English second-tier team Huddersfield Town have appointed their head of football operations Ross Wilson to the club’s board of directors.

Wilson joins joins chairman Dean Hoyle, chief executive Nigel Clibbens, operations director Ann Hough and commercial director Sean Jarvis on the board.

“We have a small team – Mark Robins, Ross, me and Nigel Clibbens manage the football side of the business – and I believe it is only right and fair that we bring Ross on board as a director in recognition of the work he has done behind the scenes,” Hoyle told the club’s official website.

“The structure we have in place, from the academy through to the first team, bodes well for the future.

“Our board of directors is very dynamic. Everyone is ‘at it’ every hour of the day. As anyone who knows Ross will testify, there is nobody more ‘at it’ than him.

“Ross will retain the title of Head of Football Operations at his own request.”

Wilson began his career at Falkirk and became an executive board member at Watford, where he worked alongside Malky Mackay, before joining Huddersfield in 2012.

Sainsbury’s has received the benefits from their sponsorship of the Paralympics following increases in its market share, medstore according to new data out today.

The latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel, published today for the 12 weeks ending 30 September, show Sainsbury’s has delivered growth of 5.6%, lifting its share from 16.2% a year ago to 16.5%.

Edward Garner, director at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Among the big four supermarkets, the stand out performance is from Sainsbury’s. Its sponsorship of the Paralympic games has clearly borne fruit, boosting its sales in this period.  The retailer has also been bolstered by its Brand Match promotion and the ongoing re-launch of its own-label range – both of which are proving popular with consumers.

“It has also been a record-breaking period for Waitrose, posting its highest-ever share of 4.7% and building on the strong performance we have seen over the past decade.”

The grocery market as a whole is growing at 3.9%. This is above the Kantar Worldpanel inflation measure of 2.6%, meaning that, despite a background of austerity, there is currently real growth in the market.

Asda has also out-performed the market adding 0.1 share points – this is lower than the growths seen earlier this year as the effect of the Netto stores acquisition drops out of the year-on-year comparisons.

Spanish giants, Barcelona have agreed a new partnership with WISeKey to build the first global WISeID FC Barcelona generated social media content trusted community.

The FCB WISeID is a sports mobile software application to enable social interactions between supporters of large sports clubs and their players. FC Barcelona will be the first sports club to launch this special sport edition of. The eponymous app will feature social media content created by supporters offering one place to follow all social media content generated by the club.  The WISeID (World Internet Social Identification) is a revolutionary business strategy, supported by a technology platform, business rules, workflow, processes and social characteristics, designed to engage the brand supporter in a collaborative conversation in order to provide mutually beneficial value in a trusted and transparent business environment.

FCB WISeID taps into Barça’s enormous, world-wide supporters ecosystem  and the massive amount of content: blogs and match reports, videos showcasing their sporting heroes, photography of events, campaigns for social and ethical issues the fans support, and the limitless discussion that dominates Twitter, Facebook and all sporting forums.

FC Barcelona adds exclusive content from players and team icons creating a super social community of FC Barcelona online properties offering a deeper connection with the club that empowers fans to become part of its social media presence. FCB WISeID creates a collective identity shared by both supporters and players, transcending the usual barriers of direct marketing.

Dídac Lee, Board Member and Director of FC Barcelona Technology Area, said:”In this global world where everything happens by smartphone, FC Barcelona has made a firm commitment to approach their followers through their device. Initiatives such as this, allow the fans wherever they are, to take their club in the pocket.”

Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISekey, added: “We are delighted to cooperate with FC Barcelona on this great project. The FCB WISeID community is the culmination of several years of development by WISeKey to reinforce digital marketing strategies for football clubs. WISeKey has been working with leading sports franchises to capture the essence of supporters’ interaction and to develop original ways to use social media to energize their dynamics. WISeKey continues these collaborations in the current year with contract extensions to further expand on the social media experience for sports clubs.”

US Open champion Rory Mcllroy has left Chubby Chandler’s International Sports Management Group (ISM) instead signing with Irish-based Horizon Sports Management.

The Dublin-based sports group run by Conor Ridge is already employed by one former US Open champion, countryman Greame McDowell.

ISM released a statement that read: “International Sports Management and Rory McIlroy have ended their association after four years. It has been an honour representing Rory and we take great pride in the role ISM has played in guiding him successfully through his formative years as a professional golfer.

