Glasgow revealed plans for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games at the Tollcross venue, attended by Sport Minister Shona Robison and young athletes from the City of Glasgow Swim Team.

According to the bid document, which has been submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), athletic events would be held at Scotstoun Stadium while diving and swimming would be staged at Tollcross International Aquatics Centre, with a purpose-built Athletes’ Village at Sighthill, north of the City.

It’s been revealed that 15 of the 17 sites proposed for the 2018 Youth Games would be completed before the end of 2013, and the majority of these venues would be no more than 20 minutes travel time from the Youth Olympic Village in Sighthill.

Robison said at the event: “Warmth and hospitality alongside an excellent reputation for hosting world-glass sport events makes Glasgow, and Scotland, the perfect stage for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018.

“Young athletes competing at the top of their field rightly expect the very best facilities and support services.

“Building on the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and the forthcoming 2014 Commonwealth Games, Scotland stands ready to be an exciting, dynamic host of the Youth Olympic Games.”

Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the British Olympic Association and the London 2012 Organising Committee is supporting Glasgow’s bid. He said: “The Youth Olympic Games is a fresh, exciting young product. By entrusting it to Glasgow 2018, the Olympic family will have a historic opportunity to draw on the unprecedented pool of sophisticated event-hosting expertise and global youth engagement programs in the UK right now.

“We delivered our promises and we achieved our goals at London 2012, and we’re ready to continue that partnership with the Olympic family in Glasgow in 2018, another sports city in our sporting nation.”

The IOC is to announce the host city for the 2018 Youth Games in July 2013, following a short-listing process in February.

Lord Sebastian Coe has fueled a sponsorship row by suggesting sports fans may be turned away at venues if they wear non-olympic sponsor brands.

The former Olympic champion said people would not be allowed in the park wearing a Pepsi T-shirt “because Coca Cola are our sponsors”.

But Lord Coe, chairman of organising committee Locog, contradicted himself by saying spectators wearing Nike trainers will “probably” be allowed into venues. Rival sportswear maker adidas is an Olympic “partner”.

However, Locog moved to clarify Lord Coe’s comments and said that “individuals wearing brands is fine”. They have faced criticism for their hardline stance on “brand security”, introduced to safeguard the Olympiad’s corporate deals.

Hundreds of trading standards officers will trawl venues to ensure that only Games’ sponsors and approved businesses are associating themselves with the Olympics.

In an interview with BBC radio Lord Coe was asked if people would be able to go to an Games event in a Pepsi T-shirt.

He said: “No, you probably wouldn’t be walking in with a Pepsi T-shirt because Coca Cola are our sponsors and they put millions of pounds into this project but also millions of pounds into grassroots sport and it is important to protect those sponsors.”

Asked if spectators could get in wearing Nike trainers, he said: “I think you probably could … you probably would be able to walk through with Nike trainers.”

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott said: “Most people would think it is ridiculous for a child who may only have one pair of trainers to be turned away for wearing the wrong brand. But most importantly Lord Coe needs to know exactly what the situation is.”

Lord Coe said: “We have to protect the sponsor, they in large part pay for the Games. They help us meet legacy targets. When you have big British businesses prepared to invest you have the responsibility to protect them.”

A Locog spokesman said: “Spectators can wear any brand of trainers they want. Individuals wearing brands is fine. If people were to come in a large group with visible branding that is when there could be an issue.”

Sports Illustrated has unveiled Sports Illustrated Football Rivals, unhealthy one of SI’s most ambitious app presented by Coke Zero.

The app explores 10 great football rivalries through SI’s unmatched editorial coverage — complete with video and audio enhancements — and delivers the seminal games, capsule deciding plays and dominant performances within a dynamic, easy-to-use interface featuring 3D interactivity.  The free app, is available for the iPad, iPhone and Android Smartphones and can be downloaded on the website

In all, there is more than 300 pages of content and interactive components such as video from Ohio State freshman Archie Griffin’s breakout game against North Carolina (his first big step in a two-time Heisman-winning career), rare photos from the start of the Auburn-Alabama rivalry, a deep look inside the Bears-Packers frigid relationship (with telling quotes) and a recreation of the Army-Navy game played in the aftermath of President John F. Kennedy’s death. The 10 rivalries as chosen by Sports Illustrated editors are presented in interactive timelines where fans can pick points within the histories of each rivalry to access highlights, get inside stories from Sports Illustrated reporters, review key statistics and preview this year’s upcoming showdowns.

