Liverpool Formally Apply for Planning Permission to Expand Anfield Capacity

Liverpool have submitted a formal planning application to extend the capacity of Anfield.

The £100m project would see a third tier added to the Main Stand, raising the ground’s capacity to about 54,000.

A second phase could later redevelop the Anfield Road Stand, further increasing the capacity to 58,800.

If permission is granted, work on the Main Stand could be completed in time for the 2016/17 season.

The application follows a large public consultation and will be considered by the Liverpool City Council’s planning committee later this year.

The submission of the application follows a major public consultation in which the overwhelming majority of local residents, businesses and fans backed the proposals.

The document submitted to Liverpool City Council today applies for detailed planning consent to expand the Main Stand and outline consent for the expansion of its Anfield Road stand.

The application is expected to be considered by the city’s planning committee later this year.

Incorporating the iconic club crest into the proposed Main Stand’s exterior elevation, the scheme would also include a two-storey podium and a carefully designed cloister which would become the new home for the Hillsborough Memorial.

The Main Stand would open onto a wide public space which has been designed to link the stadium and park while creating an area which is relevant and usable to the local community, particularly on non-matchdays.

As part of its proposed stadium expansion plans, the club has also appointed Tom Doyle, an experienced project director who worked on the London 2012 Olympic programme and more recently the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, to manage the redevelopment should consent be granted.

Chief Executive Ian Ayre said: “When we set out on the journey to explore the feasibility of expanding the stadium, we said the process would be determined by certainty.

“Certainty that we have the support from local residents and businesses for our proposed plans, that we can acquire the land required and that we can navigate the planning landscape.

“We have worked closely with the community, local residents, Liverpool City Council and Your Housing Group and we are delighted to be able to bring forward a planning application at this stage.”

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “The proposed redevelopment of the stadium is a hugely important part of our vision for Anfield – to create a thriving community in which people want to live, work and visit.”

Euroleague Basketball Secures Championat.com as Official Online Destination in Russian

Championat.com has secured a partnership with Euroleague Basketball which makes the online sports media outlet the official online destination in Russian for Turkish Airlines Euroleague fans. 

New content hosted in a special section of Championat.com will allow Russian speakers to follow the Turkish Airlines Euroleague with all the very latest video highlights, news articles, player and team information, interviews, real-time live statistics, photos and many more exciting features. 

Championat journalists and columnists will complete its unprecedented coverage at the biggest event of the season this week as Championat.com becomes the 2014 Official Final Four Destination for Russian fans. 

“We are happy to have found a great partner to help us reach Russian basketball fans in their own language for the first time,” Mr. Alex-Gunnar Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball Brand and Communication Director, stated. “Considering that Russia’s best-known team, CSKA Moscow, is a regular at the Final Four, but also the rise of other Russian clubs in our competitions, we wanted to make sure that fans there get all the great content possible, and Championat will make sure of that with this Official Premium Media Partnership.” 

“We are proud to become an Official Media Partner of Euroleague Basketball in Russia,” Dimitry Sergeev, Managing Director of Championat.com, said. “We believe that in our country basketball has been undeservedly deprived of attention and our mission is to  turn the sports audience’s mind to it.” 

Championat becoming the official site of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague in Russia follows the success of partnerships with Sport24.gr in Greece and Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy, as well as the newly-launched Spanish-language destination on AS.com in Spain.

MotoGP Partners with MCS to Develop New Fashion Collection for Men

MotoGP have announced today a partnership with MCS to develop a new fashion collection for men

The collection has been developed taking inspiration from MotoGP’s extensive heritage, for sale mixed with Classic MCS product silhouettes. It features new branding and unique MotoGP illustrations incorporated on leather and canvas outerwear, jeans, sweats, t shirts and polo shirts. The collection will be sold in MCS stores worldwide, multi brand retailers and on the MotoGP online website. 

“It has been great to work so closely with the MotoGP team. We feel the excitement and thrills of the event perfectly suit our MCS goal to be the most exciting brand for men. We have an exciting year ahead, following the MotoGP season around the world” said Leo Cantagalli CEO of MCS.

“We are delighted to have reached a license agreement with MCS to develop a clothing collection that represents the quality as well as the excitement of our sport. We feel with MCS that they have captured the feeling of MotoGP and delivered it in a way that appeals to existing and new audiences. We wanted something more than a “trackside collection” and certainly now have a collection full of quality and refined style as well as exciting fashion pieces” said Pau Serracanta, Managing Director, Commercial Area, at Dorna Sports.

The joint marketing plan to support the collection, starts in May to coincide with the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans, includes PR, online marketing, access to the huge MotoGP fan base, Windows and POS as well as consumer tickets for the MotoGP VIP Village.

