Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium is set for a sell-out attendance for the first time in five-and-a-half years in national soccer team manager, Gary Speed’s first home game in charge against England on Saturday, March 26.

The Euro 2012 qualifier is on track to sell the 69,000 tickets available for the event after the Football Association of Wales (FAW) announced that the game was already close to capacity.

The FAW released a statement, reading: “Due to overwhelming demand we are now in a position to suspend ticket sales for the time being.”

Jonathan Ford, FAW chief executive, confirmed the majority of tickets had gone to Welsh fans, adding: “I’m really delighted to say: six weeks to go and we have sold out the Millennium Stadium.”

In the interview with BBC Wales, Ford continued: “We have an allocation to the English – 10% [of the tickets] go to the FA, but the rest we had to sell to local people. We weren’t able to go out on a local sale so we had to go direct to the [Welsh] clubs.”

That ticket initiative ensured Welsh clubs could effectively keep 25% from the ticket sales. It also ensured tickets would not fall go to England beyond the allocation to the FA.

Wales’ last Millennium Stadium full house was a 0-1 defeat to England in September 2005 when Joe Cole scored the winner in a 2006 World Cup qualifier in front of 70,715 fans in Europe’s 12th-biggest sporting arena.

London’s world-renowned Lord’s Cricket Ground will be renovated by Almacantar after the company were selected as the preferred property developer for the job.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has confirmed that it will enter into a period of exclusive talks with Almacantar over the planned building of apartments on Wellington Road at the ground’s Nursery End. The two failing bis to be awarded the contract were from Capital & Counties and Native Land.

The MCC’s ‘Vision for Lord’s’ will see the capacity of England’s most famous Test cricket ground increased from 29,500 to 37,000, while an indoor cricket school and enhanced conference facilities have also been planned.

MCC secretary and CEO Keith Bradshaw stated:“We have been impressed with the quality of Almacantar’s submission, which demonstrates a high degree of inventive thinking; something entirely appropriate for such an iconic venue as Lord’s.

“We will now work with them through the exclusivity period to shape the emerging proposals for the Nursery Ground, Indoor School and residential opportunities so that we can refine the financial model before presenting back to committees,” he added.

For the third time in succession, Inmarsat has been selected to provide essential voice and data connectivity for the Volvo Ocean Race.  Inmarsat FleetBroadband will be used to deliver broadcast quality high-definition television (HDTV) and rich multimedia content from the competing boats to the world’s media. Inmarsat has increased its involvement in the next edition of the race and is now a Race Partner, which will allow the communications company to further heighten its participation.

Inmarsat is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, and the company has played an integral role in the lives of seafarers for over 30 years. When it comes to delivering reliable maritime communications and safety services, no other network can match the combination of global reach, breadth of services and reliability that Inmarsat offers.

Knut Frostad, CEO Volvo Ocean Race said:  “I am very pleased to announce this continued and enhanced partnership with Inmarsat. FleetBroadband has proved it can deliver a flawless performance in tough conditions and that is absolutely essential for us. We need to be able to get reliable and high quality material off the boats and deliver it to the world with immediacy. You could say that the DNA of the Volvo Ocean Race is really based around moving images. And to be able to transmit these images from the boats is core to our communication and story building around the race. In many ways you could say that the Inmarsat’s FleetBroadBand has revolutionised the sport of offshore sailing.

“And by enabling us to be so connected to the boats, we can monitor them 24 hours a day from our Control Room in Alicante. This is crucial for our safety procedures and the onboard safety equipment is a vital tool for the crew in emergency situations.”

Each Volvo Open 70 will be equipped with a SAILOR FleetBroadband 500, providing voice and high-speed data communications.  Also onboard is a compact SAILOR FleetBroadband 150 for crew voice calling and IP data, plus two SAILOR Mini-C systems for constant positioning data and global safety communications. For the first time and after extensive evaluation, Inmarsat’s new global satellite phone, the ISATPHONE Pro, will be included in the safety kit of all the race yachts.

Andrew Sukawaty, Chairman and CEO, Inmarsat said: “FleetBroadband gave a flawless performance during the last Volvo Ocean Race in 2008 – 09 and will continue to take media coverage of the race into a whole new era. Faster transmission speeds deliver better quality broadcasts bringing all the action onboard into people’s homes around the world. It is undeniably the world’s premier global race and one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world and we are delighted with the global endorsement of ISATPHONE Pro, with its inclusion in the yachts’ safety equipment.”