“Under our management he has grown into an international figure and he leaves us as a Major Champion. ISM prides itself on putting the athlete first. In golf this has enabled our players to achieve unprecedented success with Rory joining Louis Oosthuizen (Former British Open champion), Charl Schwartzel (Masters champion) and Darren Clarke (Current British Open champion)  as a major winners and Lee Westwood at the summit of the World Rankings.

“ISM continues to go from strength to strength, its dedicated team of professionals providing our clients with world class support across the globe. We look forward to even more success in the years ahead.”

Chubby Chandler, ISM’s managing director, said: “Onward and upwards. We have had a quite brilliant year. The company is growing and adapting to ensure it stays at the forefront of golf and the business of managing players. We wish Rory every success.”

McIlroy joined ISM straight out of the amateur ranks after turning professional following the 2007 Walker Cup. The partnership was a natural fit for the Northern Irish phenomenon, because countryman Darren Clarke plays such a huge role in the ISM stable.

McIlroy still has major contracts brokered by ISM, including Jumeirah Estates in Dubai, Titleist and Audemars Piguet, to name a few. These contracts will remain in place even while McIlroy is with Horizon.

Besides McDowell, Horizon also represents Northern Ireland players Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin, as well as England’s Ross Fisher.

It has been revealed that more than 5,000 members of the public are set to be given the chance to run on the track at the Olympic Stadium.

The five-mile National Lottery Olympic Park Run will take place on March 31, 2012 and will involve a short route around the Olympic Park before runners enter the Olympic Stadium for the finish.

The ballot for entry will open later this month and people from across the UK will be selected completely at random to take part.

National Lottery spokesperson, said: “As a celebration of the £2.2 billion ($3.5 billion) National Lottery players will contribute towards the staging of London 2012, we have secured the chance for people with all abilities to be the first to grab a piece of the Olympic Games action.”

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to run on the track that the world’s elite athletes will compete on against a stunning backdrop of venues which Lottery players have part-funded.

“Watch out for more information on the ballot launch date to make sure you’re in with a chance to grab your place in this historic event.”

FIFA, football’s world governing body, will soon be moving their regional development office (RDO) from Sri Lanka to India most likely headquartered in New Delhi.

The Fifa RDO is currently operating out of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A two-man Fifa team comprising Jean Michael Benezet (technical director) and Thierry Regenass (development officer) made the announcement after inspecting the facilities at the Bangalore Football stadium on Saturday.

The officials also stressed that the two critical areas India should focus its development efforts on are infrastructure and youth development. 

“We see India as one of our most important strategic partners, which is why we are moving the development office from Colombo to India,” The Deccan Herald quoted Regenass as saying. 

“There are two primary things lacking in Indian football. The first is obviously the infrastructure. The second one is grassroots football. We are committed to ensure that both these aspects are taken care of with the help of AIFF (All India Football Federation).

“We realise a more hands-on approach is needed to develop football, hence the decision to set up the Development Office here New Delhi.”

Stressing on the importance of grassroots development, Regenass commented. “Football is like a pyramid. You have your professional league, the I-League, at the top, which is fine. But you also need the base, which is your grassroots football. Only by developing that and by getting kids to play more and more football can you as a country move ahead.”

Both officials said that they were happy with the facilities and the newly laid pitch at the Bangalore Football stadium. “I came here four years ago and the difference between then and now is massive. The Fifa Goal project is moving along well and will be vital to developing football in Bangalore,” he said, referring to the academy being set up next to the stadium.

Collegiate marketer Learfield Sports have announced former NASCAR Vice President, advice Digital Media Marc Jenkins as its new chief operating officer.

ushers in the new year by naming former NASCAR Vice President, Digital Media Marc Jenkins its chief operating officer, as announced today by Learfield President and CEO Greg Brown.

Jenkins officially assumes the COO role on January 20 and will be relocating from Charlotte, N.C. to work in Learfield Sports’ Plano, Texas headquarters. Concurrent with this move, Learfield Sports’ Executive Vice President and COO Andy Rawlings, a core member of the senior leadership team, will remain as such but now assumes the newly created role of chief revenue officer, a critical position to the company’s continued growth across the entire operation with an emphasis dedicated to its core college business, national sales and digital.

“We’re excited about Marc joining our team and bringing with him the incredible insights he has gained from his years with NASCAR, a truly remarkable sports brand,” said Learfield President and CEO Greg Brown. “We have been candid about our ambitious future growth plans, and with that, comes a need to ensure we are providing the high quality of service our clients and partners deserve. Marc’s expertise and professionalism will allow us to continue to thrive in key areas of our business, while Andy assumes an incredibly valuable and integral role focused exclusively on revenue generation. We are simply setting the stage for what we consider to be another great year for our company and our partners.”

