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Armada Sports & Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of Domark International, Inc. have announced that it has appointed Robert M. Greenway to the Board of Directors from October 1, 2011.

Robert M. Greenway has had a distinguished career in sports television at industry leaders, including ABC Sports, ESPN, HBO, and Golf Channel. Robert is a North Carolina native who received his B.A. and JD degrees from the University of North Carolina.

Following a tour of duty in Vietnam he worked for a law firm but then decided to change careers. He broke into television as a daytime log coordinator for ABC Television in New York. He rose rapidly through the ranks and joined ABC Sports, headed by the legendary Roone Arledge, just in time for the Montreal Olympics in 1976. He became a manager of program planning and sports production, supervising tasks as varied as program scheduling, development, and management of live sports events. He moved to ESPN soon after that launched. As Director of Program Administration Bob was in charge of program acquisitions and operations, and was the man who brought Australian Rules Football to the U.S.

Bob then joined HBO as Vice President of Sports Programming, where he developed and managed the Sports Department budget, closed the acquisition deals, and developed new programming. He negotiated agreements with sports organizations ranging from the all-England Lawn and Tennis Club (for Wimbledon) to the International Boxing Federation.

Bob left HBO to launch the Golf Channel. As Senior Vice President of Programming, Production, and Operations Bob hired and led the team that developed, produced, created, and implemented the live events, studio shows, and taped programs that enabled the channel to grow from a startup to a worth of over $2 billion. Bob also supervised the design and construction of Golf Channel’s studio, which was the first fully digital facility in the United States. Bob was a key strategic member of the senior management team, and oversaw all of the programming, production and operations for the channel.

Before retiring from Golf Channel Bob was promoted to Executive Vice President of Programming, Production and Operations. In that position he managed Golf Channel’s relationship with the sports organizing bodies, including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, PGA of America, USGA, PGA European Tour, etc. He developed the strategic plans for his departments, managed all budgets, led rights and other contract negotiations, and supervised development, live production, acquisitions, and international sales.

R. Thomas Kidd, CEO of Armada, added: “I am pleased to announce Bob Greenway to the Board of Directors of Armada Sports as a valued member of our team. Bob has had a distinguished career, one that we believe will contribute significantly to the execution of our sports projects.”

In the second part of an exclusive in-depth interview with FIFA.com, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter spoke at length about the challenges facing the game in 2011 and beyond. In doing so he discussed the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2010, the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, women’s football, refereeing and the Task Force Football 2014, among other issues.

FIFA.com: The year kicks off with the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala. What do you make of the three nominees, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Xavi?
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter: Last year was a World Cup year and it’s no surprise that two of the three candidates should play for world champions Spain. As for Argentina’s Lionel Messi, no one can deny he’s an exceptional player. Spain’s Vicente del Bosque is also in there as one of the three nominees for coach of the year.

Brazil usually have a few candidates in the frame. Why do you think they’re missing this time around?
There are some Brazilians up for the FIFA/FIFpro World XI, but they’re mostly defenders. That’s a little bit of a surprise perhaps, but it’s just a reflection of Brazil’s approach at South Africa 2010. They played a European game based around a formidable defence comprising the likes of Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Juan and Michel Bastos.

The three nominees for the FIFA Ballon d’Or are all relatively small in size. What do you think that tells us?
That anyone can play football and that you don’t necessarily have to be big and strong. That’s always been the case, though. Just look at strikers like Gerd Muller and Uwe Seeler, Diego Maradona or Jean-Pierre Papin, who weren’t very big players either.

South Africa 2010 is still fresh in the memory and now 2014 is looming on the horizon.
Yes. The World Cup will be taking place in a little over three years. The preliminary draw will be held on 30 July and there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of infrastructures. There’s no time to waste.

The next FIFA World Cup is being played in Brazil. Is it a case of football coming home?
I’m delighted the tournament’s going back to South America for the first time since 1978, when there were only 16 teams. Now there are 32 and the World Cup has taken on a whole new dimension since then. No matter where it is held, though, the World Cup is so big that our partners in both television and marketing will follow us anywhere.

