Matthew Benham has acquired a majority shareholding in Brentford Football Club.

His purchase from Bees United, The Brentford Supporters’ Trust, has increased Matthew’s stake in the football club from 36% to 97%, with the remainder held by other supporters.

Matthew has paid a nominal sum for Brentford FC Limited, with a substantial loan amount owed to him converted into preference shares.

This debt was part of the five-year Matthew Benham/Bees United partnership agreement that commenced in 2009.

The agreement was brought forward this year with Bees United members last month voting overwhelmingly in favour to sell its shares to Matthew.

Included in the agreement, the Griffin Park “golden share”- that carries the right of veto to the sale of Griffin Park unless it will enable a bona fide move to a new stadium that meets all reasonable requirements for the football club – will pass from Martin Lange to Bees Unitedon May 31 2014.

Matthew’s purchase of the Club has been conducted through himself and not a SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) company.

English League One side, Preston North End Football Club, have appointed Peter Ridsdale as their full-time Chairman of Football.

Ridsdale has over 24 years experience of football management having held senior positions in a number of professional football clubs.

Ridsdale was Executive Chairman of Leeds United for five years (1997 to 2003) having served as a non-executive director for the previous ten years. During his five years as Chairman of Leeds United they finished in the top five of the Premier League in each season and also reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup in 2000 and were Champions League semi-finalists in 2001.

Following a brief spell at Barnsley FC where he led a consortium that rescued the club from administration, Ridsdale joined Cardiff City Football Club. During Ridsdale’s five years at Cardiff City he rescued them from almost certain administration, raised the funding and completed the building of the new ‘Cardiff City Stadium’ and on the field he took Cardiff City to their first FA Cup Final since 1927 (2008) and to their first Championship Play-Off Final (2010). Peter then completed his brief by then ensuring the sale of Cardiff City to their current Malaysian owners.

During the last 12 months Ridsdale has worked for the administrator of Plymouth Argyle Football Club helping to conclude a successful sale and thereby ensuring their survival.

At the announcement of his appointment, Ridsdale said: “I am delighted and privileged to be joining Preston North End Football Club. Preston North End is a football club that has an incredible football heritage, a large and loyal supporter base and a club that frankly ought to be competing to join the Premier League rather than playing in League One. 

“I sincerely hope that working with Preston North End’s existing staff and with the continued support of its fan base, I can play a part in ensuring that we return to the Championship as a minimum in the not too distant future.”

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced today that it has increased the use of electronic line-calling reviews in its official team competitions, abortion Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas. Starting this year, the Hawk-Eye Officiating system will also be used in the Fed Cup World Group semifinals and the Davis Cup World Group quarterfinals. The decision was taken by the ITF Board of Directors at its meeting last week.

Electronic review was first used in Davis Cup at the 2006 Final between Russia and Argentina in Moscow. Its use was extended to the Fed Cup Final in 2007 and the Davis Cup semifinals in 2010. The system is only used on ties played on hard court and grass court.

Hawk-Eye Officiating will be used at the two Fed Cup by BNP Paribas semifinals on 16-17 April, with Russia taking on Italy in Moscow, and Belgium hosting Czech Republic in Charleroi, with both ties taking place on indoor hard court. The venues for the four Davis Cup quarterfinals on 8-10 July are still to be confirmed.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas are two of the most prestigious team competitions in the sporting calendar, with a unique atmosphere and partisan crowds. The increased use of electronic review at ties reflects the importance of these competitions, and creates added interest and entertainment for spectators.”

Juan Margets, ITF Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Davis Cup Committee, added: “The introduction of electronic review has been very positive for players and for officiating. Following discussions with our National Associations, team captains and players, we believe that it is important to increase its use in our team competitions, and this is a positive step.”

FOX Sports has signed a multi-year deal with Dorna Sports to broadcast the MotoGP World Championship, cough with races to air on SPEED and the newly announced, cialis multisport FOX Sports 1 in 2013.

MotoGP, sildenafil citrate uk price with three events in the U.S. in 2013, is highlighted during the high-profile FOX Sports 1 August launch weekend, with the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix scheduled for Aug. 18 as one of the first live events on the new network.

“With an international event lineup that includes three U.S. stops, MotoGP brings an immediate world class motor sports presence to the FOX Sports 1 lineup,” said Bill Wanger, EVP Programming & Research for FOX Sports. “Having the race from iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway fall on our FS1 launch weekend is a bonus, and one of which we plan to take full advantage.”

Manel Arroyo, Managing Director of the Media Area at Dorna, said: “We’re very proud of this new agreement with FOX Sports and we are looking forward to being part of this huge project that is Fox Sports 1. Through this agreement, MotoGP will continue to be watched by our extensive American fan base, via SPEED until August and from then on, via the new FOX Sports 1 channel.

