Richard Bowker has been named the new independent non-executive director of the English Football League.

He succeeds Ian Ritchie who stood down at the end of February to become chief executive of the Rugby Football Union.

The appointment sees the former chief executive of British transport group National Express joining the Football League’s board in order to bring an independent view to the organisation’s decision making process.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: “I am delighted to welcome Richard to our board, he is a high class individual with impressive business credentials.

“He also has first-hand experience of leading a regulatory authority and a genuine passion for football. His job is to deliver greater levels of insight, independence and continuity to the league’s governance process and I’m sure he’ll be a first rate appointment.”

Bowker added: “I am honoured and delighted to be joining the board of the Football League at such an important time. I look forward to working with the board and management team to help promote and secure a strong future for everyone who is associated with, and enjoys watching, this fantastic league.”

by Ismail Uddin

1	Rheem Sponsors a Number of NASCAR Teams	Friday, 04 November 2011
2	Buffalo Bills Secure Partnership with Wind Energy Giant to Work on Stadium	Friday, 04 November 2011
3	David Beckham Becomes New Marketing Tool for Sainsbury’s	Thursday, 03 November 2011
4	Samsung Become Title Sponsors of Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup	Thursday, 03 November 2011
5	Faversham Swimming Club Gets Online Swim Store Sponsor	Thursday, 03 November 2011
6	Singapore Athletic Association Partner with Asics for South-East Asian Games	Thursday, 03 November 2011
7	Discover Financial Services Become ‘Official Partner’ of NHL in US	Wednesday, 02 November 2011
8	Barcelona Gain Foothold in Asian Market with Chinese Sponsorship Deal	Wednesday, 02 November 2011
9	Elwery Sports Gets Naming Rights for Gaelic Football Stadium	Wednesday, 02 November 2011
10	Drew Brees Becomes Vicks VapoRub’s First ‘VapoDad’	Wednesday, 02 November 2011
11	West Coast Eagles Begin Partnership with Bank Sponsor	Wednesday, 02 November 2011
12	Manny Pacquiao Signs Major Deal with Drink Specialist	Tuesday, 01 November 2011
13	Mitsubishi Electric Continue Sponsorship with PGA Tour and Secure Funk Deal	Tuesday, 01 November 2011
14	MMA Star Signs Deal with Electronic Cigarette Brand	Tuesday, 01 November 2011
15	Tim Hortons Become Title Sponsor of NHL 2012 All-Star Game	Tuesday, 01 November 2011
16	Footwear Brand Sponsor Marathon Runner Tera Moody	Tuesday, 01 November 2011
17	Kenya Rugby Sevens Extends Sponsorship with Kenya Airways	Tuesday, 01 November 2011
18	Moët & Chandon Become ‘Official Champagne’ of the ATP World Tour	Monday, 31 October 2011
19	Liverpool Get Official Sponsor for Tools and Security	Monday, 31 October 2011
20	Afghanistan Cricket Team Renew Partnership with Telecommunications Company	Monday, 31 October 2011
21	Mexican Soccer Team Uses Players Twitter Handles as Shirt Sponsor	Monday, 31 October 2011
22	Fulham Sign Sponsorship Deal with Security Company	Friday, 28 October 2011
23	NASCAR Extends Sponsorship with UPS	Friday, 28 October 2011
24	CIBC Become Lead Sponsor for 2015 Pan American & Parapan Am Games	Friday, 28 October 2011
25	Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow Extends Contract with Palm Beach Autographs	Friday, 28 October 2011

Major League Soccer (MLS) side Chivas USA announced today that Jorge Vergara and Angélica Fuentes have bought the 50 percent of the club owned by their previous partners, Antonio and Lorenzo Cué, making Vergara and Fuentes the sole owners of the Major League Soccer (MLS) club. 

The Cues were the managing partners of Chivas USA. Vergara and Fuentes previously owned 50 percent of Chivas USA and have been part of the club’s ownership since its inception.

“We are delighted to acquire the remaining interests in Chivas USA,” Fuentes said. “We are very excited about the future of Chivas USA,” stated Vergara.

In addition to their ownership of Chivas USA, Grupo Omnilife Founder Vergara, and Fuentes, the CEO of Grupo Omnilife, have owned one of Mexico’s most successful soccer clubs, Club Deportivo Guadalajara — commonly known as Chivas — since 2002.

Part of Chivas USA’s ownership since the club’s inception in August of 2004, Antonio and Lorenzo Cué have served on a variety of MLS ownership committees during a period that has seen the League grow from 12 to 19 clubs.

