Doha Hosts World Meeting On Sport Infrastructure And Tournament Delivery

The 8th edition of the World Stadium Congress officially kicked off today in Doha where representatives from over 25 countries gathered to discuss the future of sport infrastructure development, tournament delivery and legacy. The event saw an impressive delegation of some of the famous international clubs and organising committees including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Titans Cricket South Africa, La Liga, Rugby World Cup, Asian Football Confederation, alongside Qatar Stars League, Qatar Football Association, Qatar Olympic Committee, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and many more. 

The congress kicked off with a welcome speech from the host sponsor, Vodafone, followed by back-to-back keynote presentations from local and international leaders. Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Thani, Director of Enterprise Sales at Vodafone, welcomed the international audience and highlighted Vodafone’s role towards building a memorable tournament in 2022 before Datuk Dell, Former Head of Police of Kuala Lumpur, and the Asian Football Confederation Match Commissioner and FIFA Security Officer, took the stage to share his experiences from AFC and FIFA on how to successfully deliver a world-class international tournament.

Eng. Thani Al Zarraa, Project Manager (Al-Wakrah Stadium), Competition Venues, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, then guided the audience through the current progress in Qatar and illuminated the path to 2022, inspiring confidence and belief that the road to the 2022 tournament will set the tone for future tournaments. This was followed by Commissaire Antoine Boutonnet, Chief, French Police – National Division against Hooliganism, Euro 2016, who shared insights and experiences from the highly successful Euro 2016 tournament in France that was modelled on creating a secure and safe tournament for citizens, visitors and athletes. Mr. Ali Al Khalifa, CEO, ASTAD Project Management, rounded off the morning keynote plenary affirming the role of ASTAD Project Management towards sustainability, legacy and delivery for the 2022 tournament.

The congress continued after the morning break with Ross Aitken, Venues and Cities Manager at Rugby World Cup, and Philipp Herpel, Managing Director at HFP, who shared updates and plans for future bids for the 2023 Rugby World Cup and 2026 FIFA World Cup ™ respectively. The day’s proceedings included presentations from leading solutions providers including GREE, Al-Taadhod, EATON and Space Hellas MicroTech before concluding with a session on fan experience featuring Alfredo Lorenzo, Security Director for La Liga, David Storr, Head of Safety and Security at Bristol Sport, and Chris Dite, Associate Director – Sport Venue Design and Major Events at Arup.

The congress is organised by IQPC Middle East who remains committed to hosting event that supports Qatar’s national vision.

Marco Cipolat, Head of Production at IQPC Middle East and Conference Director, stated, “We are at the half-way mark for the two-day congress. Today’s action was a testament to Qatar’s leadership in sport infrastructure development and we are thankful to our sponsors and event partners who consistently help us to grow this event. We are pleased to see the congress continue to grow in international prominence and we are honoured to host this event in Doha as it serves as the ideal location to connect with sport infrastructure professionals from the East and the West.’

Participating as the title sponsor of the event, Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Thani, Director of Enterprise Sales at Vodafone Qatar added, ” The timing of World Stadium Congress could not be better. We crossed a historic milestone in Qatar’s ambition to deliver a truly amazing 2022 FIFA World Cup™ with the opening of Khalifa International Stadium. As one of the world’s largest telecommunications groups, we see firsthand every day the stadium experience customers expect in terms of fast connection speeds, great mobile coverage and unparalleled access to video and social media. That makes us the ideal partner for those developing and operating stadiums – to bring that expertise to bear.”

The second day of the conference is scheduled to kick off tomorrow with a ‘round-the-world tour’ and showcase of some of the major stadium projects from around the world including Russia, The Netherlands, the U.S., Singapore and more.

World Rugby and NBC Announce Media Rights Agreement for the United States

World Rugby and NBC Sports Group have announced details of an unprecedented seven-year partnership for exclusive rights to present the world’s biggest international rugby events, including Rugby World Cup and Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The deal, the biggest of its kind for rugby rights in the USA, will cement NBC’s status as the destination for rugby in a nation where record participation and fan growth has anchored rugby as one of the hottest properties in the US sports market.

The exclusive rights feature the world’s most prestigious 15s and sevens events, including Rugby World Cup 2019 and 2023, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 and 2021, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 (in San Francisco) and 2022 and the annual World Rugby U20 Championship from 2017-23.

World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper said: “This deal represents a significant uplift on previous deals in the US, reflecting the ever-increasing stature of rugby within what is arguably the most competitive commercial marketplace for sport. This all-encompassing deal with our friends at NBC is great for fans and great for rugby as we look towards San Francisco’s hosting of Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2018.”

