Newcastle United is fast approaching the break-even after reporting an operating loss of £3.9million.

The Magpies, who lost £33.5million in 2009-10 and £37.7million 12 months earlier, reduced those figures to below £4million after amortisation in 2010-11, their strongest financial showing for several years.

Significantly, wages accounted for 60.6% of a turnover which rose by 69% from £52.4million to £88.4million, where in 2008-09, the season they were relegated from the Barclays Premier League, the ratio was 82.7%.

Managing director Derek Llambias said: “The club’s financial results for the year end June 2011 are extremely strong. We can now count ourselves amongst very few clubs across the UK and Europe who are operating at close to break-even.

“What is particularly pleasing is that we have achieved this whilst also ensuring we have a strong squad sitting firmly in the top third of the table and currently pushing for a European place.

“Some of the key financial principles we set in place when Mike bought to the club back in 2007 are now beginning to reap rewards, most notably our adherence to a strict transfer policy which avoids, or limits wherever possible, the acceptance of dated payments for players bought or sold.

“We believe it is a far healthier financial model to settle full transfer fees for players up front, not dated over a period of years. We have dealt wisely in the transfer market and reinvested the income received from player sales into improving the squad.”

The net cash spend on player transfers, including Andy Carroll’s £35million departure of Liverpool in January last year, was a receipt of £5.4million, although the Magpies have since invested a further £25million in transfers and wages.

In addition, when Ashley took over the club in 2007, it owed £36million in deferred payments for players; the club is now owed £5million.

Newcastle have also cleared all of their third-party debts, which amounted to £76million in 2006-07, and its borrowing from Ashley in terms of interest-free loans remains at £140million.

by Ismail Uddin

Mark Gonnella joins English soccer club, viagra 100mg Arsenal from his previous role as corporate affairs director at Barclaycard.

Gonnella said: ‘The opportunity to bring two great passions of my life – football and communications – together in my day to day work is irresistible. Arsenal has a compelling business plan for the future and effective communications will be a key part of making those plans come to fruition.’

Gonnella spent nearly ten years at Barclaycard, health where he was responsible for managing Barclaycard’s reputation across Europe and the US. He also led Barclaycard’s PR activities during their sponsorship of the Premier League.

Gonnella will be responsible for creating communication programmes to extend Arsenal’s brand and reputation around the world. He will lead Arsenal’s corporate, commercial and football communications activities.

His appointment follows the departure of head of communications Amanda Docherty in September.

Birmingham City FC financial woes have left the club in a sticky situation, to either win promotion to the Premier League or go into administration according to the Daily Mail.

Figures obtained by newspaper show the club will run out of money unless they rise out of the Championship. They stand sixth but are losing £10million a year.

The sales of Liam Ridgewell and Jean Beausejour mean the club have enough cash to get through the play-offs but, unless more is found, it will run out by June with the relegation from the Premier League causing this current situation.

The publication of the year’s accounts has already been delayed until April 30 and the club are subject to a Football League transfer embargo.

The figures are expected to show a small profit. But this has been generated by the summer sales of Roger Johnson and Craig Gardner for almost £10m as well as Ridgewell and Beausejour, and with contracts such as the £2.5m a year paid to Nikola Zigic, they are heading for more losses next season.

The club cannot raise cash by remortgaging St Andrew’s as HSBC hold the deeds to the ground as security on an outstanding loan.

The bank have withdrawn a £7m overdraft, further increasing pressure on the club’s absent owner Carson Yeung, who is facing fraud charges in Hong Kong relating to £59.7m in a case of alleged money laundering.

by Ismail Uddin

South African broadcaster, medic SABC has secured the radio broadcast rights to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The deal is a trade-exchange in which the SABC will in return provide airtime to the PSL.

According to the agreement, sale 11 SABC radio stations will continue with their tradition of broadcasting live premiership matches.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza said this agreement was part of the PSL’s plan to raise the standard of South African football to an even higher plateau.

With the PSL already regarded as the richest league in Africa, illness Khoza hopes to translate the off-the-field success to matters on the pitch by introducing a range of innovations to stoke excitement among supporters, such as the Q-Innovation strategy.

Khoza said: “The ‘week in and week out’ of pre-match conversations in the 11 SABC radio stations will enable and enhance participation by the fans and supporters of the beautiful PSL game in what is clearly their passion.

“The Q-Innovation has succeeded in getting every match of the league to be played by clubs as if it is a knockout competition game.

“Gone are the days when a draw away from home was considered a good result. From this season, a draw is a loss of two points.”

The league’s first fixture, when all the teams play their first game, opened with 25 goals during the eight games, which is a 25% increase from the equivalent period last year, before the launch of Q-Innovation.

SABC acting chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng said: “We are delighted that we can utilise the power of our radio stations, to fulfil our mandate of showing sports of national importance.

