Glad All Over – Palace Given Green Light To Build New £100M Stand

Crystal Palace are celebrating after been given the green light to build a new iconic Main Stand at their Selhurst Park stadium.

It follows Croydon Council’s decision to finally grant permission for the project to go ahead.

The scheme, which is expected to cost up to £100M, will increase the English Premier League side’s ground capacity from 26,000 to more than 34,000. The project is expected to generate more than £15M for the local economy and create hundreds of new jobs.

The plans are also expected to be approved by the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan.

The Eagles are hoping to begin work on the new stand at the end of next season, with likely completion in 2021.

Crystal Palace Chairman, Steve Parish, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Croydon Council has backed our plans for Selhurst Park. This project will not only transform the stadium, which has been our home since 1924, but it will also have a positive impact on the south London community. I wish to thank the lead officer and the councillors for their support, and for all the hard work that has been put in by the council over the last few months to ensure this application was heard so quickly.

He added: “I want to thank everyone who voiced support and those connected to the club who worked so hard over the last few months towards this very important step in the dream of a new Crystal Palace for Crystal Palace”.

LaLiga Financial Figures At Record High

Spanish football league LaLiga recorded free cash flow of €262m (£229.5m) in the 2016/17 season, following record investment of €1.146bn (£1.003bn).

The figures, published in the latest edition of the Professional Football Financial Report, include data on revenue, expenses and debt performance. Around €406m (£355.6m) was spent on improvements in infrastructure, whilst €740m (£648m) was invested in member club playing squads.

One of the key findings in the report showed clubs’ total revenues surpassed the €3.5bn (£3.06bn) mark last term, reaching €3.662bn (£3.208bn). This represents an increase of €495m (£433m) on the previous season and equates to an annual increase rate of 15.6%.

The clubs’ total revenues also increased by 64% compared to the 2011/2012 campaign, with broadcasting income enjoying significant growth, rising from €729m (£638.6m) to €1.455bn (£1.274bn).

WOA Launches Landmark Health Study At SportAccord

The largest ever global study into the long-term health of athletes has been launched by the World Olympians Association (WOA) at this year’s SportAccord Summit in Bangkok.

Led by university sport injury professor and former Olympian, Dr Debbie Palmer, the landmark initiative is targeting more than 10,000 former competitors who no longer compete at an elite level. The move has the full support and backing of the International Olympic Committee.

The project intends to generate ground-breaking data on the long-term health of Olympians and identify the risk factors associated with elite-level sport in this area.

WOA President Joël Bouzou, International Ski Federation Secretary General, Sarah Lewis and World Rowing President, Jean-Christophe Rolland, announced the study’s launch at the Bangkok Convention Centre. Rolland and Lewis, both former athletes, are the first two Olympians to complete the health assessment.

WOA President, Joël Bouzou, said: “We are proud to launch WOA’s Olympian health study, which will greatly enhance the limited existing knowledge of the long-term health impact on Olympians. Our aim is to use this analysis to inform evidence-based recommendations and best-practice guidelines to benefit Olympians and other elite athletes.”

Dr Debbie Palmer, of Edinburgh Napier University, added: “Elite athletes are known to be exposed to high impact training and competition loads, leading to increased physiological demands that can be associated with a heightened risk of injury. This study seeks to better understand what those risks are and how they can be mitigated.”

The project is being promoted to all International Federations at the GAISF General Assembly tomorrow.

Manchester United Set To Appoint New COO

Manchester United are due to appoint Collette Roche as the club’s first female chief operating officer (COO).

It’s reported the 43 year-old will become the highest-placed female working at the English Premier League club.

Roche is currently the executive director for Manchester Airports Group.

She will join a collection of just seven females in executive positions in the Football League and Premier League, including West Ham’s Karren Brady and Susan Whelan of Leicester.

Roche will be in charge of United’s day-to-day business as well as the club’s facilities, stadium and ticketing.