“Our 15 year partnership is arriving now to a very exciting MotoGP season with 3 GP’s on U.S. soil and the promise of some thrilling action on track. We will deliver the very highest standard of TV coverage of the Championship, using the latest production technologies, which is what our fans in the U.S. and around the world and also our Global media partners like the FOX Sports Group, deserve.” 

English League Two outfit Wycombe Wanderers have been taken over by fans’ group Wycombe Wanderers Trust Ltd.

This has resulted in former owner Steve Hayes leave the club and the trust, formed in 2008, create a new holding company named Frank Adams Legacy Ltd to take over the ownership of the club’s Adams Park stadium and training ground. The deal also sees the transfer embargo lifted from the club and trust chairman

Trevor Stroud said: “The trust are delighted to take control of Wycombe Wanderers, especially in the club’s 125th anniversary year. The plan is to work to a break-even model which will secure a sound financial footing for the club.

“I would like to express our appreciation to Steve Hayes for the considerate and constructive approach he has taken throughout the takeover process.

“In addition, we wish to place on record our recognition to the contribution made by Mr Hayes to the club’s achievements during his tenure, and to Ivor Beeks and Brian Kane for their significant contributions in the negotiation process.

“We acknowledge that in order to achieve our ambitions we need the support of the fans as we enter an exciting new era for the club.”

Former New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya is back in Baseball after agreeing to be San Diego Padres senior vice president of baseball operations.

Minaya will work closely with general manager Josh Byrnes in evaluating talent.

Minaya said his discussions with the Padres began more than a year ago, medicine but it wasn’t until Byrnes was installed as general maanger last month, allergy following Jed Hoyer’s defection to the Cubs, stomach that the pieces fell into place.

“It’s going to be a scouting and development situation, and a lot of fun,” Minaya told the New York Post.

The move will allow the Mets to deduct Minaya’s new salary from the roughly $1.1 million they owe him for 2012. Minaya was fired following the 2010 season with two years remaining on his contract.

“On behalf of everybody at the Mets, we congratulate Omar and wish him all the best in his new position with the Padres,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said in a statement.

Under Minaya, the Mets came within a game of the World Series in 2006 before missing the playoffs on the final day of the regular season in successive years.

In Minaya’s final two seasons, the Mets finished fourth. But Minaya departed sure he would get another opportunity in baseball.

“There are a lot of good young players with the Mets, and I never [worried],” Minaya said of his job prospects. “As a whole in the industry, I was in conversations with different GMs throughout the year, and I never worried about that.”

The fastest way to a fair agreement is for both the union and the clubs to continue the mediation process. Unfortunately, the players’ union notified our office at 4pm ET on Friday that it had “decertified” and walked away from mediation and collective bargaining to initiate the antitrust litigation it has been threatening to file. In an effort to get a fair agreement now, the clubs offered a deal that would have had no adverse financial impact upon veteran players in the early years and would meet the players’ financial demands in the latter years.

The union left a very good deal on the table. It included an offer to narrow the player compensation gap that existed in the negotiations by splitting the difference; guarantee reallocation of savings from first-round rookies to veterans and retirees without negatively affecting compensation for rounds 2-7; ensure no compensation reduction for veterans; implement new year-round health and safety rules; retain the current 16-4 season format for at least two years with any subsequent changes subject to the approval of the league and union; and establish a new legacy fund for retired players ($82 million contributed by the owners over the next two years).

The union was offered financial disclosure of audited league and club profitability information that is not even shared with the NFL clubs.

The expanded health and safety rules would include a reduction in offseason programs of five weeks (from 14 to nine) and of OTAs (Organized Team Activities) from 14 to 10; significant reductions in the amount of contact in practices; and other changes.

At a time when thousands of employees are fighting for their collective bargaining rights, this union has chosen to abandon collective bargaining in favor of a sham ‘decertification’ and antitrust litigation. This litigation maneuver is built on the indisputably false premise that the NFLPA has stopped being a union and will merely delay the process of reaching an agreement.

The NFL clubs remain committed to collective bargaining and the federal mediation process until an agreement is reached. The NFL calls on the union to return to negotiations immediately. NFL players, clubs, and fans want an agreement. The only place it can be reached is at the bargaining table.

Since June of 2009, 21 months ago, the NFL clubs have made numerous comprehensive, detailed proposals and counter-proposals; negotiated in dozens of formal sessions and smaller group meetings; and engaged in a series of intensive negotiating sessions over the past three weeks under the auspices of George Cohen, the director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. We have reaffirmed to Director Cohen our commitment to the federal mediation process until an agreement is reached.

The goals of the NFL clubs have been clear from the start. The current CBA is flawed in numerous respects, and the system must be improved to ensure continued growth and innovation and a better future for the NFL, the players, and the fans.

