Lancashire have appointed former Manchester United director Maurice Watkins to their board.

Watkins is the first director appointed by the Red Rose since members voted to approve changes to the club’s governing structure at this year’s AGM.

The move to Old Trafford come after Watkins served at its footballing namesake from 1984 until his retirement at the end of June.

Chairman of the Lancashire board Michael Cairns said: “The appointment of Maurice is incredible news for Lancashire County Cricket Club.

“He has a wealth of experience in the governance of sport including a long tenure as a director of our neighbours Manchester United. He is also the chairman of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, abortion the interim chairman of the Rugby Football League and is a director of the British Association for Sport and Law.

“We are very pleased to have him on the board and his experience and commitment to the north west of England through his directorships and charitable activities will be of immense benefit to Lancashire County Cricket Club as we move forward into an exciting new era.”

Watkins added: “It is a great honour for me to be appointed to the Lancashire County Cricket Club board. I have always had a passion for cricket and to move from one side of Old Trafford to the other is a marvellous opportunity.”

Soccerex are pleased to confirm iSportconnect, the leading global networking platform for sport business, as the global provider of the Networking Tool for all Soccerex events including this year’s Soccerex European Forum, 28-29 March 2012.

The Networking Tool will give Soccerex delegates exclusive access, connecting them with key industry professionals before, during and after Soccerex events.  Soccerex delegates will also be able to access iSportconnect’s network of business professionals to further expand their business reach.

iSportconnect is a community set up exclusively for sports business professionals with a strict door policy to ensure that the industry’s high-profile executives and professionals gain access to the numerous features and services provided. iSportconnect.com combines business networking, latest sports business news & in-depth editorial (through featured profiles and expert’s columns), with business events and sports professional jobs listings among the many other services provided.

iSportconnect CEO and founder Sree Varma said: ‘The Soccerex European Forum attracts some of the football world’s key business professionals. The networking tool provided for Soccerex has been designed specifically to help them leverage key business opportunities ensuring a maximum return on investment. The iSportconnect Networking Tool is comprehensive and extremely relevant to the Soccerex audience; we hope delegates enjoy using it!’

Over 1500 delegates are expected to attend this year’s Soccerex European Forum where they will benefit from exclusive business opportunities via a packed exhibition and a number of formal and informal networking events.  There will also be a packed conference programme addressing some the key issues affecting the industry including sessions on UEFA’s move to centralise media rights, player and coach development, the art of management – a master-class with Rafael Benitez, betting, the tricky business of managing England with Terry Venables, financial management of clubs in the wake of financial fair play, the relationship between football and the media, and the Soccerex Supplement, a session with some of football’s biggest names. There will also be workshops on emerging markets, the stadia industry, commercial opportunities for clubs and the EPFL.

“Der Ligaverband begrüßt das Fan-Treffen in Berlin als Beitrag zum Erhalt der Fußball-Kultur unter Anerkennung des Wunsches aller Beteiligten nach einem sicheren Stadionbesuch. Dem Dialog mit den aktiven friedlichen Fans wird auch künftig eine Bedeutung zukommen. Kritische Diskussionen, free viagra die von Vereinen und Verbänden, therapy aber auch den organisierten Fans mit größtmöglicher Ehrlichkeit geführt werden müssen, dienen der gemeinsamen Sache.

Vor diesem Hintergrund ist das klare Bekenntnis des Fan-Treffens gegen die Anwendung von Gewalt ein wichtiger Schritt. Gleichzeitig gilt es aber noch einmal in aller Deutlichkeit festzustellen, dass auch künftig nicht über eine Anwendung von Pyro-Technik gesprochen werden kann. Angesichts der gesundheitlichen Gefahren werden Liga wie DFB nicht von der getroffenen Entscheidung abweichen. Wir bedauern daher ausdrücklich, dass es in dieser Frage kein Umdenken gegeben hat.”

Basketball Australia (BA) has appointed well-respected sports administrator and former Chief Executive Scott Derwin as its new Chair of the Board.

Mr Derwin will start his role from 16 August 2012 – replacing Acting Chair Justin Milne, ask who will resume his position as Chair of the NBL Commission and non-executive Director of BA.

Mr Milne said Mr Derwin’s demonstrated leadership and negotiation skills would be an asset for the Board, cialis providing the steady hand and stability BA needs to build on its recent gains.

“Scott has served as the Chief Executive of three major national sporting bodies over the last 17 years; in each of those roles, and he has driven structural change at both governance and management levels,” Mr Milne said.

“Scott’s previous work with BA speaks for itself – he was instrumental in getting us back to a position of financial strength, and largely drove our merger with the National Basketball League, the Women’s National Basketball League and the Australian Basketball Association.

“He has also had extensive experience as both chairman and a member of various not for profit boards.

“On top of that, the experience he brings from his time spent with the Australian Paralympic Committee in the lead-up to the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games and Surf Life Saving Australia is invaluable to our organisation.”

Mr Derwin said he looked forward to working closely with the Board and incoming CEO Kristina Keneally to raise the profile of the sport.

“I’m honoured that the Board has entrusted me with the position of Chair and pleased to continue to work with Basketball Australia in such a hands-on role,” Mr Derwin said.

“Our international recognition lets us stand proud on a world stage, and at home in Australia, we’ve got a million people playing basketball. That’s no small feat – but I know we can continue to grow.

“We’re in an Olympic/Paralympic year, we’ve got a renewed focus with our Strategic Plan, and there are big things in the pipeline for the upcoming NBL season. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Kristina Keneally, who today assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer, welcomed Mr Derwin’s appointment.