Glamorgan Launches Bid to be New Location of ICC Headquarters

Wales could be the new location for International Cricket Council’s (ICC) headquarters after county Glamorgan submitted a joint-bid with the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council to host the governing body.

Colombo and Singapore are also believed to be in the running to replace Dubai as the sight of the world governing body’s administrative base.

The ICC was based at Lord’s until 2005 before moving to Dubai, and Glamorgan have confirmed initial talks have taken place about the organisation coming to Wales.

A Glamorgan statement read: “Discussions are at a very early stage and ongoing, with Cardiff being only one of a number of possibilities being considered.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We have engaged in discussions on the matter but at this stage any details would remain commercial in confidence.”

Cardiff was one of three host cities for the 2013 Champions Trophy, as well as one fixture in the 1999 World Cup.

The SWALEC Stadium also staged the first Test of the 2009 Ashes series.

Buffalo Bills CEO Reiterates NFL Team Not for Sale

With reports Jon Bon Jovi is interested in buying National Football League (NFL) franchise Buffalo Bills, CEO Russ Brandon said Wednesday the team is not for sale.

“No,” Brandon told WGR 550 in Buffalo. “Mr. [Ralph] Wilson is the owner of this franchise. We expect him to be the owner for many, many years.”

On Monday, Bon Jovi publicist Ken Sunshine told The Associated Press, “the Bills are not for sale, and [Bon Jovi] has too much respect for Mr. Wilson to engage in any discussions of buying the team. … It’s preposterous to say he’s had any discussions with the Bills and Erie County.”

Brandon further downplayed the report Wednesday.

“I’ll tell you this: Obviously it was a great way to start off my bye [week] Sunday, when I heard the news of this and listening to all of the nonsense relative to it,” Brandon told WGR 550. “If we had to discuss and speak to every single individual that would have interest in buying an NFL franchise, that’s all you would talk about on your show.

“But obviously Mr. Wilson and his peers were part of building one of the most successful sports leagues in the world over 50 years ago, and it should come as no surprise to anyone that there is a great deal of interest in succeeding him when that time comes, and we don’t expect that time to come any time soon.”

Brandon noted that the Bills signed a 10-year lease last year to stay at Ralph Wilson Stadium and are in the midst of a renovation project to update the 40-year-old venue. However, Brandon stressed the need to “keep [the] team viable” in one of the NFL’s smallest markets.

“We have to work hard,” he said. “We keep our ticket prices low. We have a lot of volume in this building. That’s part of the process in moving a game to Toronto and moving our training camp to Rochester. We have to be a regional engine to be viable moving forward. That’s the hand we’re dealt.”

To purchase the Bills or any other team, Bon Jovi would first have to clear hurdles at the league level.

“Anyone that is interested in buying an NFL franchise goes through the vetting process with the league,” Brandon said. “There’s a lot of interest. I know the Bon Jovi thing piqued a lot of interest. But if next week a hedge fund broker from New York City wants to buy an NFL franchise, is that a big story as well? We’re going to just keep chasing ghosts if every time someone wants to buy an NFL franchise, we get brought up and it’s a part of this discussion.”

UCI Scraps Commission Investigating Armstrong Doping Scandal

UCI, cycling’s governing body, has ended their independent commission set up to investigate the Lance Armstrong doping scandal in favour of a truth and reconciliation commission.

UCI said they have received no cooperation from World Anti-Doping Agency and US Anti-Doping Agency to compile the report so had to scrap it due to a lack of credibility.

The commission was established to look into the allegations made against the UCI by USADA in their ‘reasoned decision’ report into Armstrong’s past.

USADA’s report eventually led to the Texan being stripped of his seven Tour de France victories and he admitted earlier this month in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that he had cheated for much of his career.

UCI president Pat McQuaid said: “We have listened carefully to the views of WADA, USADA and cycling stakeholders and have decided that a truth and reconciliation process is the best way to examine the culture of doping in cycling in the past and to clear the air so that cycling can move forward.

“Over the weekend I spoke to John Fahey, president of WADA. He confirmed WADA’s willingness to help the UCI establish a truth and reconciliation commission (TRC), as well as saying that WADA had no confidence in the existing independent commission process.

“We will now focus our efforts on establishing a TRC, with which we expect WADA to be fully engaged, to look at doping in professional cycling, as well as the allegations contained in the USADA reasoned decision.

“The work that has so far been undertaken by the Independent Commission will be shared with the TRC. This is too important for rushed discussions, or hasty decisions.”

“I hope the lessons learned from the truth and reconciliation process will help in particular to educate young riders and to help eradicate doping in its entirety from cycling.”

The three-member commision was to consist of chairman Philip Otton, a former judge in England’s Court of Appeal, British Paralympic champion Tanni Grey-Thompson and Australian lawyer Malcolm Holmes.

