Chinese Super League Shanghai Shenhua FC fans boycotted a friendly against Manchester United because it was played midway through the Chinese domestic season.

The 42,000 crowd included a minority of spectators wearing the blueshirts of Shenhua.

Shenhua fans had started an online campaign urging the club’s supporters to avoid the match.

Some supporters cited high ticket prices as  a reason for not attending. The cheapest seats were selling for 180 RMB (us$28) each, almost 25 percent of the cost of a Shenhua season ticket. {jcomments on}

Totteham Hotspur have announced Executive Director with commercial responsibility, Charlie Wijeratna, has left the Club on Tuesday 17 January 2012 for unknown reasons

Wijeratna joined from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) where he and his team set up and delivered the sponsorship programme along with licensing and retailing projects, selling LOCOG’s official hospitality assets and Paralympicbroadcasting rights. With his team Charlie designed the highly successful competitive process for selling sponsorship assets which was groundbreaking in the UK in 2006.

A member of the London 2012 executive management team since the start of the bid in 2003, he was responsible for all the commercial and legal aspects of London’s bid for the Games and the establishment of LOCOG. Charlie is a qualified investment banker and lawyer with a background in sports TV production.

He was appointed executive director of Spurs in November 2010.

Daniel Levy, Chairman, said: “I’d like to thank Charlie for his work since he’s been with us. He has overseen the successful overhaul of the brand and the Club’s visual identity. We wish him the best of luck in the future.”

Charlie Wijeratna said: “I’ve enjoyed my time at Spurs. It has been an exciting environment to work in and I am proud of the work I have done with my team to position the Club for the next phase of its commercial development.”

STATS LLC, ampoule the world’s leading sports technology, ailment data and content provider, announced today that Eric Shanks, Co-President and COO of the FOX Sports Media Group, has been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

Mr. Shanks has enjoyed a distinguished career in television production and programming. In his current role, Mr. Shanks oversees all entities within the Group, including FOX Soccer, SPEED, FOX Deportes, FUEL TV, FOXSports.com and all digital ventures, as well as FOX Sports’ relationship with The Big Ten Network. A six-time Emmy Award-winner, Mr. Shanks holds the day-to-day responsibilities of the FOX Sports broadcast network, including programming, production, field and studio operations, marketing, promotion, communications, business and legal affairs.

Previously, Mr. Shanks served as executive vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment. Prior to joining DIRECTV, he served as a producer at FOX Sports and as vice president of Enhanced Programming for FOX Television Networks.

Eric Shanks commented: “STATS is one of the most innovative companies in sports today,” said Mr. Shanks. “I feel privileged to join this exciting and dynamic team, and look forward to providing my expertise wherever possible.”

STATS CEO Gary Walrath commented: “We are fortunate to have the leadership, vision and tremendous expertise of Eric Shanks as we continue to advance STATS’ mission to revolutionize the way sports contests are viewed, understood and enjoyed.”

STATS is owned jointly by the Associated Press and News Corporation. Mr. Shanks joins Tom Curley and Ken Dale of the Associated Press and Gary Ehrlich of FOX Sports Enterprises to complete STATS’ four-member board.

Rangers have been given conditional Scottish Football Association (SFA) membership clearing the way for them to start their season in the Ramsdens Cup against Brechin on Sunday.

The Scottish Football League announced that agreement had been reached following weeks of discussions, releasing a statement on behalf of the three football authorities while the Ibrox club also announced they had signed an agreement.

The SFL, SFA and Scottish Premier League statement read: “We are pleased to confirm that agreement has been reached on all outstanding points relating to the transfer of the Scottish FA membership between Rangers FC (In Administration), and Sevco Scotland Ltd, who will be the new owners of The Rangers Football Club.

“A conditional membership will be issued to Sevco Scotland Ltd today, allowing Sunday’s Ramsdens Cup tie against Brechin City to go ahead.

“Following the completion of all legal documentation, the Scottish Premier League will conduct the formal transfer of the league share between RFC (IA) and Dundee FC on no later than Friday 3rd August 2012. At this point, the transfer of Scottish FA membership will be complete.”

FOX Sports will become the new home of netball as part of a new broadcast agreement with Netball Australia.

This will see all ANZ Championship games, search including finals, and Australian Diamonds international Tests broadcast live and in high definition airing on FOX Sports.

As part of the deal, Foxtel announces a new grassroots initiative, similar to the one it has established with Football Federation Australia.

A Foxtel All-Star Program will be offered free to 500 young netball players around Australia, with five one-day clinics in major centres including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Richard Freudenstein, Foxtel Chief Executive, said: “We are excited to announce this new program with our partners at Netball Australia to encourage more girls to play netball and lead a healthy and active lifestyle, while inspiring the next generation of netball stars. This program aligns nicely with what we are doing with football in Australia and means that Foxtel will now support grassroots activity in two of the nation’s most popular participatory sports.

