After a rigorous process of reducing many worthy applications down to a highly talented short list, pills the Golf Club Managers Association has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive, viagra Bob Williams.

Bob Williams is well known to many within the Association already, check having been in golf club management for 20 years, previously Manager at Long Ashton GC and latterly at Chipping Sodbury GC for the last seven years.

He is also an active member in the South West Region, notably spearheading their educational activities in recent years. Bob also played an active part in the Association’s planning group for the 2011 National Conference, and is subsequently already involved in the plans for the 2013 event. He is also currently working with the Association’s Gill Bridle andBucksNewUniversityto help develop the education programme there, including preparation of the course content.

Bob has played an active part in delivering lectures on best practices in golf club management at both BNU and during the Association’s recent series of road shows around theUK. He was already scheduled to help with a presentation at the BTME Show at Harrogate in January, and will be attending the Regional Secretaries Conference atWeston-super-Mareat the end of January also.

Bob will formally commence work at Weston-super-Mare on 1st February 2013, initially working closely with current CEO Keith Lloyd for a month’s handover period before Keith departs at the end of February.

I’m sure all members will join me in offering Bob our sincere best wishes for a long and successful future with the Association.

Feld Motor Sports has secured a new five-year FOX Sports broadcast deal that will televise Feld’s premier motor sports stadium and arena properties.

The properties that will be broadcasted are Monster Energy AMA Supercross, adiposity an FIM World Championship, sale cialis Monster Jam, drugs AMSOIL Arenacross and the Monster Energy Cup on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 beginning in January 2014. 

FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, launched in August by FOX Sports, are set to deliver more than 291 hours of Feld Motor Sports property programming per year to their multi-sport audience. FOX Sports 1 is available in more than 90 million homes and FOX Sports 2 is in more than 40 million. Included in the agreement, in which IMG Media represented Feld Motor Sports in the negotiations, are 115 hours of original programming and 51 hours of live coverage. 

“FOX Sports’ broad-reaching, multi-sport audience is a perfect fit for our motorsports properties that will position Monster Energy Supercross, Monster Jam, AMSOIL Arenacross and the Monster Energy Cup on a premier television platform,” said Ken Hudgens Chief Operating Officer, Feld Entertainment. “Their award-winning coverage will elevate each property to a production and programming level never seen before. This is a great day for motor sports fans.” 

“It’s wonderful to secure a long-term relationship with our friends at Feld Motor Sports,” said FOX Sports EVP David Nathanson. “Feld is among the best in the business at filling stadiums and other venues around the country with high-energy, fully engaged fans. Their events make for tremendously exciting sports television and they fit perfectly into what we are building with FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.” 

Additionally, FOX Sports will provide digital coverage of all four Feld properties on the motor sports channel of FOXSports.com, reaching 40 million unique users per month.

English Premier League team, stomach Swansea have announced a record profit of £15.9million for the six months up to the end of November 2012.

The profit announced by the club is almost £10million more than for the same period in 2011. 

The Swans returned a profit of £14.6million for their first season in the Premier League.

The profit before tax of £20.4million was made up of a £5.6million profit from operations, medicine while a further £14.8million came from player sales, including those of Joe Allen to Liverpool and Scott Sinclair to Manchester City.

Turnover, with the exclusion of player sales, has also risen to £28.5million, a growth of 11.5 per cent from the £25.5million for the previous six months.

Swansea Finance Director Don Keefe said: “The funds generated by the profit are invaluable bearing in mind the extent of finance needed, not only to maintain Premier League status, but for the expansion of capacity in the Liberty Stadium and the development of appropriate training facilities of a standard befitting a Premier League club.”

A budget of £5.5million – most of which has been spent – was allocated for the development of a new training ground in Landore, which is now operational, while work is under way on another training facility being built in conjunction with Swansea University in Fairwood.

Bird & Bird sports law specialist Max Duthie has been appointed by the British and Irish Lions rugby union team as legal officer for their 2013 tour to Australia.

Duthie, who is a partner in the firm’s sports practice, will be mainly responsive for advising the Lions players on rugby disciplinary matters.

Previous roles include acting for the International Rugby Board, Six Nations, the European Rugby Cup, Celtic Rugby, the Rugby Football Union, the Welsh Rugby Union as well as various clubs and players.