“It has been an exciting time for Major League Soccer and we are proud of the role that we played in the growth of the League,” Antonio Cué stated.  “We have enjoyed our time with Chivas USA, and we would like to thank our fellow MLS owners and the League office.”

“Chivas USA joined MLS in 2005 at a critical time for the professional game in North America,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.  “Antonio and Lorenzo Cué have been passionate owners and great partners for the past eight years.  I want to thank the entire Cué family for their support and belief in soccer in the United States.  We look forward to working closely with Jorge and Angélica as the new managing partners of the club.”

Marco Polo del Nero has replaced Brazil’s Ricardo Teixeira, on FIFA’s executive committee.

CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American soccer, named Del Nero on Thursday. He is president of the Sao Paulo state soccer federation.

Teixeira resigned last week from his seat on world soccer governing body for what he said were “personal reasons.” He also quit under pressure from the presidency of the Brazilian Football Confederation.

He is reported to be implicated in a scandal involving million-dollar kickbacks from World Cup broadcasting deals in the 1990s.

The other South American members on FIFA’s 24-member executive committee are Julio Grondona of Argentina and Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay.

The governing body responded to FIFA’s request on Tuesday to move quickly.

“The choice was unanimous,” CONMEBOL spokesman Nestor Benitez told The Associated Press.

Teixeira had two years left on the elected post he held since 1994, representing the 10 South American soccer nations at FIFA. Jose Maria Marin replaced him as president of the Brazilian Football Confederation.

In addition to Teixeira’s sudden departure, FIFA’s executive committee also has one interim member and a vacant seat.

Asia chose Chinese official Zhang Jilong in place of its confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam, who was banned for life by FIFA in an election bribery scandal last year.

FIFA is also without a Caribbean delegate, as CONCACAF has yet to replace disgraced former president Jack Warner, who resigned all of his duties last June to avoid investigation regarding the alleged Bin Hammam bribery scandal.

In just a few weeks time, capsule the eyes of the rugby world will shift from the tickertape and fanfare of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand to South West London and Twickenham as Rugby Expo 2011, the single biggest global conference and exhibition for the sport kicks off on November 23rd.

The event, which is actively supported by the IRB, the RFU, SRU, Premiership Rugby, RaboDirect PRO12, the RFL and Super League will bring together not only some of the biggest names in rugby from the UK and Ireland but speakers from a host of major sports in key international territories.

With a conference programme designed to support the technical and commercial development of the sport, the first day of Rugby Expo will play host to 4 plenary sessions and 11 workshops and include a series of leading speakers with a clear international focus. These include;

–                      John O’Neill, CEO, Australian Rugby Union

–                      Mike Miller, CEO, the IRB

–                      Steve Fanelli, Executive Director Ticket Sales and Operations, MLB club Oakland Athletics

–                      Dominic Rumbles, Head of Communications, the IRB

–                      Chris Wyche, Vice President Operations, MLS club, Sporting Kansas Club

–                      Steve Griffiths, Head of Technical Services, the IRB

–                      Dan Lyle, Tournament Director, USA Sevens

–                      Derek Palmer, MD, EMEA, Tickets.com

–                      Nigel Fletcher, Chairman, European Synthetic Turf Organisation

For a full line up of the conference and workshop programme on day one click here.

With the exhibition floor now SOLD OUT the only way to attend Rugby Expo and join what will be a stellar event is to purchase delegate passes which can be bought online or by contacting the sales team on +44 (0)845 0740752.

The J-League have concluded a deal in Myanmar that will allow the Japanese league to cooperate with Myanmar soccer leagues and tap the management expertise of premier Asian division.

J. League chairman Kazumi Ohigashi, and Zaw Zaw, chairman of the Myanmar Football Federation, signed the agreement in Yangon.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Zaw Zaw thanked the J. League for rendering a helping hand to Myanmar in a time of need.

“It is important to have a good partner for us to be able to develop soccer in our country,” Zaw Zaw said.

He said Myanmar soccer officials would benefit from the agreement and learn from their Japanese partners on how to improve the management and administration systems, find sponsors for league events and market league matches.

Ohigashi said, “We want to put forward to our fellow Asian countries the knowhow we have acquired.”

The J. League has already made cooperation agreements with Thailand in February and Vietnam this month.

The Myanmar National League, which has 14 soccer clubs as members, is the country’s premier professional league in Myanmar.

Sheik Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait, viagra 100mg head of the Olympic Council of Asia, has been selected interim president of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) following the resignation of longtime chief Mario Vazquez Rana.

The decision, taken at a meeting of ANOC officials in Bangkok, will come up for formal ratification at the association’s assembly in Moscow next month.

