Portsmouth may still have a future in the Football League after the organisation claimed they will offer Portsmouth membership if they receive investment for a takeover.

However the South Coast club will be docked 10 points for the coming season.

The League One club, arthritis who were demoted from the Championship at the end of last season, remain in administration and are currently searching for a new buyer to take over the stricken club. 

In a lengthy statement, the Football League said: “The offer is subject to the successful bidder accepting a number of conditions that seek to ensure the sporting integrity of league football and the financial viability of the club going forward.” 

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) have announced today the appointment of former player Brad Drewett as the new executive chairman and president of the organisation, effective from January 1.

Australian Drewett, a longtime head of the Asian division of the sanctioning body who has been mainly responsible for the successful marketing thrust into China over the past decade, takes over from American lawyer Adam Helfant, who will leave next week at the end of a three-year contract.

Drewett, 53, was named as Executive Chairman and President and will be based in London as he moves from his base in Sydney. His contract calls for a three-year term, with the choice voted unanimously by the Board of Directors.

Drewett has extensive experience at the ATP where he has headed the International Group, with operations in the Middle East, Asia and Pacific regions since 1999.

Prior to that, Drewett served as an elected member of the Player Council and an ATP Player Board Representative (1993-1999). He has also been Tournament Director of the World Tour Finals in London and formerly the Tennis Masters Cup since 2001, and has been instrumental in the event’s tremendous success.

During his 12-year professional playing career, Drewett reached a career-high ranking of 34 in singles, winning two titles, and represented Australia in Davis Cup.

“I’m honoured to have this opportunity to lead the ATP, an organisation that I am proud to have been a part of since the beginning of my professional playing career,” Drewett said.

“The ATP World Tour and men’s tennis are stronger than ever and it is my intention to continue to lead the organisation on this successful path, working hand in hand with our players and tournaments. I am very excited about the opportunities ahead.”

The appointment was welcomed by Player Council president Roger Federer.

“Brad is a very experienced executive and has been an effective leader within the ATP for many years. He understands the global nature of the business as well as the complexities of dealing with all of the Tour’s stakeholders,” the Swiss champion said.

“I’m confident that Brad’s work ethic and leadership will help contribute to the continued success of the ATP World Tour.”

Do you think Brad Drewett can continue the ATP progress?

Pay Television Company, no rx Zuku has become the new broadcast partner of the Kenya Rugby Football Union (KFRU).

This follows KRFU and another pay TV company SuperSport ending their relationship last year.

SuperSport used to air rugby tournaments including the Bamburi Rugby Super Series, health The Sevens and the Elgon Cup in their three-year deal.

The sponsorship between Zuku and KRFU is said to be in the tune of slightly over Kshs.25 Million shillings,(US $290,698) an improvement from the previous partnership since the SuperSport deal did not have monetary attachment.

Some of the tournaments Zuku is said to be lining up for broadcast include the Bamburi Super Series and the Elgon Cup that involves Kenya and Uganda.

Former Southampton captain Francis Benali has denied claims from his former team-mate Claus Lundekvam about a spot-fixing culture during his time at the club.

Benali’s ex team-mate Claus Lundekvam caused a stir this week with comments made to a Norwegian publication, in which he claimed Southampton players regularly turned a profit betting on minor incidents, such as throw-ins and corners, during their own matches.

Writing in an autobiography released in 2009, retired Southampton favourite Matthew Le Tissier also made references to his involvement with bookmakers during his time at the club.

Benali spent the vast majority of his professional career at Southampton, making 311 league appearances from 1988 to 2005.

The fullback played alongside Lundekvam in defence from 1996 onwards, and has strongly denied there was any impropriety among the Saints’ squad on his watch.

“I can say categorically I have no knowledge of the betting allegations made by Claus,” Benali told the BBC.

“I’m aware of the revelations and I’m very surprised in many ways,” he said.

“I wasn’t aware of it going on in the past so I certainly don’t know of it going on now.

Lundekvam struggled with alcohol and drug abuse following his own retirement in 2008, and Benali suggested the sensational allegations may be a result of his former team-mate’s off-field issues.

“It is widely known that Claus has had quite a few personal problems in recent times and I wonder if that is why he has come out with this story,” he said.

“The way it has come across, it’s like all of us were at it and all in on the betting scam and everyone had knowledge of it. That wasn’t the case.