Terry McDonell, Sports Illustrated Group Editor, said: “The Sports Illustrated Football Rivals app explores the game’s classic rivalries in a groundbreaking way. The range of the experience is rich and extraordinary.”

Three-time Emmy Award nominated actor Kyle Chandler, known for his role as Coach Eric Taylor in the acclaimed TV series Friday Night Lights, provides voice-over narration for short original films created by Sports Illustrated using archival photos.

The new app is also part of Coke Zero’s Black Edition program, which is designed to help fans enjoy everything about football.  Coke Zero also will serve as the exclusive advertiser of four Sports Illustrated Presents college football conference previews (Pac 12, SEC, Big 10, Big 12) distributed exclusively at Sam’s Club’s 600 locations nationwide. Coke Zero is supporting the app with radio promotions and messaging on more than 30 million Coke Zero cans.  In addition, the brand is giving away thousands of prizes through MyCokeRewards.com, including VIP game access, once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences, and a VIP football experience with tickets to a key season-ending rivalry game and a pre-game dinner with a SI staffer.  Every hour, the Coke Zero Black Edition program will give away prizes from EA Sports and Sports Illustrated on MyCokeRewards.com, and each week, one person will win a gaming console, the EA Sports video game library and a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated.

The Coke Zero Black Edition program is showing up at college football’s most intense matchups of the season and giving fans even more ways to win. By visiting the Coke Zero Black Edition Fan Combine, fans can enter to win tickets and upgraded access to future games, and other exciting prizes like tickets to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in January.

A decision has been made by the English Football Association (FA) to delay its verdict in the case of QPR midfielder Alejandro Faurlin due to the quantity of evidence being considered.

The Championship’s league winners may be deducted points if they are found guilty on some or all of the seven charges against them concerning the alleged existence of an agreement between them and a third party in respect of Faurlin’s economic rights.

Allegations have also been made that the club failed to notify the FA of that agreement before the player was registered to play for them in England as well as being charged with allegedly using or seeking to pay an unauthorised agent as part of the Faurlin deal.

Both the club and chairman Gianni Paladini have also been charged with allegedly submitting false information in documents provided to the FA relating to a contract extension signed by Faurlin in October.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, former Football Association chief Mark Palios claimed that if the club are found guilty they would be docked points based on set precedents.

The full FA statement read: “It was originally indicated that the decision of the commission on the charges and on any sanction, if appropriate, would be announced by 4pm on Friday 6 May 2011 if possible.

“This will now not happen. A decision will be made and announced as soon as possible thereafter.”

Related Group discussion: QPR and Alejandro Faurlin – can someone enlighten me? by Michael Cunnah

The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) Chief Executive Neil Doncaster has been appointed to the board of the European Professional Football Leagues.

Doncaster willserve on the board for an initial three years from 2013/14 to 2015/16 and will follow in the footsteps of former SPL Chairman Lex Gold who previously served on the board.

The body was founded in 2005 and now has 30 European Leagues as members.

“I feel honoured to be appointed as a director of the EPFL, adiposity ” said Doncaster.

“I am delighted that Scottish football should once again be represented on the board of such an important body.

“The EPFL plays an increasingly central role within European football policy at the highest level – and it is important Scotland is able to contribute effectively to the debate.

“I look forward to representing all 42 clubs of the SPFL within the association of European Professional Football Leagues.”

Colin Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA)  has suggested any spare tickets for the London Games should go to the troops that have been drafted in at short notice due to security failures. 

Thousands of military personnel have been brought in after security firm G4S failed to provide the necessary number of staff, with many forced to give up their leave to cover the Games. 

Moynihan believes that giving them any tickets that have not yet been sold would be a good way to thank them. 

“I’m not responsible for tickets but if anyone deserves to fill any empty seats it’s those forces in their down time,” he said. 

“It makes a lot of sense – if there are some tickets available, let’s respect their tremendous contribution and say thank you. 

“These guys are so into sport and are really supporting the team, and just today some soldiers down from Chelmsford were saying ‘when we do get down time can we go out there and see the events’. If there are any spare tickets it makes eminent sense for the armed forces to have them and would be a great way to say thank you to them.” 

The London Olympics is set to begin with the opening ceremony in five days time on Friday 27.