ANOC says Sheikh Ahmad will serve the remaining two years of Vazquez Rana’s term until 2014, when new elections will be held.

Vazquez Rana, a Mexican media mogul who turns 80 in June, headed ANOC for more than 30 years. He resigned abruptly last week amid political infighting.

by Ismail Uddin

advice helvetica, buy sans-serif;”>Quo vadis Bundesliage-Rechte? Darüber diskutiert Christian Seifert, capsule Geschäftsführer der Deutschen Fußball Liga, am 10. November in Wiesbaden mit namhaften Vertretern der Sportmedien wie Sky-Sportvorstand Carsten Schmidt, ARD-Sportkoordinator Axel Balkausky und Telekom-Manager Henning Stiegenroth.

Seit dem 1. Juli 2005 steht Christian Seifert an der Spitze der Deutschen Fußball Liga. Zuvor war er Vorstandsvorsitzender der KarstadtQuelle New Media AG, wo er u. a. das DSF und die Merchandisingrechte an der FIFA 2006 erwarb und das Engagement des Unternehmens im Bereich e- und TV-Commerce forcierte. Bei MTV Networks war der gebürtige Badener zuvor von 1998 bis 2000 als Direktor Marketing in Zentraleuropa für Endkunden und Eventmarketing sowie neue Medien zuständig, nachdem er bei der MGM Media Gruppe München von 1995 bis 1998 zum Leiter Produktmanagement aufgestiegen war.

Der 42-jährige weiß wovon er spricht und ist somit auch bei den 17. Deutschen Sponsoringtagen in Wiesbaden Garant für anregende und kontroverse Diskussionen. Seien Sie dabei. Unter www.conferencegroup.de/sponsoringtage11 finden Sie alle Informationen zur Veranstaltung.

The number of clubs in the J.League’s J1 operating at a loss has decreased from ten to eight since 2010, recently disclosed figures of its 38 participating teams in 2011 revealed.

In J2, clubs operating at a loss rose from eight to ten.

J1 clubs Urawa Reds had the highest revenue for the seventh consecutive year with US$68.3M, although it saw a decrease of more than US$3M since 2010.

J1 team Yokohama F-Marinos ranked sixth in revenue with US$44M, but its overall profit was down US$7.4M because of high operating costs.

Under the Club License System the J.League is introducing in 2013, teams with deficits for three straight seasons will not be allowed to participate in the league.

Five clubs in the league have experienced deficits for three consecutive seasons.{jcomments on}

 

Former Brazilian federation chief and head of 2014 World Cup organising committee, Ricardo Teixeira has resigned from the FIFA executive committee.

Teixeira’s decision was announced by the South American body CONMEBOL, which he represented on the FIFA committee. CONMEBOL published a copy of Teixeira’s brief resignation letter, which was addressed to the regional body’s president Dr Nicolas Leoz.

In the letter, Teixeira thanks Dr Leoz, CONMEBOL executives and the presidents of South American national associations for their support during his term in office.

He cited “personal reasons” for stepping down. Teixeira had been joined on FIFA’s executive committee by fellow South Americans Leoz and Julio Grondona.

Teixeira, 64, resigned last week as head of the Brazilian Football Federation and the 2014 World Cup organising committee on health grounds. He had been in charge of Brazilian football for 23 years but recently came under pressure to resign over allegations of corruption.

In 2001, the Brazilian Congress investigated Teixeira on suspicion of 13 crimes, including tax evasion, money laundering and misleading lawmakers, but no charges were brought. He has also been investigated for allegedly taking kickbacks from a marketing firm that worked closely with FIFA in the 1990s.

He denied all the allegations and has never been convicted of any offence. Teixeira could also point to the highlight of two World Cup victories, in 1994 and 2002.

Teixeira came under fire from within FIFA earlier this month, with secretary general Jerome Valcke expressing concern over the lack of progress on preparations for the 2014 World Cup.

FIFA has acknowledged Teixeira’s resignation and called on CONMEBOL to waste no time in naming his replacement on the Executive Committee.

“FIFA has taken note today of CONMEBOL’s announcement that Ricardo Terra Teixeira has resigned as a member of the FIFA Executive Committee,” a statement read.

“As per the FIFA Statutes (art. 30 par. 7), CONMEBOL will now have to decide immediately on the replacement of Ricardo Teixeira as one of their representatives on the FIFA Executive Committee for the remaining period of office.”

by Ismail Uddin

What’s your take on this? Ronaldo has shown a desire to lead the Brazillian Federation, is he the right choice to take the reins from Teixeira? Click here to comment.