The English Football Association (FA) has announced it will abstain from the FIFA presidential vote on June 1, after chairman David Bernstein had hinted at the decision last week.

The decision by the FA is a clear snub to incumbent chief Sepp Blatter, whom the body blame as a major factor in England’s World Cup 2018 bid, but also to his Qatari challenger, Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Many felt that the FA would opt for change in voting for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president, but after last week’s allegations made against Qatar’s successful bid for the 2022 World Cup, the association has abstained from voting.

FA chairman Bernstein confirmed: “The FA board has today [Thursday] agreed to abstain in the vote of the presidency of FIFA. There are a well-reported range of issues both recent and current which, in the view of the FA board, make it difficult to support either candidate.

“The FA values its relationships with its international partners very highly. We are determined to play an active and influential role through our representation within both UEFA and FIFA. We will continue to work hard to bring about any changes we think would benefit all of international football.”

The news came as a shock to current incumbent Blatter, who claimed that abstaining would suit no one – least of all the reputation of the FA itself, stating: “I think it is a little bit strange when the number one association in the world, in other words the FA, has two candidates in front of them and cannot make a decision which one to support.

“Of course you can abstain but, as I explained to Mr Bernstein when I saw him, the part the FA has played in the development of football, specifically in the development of football and the laws of the game.

“The Congress gave the four British associations special privileges in 1948. Mr Bernstein asked me when I saw him what FIFA could do for England. I put it the other way – what can England do for FIFA?”

The Swiss added that the FA’s decision ahead of the upcoming election would send the wrong message, citing “the importance of the FA in world football.”

He added: “They (England) have a lot of rights but it’s also a responsibility. I think Mr Bernstein got the message, he knew exactly what I said. But I don’t know if the whole board is on the same track.”

Have your say in our Related Discussion: The FA bites back – Steven Falk

A press release from AEG Europe, buy buy | owner and operator of The O2 Arena, London, has revealed that a study commissioned by the leading sports and entertainment company revealed figures that show the venue generates an additional income of £405m (US$657m) a year for the English capital.

In November 2010, AEG Europe commissioned independent business consultancy Why Not to assess the social and economic impact of The O2 since its opening in June 2007. The study looked at The O2’s position as a visitor attraction, employer and catalyst for regeneration.

The findings revealed that as well as the additional income created, the O2 attracts up to 7.2 million visitors a year – which equates to more than the number of international tourists received by India or Australia per annum. In addition, the venue has already generated a total economic impact equivalent to more than double the original investment in the Millennium Dome – whilst providing a range of additional social, environmental and commercial benefits.

Alex Hill, Senior Executive Director of AEG Europe said: “Through a combination of state of the art facilities, scale and quality of customer service The O2 has been able to attract a series of fantastic new events to the UK. We host the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, the world’s best attended indoor tennis event, and have just hosted the first ever NBA regular season games to be held in Europe.”

Councillor Chris Roberts, Leader of Greenwich Council said: “AEG has been a great asset to Greenwich and London. Greenwich Council continue to support AEG throughout all of their operations and development, and in partnership we have delivered real tangible benefits for local residents including jobs, community initiatives, learning programmes and access to a great facility. As well as the world’s most successful arena, we also have plans for London’s first cruise liner terminal at Enderby Wharf and London’s first cable car from The O2 to Excel.”

Hill added: “The O2’s first four years of operation have seen exciting changes for Greenwich and London, but there is more to come. Planning permission has been granted for a 4-star 450 bedroom luxury hotel which will include London’s largest clear span banqueting and meeting space. With AEG’s plans to further develop the site at The O2 and to continue to attract new and innovative content, we will continue to drive employment and contribute millions of pounds to the London economy.”

A second athlete has been expelled from his team following comments on Twitter with Switzerland footballer Michel Morganella being the latest victim.

Switzerland stripped Michel Morganella from their London Olympics team after he posted a racist message on Twitter.

Morganella was part of the Swiss team that was defeated by South Korea 2-1 on Sunday.

After the game he posted on Twitter: “I am going to batter the Koreans, burn them all… bunch of ‘trisos’.”

Trisos is a French slang word for people with Down’s Syndrome.

His remarks were met with firm action from the Swiss Olympic Team as their team chief Gian Gilli held a press conference on Monday.

