said: “I am proud of what I achieved at Sixways and I am very disappointed to have lost the backing of the Board of the Trading Company just as I felt real progress was being made.”

“I should like to thank the players, coaches, staff and fans for their support. I shall continue to support the Warriors and have every confidence that given time, Dean Ryan and his team will deliver a successful Premiership side.”

IOC President Jacques Rogge Defends Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Cost

IOC president Jacques Rogge has defended the $51 billion cost the for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and praised the preparations of the event.

Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press in the Black Sea resort, Rogge said he was impressed by the preparations for Russia’s first Winter Olympics.

“The site is very compact, it’s high quality and is situated in beautiful surroundings,” Rogge said.

Rogge is touring the Olympic venues ahead of the one-year countdown, which will be marked with a dazzling ice show on Thursday.

Most of the venues have already been completed, while thousands of workers are still finishing up some Olympic facilities.

Russian authorities last week announced the latest costs related to the games, saying total spending would come to about $51 billion, which would make Sochi the most expensive Olympics in history.

Rogge said a great deal of the money is going to infrastructure projects, including new roads and railways, which will serve the development of the entire region for decades to come.

“You have to put it into proportion,” Rogge said. “The organisation of the Games is not going to cost a lot of money. But the government … wished to develop the whole area. You cannot just take the cost of the train and the tunnels and the road into the cost of the Games because this tunnel and the train and the road are not meant for two weeks of competition, they are meant for generations to last.”

Rogge also dismissed any concerns about the weather, saying organisers had contingency plans in place in case of adverse conditions. Warm temperatures and rain disrupted some of the snowboarding and freestyle skiing events at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“I think that the organisers have taken all the precautions to cope with the weather,” Rogge said.

“The weather in the mountains is always unpredictable. There can be too much snow or too little snow, we have seen it in the previous Games. But, you know, if there is such a circumstance then the organisers will react with the plan B.”

Rogge will no longer be IOC president at the time of the Sochi Games. He steps down in September at the end of his 12-year term.

Brooklyn Nets Appoints New York Imaging as Digital X-Ray Provider

The Brooklyn Nets have selected Newburgh-based New York Imaging Service as its full-service digital X-ray provider.

New York Imaging Service is providing Barclays Center, the Nets home venue, with a top-of-the-line digital X-ray room with real-time digital radiography technology, provided by Carestream Health and Quantum Medical Imaging. New York Imaging’s innovative cloud-based service system allows its engineers to deal with issues instantaneously via remote diagnostics and repair. In seconds, the highest quality scans afford team care providers the diagnostic confidence to make immediate diagnoses after the images’ quick acquisition, processing, and viewing.

New York Imaging services some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the Northeast, and has provided the region with top-notch installation, service, and clinical and technological expertise in medical imaging since 2003. The company is known for its leading-edge diagnostic and service technology and exemplary attention to customer needs.

In the highly competitive industry of medical imaging, New York Imaging Service — already the official X-ray equipment provider of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets — is an industry standout in its ability to bring medical diagnostic equipment, experience and real-time service to sports teams.

“New York Imaging Service is an important addition to our team by providing fast, high-tech imaging services for the Brooklyn Nets,” said Andrew Schwartz, Vice President of Partnership Sales for the Brooklyn Nets.

New York Imaging Service has been a repeat choice in New York’s professional sports history.

“Our investment into infrastructure and technology has clearly separated us from our competition,” said Bill Haussmann, President and CEO of New York Imaging Service. “We customize our services to go above and beyond the equipment; we make the technology really work for our customers, now and into the future. We believe that it’s the team behind the technology that matters. We’re excited to be partnering with the Brooklyn Nets and to be providing state-of-the-art solutions to a state-of-the-art facility.”

City Council Give Financial Boost for New San Francisco 49ers Stadium

The City Council has approved $10 million cash injection to begin Santa Clara site preparation work for a new San Francisco 49ers football stadium.

The funding approved will be used to move utilities, arthritis install sidewalks, apoplectic add extra parking and other work needed before construction on the nearly $1 billion stadium can begin.

Work at the site next to the Great America amusement park will start in January.

The voters approved tax funds for part of the project and will borrow at least $6 million from the 49ers for the rest.

If the remaining stadium funding is secured, cheao cheap construction could begin in January 2013.

Santa Clara voters passed a measure in June that provides $114 million in taxpayer money, including $40 million in redevelopment funds, to build the stadium.