Before starting a career in law, Duthie played professional rugby union in England and France.

British Lions Limited chief executive John Feehan commented: “Few lawyers know the rugby union disciplinary process as well as Max does, and his presence in the tour party will give the players and management considerable confidence. And as an ex-player, I know he will fit in well to the tour party.”

Duthie said: “I hope that I can do my bit to help make the tour a success, and it will be a real pleasure to work alongside some of the world’s best players, coaches, management and support staff.”

The Lions are set to play nine matches in Australia next summer, including matches against the five Australian Super Rugby teams and test matches against the Qantas Wallabies. The team will also play against the Barbarians in Hong Kong.

Earlier this year Duthie was selected as one of nineteen individual advocates, and one of four solicitors, appointed to the pro bono legal advice and representation service for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Wales’ deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has said talks have begun over the possibility of Cardiff hosting the Uefa Champions League Final.

The announcement comes with the launch of the country’s first Major Events Strategy yesterday. The Strategy aims to build on opportunities which may arise from Newport staging this year’s Ryder Cup golf tournament, and Wales is now looking to host other major sporting events in the future.

Wyn Jones said: “Wales is now delivering the Ryder Cup on behalf of a continent and going forward we will work with Welsh, UK and International federations to realise the huge untapped potential that remains in other sporting events as well as in artistic and cultural genres.

“The Rugby World Cup in 1999 got the ball rolling and our partners at Wales Rugby Union and the Millennium Stadium are now the custodians of one of the most dramatic, versatile and enjoyable major events locations in the world.”

Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosted six FA Cup finals between 2001 and 2006 and will host Olympic football as part of the 2012 London Games.

Friday 19^th October – Following on from the recent announcement which saw some of the biggest names from the commercial world of sport confirm their involvement in Rugby Expo 2012, prescription a full workshop programme for day one of the event has now been confirmed.

The workshop programme will run throughout the day, providing delegates with opportunities to engage with and learn from industry experts who will be sharing their skills and experiences in a series of focused sessions.

This year’s workshop programme is as follows:

Workshop 1.1: Ticketing strategies and ticket pricing to deliver sales – a focus on dynamic ticketing and other innovations

Led by Derek Palmer, International MD, Tickets.com with case studies from clients and suppliers

Workshop 1.2: Digital fan engagement – hosted by Opta

Angus McNab, head of professional rugby and sales manager, Opta

Jon Reay, digital strategy director, Aqueduct

 

Workshop 1.3: Promotion, relegation and the implementation of minimum standards

Trevor Watkins, partner, Pinsent Masons LLP

Tony Rowe OBE, chief executive, Exeter Chiefs

Gary Hetherington, chief executive, Leeds Rugby

Geoff Irvine, Chairman, Bedford Blues & Championship clubs and Board Director, ER2015

 

Workshop 2.1: Intelligent & creative marketing of clubs with limited budgets

Simon Marjoram, managing director, Bamboo Marketing Communications

 

Workshop 2.2: A partnership approach to sponsorship – Lions case study

Charle McEwen, director of sales and marketing, British & Irish Lions

Giles Morgan, global head of sponsorship and events, HSBC

Mark Cameron, global brand experience director, Land Rover

 

Workshop 2.3: Digital & social media: a look at the digital landscape through a sports lawyer’s eyes

Nick White, partner, Couchmans LLP

 

Workshop 3.1: Synthetic turf in the professional game

Steve Griffiths, head of technical services, International Rugby Board

Simon Winman, head of funding and facilities, Rugby Football Union

 

Workshop 3.2: Converting ‘friends’ and ‘likes’ into £’s – the power of social media

Agency TBC

Workshop 3.3: Professional players: How can rugby safeguard the welfare of the game’s biggest asset?

David Barnes, rugby manager, Rugby Players’ Association

Omar Hassanein, chief executive, Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association

 

The full conference and workshop programme for day two of Rugby Expo will be announced next week.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Jonathan Wilson, event director for Rugby Expo, said: “This year the conference programme is one of the event’s best ever, with a fantastic list of speakers, main stage debates and focused workshops to provide delegates with a wealth of knowledge and insight into many of rugby’s key issues.

“We’ve already received excellent feedback regarding the conference programme for day one and look forward to releasing day two’s content next week.”