The University of Portsmouth and PKF Accountants & business have published a report warning that English football clubs haven’t got the resources to counter fraud with one of the authors estimating fraud counts for at least £100million ($160m) each year across the professional leagues.

Ticket sales, merchandising, payroll and agents’ fees were identified as problem areas for clubs by the Fraud in Football survey, which was based on a survey of football club finance directors.

Jim Gee, PKF’s director of counter fraud services and one of the authors of the report, insisted: ‘The results should give rise to serious concern since it is surely right to expect all clubs, regardless of their league, to protect themselves against a problem that on average costs businesses almost 6% of annual expenditure. The cost of fraud in football could account for well over £100 million per annum across all of the professional leagues.

‘Our findings also chime with the Department for Culture, Media and Sports’ recent assessment that football’s ‘corporate governance structures look like they belong to another era’.  We discovered that fewer than a quarter of clubs had their own internal audit function to keep track of revenues and costs – something that would be seen as wholly unacceptable in almost any other industry in the UK.

‘Reducing the cost of fraud in football is an important issue as it affects the financial health and stability of not just the clubs themselves but, in many cases, the communities that live around them. Regardless of their league, if football clubs want to provide the best deal for their fans then they need to review the current practice and ensure that they are properly protected against fraud.

The BBC has replaced ESPN to broadcast the National Football League’s iconic Monday Night Football for the 2012 season.

Monday Night Football, for sale which launched in the 1970s and helped build the popularity of the NFL in the United States, health will be aired live by the BBC on the Red Button and will be streamed live on the BBC Sport website.

The deal means that MNF is now available to fans in the UK on a free-to-air basis. The season kicks off with a double-header next Monday (September 10), with the Cincinnati Bengals travelling to the Baltimore Ravens (kick-off at 12 midnight UK time), followed by the San Diego Chargers facing the Oakland Raiders (kick-off 3.15 a.m.)

David Murray, Head of Rights, BBC Sport, said: “We look forward to bringing Monday Night Football to our audience, who this summer have shown a great appetite for sport content via our online and red button streams. We’re delighted that our relationship with the NFL continues to grow and we look forward to a great season.”

In addition to MNF, BBC TV will continue to air live coverage of the Super Bowl, which is played in New Orleans on February 3, 2013; highlights of the International Series game between the New England Patriots and St Louis Rams at Wembley on Sunday October 28; and weekly playoff highlights in January.  BBC Radio will air at least one live game commentary per week on 5Live Sports Extra, beginning with the season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Super Bowl champion New York Giants at 1.30 a.m. this Wednesday night.

“We are thrilled to be extending our relationship with the BBC in this way,” said Alistair Kirkwood, Managing Director of NFLUK. “Monday Night Football is one of the jewels of the NFL season and the ability for our fans to see it free of charge is very exciting.”

From Week 2 of the season, Monday Night Football will revert to its usual 1.30 a.m. start time. In Week 2 (September 17), viewers will be able to see Peyton Manning lead the Denver Broncos into battle at the Atlanta Falcons, while Week 3 features NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers taking on the Seattle Seahawks.

Italian Serie A team Juventus has declared plans to raise Eur120 million ($166m) through a share sale as the club seeks to tackle the worst financial loss in its history.

The Turin based side revealed losses of Eur95.4 million ($132) for the financial year ending June 30, discount 2011, abortion a huge rise on the loss of Eur11 million ($15.2m) for the 2009-10 season. The share sale, which will be completed by March 31, is part of a five-year plan looking to change the fortunes of the club.

Juventus currently leads Serie A it is still suffering the effects of the 2006 match-fixing scandal, which saw it relegated from the top flight, while it has failed to qualify for the lucrative UEFA Champions League in the past two years. Juventus has also been focused on developing its new stadium, which opened this season as Italy’s first privately owned football venue. Juventus president Andrea Agnelli told the club’s shareholders on Tuesday that the huge losses for 2010-11 were caused by the “virtuous” investment into the new stadium and four years of overhauling the club’s squad, which “flooded our engine”.

The Agnelli family, whose Exor company controls Juventus, has agreed to pay down Eur72 million ($99.5m) of the club’s debt as an advance on the share sale.

Juventus chief executive Aldo Mazzia added: “The increase in capital will finance the club’s life for the next five years. The aim is to get back to being competitive in Italy and Europe and, at the same time, reach a financial balance and be self-financing by the end of the industrial plan.”