“For the South African public, the love of soccer is strong and this partnership with the PSL will ensure that we can provide our audiences with compelling sports programming, while generating revenue for the organisation.”

Real Zaragoza president Agapito Iglesias has succumbed to mounting pressure from disgruntled supporters and decided to sell his majority stake in the struggling La Liga club.

Zaragoza have fallen a long way since beating Arsenal to win the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1995. They are bottom of the standings and in financial administration.

Outraged fans have mounted regular protests outside the Romareda stadium and have also made their displeasure felt during matches, at which Iglesias has not been seen for several months according to local media.

“The president of Real Zaragoza, Don Agapito Iglesias Garcia, has decided to put his stake up for sale with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement on their website. Part of the reason for the sale was the failure to find new investors, the statement added.

Zaragoza have 13 games to save their top-flight status.

by Ismail Uddin

The UK and Ireland arm of Japanese athletics equipment company Asics has appointed Barry Mellis as its new managing director, decease it has been announced.

Mellis replaces Rioji Sekito and has extensive UK and European sports trade experience having most recently been general manager of Intersport UK.

President and chief operating officer of Asics Europe, malady Alistair Cameron, said: “Everyone at Asics worldwide is grateful for the significant contribution Sekito San has made to the company, and in particular the work he has done to build the brand in the UK, now our fastest growing market.

“He will be sorely missed, however he leaves a strong legacy and a good team in place and we could not have a more suitable replacement in Barry who brings a huge amount of sports retail and industry experience to the brand at a crucial stage in its development. Asics UK is the fastest growing part of Asics European business and he will be responsible for maintaining brand growth and dynamism.”

Mellis added: “Asics is a fantastic, highly credible brand with the realistic ambition of becoming the number one premium sports performance brand. I relish the challenge of developing brand presence and growth in both the UK and Irish markets.”

Football Federation Australia (FFA) today announced a new set of broadcast agreements that will provide unprecedented coverage and audience reach for the Qantas Socceroos and Hyundai A-League.

The four-year agreements with partners FOX SPORTS, hospital Foxtel and SBS will provide Australian viewers with comprehensive, denture world-class coverage on multiple platforms, order including subscription TV, free-to-air TV, internet and digital devices.

FFA Chairman, Frank Lowy AC, commented on the deals: “FFA has been building the foundations for sustained growth with the success of the Qantas Socceroos, the consolidation of the Hyundai A-League and the popularity of our beautiful game with 1.7 million participants at the grassroots,” Mr Lowy said.

“Today, the new broadcast arrangements will give FFA an unprecedented opportunity to implement its strategic plans for Australian football.

“There’s never been any doubt that the game has a bright future in this nation, but today the football family can take comfort from the huge vote of confidence from our broadcast partners.

“FOX SPORTS, Foxtel and SBS are broadcasters who know football and care about the game. They will all be important partners in the exciting growth in the years ahead.”

Commencing from 1 July 2013, the new set of arrangements will deliver a total economic value of $160 million to Australian football. The economic value consists of $148 million in cash and $12 million in marketing support.

The average yearly licence fee for these broadcast arrangements is double the annual fee of the existing broadcast arrangements.

A renewed partnership with FOX SPORTS involving coverage of the Qantas Socceroos and Hyundai A-League is the key pillar of the new arrangements.

FOX SPORTS will provide exclusively live coverage of all Socceroos matches until 30 June 2017.

FOX SPORTS will continue as the primary broadcaster of Australia’s premier club football competition the Hyundai A-League, providing live coverage of all regular season and finals matches until 30 June 2017.

In addition, FOX SPORTS will be the Australian rights holder of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015, broadcasting exclusively live coverage of the 32-match tournament.

FOX SPORTS CEO, Patrick Delany, said the new broadcast agreement secures football’s future as one of the giants of summer on Foxtel.

“We see football as an essential part of the FOX SPORTS summer offering and our vision, together with Foxtel and FFA, is for football to become part of Australia’s summer fabric, whether it’s going to watch a Hyundai A-League game or kicking the ball around in a park or on the beach,” Delany said.

“Our investment in the game is unparalleled – $160 million over the past eight years – we love the game, and we’ll continue to deliver the most comprehensive and entertaining coverage for fans through our live and high definition coverage of the Qantas Socceroos, Hyundai A-League, and Barclays Premier League, plus our weekly magazine lineup of Kick Off, Matchday Saturday and Sunday Shootout,” he said.

“The Hyundai A-League is one of the most interesting and emerging competitions in Australian sport. It is wholesome family entertainment and it is attracting interest like never before. We have tremendous optimism for the future of football in Australia and are really excited to work with the FFA and Foxtel to push the game into an even stronger position.”

The renewal of the FOX SPORTS and FFA partnership will extend the relationship to 12 continuous years.