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Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to Host Dragon Hong Kong Championship

With the strong support of Central Oceans, ed Links International, hospital Northrop & Johnson and SLAM, bronchi the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club will be hosting the 2012-2013 Dragon Hong Kong Championship on 24 and 25 November with seven races to take place in East Lamma, south of Hong Kong Island.

A new record in participation is likely to be set with 20 Dragons already registered including one new Petticrows boat specially shipped from the United Kingdom to participate. The Hong Kong Dragon sailors will be joined this year by a number of international sailors flying to Asia including Tim Tavinor, current Dragon World Champion, Theis Palm, North Sail Dragon specialist and Olympic sailor for Denmark and others from Hamburg, Munich, Copenhagen and Cowes. The championship will also have the opportunity to see an all-female team with HKG26 helmed by Karina Trebbien gearing up to give the fleet a hard time!

Prizes will be presented after sailing on Sunday 25 November at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island clubhouse to the winners of the overall championship and of the Corinthian division (boats with no professional sailors on board) while the Hong Kong champion title will be given to the first Hong Kong helm. The prize giving ceremony will then be followed by a dinner with Dragon sailors, families and sponsors.

Donegal GAA Facing Fine for Ticket Levy

The Donegal GAA is facing a fine over a levy imposed on its All-Ireland Senior Championship final tickets.

Reports say supporters will have to pay an extra €5 ($6.5) on their ticket price.

The county has just under 15, herbal 000 tickets for the game against Mayo at Croke Park on Sunday.

It says the levy is to help pay for training facilities for the squad in the build-up to the game.

The Irish Independent says GAA director general Paraic Duffy issued a strong warning to all counties against placing a levy on match tickets.

He insists that counties were made well aware that any such move was against Croke Park rules.

80,000 fans are expected to pack the stadium.

The final is also expected to be seen by more people than ever before.

In Britain, the subscription channel Premier Sports on Sky Channel 428 will be showing live coverage of the final. Premium Sports is also providing live coverage of the final in the US, through their Setanta-i player or viaUstream.tv. The channel is also broadcasting live coverage into bars and social venues.

In Australia, Setanta Sports is available on multiple platforms including Foxtel and Austar. The final is also available on Setanta-i, an online player that provides live coverage. Setanta Africa is also planning to provide live access to the final to many countries in sub Saharan Africa. Setanta Sports will be broadcasting the final in Asia

NHL Players Seek Russian KHL Plans if CBA Not Agreed Before Deadline

With the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) yet to be signed for the National Hockey League (NHL) before the Sept. 15 deadline, it seems that the NHL players are making back-up plans to play in  four exhibition games featuring NHL players against all-stars from the Russian KHL.

The Sportsnet report said NHLPA head Donald Fehr met with the head of the KHL while in Moscow last week. The NHLPA would not comment on the reports of plans for games in Moscow, Halifax, Quebec City and a “southern Ontario,” arena. The KHL is already sending two teams — Dynamo Moscow and SKA St. Petersburg — to the States to play regular season games at Barclays Center in January.

Fehr was there to brief European-based players on the progress of negotiations with the league toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

He did not have much progress to report.

The NHL’s initial proposal, presented on July 13, asked for significant salary givebacks, a reduction in the revenues that are shared and less flexibility on player contracts.

Thursday, the day of Fehr’s return to the negotiating table, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made it clear the owners are prepared to lock out the players if an agreement is not reached by Sept.15, the day the current CBA expires.

The union is scheduled to present it’s counter offer to the league Tuesday, when the negotiations resume at the union’s offices in Toronto.

While both sides publicly said they were “optimistic,” a deal can get done by Sept. 15, they admit there is a big gap on the economic issues.

A lockout would be the third work-stoppage in the NHL in 18 years. In the last lockout, which cost the NHL the entire 2004-05 season, the NHLPA helped players find teams spots to play in Europe and Russia. During the 1994 lockout, a team organized by Wayne Gretzky played exhibition games in Europe.

Leeds United Win Court Case Against Police

English league club Leeds United has won its High Court action against West Yorkshire Police over who should pay for policing on match days. 

The Championship side had argued that it was wrong for the force to charge it for policing streets and car parks near its Elland Road ground, saying that this fell within the scope of normal police obligations to maintain public order.

Mr Justice Eady ruled the club should not pay for policing the wider area.

Michael Beloff QC, had told Mr Justice Eady the club was content to pay for services within the stadium and on land owned or controlled by it, but policing on land not owned or controlled by the club did not constitute special police services.

“West Yorkshire Police’s insistence on charging Leeds United Football Club for such policing is illegal,” he said.

He added that the action was “in the nature of a test case” and the footballing and policing worlds hoped the ruling would provide “powerful guidance” on the issue.