The Maloof Money Cup will be broadcast to movie theaters nationwide for the first time with the “Maloof Money Cup World Skateboarding Championship Event” on Tuesday, view October 2 at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Showcasing the World Skateboarding Championship pro street finals from South Africa, check this in-theater event features competition highlights, behind-the-scenes footage and up-close action that will take fans on an exciting, big-screen ride with the competitors. This special event will also include never-before-seen Money Cup highlights, jaw-dropping tricks and exclusive interviews. The event pre-show will also announce three amateur skateboard winners, chosen out of thousands, who submitted home videos of personal best tricks during the Best Trick Big Screen online contest.

Presented by NCM Fathom Events, Maloof Skateboarding and IGN, in association with CCS, tickets for “Maloof Money Cup World Skateboarding Championship Event” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be broadcast to nearly 580 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

“We’re excited to answer the demand to bring the World’s Greatest Skateboarding Event to millions of fans in the U.S. like it’s never been seen before – on the big screen,” said Maloof Money Cup Founder Joe Maloof. “This is an incredible opportunity for fans to experience the intensity and excitement of the contest as the best skaters in the world battle it out for the only world championship title in skateboarding.”

Maloof Skateboarding aims to raise the visibility of skateboarding across the U.S. and globally through professional and amateur contests and partnerships, supporting local skate shops and giving back to the communities it touches. It was founded in 2008 by Joe and Gavin Maloof, whose family owns the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise and the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The Maloof Money Cup is the only contest that lets the skaters take the lead on the design of the competition street courses and vert ramps, and provide overall input on the contest format. It is also the first contest of its kind to invest the time and money needed to build actual concrete skate plazas for the contest that replicate true street skating.

“For the first time ever, action sports fans have the opportunity to experience the finest skateboarders on the planet compete for the title of ‘World’s Champion’ only on the big screen in this exclusive Maloof Fathom event,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events.

Managing director Derek Llambias believes Newcastle United is on course to break even for the financial year after their impressive start to the season.

The Magpies, who are one of three teams to remain unbeaten in the Premier League and currently in a Champions League qualification spot, reported operating losses, before player trading, of £37.7m ($59.5m) in 2008/09 and £35.5m ($56m) in 2009/10.

Newcastle’s target does not include transfer fees, including the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January for a record £35m ($55.2m).

Llambias said in the matchday programme for the weekend game with Spurs that the club is aiming towards being able to operate within the boundaries of Uefa’s financial fair play rules.

‘We are demonstrating our commitment to taking this club forward [to] a stronger position,’ commented Llambias.

Llambias added that he expected accounts for the 2010/11 period to show a loss of £4.7m ($7.4m).

International sports marketing company Sportfive has signed a deal with ANO Sports Broadcasting for the media rights in Russia for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and 2016 Olympic Games.

Created in December 2009 by RTR, Channel One and NTV PLUS, ANO Sports Broadcasting comprises the largest Russian public and private national broadcasters.

The deal with ANO Sports Broadcasting incorporates all of the main broadcasting rights for both Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016. The rights will be exploited over a number of platforms, including free-to-air television, internet, mobile and radio, amongst others.

With Russia as host country for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, ANO Sports Broadcasting intends to provide significant coverage of Sochi 2014. Live action and programming will be made accessible to viewers across the country, using multiple television channels and media platforms. The consortium’s free-to-air television channels, Channel One and Russia 1, will broadcast the key events, with further coverage offered on Russia 2 and Russia 24. There will be additional coverage on numerous pay television channels and services, as well as content transmitted via the internet, mobile and national radio.

ANO Sports Broadcasting CEO Vasily Kiknadze said: “By signing this agreement we have taken on the responsibility of providing top quality coverage of the greatest global sports event, which will be eagerly awaited by millions of Russian fans and television audiences. Our team, which will work in close cooperation with RTR, Channel One and NTV PLUS, are prepared to rise to this exciting challenge.”

Sportfive International CEO Shaila-Ann Rao added: “We are delighted to have concluded this deal for Russia with ANO Sports Broadcasting, representing the principal channels RTR, Channel One and NTV PLUS. We are certain that this will provide the best possible coverage to both the Winter and Summer Games across Russia and greatly contribute to the success and excitement of the Games in Sochi.”

English Premier League team Norwich City improved commercial performance has seen revenue soar from £17million ($26.8m) in 2010 to £23.1million ($26.4m) this year.

The recently-promoted Barclays Premier League club also netted a £500,000 ($787,330) operating profit compared to a £1.7million ($2.6m) loss in 2010 and £4.3million ($6.7m) deficit the previous year.