Arsenal Shares Not For Sale, Says Under Fire Owner Stan Kroenke

Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke has strenuously denied suggestions he could sell his stake in the club, despite fan displeasure and takeover rumours.

Last week it was reported that Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov had tabled a £1bn bid to take over Arsenal.

However, in a statement released through Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, it appears the US  tycoon is in no mood to cash in on his shares despite fans voicing their displeasure on the final day of the season when Arsenal failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

“KSE UK, Inc notes the recent media speculation concerning its shareholding in Arsenal Holdings PLC and confirms its shares are not, and never have been, for sale.

“KSE is a committed, long term investor in Arsenal and will remain so.”

Usmanov increased his share in Arsenal last year, having first bought his way in back in 2007. His share currently stands at 30 per cent.

The oligarch previously voiced concerns with Kroenke’s stewardship and said in April that he must “bear huge responsibility” for the club’s on-field problems.

Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League on Sunday for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s 21 years as manager, and speculation over his future has created a cloud of uncertainty over the club for much of the year.

Wenger has said that a decision between himself and the board on next steps will be made after the FA Cup final against Chelsea this coming week.

EFL Condemns Wembley Pitch Invasion by Millwall Supporters

The English Football League says the pitch invasion by Millwall fans at Wembley following their victory in the League One play-off final was “completely unacceptable”.

In a statement released on Monday, the EFL condemned the action of the fans who were celebrating the 1-0 win over Bradford City to secure Millwall’s return to The Championship.

The statement said: “It is a criminal offence to enter the playing area and whilst some of those who made the decision to break the law did so to celebrate their team’s success back to the Championship, a mindless few opted to goad the Bradford City players.

“Their actions were completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the EFL. The efforts of the Millwall manager and some of his players to remove the offenders from the pitch should be complimented as should Neil Harris’ appropriate and welcome apology on behalf of his Club.

“The EFL will be writing to Stuart McCall and his Bradford team to apologise for the situation they found themselves in.

“In addition, the EFL will be encouraging Wembley to work with both the Metropolitan Police and Millwall to identify those whose behaviour created the most concern on the day and to take the necessary and appropriate action.”

Portsmouth FC Shareholders Agree to Sell to Eisner Family Owned Tornante Group

The shareholders of Portsmouth Community Football Club this week voted in favour of selling the club to the Tornante Group, owned by the family of Michael Eisner.

Community shareholders in the Pompey Supporters’ Trust – the club’s principal shareholder with 48.5 per cent of the club’s equity – voted 80.3pc in favour of the PST selling its stake. Around 17pc voted against, with rejected ballots at 2.4pc. The turnout was 93.7pc.

Members of the PST voted 80.5pc in favour of the club’s 16 individual shareholders (the Presidents) being allowed to sell their respective stakes in the club, and 75pc of the Presidents voted to sell their respective stakes in the club, representing 32.9pc of the club’s equity.

Together with the PST’s 48.5pc, this means 81.4pc of the club’s equity holding is in agreement with the sale. The threshold to approve a sale, as laid down in the shareholders’ agreement, is 75pc.

Accordingly, the club will now proceed to negotiate the final terms of the sale with the Tornante Group over the coming weeks.

Paris 2024 Welcomes IOC Evaluation Committee to the City of Light

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Bid Committee has welcomed the International Olympic Committee’s Evaluation Commission to Paris ahead of the start of their official visit, on Saturday 13th May.

The three-day working visit, which got fully underway on Sunday, will provide an opportunity for members of the Commission to witness first hand Paris 2024’s compact Games plan and iconic venues, and experience the magic of Paris and its proposal for a spectacular city-centre celebration site: “Paris Olympic Park.”

Paris 2024 Co-Chair and three-time Olympian, Tony Estanguet, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Patrick Baumann and the IOC Evaluation Commission to Paris. We are ready to share with them everything that Paris has to offer and demonstrate why Paris is the perfect partner and ideal host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“The people, the city and the whole of France are fully supportive of our bid which offers a Games of real passion and purpose for 2024. We, along with all our partners, look forward to showcasing Paris, an Olympic city that lives and breathes sport, to the IOC over the coming days.”