The clubs are willing to make many changes proposed by the union, and they have modified their economic proposals in numerous respects. We need an agreement that – when looking back two, four or 10 years from now – both sides will recognize as fair, smart, good for the game, and good for all involved, including players, fans, and clubs.

Regrettably, the union’s leadership has walked out and is refusing to participate in collective bargaining. The union has insisted on a continuation of an unsustainable status quo rather than agreeing to reasonable adjustments that reflect new economic realities we all have experienced. The status quo would also mean no improvements for retired players, too much money to a handful of rookies, and no changes to improve our drug programs.

The union’s abandonment of bargaining has forced the clubs to take action they very much wanted to avoid. At the recommendation of the Management Council Executive Committee under the authority it has been delegated by the clubs, the league has informed the union that it is taking the difficult but necessary step of exercising its right under federal labor law to impose a lockout of the union. The clubs are committed to continuing to negotiate until an agreement is reached, and will gladly continue to work with the FMCS.

The clubs believe that this step is the most effective way to accelerate efforts to reach a new agreement without disruption to the 2011 season. The clubs want to continue negotiating intensively to reach a fair agreement as soon as possible. Our goal is finding common ground and resolving the issues with the union. That is why we ask the union to resume negotiations with the federal mediator. The negative consequences for the players and clubs will continue to escalate the longer it takes to reach an agreement.

Our message to the fans is this: We know that you are not interested in any disruption to your enjoyment of the NFL. We know that you want football. You will have football. This will be resolved. Our mission is to do so as soon as possible and put in place with the players an improved collective bargaining agreement that builds on our past success and makes the future of football and the NFL even better – for the teams, players, and fans.

We have great respect for the fans. We have great respect for our players. We have great respect for the game and the tradition of the NFL. We will do everything that we reasonably can to ensure that everyone’s attention returns to the football field as soon as possible.

Spain’s dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Portugal in the Euro 2012 semi-final attracted a record audience of more than 18 million television viewers in Spain, industry figures have showed.

A stunning 83.3 percent of the audience watched the penalties that put Spain into Sunday’s final, said Kantar Media figures, released by television audience consultancy Barlovento Comunicacion.”The nearly 13 minutes of penalties averaged 18.141 million viewers and 83.3 percent of the share, the most viewed programme in (Spanish) history,” Barlovento said in a statement.

The peak was at 11:26 pm (2126 GMT), roughly when Cesc Fabregas’s penalty delivered the Spanish victory, with a total 19.086 million people glued to the screens, equal to 87.3 percent of the audience.

That made it “the most viewed minute in the history of (Spanish) television”, the agency said.The Euro tournament is being broadcast in Spain by Telecinco, controlled by Italian media group Mediaset.

Viewership varied through the match, the agency said, with 14.182 million or 75.6 per cent of the audience watching the 90 minutes of normal time, rising to 16.485 million or 77.1 per cent for extra time.

Spain reached their third consecutive major tournament final after overcoming Portugal 4-2 on penalties in the first Euro 2012 semi-final in Donetsk on Wednesday.

Formula One team Toro Rosso have added to their technical line-up ahead of the 2012 season with two key appointments to the Italian team’s design and aerodynamics departments.

Luca Furbatto joins the design team in Faenza having worked at McLaren since 2000, discount where the 39-year-old Italian’s most recent role was that of assistant project leader on the design of this year’s Formula One car. Prior to that he was McLaren’s head of stress analysis and materials.

Jon Tomlinson has joined Toro Rosso’s UK-based Bicester wind tunnel team, ampoule where he takes on the role of deputy head of aerodynamics, abortion reporting to Nicolo Petrucci. The 38-year-old Englishman joins from Williams, where he had been head of aerodynamics since 2007. Prior to that he worked at Jordan and Renault.

Both men took up their Toro Rosso positions on Thursday and on April 1, 2012, Furbatto will take over as chief designer, reporting to technical director Giorgio Ascanelli, when Ben Butler returns to work for Red Bull Technology in Milton Keynes in the UK.

With exactly one month until the 2011 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series kicks off, the ITU has released a new promotional video showcasing the electrifying action that embodies ITU triathlon.

CLICK HERE to see the 2011 promo video and get a sneak peak at what’s to come this season.

Now in its third year, the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series will see the world’s fastest triathletes race head-to-head in seven events around the globe.

With $1.65-million USD up for grabs, plus valuable Olympic qualifying points, a lot is on the line in the heated battle to become ITU’s 2011 World Champion.

The 2011 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series kicks off in Sydney on April 10 and continues in Yokohama, Madrid, Kitzbühel, Hamburg, London and Beijing.

This season’s ITU World Champions will be crowned at the Grand Final when ITU returns to the 2008 Olympic Games venue in Beijing on September 10-11.