Fare Play! Leeds FC Seal Uber Deal

Leeds United have teamed up with Uber to help reduce ground congestion on matchdays.

The English Championship football club have joined forces with the taxi firm to encourage fans to leave their cars at home and grab a cab instead when travelling to Elland Road.

The partnership will kick off this weekend ahead of the Yorkshire derby with Barnsley.

Dedicated Uber pick up and drop off points will be in place for the clash.

Tom Elvidge, Uber’s UK General Manager, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Leeds United and have some very ambitious plans to help them create the best fan experience possible, while helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality.”

Leeds United Managing Director, Angus Kinnear, added: “This is a really exciting partnership for the club and we hope the fans will enjoy it. Getting to and from the stadium will now be a seamless experience and we’re exploring ways to make help fans travel for away games as well. Leaving the area after a game in private cars can lead to congestion and long wait times, so this deal will really help cut down congestion in the area.”

World Taekwondo Launches Bidding Process For 2021-2023

World Taekwondo has opened the bidding process for its events from 2021 to 2023 as it continues to engage with interested cities and deliver long-term awareness and certainty for the sport.

A total of 12 events are available to bidders including the World Taekwondo Championships, World Para Taekwondo Championships and World Taekwondo Junior Championships.

The governing body’s President, Chungwon Choue, said: “Taekwondo is a global sport and we want to take our events to more cities and countries to further increase taekwondo’s popularity.”

Interested parties need to complete their bid registration by mid-June, before submitting their bid file by 5th October. The host city selection will then be decided at the World Taekwondo Council Meeting in UAE on 21st November.

TalkSport Secure Rights For Forthcoming England Cricket Tours

TalkSport has outbid the BBC to secure the cricket audio rights for England’s forthcoming overseas tours of Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

The new deal ends a 13-year association for the BBC, who last lost the rights to an overseas national cricket tour in 2005.

The free to air rights will cover all Test matches, ODIs and T20 internationals from each tour.

TalkSport last broadcast live England overseas cricket rights more than a decade ago.

Wireless Group CEO Scott Taunton said: “Winning these prestigious rights is a great victory for TalkSport and its first-class coverage.

“England’s overseas tours are sure to lure large audiences of fans as we cement TalkSport’s position as the fans’ favourite for sporting news, analysis and live coverage.

“I’m delighted that we will be with England fans for every ball of the day throughout these winter tours, with our own expert line-up of cricketing stars.”

The first England game to be broadcast on the UK-based radio station will be England’s ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting on October 10th.  

Watch SportAccord LIVE – with iSportconnect!

The 2018 SportAccord Summit is now underway in Bangkok, and you can watch it LIVE courtesy of iSportconnect.

This opportunity is only available to iSportconnect members.To become a member, please register on our website: dev.isportconnect.com.

Existing members of iSportconnect, click below. Note – Thailand is 6 hours ahead of GMT:

Will OTT Replace Linear TV?

With the emergence of OTT platforms in recent years, and constant advances in consumer technology, one of the questions reverberating around sports media and broadcasting companies is this: What is the future for linear television?

Is the trusted service going the same way as VHS or Betamax videos, or can it continue to compliment OTT for years to come? And what ingredients would be necessary to launch a new, successful OTT platform?

iSportconnect spoke to some of the industry’s leading figures at its recent Broadcast Masterclass, to see if we’re really switching from a world of channels to a world of apps.

‘United Through Sport’ Initiative Launches At SportAccord

The groundbreaking ‘United Through Sport’ festival is underway on day three of the SportAccord Summit in Bangkok.

A strong line-up of high-calibre speakers will be taking centre stage to promote the initiative, with notable dignitaries Dr Thomas Bach, IOC President and Thailand’s Tourism & Sports Minister, Weerasak Kowsurat, due to attend the event’s official opening ceremony tomorrow.

SportAccord, which brings together key decision makers and representatives from sports organizations from around the world, runs until Friday.

Watch SportAccord LIVE (please note, Thailand is 6 hours ahead of GMT):