Of the post, he said, they “discriminated against, insulted and violated the dignity of the South Korea football team as well as the South Korean people”.

Swiss newspaper Le Matin published the tweets from the players account but the tweets have since been deleted following the furore.

The 23-year-old defender is the second Olympic athlete kicked off a team for offensive Twitter comments.

Greece dropped triple jumper Voula Papachristou last week after she posted a comment mocking African immigrants.

Levels Beyond, a leading innovator in video library management and workflow software, has announced it will manage Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) entire worldwide video production workflow using Levels Beyond’s Reach Engine software platform.

A key element of this transition will be the digital migration of UFC’s entire 19-year content library, consisting of 30,000+ hours of content, for vastly improved content archiving, access and production around live MMA bouts.

“Levels Beyond demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the production and distribution challenges we face in delivering the sport of MMA to multiple distribution points in the U.S. and in 130+ foreign territories. Their Reach Engine software platform delivers the flexibility, speed and overall performance required of both our demanding production crews and hugely varied technical requirements of worldwide distribution outlets,” said Christy King, Director of New Media and Technology for Zuffa, LLC, owner of the UFC brand.

In addition to a global Pay Per View TV platform, UFC has a new home on Fox Sports Media Group, which includes FOX, FOX Deportes, FX, Fuel TV, Speed and all of FOX’s regional sports networks. This partnership will require original programming output of 350 hours this year, up from the 90 hours aired in 2011.

“Levels Beyond’s Reach Engine platform is specifically engineered to manage the aggressive live and archived content demands of companies like UFC. Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world, requiring the most efficient production and distribution of content to UFC’s global footprint. The Reach Engine production workflow for UFC has become the blueprint for every sports network, rights holder and league channel, along with any major event producer. Levels Beyond finally allows media assets to meet up with the demands of 21st century business models, going beyond what exists today,” said Art Raymond, Chief Executive Officer of Levels Beyond.

UFC needs to access its live and archived content on the fly in a myriad of venues, and push it to any partner or viewing device. Previously, this time consuming process required editors to carry knowledge of thousands of hours of video in their heads, and then repeatedly upload content to finite ‘working storage’ drives, only to be deleted again when storage ran low. Now editors, production and distribution partners can use the Levels Beyond Reach Engine web interface to find and retrieve footage. This functionality allowed UFC to save hundreds of thousands of dollars by not having to install tape machines, tape libraries, and patch systems in edit bays in its newest production facility in Las Vegas. These savings also include much needed efficiencies in distribution to existing technology partners, as well as enabling new revenue opportunities by outputting content to Xbox, Hulu, iTunes, worldwide broadcast partners and other emerging OTT partners.

“During the course of two years, we looked at several media workflow configuration product ideas on the market. Ultimately we found deep experiential understanding and dedication from the development team at Levels Beyond. Their Reach Engine is thoughtfully designed to handle rapid-fire technology changes in today’s production and distribution environments. By working closely with Levels Beyond to fully develop their software, we have realized our vision of efficiently delivering the most entertaining mixed martial arts programming to virtually any viewing platform, anywhere in the world, firmly establishing UFC as the premier MMA sports destination and a leader in sports TV production technology,” King added.

Levels Beyond’s Reach Engine is the foundation of a multi-vendor video production environment, integrating the industry’s leaders in content editing, transcoding, and delivery solutions to create a seamless automated workflow process. With Reach Engine, video professionals can access any media in any storage location, whether a raw or completed asset, across an enterprise. Compatible with all major digital content creation hardware and software, Reach Engine’s focus on integration and open standards allows media organizations to meet the demands of the rapidly changing media landscape.

by Ismail Uddin

Sir Clive Woodward, former Rugby World Cup winning coach with England  in 2003, has ruled out a return to the Rugby Football Union (RFU) despite being widely tipped to take up the vacant elite performance director role at the body.

In rejecting the proposed comeback, Woodward has opted to stay on in his role as British Olympic Association (BOA) Director of Sport and Team GB Deputy Chef de Mission, despite holding informal talks with the RFU about a possible return.

Woodward released a statement, saying: “Since the Rugby Football Union announced its restructuring plan late last year, there has been considerable speculation that I might return to the RFU.

“With the full knowledge of Colin Moynihan [BOA chairman] and Andy Hunt [BOA chief executive and London 2012 Chef de Mission], I have had informal conversations regarding the role of Performance Director with senior figures at the RFU.