You’ve talked before about the social role of the FIFA World Cup. What will that involve in Brazil exactly?
Our goal in Brazil is to create infrastructures in the provinces. A lot of the population live in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, but at the next World Cup we’ll be going further north and to Manaus in the state of Amazonia. It’s an emerging and very multicultural country with 200 million inhabitants, although there is still poverty as well. Nevertheless, I’ve no doubt the legacy of the World Cup will help in that respect too.

Brazil 2014 aside, the year ahead promises to be a busy one.
There are competitions in four different confederations in 2011: the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, the Copa America in South America and the African Nations Championship. And then we have five FIFA World Cup competitions: the Women’s World Cup, the U-17, U-20 and Beach Soccer World Cups and the Club World Cup. So we’re going to be seeing a lot of good football this year.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ is a major event on the calendar. What are you expecting from the competition?
I think it’s important it’s taking place in the heart of Europe, in a country where women’s football is strong. The women’s game has struggled to gain acceptance in financial terms. People don’t seem to have much faith in it, but Germany can change that by putting on a good tournament and, more importantly than anything, filling the stadiums. A crowd of 50,000 is expected for the Opening Match in Berlin, which is already a great achievement.

Why has women’s football failed to take off in some countries?
Young women have a lot of passion for the game. It’s a sport anyone can play, but when women reach a certain age or level they find there aren’t any professional leagues around, which makes it difficult for them to carry on playing. Technically, however, the game has improved a great deal. For example, the standard of play in the final of the U-17 Women’s World Cup between Japan and Korea Republic was very high.

A number of big issues will be tackled in the months ahead, some of them by the Task Force Football 2014. What is its role?
Its objective is to assess tournaments and the way in which the game is organised. Let me give you a few examples. At the moment three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw, which is something we can discuss and decide whether it’s a good thing or not. Is extra-time the only option we have when a game ends in a draw? And if we stick with extra-time, how should we end games? Is it worth taking another look at the golden goal? Some people like it, some people don’t. There are a lot of issues regarding tournaments we can look at and discuss.

What other topics will be coming up for debate?
The other big issue is the calendar. In my view, and this is something on which Michel Platini agrees, domestic championships are too long because there are too many teams and too many matches. Teams in leagues with 20 clubs play 38 games, on top of which they also have national cup competitions and league cups, etc. This also creates a conflict of interest between national teams and clubs, some of whom complain that their players come back tired or injured. That’s not the fault of the international calendar, however, and it’s a subject that ought to be discussed.

There has been a fair amount of criticism with regard to refereeing recently. What, in your opinion, are the next steps that need to be taken?
We have a very clear target in this respect, and that’s to have only professional referees officiating at the 2014 World Cup. That’s a target we have to reach. Coaches are professional now and so are players, and there’s no reason why referees shouldn’t be either. Some people say there’s not enough money to pay them, but there always seems to be plenty in the professional leagues.

Is the international calendar for youth players also up for discussion?
I think the calendar for youth tournaments should be brought into line with the international calendar. It’s the same principle. As for Olympic tournaments, we have a regulation that is valid until 2016, and that’s for teams to pick U-23 players and three over-age players if they wish. Those U-23 players should be released by their clubs.

The Big East Conference has reached an agreement to retain ESPN Inc. as its main broadcast partner, discount according to commissioner Mike Aresco. 

The U.S. college athletic conference declined to disclose financial terms of the deal, erectile which needs approval from the presidents of its member schools, order who may vote this week. 

The $130 million agreement covers seven years through the 2019-20 school year, ESPN reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the transaction.

“ESPN has matched the third-party offer that the Big East Conference received,” Aresco said yesterday in a statement. “Subject to Big East board approval, ESPN and the Big East will continue, for years to come, their long-term relationship, which began in 1980.”

ESPN had one week to match an offer from NBC Sports Network in order to keep the media rights.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship,” ESPN said in a statement.

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) claim that Rangers administrators will have to provide “full disclosure” on the takeover consortium led by Charles Green.

On Wednesday SFC members unanimously approved a resolution addressing the change of control at football clubs during their annual general meeting at Hampden.

After the vote, viagra sale SFA chief executive Stewart Regan claimed the new resolutions would regulate those attempting to buy football clubs, abortion and are aimed at determining whether they are “fit and proper” individuals to be involved in the game.

