Research conducted by KPMG in association with Oxford Economics has revealed Golf in Scotland is now a £1 billion industry.

The ‘Value of Golf to Scotland’s Economy’ report, commissioned by the Scottish Golf Union in conjunction with VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise, and published at the KPMG Golf Business Forum in St Andrews, found that the industry generates £1.171 billion in revenues, including direct, indirect and induced effects. 

More than 20,000 people are employed in golf in Scotland – one in every 125 jobs are dependent on golf – creating wage payments of £300 million.

Once costs are taken into account, golf directly contributes £496 million to Scotland’s gross domestic product (GDP) annually, equivalent to 0.4% of the country’s total economic output. (see note 2)

While Scotland is known worldwide as ‘The Home of Golf’, it is the first time the value of golf to Scotland has been measured in this way.

Hamish Grey, CEO of the Scottish Golf Union, said: “This report clearly demonstrates the significant value of golf to Scotland’s economy. Comparing it to other industries, we can now see for the first time that for example golf’s direct contribution to GDP is 89% that of fishing and fish farming, and 83% of air transport.

“The ‘Value of Golf to Scotland’s Economy’ report, commissioned by the Scottish Golf Union in conjunction with VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise, provides credible data for all interested in Scottish golf to work from. A related and complementary study of the social impact of golf in Scotland is being developed concurrently and will be finalised later this summer.

“Scottish golf clubs are continuing to operate in challenging conditions, particularly in terms of finance and climate, and the Scottish Golf Union are providing our affiliated clubs with increased support, guidance and help with future business planning to ensure we have stronger clubs in the future to take advantage of the money spent in the industry.

“Our collective challenge is to work together to build on the evidence base from this report and ensure that future generations of Scots benefit from this great game and the related industry.”

Dr Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, added: “Golf is a hugely important contributor to the economy of Scotland, and tourism in particular. With a number of major golf events on the horizon in Scotland, it was important to understand the scale of the industry as a whole in order that we continue to build and grow the industry in future.”

The report focuses on six sectors of the golf industry – golf facility operations, golf course capital investments, golf supplies, golf tournaments and endorsements, golf tourism and golf real estate – and is based on 2011 data.

The arguments between Germany’s motorsport associations are one of the main reasons a Formula One race has yet to be confirmed in the country for 2013, F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has revealed.

The race alternates between Hockenheim, which hosted the race last year, and the Nurburgring, which was due to host the race on July 7. But Nurburgring has been 

Moving the race to Hockenheim would not be straightforward though, as the AvD which looks after the Nurburgring are keen to ensure the German GP name is not used at another venue in 2013.

“It’s all a little bit political, with different political groups fighting each other,” Ecclestone said.

“You have the AvD, one club there that looks after the Nurburgring, and the ADAC, another club, which looks after Hockenheim.

“The Nurburgring is where the race should take place, and the AvD say unless they can’t do it then it can’t take place. We’ve said to them we don’t have to call it the German Grand Prix this year, we can call it the Grand Prix of Europe.

“It’s all a bit messy. At the moment the race is on-off, on-off, but we’re doing our best to get it sorted. We’ll try and make it happen.”

FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann has revealed his frustration with UK Sport’s decision to cut funding to Britain’s national teams.

In December British Basketball was notified it would retain no funding ahead of the Rio Olympics in 2016, having received £8.6m in the run-up to London.

Baumann believes the decision wrecks several years of hard work in the run up to the 2012 Olympics by the men’s and women’s teams.

They only won one game out of 10 between them, but many observers say they did well simply to be playing there at all given that they were only set up six years ago.

“We are certainly very frustrated that the efforts of the basketball family have to come to a stop because of this decision of UK Sport,” Baumann said.

“I think (British Basketball) had done extremely well and the team were very competitive during the Olympics.

“Maybe the end results don’t reflect that but if you saw the game both the men and women were very competitive to get there and put in that kind of performance, and their achievement deserves the chance to go on and try to go to future World Cups and Olympic Games.”

Without funding from UK Sport, Baumann believes British Basketball’s good work to date would be undone and the program set back several years.

“It would be a waste of resources and time,” he said. “Whether you can recover from a blow like this depends on how quickly you can refinance yourselves, but in this climate it is very difficult to do.

“We’ve worked with British Basketball since day one,” he added. “We’ve supported them when times were good and now we will be there when times are difficult.”

Board of Control for Cricket in India has surpassed all the expectations and registered a whooping profit for the year 2011-12.

BCCI net profits for this year alone were a massive Rs. 192.63 crore a rise of 101.53 per cent from the previous year (2010-11).

BCCI had estimated a surplus of Rs. 296.31 crore ($55.41 million) for 2011-12, asthma but by the end of the year the cricket board had amassed a staggering amount of Rs 382.36 crore ($71.5 million).

According to reports published in Indiatoday.com, medstore the main source of BCCI income is media rights, sponsorship rights and receipts from ICC and ACC. The Board recently awarded crores of rupees to veteran cricketers. BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world.

Pittsburgh will finally leave the Big East conference after reaching an agreement yesterday, malady agreeing to pay the conference $7.5 million dollars in order to leave the Big East a year early.

Pittsburgh will be allowed to join the Atlantic Coast Conference next July 1st.

“We are anxious to compete in our final season in the Big East and look forward to an exciting future in the Atlantic Coast Conference, ambulance ” Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said in a statement.