“Scott brings with him a deep understanding of the history of basketball, as well as a keen appreciation of its future potential,” Ms Keneally said.

“Going forward, one of our priorities should be tapping into our incredible strength in terms of mass participation numbers. I know that’s where Scott’s awareness of and relationship with State Associations will be a boon for Australian basketball.

“Scott is a successful sports administrator, a proud ambassador for our sport, and I know he’ll be a wise sounding-board for me as CEO.”

Christian Seifert, ambulance Chairman of the DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) management board and vice-president of the DFB (Deutscher Fußball Bund) and the publisher Peter Strahlendorf (Yearbook Sponsoring) from Hamburg will be awarded with the incorporation into the HALL OF FAME SPONSORING by German sponsorship association FASPO. The award ceremony will take place at the FASPO SPONSORING SUMMIT in Hamburg on March 22.

Christian Seifert will be honoured for his significant role in the development and success of the brand “Bundesliga”, viagra 100mg which meanwhile counts to the leading professional sports leagues in Europe. Sports sponsorship substantially profits from professional football.

Peter Strahlendorf is publisher of the standard work “Yearbook Sponsoring”, as well as of many special interest publications and industry-specific online services. He counts among the founders of the FASPO association and is a pioneer of sponsorship.

Every year, personalities that rendered outstanding services to the sponsorship industry are awarded with the incorporation into the HALL OF FAME SPONSORING. In the last years among others Franz Beckenbauer, Günther Mast, Prof. Manuela Rousseau, Dr. Cesar W. Lüthi, Manfred Maus, Horst Dassler, Uli Hoeneß, Wilfried Straub, Brigitte Kössner-Skoff, Oliver Kaiser, Prof. Dr. Reinhold Würth, Hans Wilhelm Gäb and Max Hollein.

The German Sponsorship Association FASPO is the central lobby of the sponsorship industry in the German speaking countries and is located in Hamburg, Vienna and Winterthur. More information and registration to the SPONSORING SUMMIT 2012, where the awards ceremony will take place, can be found on www.faspo.de

Ivan Gazidis the Arsenal chief executive has been added to the Professional Game Board (PGB) and the FA Council.

The South African-born Gazidis was one of four appointments made by the Premier League to the PGB, which supports and advises the FA Board on matters which include the FA’s relationship with FIFA and UEFA.

Gazidis will sit alongside Tottenham’s director of football administration Darren Eales, Manchester United chief executive David Gill and Premier League chairman Dave Richards.

He also becomes one of eight Premier League representatives on the FA Council, which plays a significant role in grass roots development.

“I am delighted to be joining these important footballing bodies,” Gazidis told Arsenal’s official website.

“The appointments mean Arsenal will be represented in many of the key debates in the game both here in the UK and in Europe.”

Gazidis is also involved with FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber, the European Clubs Association Legal Advisory Panel and the Premier League Working Group for Elite Player Performance.

beIN SPORT Asia has secured an agreement today to acquire Bundesliga media rights in Indonesia and the Philippines for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. 

The deal includes all Bundesliga matches across all media platforms and devices in Indonesia and the Philippines. The season will begin on 9 August 2013 and the final matchday is scheduled for 10 May 2014. The winter break will start 22 December 2013 and end 24 January 2014.

Commenting on the new agreement, erectile Nasser Al Khelaifi, troche Chairman of beIN SPORT Asia, said “We are extremely excited by the addition of Bundesliga to our new channels in Asia for the next two seasons. Together with the Barclays Premier League, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1 it will certainly increase the value of our customer proposition and extend further our portfolio of top European football being broadcasted in Asia.”

Jörg Daubitzer, Managing Director of the DFL Sports Enterprises, said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome beIN SPORT as our new media partner in Indonesia and the Philippines, two markets where European football is extremely popular. We look forward to working with them and are confident they will broadcast Bundesliga matches in a comprehensive and innovative manner to our fans in the region.”

For the new season beIN SPORT is launching three new HD channels in Indonesia and the Philippines. Bundesliga will feature on both beIN SPORT 1 HD, a channel fully dedicated to football action and beIN SPORT 2 HD, a channel that will mix football and other sports.

Die DFB-Stiftungen Egidius Braun und Sepp Herberger haben ihre Haushaltspläne für 2013 bekannt gegeben. Wie Sponsors berichtet speist sich das Millionen schwere Budget vor allem aus Länderspiel-Einnahmen.Der Haushalt der DFB-Stiftung Egidius Braun liegt im kommenden Jahr bei rund 7,5 Millionen Euro, darunter die Einnahmen des alle zwei Jahre stattfindenden Benefiz-Länderspiels in Höhe von mehr als fünf Millionen Euro. Für die Sepp-Herberger-Stiftung stehen 1,5 Millionen Euro bereit, die fast ausschließlich aus Mitteln des Benefiz-Länderspiels generiert werden. Darüber hinaus fließen Ordnungsgelder der Lizenzvereine sowie Spenden in die Stiftungen.Das nächste Benefiz-Länderspiel wird im kommenden Jahr voraussichtlich in Rostock stattfinden.

Veranstalter der Partie für den guten Zweck ist die Egidius-Braun-Stiftung. Die Sepp-Herberger-Stiftung setzt in vier Schwerpunktbereichen aktuell sechs eigene Projekte um, darunter die Blindenfußball-Bundesliga.