The hard-fought overall Media Crew Member (MCM) Award, introduced for the last edition will once again be presented by Inmarsat. In addition, on each leg, an MCM will win a €1000 cash prize for outstanding excellence in communicating across all media from their boat, as judged by a specialist panel.

When the race concludes in Galway, Ireland, in July 2012, a €10,000 prize will be awarded to the MCM judged to have made the best overall contribution to race coverage.   

Knut Frostad firmly believes the MCM is as much a key player as the helmsman, tactician and the crew.  “No story, no sponsorship, no race. It’s as simple as that,” he says. “We wish them all great success.”

Andrew Sukawaty added: “Inmarsat is pleased to recognise the unique contribution the MCMs make to the race bringing the excitement of the race to the masses and delivering millions of dollars in valuable media coverage for race sponsors from the harshest of maritime conditions.”

Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards has rejected suggestions that he bullied members of the Football Association board into blocking reforms after former Football Association (FA) chairman Lord Triesman spoke out against his old Premier League counterpart.

In an interview with ESPN, Richards stated: “Bully the 12 people on the FA board? Absolutely not. What a futile accusation.

“I am not a bully. I, nor the Premier League, block any change at the FA. We would not block change because we want change – we are a progressive organisation and I was personally involved in changing the constitution of the FA back in 1996 to form the board capable of being progressive.”

He added: “The FA is in control of football’s governance, football’s regulations and of football’s discipline, and that is how it should be.

“If the FA wants to run the professional game – the leagues and the Premier League – then of course we all have a problem because the Premier League won’t tolerate that kind of interference and we will fight our corner.

“I attend the FA board meetings about once a month, and I am one man’s opinion among a board of 12. But I am entitled to my opinion as a representative of the Premier League.

“For good or bad, I speak my mind and being a Yorkshireman, I might not be as eloquent at speaking as some, but I say it as I see it.”

Triesman’s permanent successor, David Bernstein was ratified in his role as FA chairman last month and has supported Richards since joining the organisation, stating: “There’s a mutuality of interest where the good of the national game is in all interests. Sir Dave Richards has been extremely co-operative.”

Bernstein added: “When I spoke to the FA Council two weeks ago I presented five main themes, one of which was relationships. It is very important to work and improve relationships in and out of the UK.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith met in New York yesterday, 1 February, to discuss the league’s current labour situation. It has been confirmed that both parties agreed to hold a formal bargaining session with both negotiating teams on Saturday in Dallas.

They also agreed to a series of meetings over the next few weeks, both formal bargaining sessions and smaller group meetings, in an effort to reach a new agreement by early March with fears of a potential NFL lockout looming.

In DC, Mark Maske noted the two sides have said that the “last full bargaining session came before Thanksgiving, although they have remained in contact through less formal channels”

N.Y. Daily News reporter Frank Isola said stated that the latest announcement regarding potential discussions was a, “smart PR move by Roger Goodell and the players’ association” in order to “make it look like they’re making progress at the Super Bowl. This way people don’t talk about a strike or a lockout”

A list of partners ahead of the 2011 Formula One season has been announced by the Red Bull Racing team which includes Total, Rauch, Pepe Jeans, Casio, Singha Beer, FXDD, Geox, Pirelli, Alpinestars, Platform Computing and Siemens.

The announcement was made at the launch of its 2011 challenger, the RB7, which was unveiled by 2010 World Champion Sebastian Vettel and his team-mate Mark Webber.

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, stated: “The team’s been very focused on RB7 over the last few months; Adrian didn’t release his drawings any earlier than normal, so the whole design group and production team have done a remarkable job to produce this car in the shortest possible time. It’s a long season, the longest in F1 history, and we have some great opponents, but we are very motivated and will be working hard to hold on to the two world titles.”

The team’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey added: “It’s always a special moment when a car runs for the first time. The big challenge for us this year was the reintroduction of the KERS system. It’s always a challenge to find solutions, which don’t compromise the aerodynamics of the car. This season, with McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all having KERS, we need to get it to work, simply for performance off the line.”

Castleford Tigers, an English Rugby League club, have signed a lucrative contract with Probiz tax specialists. The one-year agreement, with an additional one-year extension option, will see Probiz feature as the shirt sponsor for the Super League club replacing Metrel electrical company who have stepped aside from an agreement to be 2011/12 sponsor due to Probiz’s more lucrative deal.

