Soccerex Partners with Lagos State Football Association to Create Regional Event

Soccerex have announced a 4-year partnership with the Lagos State Football Association to organise a regional Soccerex Seminar in Lagos.

The first edition will take place on September 27th and 28th at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.

With the aim of promoting the development of football in West Africa, recipe through providing focused learning and business opportunities, viagra the Soccerex Seminar Lagos will feature a mix of football’s leading decision-makers joining business experts for an in-depth, two-day event made up of a conference, networking and social events. 

The Soccerex Seminar Lagos is under the patronage of Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN and Hon. Commissioner for Youth Sports and Social Development, Lagos State, Mr. Wahid Enitan Oshodi.

The Honorable Commissioner stated: “We’re delighted to bring Soccerex, the Global Leader for the Business of Football, to Lagos. The Soccerex Seminar Lagos over the next four years will be an essential pillar in our vision of “Eko football”. Together we will develop all areas of football including grassroots, youth professional football, the business side and the community. We are looking forward to welcoming the world to Lagos and to showcase the vast business opportunities in West Africa.” 

Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, added: “We are proud to host Soccerex. Over the next four years it will place Lagos firmly on the map of global football business, make it a destination for football tourism and help us achieve one of our aims of using Eko Football to create employment and commercial opportunities in Lagos.” 

Duncan Revie, CEO of Soccerex and son of legendary Leeds Utd and England Manager Don Revie, commented: “I was convinced to go to Lagos by the guru, David Dein, who was responsible for bringing Arsène Wenger to Arsenal and making them the “Invincibles”. After having been in Dubai, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Manchester, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Johannesburg over the last 17 years, we are so delighted to be coming to West Africa and Lagos. As with every other city we have been associated with Soccerex has enjoyed breaking new ground by bringing our own celebrity and media exposure together with an unparalleled learning experience in the beautiful world that is the football business. We are looking forward to a successful relationship with the Lagos State FA and Lagos State Government over the next four years.” 

David Dein is already confirmed as a speaker for the event. He commented: “Nigeria is like my second home – I have been travelling there for over 30 years. The passion and ability that West Africa has for the beautiful game is immense and the economy is now growing rapidly, resulting in increased opportunities around football. In that sense, it is perfect timing that Soccerex has decided to come to Lagos. I am sure the international community following Soccerex to Lagos will be positively impressed by the hospitality they receive and, like me, will be coming back again and again over the next four years.” 

Daniel Krebs, Director of Soccerex and Project Manager of the Soccerex Seminar Lagos, added: “as in the case of Johannesburg, Soccerex will bring many international delegates for the first time to this destination. They will return back home with a positive impression of Lagos and the business opportunities and thus will become disciples to help change some prejudice towards Nigeria across the world.”

A deal has been reached with SuperSport to become the event’s Premium Media Partner. The deal includes a wide range of pre-event coverage and production of a post-event documentary. During the Soccerex Seminar Lagos, SuperSport will have its own TV Studio and as such will ensure that the African continent will witness all key activities over the two days. 

Soccerex will be extending its global CSR activities, which includes a partnership with Special Olympics, by working with new local and regional charities, such as the Child Restoration Initiative, an NGO committed to the support of autistic children from low income families. Soccerex will also be linking up with local business schools to give young ambitious students an insight into the exciting football industry. All of this is to ensure the event leaves a social legacy in West Africa. Coinciding with Soccerex the Lagos State Football Association will organize a series of football activities for the community in Lagos.

Van Gaal’s Ajax Appointment Postponed by Court

The appointment of Louis van Gaal as general director of Ajax has been put on ice pending approval by a special shareholders’ meeting, a court in Haarlem, Netherlands said on Monday.

Former international Johan Cruijff and 10 of the Amsterdam club’s youth trainers had gone to court in an effort to have the appointment overturned.

Cruijff, one of five members of the club’s supervisory board, was furious he had been sidelined in the decision to bring back Van Gaal. The move was made by the four other supervisory board members without Cruijff’s knowledge. The two men have a history of not getting on.