“Dressing rooms are very tight environments and if something was widespread, even if you weren’t part of it, you would hear it being discussed and talked about.

“That is why this all comes as such a surprise.”

Relegated from the English Premier League in 2005 following a 27-year stay in the top flight, Southampton sunk as low as League One after entering administration in 2009.

They earned successive promotions to the Championship in 2010/11 and the Premier League last season, and Benali is disappointed the club have received such bad publicity as they prepare for their first campaign back among the elite.

“The timing isn’t good from the football club’s point of view,” Benali said.

“No club wants a story like this associated with them, nor do the city or the players involved at the time.

“It’s a smear on your character and not nice, especially when it’s not true.”

English League One team Chesterfield FC have announced a new appointment in their backroom staff in the form of Chris Turner who will become the new chief executive. 

Turner the former Hartlepool United and Leyton Orient Manager has ended his 15-month respite from the day to day runnings of a football club.

The 53-year-old had been wanted by a few clubs after his resignation from Hartlepool as their director of sport in August 2010.

Turner takes over as the Spireites chief executive from Carol Wilby, buy who leaves the B2net stadium at the end of the month after speculation about her position.

The former Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Manchester United keeper’s expertise looks vital given Chesterfield’s position.

He arrives at the B2net Stadium with Chesterfield at the foot of the table, having won only three of their 21 games so far this season.

He still has growing optimism of the potential of the club, he added: “I’m excited about this football club going forward.”

When Turner joined Pools as boss in 1999 he saved the club from relegation and built the side which won promotion under Mike Newell in 2003.

But he insists he has no designs on managing the Spireites and all his efforts will be focused on helping current boss John Sheridan.

“I’ve moved on, I’m going in a different direction,” he told BBC Radio Sheffield. “If anyone thinks I’m going to be looking over the manager’s shoulder – I’m not.

“I know League One very well and having seen Chesterfield play a couple of times this season, I know they are well capable of staying in this division

FIFA has revealed that it will investigate former Southampton captain Claus Lundekvam’s claims that he took part in a sustained betting scam that also allegedly involved other Premier League stars.

A statement said: “FIFA is monitoring this issue and involved its chief investigator in England. Once all information is known it will be decided who is leading the investigations.”

In an interview in Norway, Lundekvam revealed that he was regularly involved in spotfixing during his nine years at Southampton.

“It’s not something I’m proud of,” Lundekvam said. “For a while we did this almost every week. We made a fair bit of money. We could make deals with the opposing captain about, for example, betting on the first throw, the first corner, who started with the ball, a yellow card or a penalty. Those were the sorts of thing we had influence over.”

Lundekvam claims, though, that results were never fixed, merely individual events within matches.

“The results were never on the agenda,” he said. “That is something I would never have done. We were professional competitors. Even though what we did, of course, was illegal, it was just a fun thing.”

IMG Worldwide, a leading sports, fashion and media company, have appointed Gary Double as Vice President of Corporate Communications in Europe.

Based in IMG’s International HQ in London, he will report to and work closely with IMG Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Jim Gallagher. Double will be responsible for PR and Corporate Communications across IMG’s businesses in the UK and EMEA, splitting his time between the various Media and Sports & Entertainment sectors of the business. He will also support the growing needs of the business in Asia.

Double has more than 20 years’ experience in sports PR and joins IMG after running his own sports communications consultancy and having also been Director of Media and Communications with then English Premier League club Portsmouth FC for over three years.

“We are delighted to welcome Gary to the IMG team,” said Gallagher. “He has vast experience and knowledge of the world of sport and media in the European market and has worked with some high-profile companies and personalities across a broad range of sports. He comes with an excellent reputation and a proven track record within the business and will be an invaluable addition as we continue to showcase IMG’s portfolio around the world.”

Double said: “I’m very excited about the challenge of working with IMG. IMG is a company that I have worked alongside for various clients and companies and I have always admired and been impressed by their professionalism and integrity. I’m looking forward to playing my part in helping to improve communications and increase awareness of IMG’s unrivalled portfolio of unique global assets.”

Double was in-house at the BBC and BSB before setting up on his own where his clients included ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Eurosport.

He has worked alongside several governing bodies and associations and on several major events including the Summer and Winter Olympics, the football (soccer) and rugby World Cups, the Ryder Cup, the Champions League, Test Match cricket, Wimbledon, Formula One motor racing, the NFL, NHL, MLB and the NBA.