Probiz will also obtain substantial brand presence within the Tiger’s home stadium as well as pitch-side and roofline advertising with logo placements on the home and away dug-outs, hospitality box, scoreboard and player’s tunnel.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Probiz as our shirt sponsor for the 2011 season. This significant deal is clear evidence that Castleford Tigers has appealed to a leading wealth creation specialist. Probiz is well backed and a company that has shown long-term support with its large sponsorship portfolio. We believe Probiz’s sponsorship can assist with our plans.” said Craig Poskitt, Head of Commercial Sales of Castleford Tigers.

Feisal Nahaboo, Probiz founder and managing director, added, “We are really looking forward to next season and starting our partnership with Castleford Tigers. The club has a proud heritage as well as a strong reputation for excellence. This is the perfect time to come on board with Castleford Tigers who are on the verge of embarking on a new chapter in their distinguished history.”

Penske Racing have secured their third new sponsorship deal of recent times. Although founder Roger Penske failed to obtain full-season primary sponsors for all three of his IndyCar drivers the team are adding the money together from recent sponsorship contracts so they can race a full schedule.

Izod, a sports clothing company, has been signed as a sponsor for all three of Penske’s IndyCar entries ahead of the new season. The company will become the primary sponsor of the No. 6 car of Ryan Briscoe, though it will be an associate of all three cars throughout the 2011 season.

Team Penske Presient, Tim Cindric spoke of the teams sponsorship intentions: “Our first mission was to keep all three guys and provide them with a full season next year and it wasn’t really until about a month ago that we felt pretty strongly that we could do that,

“We see ourselves continuing to build a la NASCAR. We have Verizon for a full year and the other two we won’t have a full season of sponsorship.”

Penske’s team is the best-known in the IndyCar Series.

The Kenya Open golf tournament is the longest-running event of the European-based Challenge tour schedule and today agreed a multi-year title sponsorship deal with Barclays bank.

Barclays Kenya managing director Adan Mohamed spoke of the partnership: “Barclays recognises the power of sport to connect with customers and consumers from diverse backgrounds. We have been involved in developing professional leagues such as the Barclays Premier League in England and more recently cycling here in Kenya, salve and are committed to promoting excellence in the game of golf,”.

The tournament, which carries a prize fund of US$253,000, has obtained the title sponsorship worth $485,000 and will now be officially named the Barclays Kenya Open for a duration of three years.

Kenya Open Golf chairman (KOGL), Peter Kanyago, added, “We are delighted by this strategic partnership with Barclays Kenya, and will ensure that the three-year sponsorship they have committed to will be handled with transparency and accountability in all aspects of our organisation. The KOGL is committed to delivering a world-class tournament which will showcase international golf in Kenya.

“The tournament has grown in statue over the years, and remains the biggest golfing event in the East Africa region. The Kenya Open is the only tournament in the region which meets and maintains the strict standards set by the Challenge Tour, thus attracting top international players from the Tour and from Africa.”

Georgia’s proposal to move the 2014 Winter Olympic Games from Sochi is unacceptable and represents meddling in the affairs of the Olympic movement, Alexander Zhukov, Russia’s top Olympics official, said Friday.

“It is completely unacceptable for politicians or governments to interfere with the business of the Olympic movement,” Zhukov, a deputy prime minister and head of Russia’s Olympic Committee, said on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Olympic Committees in Belgrade.

Russia fought a brief war with Georgia in 2008 that resulted in the rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia breaking way from Georgia. Russia has recognized their independence, but the international community regards them as Georgian territory.

Tension between Russia and Georgia has run high since the war. Earlier this month, Georgia asked the International Olympic Committee to reconsider holding the Winter Olympics in Sochi, near the border with Abkhazia.

Zhukov said the move “goes against the spirit of the Olympic charter, which is above politics” and that Sochi was democratically chosen as the venue.

“Russia has good sporting relations with Georgia, and we will support their bid to host the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival, a decision which is due to be announced tomorrow,” he said. “We do not support the statement of the [Georgian] government, but we support the Olympic Committee of Georgia.”

The Northern Caucasus is a flashpoint where Islamic insurgents want to carve out a separate state, and earlier this month a bomb exploded on a rail line in the Sochi area.

In May, President Dmitry Medvedev ordered tighter security at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Zhukov said the security remained the organizers’ top priority.

“The investigation of this case is under way and … the safety of all visitors is of vital importance for our security services,” he said.

Zhukov also said Russia’s Olympic Committee wanted to improve on its poor performance at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, when the country’s athletes earned three gold medals, the worst-ever result after the breakup of the Soviet Union. “We are going to win in Sochi,” he said.