FFA CEO David Gallop has hailed FOX SPORTS for its commitment to growth and investment in Australian football.

“Without the capital investment and promotional support of FOX SPORTS, football would not be in the healthy position it finds itself in today,” Mr Gallop said.

“In 2005, FOX SPORTS joined forces with football to help rebuild the professional game in Australia. That single decision helped change the destiny of football in this nation.”

Under the new arrangements, SBS will provide free-to-air coverage on a one-hour delay of all Qantas Socceroos FIFA World Cup qualification matches played in Australia and overseas from now until 2017.

SBS has provided free-to-air coverage of the Qantas Socceroos’ past two 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification matches against Jordan (11 September) and Iraq (16 October) under interim arrangements.

Commencing in the 2013/14 season, SBS will provide live free-to-air coverage of the Friday Night Hyundai A-League regular season match and a one-hour delay free-to-air coverage of all finals matches.

SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said SBS was proud to be part of a partnership that would give all Australians access to the Hyundai A-League and Qantas Socceroos.

“SBS has always championed the sports which unite communities and the world and with football being the world’s biggest game it is fitting that the Hyundai A-League and Qantas Socceroos will now have a free-to-air presence on SBS, building on our strong football pedigree,” Ebeid said.

“This deal is exciting news for football fans across the country and will give all Australians access to matches like never before.

“It’s a partnership which will help take the domestic game in Australia to the next level and SBS is excited to be working with the FFA and FOX SPORTS to help grow the game.

“Broadcast of the Socceroos will complement SBS’s FIFA World Cup coverage which SBS has the rights to all editions up to and including 2022.”

Mr Gallop has warmly welcomed SBS as another important partner in the growth story of Australian football.

“SBS will significantly extend the audience reach of our major games for the Qantas Socceroos and in the Hyundai A-League, with benefits for our fans, clubs and sponsors,” he said.

“The network has a long history of covering Australian football and today we open a new and exciting chapter together.”

Mr Gallop also welcomed Foxtel’s formal partnership with FFA in providing sponsorship and promotional support during the upcoming contract period.

“Foxtel recognises the value of football and its broad and diverse demographic family. The association will support Foxtel’s broad portfolio of football content,” he said.

Foxtel CEO, Richard Freudenstein, said that in 2005 Foxtel had backed FOX SPORTS and FFA to build a new vision for football and its broadcast in Australia.

“Eight years later we are seeing the fruits of a new summer sport with great young talent and international superstars – its young, cool and gathering interest from Australian families like never before,” Freudenstein said.

“It is our pleasure to again back FOX SPORTS and FFA with the addition of a new sponsorship aimed at grassroots football in Australia.”

Wie das Magazin Sponsors bereichtet, anabolics soll auf dem nächsten Bundestag des Deutschen Fußball-Bundes (DFB) im Oktober 2013 in Nürnberg der Beschluss gefasst werden, ask ein zentrales Leistungszentrum für Auswahlspieler zu errichten. Wert der Einrichtung: bis zu 40 Millionen Euro. Als Standorte kommen Frankfurt am Main, sale Köln, Duisburg oder München infrage.

Das Leistungszentrum soll mehrere Fußballplätze, ein Fitness- und Reha-Zentrum, eine Laufstrecke sowie Medieneinrichtungen beinhalten. Geplant ist, dass das Leistungszentrum von allen Nationalmannschaften sowie für die Ausbildung der Bundesligatrainer und der Schiedsrichter genutzt wird. Angestrebt wird eine Auslastung von mindestens 200 Tagen im Jahr.

Kölns Oberbürgermeister Jürgen Roters hatte sich bereits zu einem Informationsgespräch mit dem neuen DFB-Präsidenten Wolfgang Niersbach und DFB-Teammanager Oliver Bierhoff getroffen. Auch mit den anderen Kandidaten werden Sondierungsgespräche geführt.

Zustimmung finden die Pläne für ein Leistungszentrum unter anderem bei Franz Beckenbauer. „Der Hauptteil der Ausbildung wird weiter in den Vereinen stattfinden, aber der DFB kann viel mehr tun, wenn er ein eigenes Zentrum hat: nicht nur für die Nationalspieler, sondern für seine Talente, seine Schiedsrichter oder etwa im Bereich Management mit einem Lehrstuhl“, sagte der Ehrenpräsident des FC Bayern München. 

UK TV channel, Premier Sports has extended it’s deal to broadcast the NASCAR Sprint Cup for a further two years.

The pay subscribtion channel will also add coverage of the NASCAR Truck Series to its line-up next year.

“This is great news that we will again be in place come the Daytona 500 in February as the exclusive live UK broadcast partner for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for a further two seasons,” said Premier Sports general manager, Richard Sweeney 

“On top of continuing our exclusive coverage of the Cup, we have also struck a deal to show highlights of every Truck Series race throughout the two year extension.”