The court said the appointment of Danny Blind as technical director is in line with the law but the naming of Van Gaal and Martin Sturkenboom as interim director should be suspended pending shareholder approval.

Cruijff described the verdict as ‘fantastic’. “We are going to play football again. Football has beaten the business.”

Ajax shareholders are holding a meeting on Monday afternoon but no vote will be taken then.

Next Round of Sales for London 2012 Tickets Begins

salve Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.077em; text-rendering: auto; clear: left; padding: 0px;”>London 2012 Olympic ticket sales recommenced this morning as some 1.5 million tickets for football, 40,000 for volleyball and 8,000 for freestyle wrestling are available.

The sale is open to those who successfully obtained tickets in the initial first round ballot. They are being sold on a first-come first-served basis in a process which finishes at 1800 BST on 17 July.

Some 700,000 people can buy tickets. Another 150,000 people ordered tickets in an earlier “second chance” phase.

Those tickets went to people unsuccessful in the initial first round ballot.

In total more than 3.5 million Olympic tickets have now been sold, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) says.

The available tickets for football, volleyball and freestyle wrestling cover 58 sessions and 130 price categories. All other sports have no availability.

UFC signs Sky Sports broadcasting deal

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has signed a deal with Sky Sports for it to broadcast the first UK showing of the new 13-week Ultimate Fighter series, it has been announced.

The deal to screen the Team GSP v Team Koscheck Series from 21 September on Sky Sports 2 displays a big move forward in broadcasting for the mixed martial arts sport.

SkySports.com will also promote the series via a new UFC page which will include news, interviews and features and footage on the show and the wider UFC scene.

President of UFC’s international division, Marshall Zelaznik, said: “It is hard to build a sport on a narrow distribution platform, and our plan is to allow fans to see the product as inexpensively as possible. We are always conscious of how we make the sport more accessible and more available.”

Sky Sports’ managing director Barney Francis added: “We’re delighted to renew our association with the Ultimate Fighting Championship as we were the first UK broadcaster to feature the UFC back in 2002. The Ultimate Fighter series offers a unique taster of a sport that has experienced a phenomenal rise in popularity in recent years and we’re sure it’ll prove popular with our subscribers.”

This season will feature 28 of the world’s best lightweight (11 stone 1 lbs) prospects competing in a knock-out tournament to crown the next Ultimate Fighter and win a six-figure contract with the UFC.

Ted Bishop Fired as PGA President for ‘gender-based’ Social Media Comments

PGA of America have revealed their Board of Directors have voted to remove Ted Bishop, the 38th PGA President, from office for insensitive gender-based statements. 

The comments were directed towards golfer Ian Poulter attacking the Ryder Cup golfer for his criticisms of former Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo, calling Poulter a ‘lil girl.’

Bishop later expanded his thoughts on Facebook, defending Tom Watson and Nick Faldo while equating Poulter’s comments to a “little school girl squealing during recess.”

The PGA of America Board of Directors said in its release the remarks were “inconsistent with the policies of the PGA.”

“The PGA of America understands the enormous responsibility it has to lead this great game and to enrich lives in our society through golf,” said PGA Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua. “We must demand of ourselves that we make golf both welcoming and inclusive to all who want to experience it, and everyone at the PGA of America must lead by example.”

Under the Bylaws of the PGA Constitution, Vice President Derek Sprague has been appointed the Association’s Interim President until Nov. 22, when the election of new national officers takes place at the 98th PGA Annual Meeting. PGA Secretary Paul Levy will assume the dual responsibilities of Vice President and Secretary until the election.

“The Members and Apprentices of the PGA of America must uphold the highest standards and values of the profession, as well as the manner in which we conduct ourselves at all times,” said Sprague, the PGA General Manager and Director of Golf at Malone (New York) Golf Club. “We apologize to any individual or group that felt diminished, in any way, by this unacceptable incident.”

Bishop was apologetic in his statement: “I want to apologize to Ian Poulter and anyone else that I might have offended with my remarks on social media that appeared on October 23, 2014. Particularly, I have great remorse that my comments contained the words “little girl” because I have always been a great advocate for girls and women in golf.”