“Australian women and girls love netball, so I am delighted that, with FOX Sports, we can now ensure that they have the opportunity to view all of the games of the ANZ Championship live. Our support for grass roots participation will ensure that the quality of netball all across Australia remains strong,” Mr Freudenstein said.

Netball Australia Chief Executive, Kate Palmer, said: “This announcement is another significant milestone in growing our sport’s future in Australia. Netball Australia, in conjunction with Foxtel, can continue to provide a safe and inclusive environment to more grassroots netballers around the country as we look to strengthen our position as Australia’s premier female participation sport.”

Manchester United has come under increasing pressure from the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) to launch a full flotation following reports that their planned initial public offering (IPO) launch in New York has been shelved.

First in Hong Kong and Singapore, then New York, it has seemed the Glazer family have been looking to raise additional capital through a partial sale of the club.

It is estimated the debt incurred during their leveraged takeover in 2005 has so far seen in excess of £500million taken out of United to pay assorted fees and charges.

And within their prospectus, it was admitted the club’s present debt of £423million could hamper them in the transfer market.

“We now call on the Glazers to come back with a full flotation of Manchester United with a single class of full voting shares,” MUST chief executive Duncan Drasdo said.

“Should they choose to do this, with no strings attached, we would support such a flotation wholeheartedly and encourage the global fan base of Manchester United to seize such an historic opportunity to secure a meaningful fan ownership stake where the priorities of the club are the same as the fans – not absentee owners.”

With the New Jersey Grand Prix ready to make its Formula 1 debut next year, organisers have appointed the key men responsible for leading the project.

Tom Cotter, previously head of successful motorsport marketing agency the Cotter Group, will assume the position of President, while former New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority CEO Dennis Robinson will work alongside him as Chief Operations Officer.

Cotter, who recently sold his firm to Cleat Channel Communications in 2011, enthusiastically stated: “Only a world-class opportunity like this could divert me from my bucket list. The chance to make racing history doesn’t come along often.”

New Jersey’s race promoter and director Leo Hindery Jr. added: “It is vital that we have a leadership team that is highly respected in motorsports, and in running major sporting events in the region, and that understands and respects our overriding responsibilities to the fans, the people of New York and New Jersey, the teams and the drivers. Tom Cotter and Dennis Robinson are the best possible choices to fill these roles.”

CITY WORKERS RUN TO HELP SAVE SIGHT OF 6, anabolics 500 CHILDREN

This year’s Standard Chartered Great City Race, generic which takes place on Thursday 14 July, will see workers from the City of London take to the streets of the square mile to make a difference to the lives of 6,500 children in developing markets. The official beneficiary of this year’s race is Seeing is Believing, a global initiative to help tackle avoidable blindness. Standard Chartered’s Group Finance Director Richard Meddings recently travelled to Tanzania where he witnessed first hand how the funds raised from last year’s race have made a real difference to the local community in Dar es Salaam.

During his visit, Richard handed over a cheque for USD $800,000 to the Minister of Health for Tanzania, Blandina Nyoni, PS. This sum was raised through a partnership of Standard Chartered employees in both the UK and Tanzania. Funds raised via last year’s Standard Chartered Great City Race also contributed to this fund raising goal, which has improved or protected the eyesight of over 90,000 Tanzanians.

An important part of Richard’s trip was spending time at one of the beneficiaries of the $800,000, CCBRT, a specialist disability hospital in Dar es Salaam. Richard visited the eye ward and operating theatre before meeting hospital staff and patients.

Richard Meddings, who is also Chairman of Seeing is Believing commented, “The Bank is exceptionally proud of its commitment to Seeing is Believing. Since we launched the initiative in 2003 Seeing is Believing has raised over US $32 million, and over 2.78 million people have benefited from sight restorations. Our long term aim is to increase public awareness of avoidable blindness, and the importance of early intervention, provide medical services to avoid blindness and raise funds to improve or restore sight. The funds raised will help to buy vital equipment in the field of eye medical work”.

This year Standard Chartered aims to raise the bar of its fundraising efforts. £5 from every race entry into the Standard Chartered Great City Race will go directly to Seeing is Believing, which the Bank will match. All additional funds raised by race participants for Seeing is Believing will also be matched by Standard Chartered pound for pound.

To make donations to Seeing Is Believing, receive training tips for The Standard Chartered Great City Race on 14th July, view pictures and video content from Richard Meddings’ Tanzania trip please visit the race’s Facebook page at:  www.facebook.com/standardcharteredgreatcityrace