“However, I have not participated in a formal interview for this position at any stage in the RFU process.

“From the outset I had made it clear to both Colin and Andy that I would only attend a formal interview with their full knowledge.

“I would like to express my thanks for their understanding over this situation and also for their considered views which have been greatly appreciated.

“In order to prevent any further speculation and in the interests of both the BOA and RFU I would like to formally confirm that I will not be attending any interviews for this position.

“I am totally committed to my role as Director of Sport at the British Olympic Association and Deputy Chef de Mission for Team GB in London 2012.

“We have an historic opportunity ahead, when more than 500 of Britain’s most accomplished Olympic athletes will represent Team GB, at home, in the London 2012 Games.

“May I wish the RFU all the best in its search to find the appropriate candidate for this very important role for English rugby going forward.”

BOA chairman Moynihan revealed his relief at the news, saying: “Clive’s decision to forgo possible opportunities with the RFU and remain with the British Olympic Association is welcome news for Team GB.

“As we work to provide British athletes and their NGBs with the highest levels of service and support in connection with their participation in major international Games, the work Clive and his sport team are doing is critical.

“British athletes can be confident in knowing that Clive and his team are working in close partnership with performance directors, coaches and other leaders throughout British sport to find and deliver the crucial, difference-making innovations and services that will help underpin their continued success in the international arena.”

Hunt added: “We are now in the critical phase of our planning and preparation for Team GB in London 2012 and I am delighted to know Clive will continue making important contributions to those efforts as a member of our Delegation Leadership Team and as our Director of Sport.

“Clive understands exactly what it takes to deliver under intense pressure.

“He has been successful in converting years of planning and preparation into success on the field of play.

“He is a highly respected voice in our preparation and I am proud to have him as a member of our team and as one of our Deputy Chefs de Mission.”

A Rio engineering consult has made contradictory statements to organising chief of the 2014 World Cup Ricardo Teixeira, urging President Dilma Rousseff to take decisive steps for the sake of the World Cup but, more, for the sake of the country.

Jose Roberto Bernasconi agrees with FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s opinion that the preparations of the event are going very slowly.

Blatter’s criticism of Brazil’s World Cup preparations are reported to have persuaded Teixeira – head of the Brazilian federation and a powerful FIFA exco member – to turn against his old ally and FIFA presidential candidate Mohammed bin Hammam.

One of Blatter’s criticisms was of a lack of co-operation between Brazil’s federal and regional governments which was angrily denied by Teixeira. However, the intervention of Bernasconi – boss of the influential construction analyst Sinaenco – supports Blatter against Teixeira.

He says: “It is three years four months since Brazil was awarded the World Cup, a long time. In fact, we are at the halfway point to the finals and, unhappily, a long way from even having preparation work half-completed both for the Cup and to leave a positive legacy for Brazilian society.”

He said he had come to this conclusion on the basis of detailed research his company had undertaken of all the major football stadia throughout Brazil. He expressed particular concern about stadia delays in Natal and, especially, São Paulo which is due to host the Opening Match.

He concluded: “When responsibility for hosting the World Cup was accepted by former President Lula he was committing the nation to fulfil its duty not only to FIFA but to all Brazilians and to the billions of fans around the world whose attention will be focused on Brazil in 2014.

“On taking over, our current President undertook to follow through the responsibilities assumed in the name of the country by her predecessor.

“This is why it is fundamental that the President takes personal charge of the preparatory work relating to both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympoic Games in Rio de Janeiro.”

After listeners outside of the UK had suddenly been restricted from hearing coverage of the London 2012 Olympics, try the BBC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have reached an agreement lifting the ban and allowing the coverage to be streamed.

With the Summer Games under way in London, sales shows including Radio 4?s popular Today Programme and Radio 2?s The Chris Evans Breakfast Show are being broadcast from inside the Olympic park, erectile and since the IOC holds the international broadcast rights to all media inside of Olympic venues, access to the shows by fans outside of the host nation was prohibited.

Fortunately for those fans, the ban was partially lifted following discussions between the BBC and IOC, with only programs containing a substantial amount of Olympics content now being subject to restriction. In some cases, BBC News reports, when only segments of a show are broadcast from an Olympic site, those segments may be blocked to international audiences while the remainder of the show still being accessible.