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, added: “We understand and respect the PGA of America’s decision regarding Ted Bishop. During Ted’s presidency, he accomplished many positive things and the PGA of America and the PGA TOUR have worked in a much more collaborative and positive way as a result of his leadership.

“While his remarks on social media were unfortunate and inappropriate, Ted’s apology was heartfelt and sincere. We will always appreciate Ted’s commitment to the game of golf.”

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United Airlines Reveals Team USA TV Advertising Campaign for Sochi

As partners of Team USA, United Airlines have revealed today the airline’s 2014 Team USA television advertising campaign for Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics..

Members of Team USA featured in United’s ads are tweeting and posting links to the airline’s all-new 60-second commercial, “Athletes Aboard,” via their personal social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Narrated by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and actor Matt Damon, the first of three commercials will air during NBC’s broadcast of the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony.

Athletes will also post links to exclusive behind-the-scenes videos of the commercial shoot – which the airline filmed in a United hangar in Los Angeles on board a Boeing 777 aircraft – and provide friends and followers with updates via the hashtag #AthletesAboard. Additionally, United will include the hashtags #AthletesAboard and #TeamUSAfriendly in posts on its social media channels, enabling fans to get all of the latest updates from the airline and athletes.

“As the official airline of Team USA for the past 34 years, we are again flying U.S. athletes to training events, competitions, U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the Olympic Winter Games,” said Tom O’Toole, United’s senior vice president of marketing and loyalty and president of MileagePlus. “Customers, fans and followers can engage with members of Team USA through social media channels and cheer them on as they go for the gold.”

The 2014 TeamUSA advertising campaign also includes two 30-second television spots, print, digital, and outdoor advertising; and airport signage in United’s eight continental U.S. hubs.

United developed the campaign with its global creative agency McGarryBowen. Horizon Media, Inc. managed the media investment and Momentum Worldwide supported the overall campaign.

Generate Sponsorship Appoints New Chairman in Expansion Plans

Sponsorship agency Generate have appointed David Stubley, adiposity the former Senior Executive of WPP, medicine Fast Track & Channel Four as their new Chairman.

Stubley joins with immediate effect in a newly created role of Chairman to assist the board in the expansion of the business. He will be focused on growing the existing sponsorship, PR and events offering, evolving the IP and digital business plans, as well as the provision of strategic advice to existing clients.

Founded in March 2003 by Rupert Pratt and Andy Muggleton, Generate has a global presence with the head office in the UK, London Bridge. The agency specialises in Sponsorship, PR & Digital & Events & IP across sport and entertainment.

The client portfolio includes eBay, QBE Insurance, ECB, Ambassador Theatre Group, Save the Children, Merlin Entertainment, Premiership Rugby, Kew the Music and Speedo.    

Rupert Pratt, Co–Founder and Managing Director at Generate, said: “David has an excellent track record in growing agencies and businesses across multiple regions and sectors. He’s aligned with our vision and brings with him over twenty-five years of experience working within television, international media, advertising, sponsorship, digital & sports rights.

“The growth we’ve already achieved over recent years is representative of the great work consistently delivered for our clients. We focus on creating, producing and distributing outstanding sport and entertainment content for our clients with an established team in place that is incredibly passionate about the industry.

He continued: It’s time for us to implement our next ten year business strategy and grow Generate. David is well placed to assist us on this journey”.

A well-respected figure within the industry, Stubley has a successful track record including Founding Chief Executive of WPP owned sport & entertainment consultancy Performance, Board Director at Clipper ventures, Managing Partner at Fast Track, Partner at MEC Interaction and head of Business Development at Channel 4.

Stubley, who sits on a number of Boards across Digital, Tech and Venture Capital Companies, said: “Generate have an impressive service offer, strong work ethic and deliver exceptional work. I am excited by the vision for the development of the business and looking forward to working with Rupert and his team as the agency takes their next steps within the sport and entertainment industry.”