Pittsburgh had initially agreed to the Big East’s standard 27 month waiting period, which would have kept the school in the Big East conference until July 1, 2014. But, thoughts of a 2014 exit went by the way side when Pitt filed suit against the conference claiming that a right to enforce a 2014 withdrawal was waived after the conference let West Virginia forego the complete waiting period to leave for the Big 12 conference. Pitt’s suit led to more serious settlement talks, and ultimately led to the $7.5 million dollar settlement. In the end, the Big East just decided it was better to cut their losses and move on,

“This is another step for the Big East to take toward a very exciting future,” interim Big East commissioner Joe Bailey said in a statement. “With the addition of our eight new members, the Big East will be incredibly strong and vibrant.”

When Pittsburgh and Syracuse join the ACC in 2013, they will become the fourth and fifth teams to leave the Big East for that conference, joining Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, who all joined the ACC in the early 2000?s.

 

Beyond Sport organisers have announced that businesses including Adidas, Sony, PricewaterhouseCooper, Standard Chartered, Virgin Atlantic, Deloitte, Canterbury, and Barclays will attend its Summit and Awards ceremony next month. The Summit is scheduled for December 5-8, and has become a major event for innovators to gather and address sport’s role in pertinent social issues.

Beyond Sport is a global initiative supports initiatives that use sport as a platform to affect positive social change.

Beyond Sport expects over 1,000 guests, including three hundred executives from some of the world’s top companies.

International organisations such as FIFA, Qatar Foundation, UNCIEF, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and the Australian Football League will attend the Cape Town event along with join South African businesses, sports federations and NGOs.

Representatives from Manchester City and Liverpool, the NFL’S Philadelphia Eagles and the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies will be in attendance- all four teams are in contention for the Beyond Sport Team of the Year Award.

Beyond Sport founder, Nick Keller said: “South Africa is an incredible country with a first-rate sport industry, countless business opportunities for international firms and an exciting future Beyond Sport works to drive positive social change through sport, but that does not mean it is only about grassroots projects – the investment of business in communities is absolutely essential, and sits at the very heart of our work. As the international sport and business communities look to South Africa in December, there is a very real opportunity for the country to take another giant step forward.”

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Celtic were reinstated in to the Europa League after UEFA upheld the club’s complaint relating to the matches against FC Sion and the fielding of ineligible players.

The Swiss club were charged by UEFA with fielding ineligible players in both Europa League play-off ties against the Hoops and the two European games were played under protest by Celtic.

Sion were initially drawn against Atletico Madrid, Udinese and Rennes in the group stages of the Europa League. Celtic will now take the Swiss side’s place in the competition, subject to an appeal.

A club spokesperson said: “We have been advised by UEFA that the two protests relating to the matches against FC Sion have been upheld, as a result of which each match has been forfeited in favour of Celtic.

“We are pleased by this decision, the approach which has been taken by UEFA and the fact that UEFA rules and regulations have been upheld. We are also grateful for the support of the SFA in this matter.”

Sion signed five players with the club still under a transfer ban imposed by FIFA after breaching rules over the signing of Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary three years ago, although a Swiss court had ruled in their favour. One of those players, Pascal Feindouno, scored two goals in the 3-1 second leg win over Celtic in Switzerland.

UEFA’s control and disciplinary body made today’s ruling although Sion having two rights of appeal, the second with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) who maintain they are the final voice.

UEFA president Michel Platini had offered Celtic some hope before the group stage draw when he said: “What is happening there is the rules have not been respected. FC Sion has not respected the rules of the transfer ban – they signed players and then played those players.”

However, Sion president Christian Constantin said before the second leg win over Celtic that he was confident that the Swiss club would win their case. He said:”‘I am not worried about that because the club is in the right.”

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said yesterday that if the Parkhead club were successful, he would look forward to the group stages.

He said: “I think it is a Champions League group in terms of the quality of the clubs that are in there. It is exciting.”

Viagogo has renewed its partnership with the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals as its official premium and secondary ticket exchange partner on a three-year deal, including the 2013 edition of the tournament.

The agreement will take the relationship between Viagogo, Europe’s largest online ticket exchange, and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals to five years.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is the largest indoor tennis tournament in the world, featuring the top eight male tennis players at London’s O2 Arena. The renewed partnership will provide tennis fans with access to front row seats through Viagogo and also enable tennis fans to buy and sell tickets for the tournament in a safe, secure and guaranteed environment.

Chris Kermode, managing director, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, stated: “Over the last two years, Viagogo has demonstrated to us and our customers why they are Europe’s number one ticket exchange. We have chosen to work with Viagogo over the next three years to ensure our customers continue to receive a first-class service and can trade tickets they can no longer use in a safe and secure environment.”

Edward Parkinson, director of viagogo UK, added: “The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has become one of the most talked about events in the tennis calendar. With tennis fans guaranteed to see the best that professional tennis has to offer, tickets are likely to go quickly, so we are delighted to be working with the organisers again to enable fans to access hard to get tickets in a safe and secure way.”

Phillip Brook has been named as the new chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) most commonly known for their role as the private members club as the venue for Wimbledon Tennis.

Tim Phillips, the club’s previous chairman, has retired after 11 years in the role and is replaced by Brook who previously held the position of vice-chairman with the appointment taking place with immediate effect.

Brook’s former playing career accomplishments saw him become the captain of the Cambridge University lawn tennis team as well as Men’s Singles Champion for the Yorkshire region. He has been a member of the AELTC for 21 years as well as a member of the International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain since 1977, serving as a treasurer for a 15 year spell between 1986 and 2001.