Norwich chairman Alan Bowkett, said: “While everyone is aware of the outstanding football performance last year, I am pleased to report this improvement has continued off the field of play. Revenues and normalised operating profit are up while net debt is down. This trend will accelerate this year.”

The sale of the matchday orange car park has helped reduce Norwich’s debt from £20.9 million ($32.9m) to £16.8million ($26.4m), which they expect to decrease even further by the next year-end.
Norwich’s promotion from the Championship is expected to result in net debt reducing by at least £6million and revenue increasing to at least £40million ($63m). Club shareholders will receive a full set of annual accounts next week and the Canaries’ AGM be held on November 22.

Sky Sports have rescued the day for NFL UK fans by agreeing a new three-year deal to show live coverage of over 60 live NFL games a season including the International Series game at Wembley Stadium, the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

The agreement takes the partnership between Sky Sports and the NFL into its 20th year with coverage across TV, mobile, online and tablet devices.

Beginning with Wednesday night’s season opening clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Super Bowl champions New York Giants, Sky’s coverage for the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons will comprise: 

• REGULAR SEASON: Two live prime time fixtures every Sunday kicking off at 6pm and 9.15pm, three Thanksgiving Day clashes, plus regular matches on Thursday nights. 

• PLAYOFFS AND SUPER BOWL: Live coverage of every wild card, divisional and Conference Championship playoff match, plus live coverage of the annual season ending Super Bowl. 

• SUPPORT PROGRAMMING: The NFL’s RedZone score update show every Sunday of the regular season available via the red button, NFL Total Access twice a week and watch out for news of exciting new regular season midweek coverage. 

NFL coverage on Sky Sports is presented by Kevin Cadle, who will be joined during the season by studio guests including Neil Reynolds and Cecil Martin. Sky Sports News HD will also provide up to date news, views and previews throughout the season while skysports.com/NFL will offer extensive gridiron coverage.  

Speaking about the new agreement Managing Director for the NFL UK Alistair Kirkwood said: “We are delighted to extend the relationship between the NFL and Sky Sports into its 20th year. Through their coverage the game has attracted many new fans in this country, and we look forward to another three seasons of excellent coverage of including the International Series matches at Wembley and the next three Super Bowls.” 

Kevin Cadle said: “This new deal is great news for NFL fans in the UK: primetime coverage of two matches on Sunday evenings, RedZone, the International Series and Super Bowl all for the next 3 years! We start our new season with some great games: last season’s Super Bowl champions New York Giants at home to the Dallas Cowboys, then the Indianapolis Colts who include No1 draft pick Andrew Luck away to the Chicago Bears and on the following Thursday we get our first look at the St Louis Rams who will be coming over to the UK for the International Series in October. There are so many ways for NFL fans in the UK to keep up with what’s going on including RedZone during our live match coverage, the Total Access Show, and fans can let us know what they think about the game using our Twitter page @SkySportsNFL.”

ed sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px;”>UEFA president Michel Platini completed his tour of Euro 2012 host cities this week and expressed his satisfaction with the venues.

doctor sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px;”>Platini visited Polish host cities Warsaw, case Wroclaw, Poznan, and Gdansk. Poland, unlike co-hosts Ukraine, has faced little criticism in its preparations for the tournament.

Platini said: “I am very happy because we have wonderful stadiums, and infrastructure which is ready pretty much everywhere. Having seen the four cities, the four stadiums, the four airports and all the roads, I can say that preparations for Euro 2012 are going very, very well.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk believes Warsaw’s National Stadium, which will host four games including a semi-final, is “one of the most beautiful football stadiums in the world”

Poland’s Minister for Sport and Tourism, Adam Giersz, said: “we all believe that it will be the best Euro finals ever.”

 

SuperSport International (Pty) Ltd has agreed a media rights deal to broadcast the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League.

In terms of the agreement, medic SuperSport will broadcast league and cup matches played during the remainder of the 2012 football season and during the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons.

SuperSport will broadcast the fixtures via all platforms, including television, mobile and internet, throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the adjacent islands.

Brandon Foot, the Head of Acquisitions and Legal at SuperSport, said: “We are excited to be breaking new ground with our northern neighbours. There is tremendous future potential in Zimbabwe and we believe that this investment will grow and mutually benefit both parties.”

Twine Phiri, the Chairman of the Zimbabwean PSL,added: “It is wonderful that a world class broadcaster, such as SuperSport is now our broadcast partner. We received excellent feedback from our stakeholders after SuperSport had broadcast a few of our fixtures in the past. This long-term deal will ensure the sustainability of our league and no doubt be very attractive for sponsors.”

SuperSport now broadcasts local league football played in Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.