London Aquatics Centre Named New Home for British Divers

British Swimming have agreed a deal for the London Aquatics Centre to be the new home of the Diving High Performance Centre.

The venue of the London 2012 Olympic diving events has undergone significant transformations since the Olympic Games and will provide world class facilities for British divers and the local communities alike.

British Swimming will work alongside venue operators GLL and the London Legacy Development Corporation to provide world class diving provision in the capital and build on the popularity of diving from the London Olympics.

National Performance Director Alexei Evangulov said: “We are really pleased to have an HPC at the pool that was used for the Olympic Games and are excited about when the doors open in the spring.

“The London Aquatics Centre is a fantastic facility with world class boards and dry land provision. A facility like this will help shape the next generation of athletes and allow them to see what an elite competition venue is like on a day-to-day basis.

“The pool holds great memories for not only the British public but also our divers and all athletes that use this centre will have a small taste of the Olympics every time they walk through the door.”

GLL Director Peter Bundey admitted this is an important element of the legacy role at the venue.

“The London Aquatics Centre is an iconic facility which will play a major part in bringing international, troche national and local legacy to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, herbal ” said Bundey.

“It is very exciting therefore to work closely with British Swimming to secure a diving programme that will help the country’s best divers prepare for future Olympic Games.

“As a charitable social enterprise, our partnership is also important to help inspire a new generation of young divers, who in turn will strive to be part of this High Performance Programme”.

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “It is fantastic news that the Aquatics Centre will become home to British diving. These world-class facilities will be used by some of the country’s top divers when it opens next year.

“The Centre will be a high performance training facility and competition venue as well as open to the public for the same price as the average cost at local pools. These elite sports will sit alongside community sports to provide a lasting legacy for all.”

British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes added: “We are delighted to be working with GLL and London Legacy Development Corporation to ensure we build on the Olympics and create a massive diving legacy programme for London.”

IndyCar Cut Baltimore from 2014 Calendar

INDYCAR will not return to Baltimore in 2014 after cutting the event from the calendar after a clash od schedules. 

“After a successful visit to Baltimore, medical which included record attendance, we are disappointed that our schedules will not align to host an event in 2014,” said Mark Miles, chief executive officer, Hulman & Co., the parent company of INDYCAR.

 “This was simply a matter of trying to find the best date that worked for all parties, since Labor Day weekend was not an option in 2014.  We are thankful to the city of Baltimore, Race On and Andretti Sports Marketing for their support and enthusiasm for the event over the years.” 

Miles added: “We continue to finalize our 2014 schedule and anticipate announcing it prior to the end of our 2013 season.”

Whitney Oaks Golf Club to Host 2013 Northern California Open Championship

Whitney Oaks Golf Club, drugs owned and operated by the United Auburn Indian Community, arthritis has been announced as the host  of the 2013 Northern California Open Championship taking place Sept. 9-11 in Rocklin, California. Top PGA and tour professionals will compete for $60,000 in prize money.

The 2013 Nor Cal Open Pro-Am event will kick off the tournament on Sunday, Sept. 8 welcoming both professionals and amateurs to compete for $5,000 in pro-am prize money. The Nor Cal Open Pro-Am contests will include a $10,000 Hole-In-One, Putting Contest, Closest to Pin for Win Contest, Longest Drive Contest and conclude with a Slot Tournament at Thunder Valley Casino Resort.

“We are honored to host the Northern California Open this year,” said Michael Fish, General Manager of Whitney Oaks Golf Club. “We are confident top professionals and amateur golfers will be impressed by our pristine golf course and anticipate a fun-filled tournament for all.”

The 2013 Northern California Open Championship will begin on Monday, Sept. 9. For three days, participants will compete in 54-hole stroke play on the challenging Par 71, Johnny Miller-designed course.

“Whitney Oaks Golf Club will present a strategically challenging venue for our top professionals and amateurs to compete for the coveted title of Northern California Open Champion,” said Chris Thomas, Executive Director and C.O.O. of the Northern California PGA.

Recognized as one of the most storied and prestigious golf tournaments in the state, the Northern California Open has been contested since 1920.