The Sevco consortium led by Green has put forward an £8.5m loan to pay the club’s administrators Duff and Phelps, as well as offer creditors a pence in the pound deal that will be voted on next week.

He has so far stated that his group is made up of 20 “individuals and families” from across the world, and named Malaysian hotelier Jude Allen, also known as Javed Abdullah, and Middle Eastern lawyer Mazen Housammi as being involved in his consortium. Stockbroker Imran Ahmad, of London-based group Zeus Capital, has been named by Mr Allen as the “financial adviser” to Sevco.

Mr Regan said: “It is important that club owners take more responsibility to ensure that they sell their club to an individual or individuals who act responsibly and within the rules of football.

“The Scottish FA governs the whole of football and rather than spend millions of pounds on investigations into any number of prospective purchases across the game at all levels – which would be better kept within the game – it is important that the onus is on those involved in the sale of the club.”

The Board of British Shooting has shaken things up by announcing the appointment of John Harris as its first independent chairman.

The former engineering and commerce chief executive and chair will take up the role initially for a two-year period, spanning the London Olympic and Paralympic Games – a crucial phase in the development of shooting in the country.

Liz Nicholl, UK Sport chief executive, said: “This is an important appointment for British Shooting, and a welcome move to strengthen leadership as we approach the once in a lifetime opportunity that is our home Games next year in London. John Harris is well known to and respected by UK Sport and the UK high performance system and I look forward to working with him in his new position.”

Harris is a proven leader and mentor, and has, most recently, led significant change programmes resulting in considerable improvements be it in commercial market share or sporting and personal performance.

British Shooting’s acting chief executive Hamish McInnes said: “John will bring a new dynamic to British Shooting at a time of great potential for the sport. His appointment heralds a new unity of purpose across the shooting disciplines at just the right time with the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics followed so closely by the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We now have a great chance to work together to develop the sport, to nurture talent and to achieve success at the highest level.”

On his employment, Harris said: “I feel very privileged to have been asked to join the team especially at this very exciting time.”

Cardiff City FC have opted to change the club’s home kit from blue to red and replace the main bluebird image on the club’s crest with a dragon despite opposition from fans.

Cardiff City FC have opted to change the club’s home kit from blue to red and replace the main bluebird image on the club’s crest with a dragon despite opposition from fans.

When plans first emerged to rebrand the club in such a significant way, Cardiff fans reacted angrily and signed a petition against the proposed changes.

However, Cardiff confirmed on Wednesday morning that they would be pressing ahead with the plans instigated by investors Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Dato Chan Tien Ghee and released a photo of the new kit and the new badge, which relegates the bluebird to the bottom

In addition to the new kit, the club have announced plans to build a brand-new training ground, pay off the historical Langston debt, provide manager Malky Mackay with a substantial transfer kitty and explore the possibility of expanding the Cardiff City Stadium.

 statement read: “From the start of the 2012/12 season, Cardiff City’s primary home colour has been changed to red, while the squad will wear blue shirts as an away option. A third change kit will be shown here at a later date.

“Our investors have been impressed with the passion and commitment from Cardiff City supporters for their team and want to harness these strengths to create an affinity between the club and the cultures of Wales and Asia. With that in mind and as a part of the significant investment made to give the club the best chance of succeeding in this area, they believe very strongly that there is a need to make some radical, but important changes to our brand.

“Key to the strategy is to ensure that the club representing as it does the capital city of Wales projects a national identity which will resonate with potential audiences abroad.”The colour red is widely recognised as being synonymous with Welsh culture and heritage, with Cardiff the proud capital of the country. The colour also holds strong spiritual significance in Asia, where it is seen as a symbol of prosperity, power and good fortune.

“It is believed that this fusion of identities and values will reinforce our strength as a visual brand across both cultures. As outlined in the club statement, Cardiff City, through our investors strong connections will be exploring ways in which to maximise brand awareness of the club across Asia, thereby delivering local success.”

Cardiff say that the change in kit comes as part of a “major and significant” investment in the club which will help alleviate financial troubles.

The club said: “As part of this commitment, funds have been earmarked to finally resolve the historical Langston debt issue which for so long has cast a dark cloud over the club and its future. Negotiations have been continuing and a final offer has been made to those representing Langston and Sam Hammam which we believe is both fair and reasonable.