Paris 2024 Co-Chair Bernard Lapasset, said:

“Today the IOC Evaluation Commission arrived in Paris for their visit and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them. We are ready for this decisive stage in our bid, just as we are ready to host the Games in 2024. We want to show the IOC that they can rely on the Paris 2024 team to deliver great Games and we know they will feel the passion and enthusiasm of the French public for this bid.”

ECB Launch Media Rights Tender For Next Phase

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) started its formal media rights sale process for international and domestic cricket for the five-year period 2020-2024.

An invitation to tender document has been distributed, offering media rights for all matches played under the auspices of ECB in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The process offers opportunities for all broadcasters, platforms and distributors, to bid for live cricket, highlights and clips, for audio-visual, audio and digital use.

Following all submissions, an evaluation panel – with a depth of experience in media and cricket and including the chairman and CEO of ECB – will assess each bid in line with agreed criteria and the terms of the invitation to tender.

Tom Harrison, chief executive officer of ECB said: “This is a very important process and the outcome will be hugely significant for cricket in England and Wales.

“The game is in good shape, with inspiring international teams, strong County competitions, a recreational game that’s adapting to modern lifestyles and a new participation drive for a younger audience.

“Our partners for the next rights period will help us build on these very strong foundations and develop an even brighter future. They will understand our strategy, see the opportunities and share our ambitions for growth.

“Our competitions are attractive, the bidding criteria clear and we have a planned and proper approach to make the right decisions for the long-term growth and vitality of the game.”ECB Launch Media Rights Tender

Newcastle United Announce FUN88 As New Shirt Sponsor

FUN88 announced a three-year partnership with Newcastle United as the Magpies’ official shirt partner in the Club’s first season back in the Premier League following their Championship title win.

FUN88’s logo will be featured on the club’s famous black and white striped shirt in what will be a historic year, as Newcastle United celebrate their 125th Anniversary.

The brand will be given access to advertising within St. James’ Park stadium at the Club’s home matches and across online and social media channels in the UK and internationally.

FUN88 is an Asian online gaming company that offers sports betting and live casinos, which are both available in multiple languages.

Lee Charnley, Managing Director at Newcastle United, said: “It was important for us to find the right partner and in FUN88, we have a shirt sponsor that understands the club and brings significant benefits commercially. The relationship will enable the club and FUN88 to enhance our respective global profiles together as we celebrate a landmark season and embark on the exciting Premier League campaign ahead.”

Nathan Walker, Director at FUN88 commented: “It’s a hugely exciting time to partner with one of the most famous clubs in English football, Newcastle United. We are looking forward to engaging with the Club’s huge fanbase – both in the city of Newcastle and worldwide.”

Stoke City Acquire Top Eleven As Official Sleeve Partner

Stoke City becomes the first Premier League Club to attract a new commercial partner, Top Eleven, to become their Official Sleeve Partner.

The multi-year deal will see their logo on the left sleeve of City’s first team, U23’s and ladies shirts for all league games from the start of next season.

Other clubs have announced sleeve partnership deals but all with existing commercial partners.

City are the first Club to strike a deal with a new brand.

Top Eleven, a mobile football management game launched seven years ago, has more than 160 million registered users and has been played in every country around the world.

Stoke City Chief Executive Tony Scholes said: “Top Eleven are at the forefront of the football mobile games industry and they recognise the global reach that entering into a multi-year agreement with Stoke City gives them.

“We are delighted to become the first Premier League club to attract an entirely new commercial partner as Official Sleeve Partner and we look forward to a long and successful association with Nordeus and their Top Eleven football management game.”

Adelaide FC to be First Australian Club in eSports

Adelaide Football Club has entered into an agreement to acquire a professional eSports team, making it the first Australian team to enter the new mainstream sport.

Sydney-based Legacy eSports is one of eight top-tier League of Legends professional teams competing in the Oceanic Pro League (OPL).

eSports has an international audience of close to 250 million people, the majority of whom are aged 14-34 years, and in Australia, the professional competition is complemented by hundreds of semi-professional and amateur outfits.

The Crows move follows overseas sporting leagues, teams and individuals investing in eSports in the past 18 months.

Those include the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, former NBA players Magic Johnston and Shaquille O’Neal, baseballers Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins, and NFL legend Joe Montana, along with soccer powerhouses Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Schalke and AS Roma.

Crows Chief Executive Andrew Fagan said:

“In many ways, eSports represents the intersection of technology, media and entertainment, which are all a key part of our strategic focus.

“Across the globe there are sporting clubs, billionaire investors and athletes becoming involved in eSports with a view to growing their brand and reach, driving commercial outcomes and engaging with new fans.”