As COO, Jenkins immediately will play a critical senior leadership role with Learfield Sports’ collegiate relationships as the company owns multimedia rights to over 50 of the leading college programs in the country and has prominence in all of the major athletic conferences. Additionally, he will be integral to the further growth and development of Learfield’s digital business, focused on enhancing content and programming with Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer Joe Ferreira. Jenkins also will be responsible for overseeing Learfield’s joint venture businesses in ticketing (IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions) and concessions (Learfield Levy Foodservice).

“Learfield has strongly positioned itself as a leader in the collegiate multimedia rights space, and I look forward to coming on board to work with such a dynamic company with excellent leadership,” said Jenkins. “I’m excited to get started and diligently look for unique ways to provide services to college athletic programs that may involve strengthening what Learfield already does, or seeking out new digital or social media enhancements that would significantly benefit our partners’ business.”

In Jenkins’ seven years with NASCAR, his most recent position of vice president, digital media involved overseeing more than 60 employees and leading the efforts of NASCAR across the entire digital media spectrum, including all distribution platforms and channels.

Before joining NASCAR in 2006, Jenkins served as general counsel for MLB’s Chicago White Sox, where he played a major role in the structuring of the stadium rights deal with U.S. Cellular; the formation of Comcast Sports Net Chicago; and the negotiation of the MLB Advanced Media rights agreements. Jenkins, a member of SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious “Forty Under 40” class in 2012, also was recognized by Charlotte Business Journal as one of the region’s “Forty Under 40” in 2009.

Sochi 2014 organizers announced Sunday the route that the Olympic flame will travel.

According to tradition, anesthetist the Olympic flame will be lit in Olympia, medicine Greece, and from there it will be transported to Moscow on October 7, 2013. The following day it will start its journey across Russia.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay will be the longest in the history of the Winter Olympic Games with 14,000 torchbearers carrying the flame over 123 days and through 2,900 towns and settlements.

The torch will be carried more than 65,000 kilometres by foot, car, train, plane and even on a Russia “troika” – a traditional Russian sleigh pulled by horses or reindeer. About 130 million Russians are expected to see the relay as it travels around the country.

The relay will go from Moscow to Sochi, visiting many important historic, cultural and picturesque areas of Russia. The relay will then celebrate the new Olympic year in Kazan, considered one of the most beautiful cities in Russia.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee said: “The Olympic Torch Relay is one of the most important and magical Olympic occasions. It continues the build-up of excitement ahead of the Games and as well as the Olympic values to the whole country we will be creating, as a nation, an important part of Russian history. I am sure that the Olympic Torch Relay will be welcomed by a wonderful celebration in every city it visits.

“The Sochi 2014 Relay will bring the entire country together, highlighting the diversity and beauty of Russia, particularly for the people of Russia themselves. For one day during the relay each town or settlement that the Olympic Flame visits will become the centre of attention and it will be a unique chance to showcase itself to the whole world.”

Sky has joined forces with 3D production company CAMERON/PACE Group – founded by Hollywood film director James Cameron and Vince Pace – to deliver live 3D coverage of the Ryder Cup from Medinah Country Club, Illinois beginning Friday 28 September.

The Sky 3D channel will show more than 30 hours of live coverage of The Ryder Cup and the technology and experience available two years on from the first 3D Ryder Cup broadcast on Sky at Celtic Manor in 2010, will make it another truly immersive experience.

“We’re looking forward to working in partnership with Sky to deliver truly outstanding 3D coverage of The Ryder Cup,” said Avatar and Titanic director James Cameron, co-chairman of CAMERON/PACE Group(CPG), the industry leader in 3D technologies and production services.

“Drawing on CAMERON/PACE Group’s global expertise in live 3D sports production, Sky’s coverage will offer 3D viewers an exhilarating perspective on the one of the world’s most popular sporting events.”

John Cassy, Director, Sky 3D, comments: “Building on what’s already been a spectacular summer of sport on Sky 3D – including comprehensive 3D coverage of the Olympic Games – we’re continuing to forge ahead in delivering unique and immersive sporting experiences to our customers.

“3D brings an entirely new perspective to watching golf. It picks out all the changes of height and distance on a golf course and makes them real, enabling 3D viewers to get a real sense of perspective of the undulating greens, sloping fairways and the depth of the galleries. It’s great to be able to mark the second anniversary of Sky 3D with live coverage of one of the biggest events in sport.”