“Whilst not yet concluded, we hope that both Langston and Sam will react positively and favourably to allow this long running and distracting saga to be finally closed which will be to everyone’s benefit. We know that Sam has always expressed his passion for this club and has said that he will always be a lifelong friend of Cardiff City. We hope that this sentiment will shine through accordingly and look forward to welcoming him at our ground as a guest of honour in the near future.”

The International Field Hockey Federation (FIH) have announced that their respected secretary general Peter Cohen will retire with immediate effect.

However their was no reason given for his sudden departure.

The Australian citizen has been the secretary general since 2001. Prior to that, Cohen served as an FIH vice president and the president of Hockey Australia. 

During his years of involvement with the FIH, Cohen was also the chairman of the 2004 World Cup chair of the events and competitions committee, a member of the marketing and bid committees, a technical director, tournament official and judge at countless international hockey tournaments and an honorary life member of the FIH.

Leandro Negre, FIH President, said:  “Finding someone to fill Peter’s enormous shoes will be very difficult. He was someone who always served the FIH with fairness and wisdom. It was with a heavy heart that I learned of his wish to retire. I wish Peter all the best in his future endeavors.”

Cohen, 68, is a lawyer by profession in his native Australia. His background as a lawyer enabled him to help the FIH with its Statutes and build the foundation as it pursued its strategic plan.

FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather, said: “Peter has been instrumental in so many of the FIH initiatives. His dedication, knowledge and experience in the game are virtually unmatched.”

FC Dallas and Time Warner Cable have agreed to the most extensive television broadcast deal in the club’s 18-year history in advance of the 2013 season.

This season Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will air 22 FC Dallas regular-season games. In Dallas, ed Time Warner Cable SportsChannel is available on channel 185 (SD) and channel 148 (HD). 

“We are excited to have a television partner who believes in soccer and shares our passion and commitment for growing the FCD brand and our sport, anabolics ” said Hunt Sports Group Vice President Dan Hunt. “We believe Time Warner Cable is the right partner for us and have signed a deal with the intent on growing this into a long-term partnership.”

The new partnership will not only provide a higher broadcast production quality with all games in HD, ambulance it will also allow FC Dallas to travel its broadcast team to all 17 road games and provide fans with additional in-depth programming about FC Dallas. Among the extended FC Dallas programming available this season and in the future will be pre- and post-game shows, dedicated programming about FC Dallas, and FC Dallas programming within other Time Warner Cable SportsChannel shows.

“FC Dallas games are an outstanding addition to Time Warner Cable SportsChannel’s expanding local sports offering and we’re excited to partner with them to televise games this season,” said Mark Shuken, Senior Vice President and General Manager, TWC Sports Regional Networks. “FC Dallas fans are very passionate and Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will be able to give them more access to their favorite team.”

The UAE Pro League is set to expand to fourteen teams. The competition committee will devise a new format in which the two relegated clubs and the two that finished third and fourth in Division One may play in a qualifying event and two teams would win a place in the top division.

“The format and the dates of this play-off will be drawn up by the competition committee and announced shortly,” The FA President, Yousuf Al Serkal, said after an executive committee meeting at their headquarters in Dubai. “A consensus was reached and I believe it provides all four clubs a fair chance to qualify for the Pro League next season. This is a transitional period, hence the play-off is a one-off competition.”

Al Serkal said the 14-team format would be very beneficial for football in the UAE

“More teams and more games will provide more playing opportunities, particularly to the young players. There are a lot of age group players who don’t get an early exposure in the country’s top league,” he said.

“There was a need to play more games and to provide the players a longer season, and by increasing the number of teams to 14 we have achieved that objective to benefit the country’s football.”

Al Serkal said the clubs would also benefit financially from television broadcasts.

The FA has abolished the two-tier system in Division One (the competition below the Pro League).

Division One, which consisted of 16 teams divided into two groups of eight, will now be made up of 14 teams in one league, the same as the Pro League.

An increase in the number of teams in the top flight is one of the criteria laid down by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for participation in the Asian Champions League. The AFC has recommended a minimum of 33 league games per team in the top division.

Other recommendations are the duration of the entire season, including the league, cup and pre-tournament matches to be ten months, with eight months of top division matches.

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