Newts Delay Opening of York Community Stadium

The opening of a new community stadium in York has been delayed for an undecided amount of time due to the discovery of great crested newts and procurement delays.

The stadium, order which will be shared by York’s football and rugby league clubs, price was supposed to be opened in 2014 and the City of York Council are now unsure when it will be available.

In 2012 the stadium and retail development at Monks Cross was approved but work on the £90m shopping development had already been delayed before the latest set-back.

Councillor Ian Gillies, pills York’s Conservative leader said there was ‘no reason for newts to delay it’ and added that the council’s plan was ‘flawed’ and that they had done a ‘less than professional job.’

Work can only begin when Huntington stadium, home of the York City Knights, is demolished.

The rugby league club have been told to prepare for another season at their current ground, rather than the 6,000- seater new stadium.

It is likely now that work will not begin on the new ground until September 2014.

Sacramento Kings Stunned By Arena Deal Collapse

NBA’s The Sacramento Kings face an uncertain future after it was announced that a deal for a new arena collapsed on Friday, sparking new fears that the ‘Kings’ could leave the Californian city.


Sacramento City Council last month approved a plan to help finance a US$391 million downtown arena, seemingly ending a turbulent spell for the Kings. The non-binding term sheet, which was signed off by the NBA and the Kings before being put to the council for a final vote, would have kept the team in Sacramento for at least another 30 years.

Speaking on Friday, Sacramento Mayor and former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson stated his anger at the conduct of the team’s owners, the Maloof family. The Maloofs have rejected the terms of March’s agreement, with Johnson stating they have outlined concerns that were never previously disclosed. “Is the deal dead? As we know it, absolutely,” Johnson said, according to the Associated Press. He added: “They are now saying they don’t want to do the deal, which essentially means they don’t want to be in Sacramento, and that’s very, very disappointing.”

The Kings have disputed Johnson’s claims stating “we are committed to remaining the Sacramento Kings”. The AP reports that Joe, Gavin and George Maloof took issue with some of the terms of the original deal – particularly environmental and pre-development costs that Johnson claims constitute less than 1% of the project’s cost. The team said in a statement: “The negotiations that have occurred surrounding, as (NBA) Commissioner (David) Stern said repeatedly today during his news conference, a ‘non-binding framework,’ never resulted in a deal that was good for the City or good for the team.”

Stern has hit out at the timing of the Maloofs’ actions, claiming they could have saved “a lot of angst and trouble.” He added: “I am extremely disappointed on behalf of both the Maloofs and the city of Sacramento, but I think that there’s nothing further to be done and this is a situation that the Maloofs will have to make judgments on and the city will have to make judgments on, because I think we have done as much as we can do.”

Despite the Kings’ claims of a commitment to Sacramento, the latest development appears to reignite Anaheim’s hopes of luring the franchise in a relocation that appeared increasingly likely before March’s agreement. Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait said in a statement: “Like most NBA fans, I’ve been watching the recent developments with the Kings and, if they do leave Sacramento, they should know that we would welcome them here. Anaheim is NBA-ready. We have great fans and a first-class facility.”

Partnerships Graphic Designer – Liverpool FC

Location: Liverpool, UK

Closing Date: 29th September

Overview:

An exciting new position has arisen for a talented graphic designer to work in a fast paced creative environment, building engaging graphical presentation assets in both digital and printed format.  The candidate will be instrumental in developing proposals on a day to day basis, but also in shaping new and innovative ways to engage with blue chip brands, ensuring Liverpool FC stands out from the crowd in competitive pitches.  Daily interaction with sales team to create bespoke proposals.  Ability to graphically present sales approach in a concise fashion. Creative input on final deliverables.  Liaise with third party vendors for high profile proposals. Benchmarking of deliverables with best in class presentations.   The candidate will work with both the Clubs commercial and design departments and must have exceptional skills in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign with a keen eye for copy layout.  Experience in using presentation software such as PowerPoint and KeyNote which is crucial to this role and a knowledge of Flash, Final Cut / Premier, Motion or After Effects and 3d software would be advantageous although not a prerequisite.

Person:

The successful candidate will need to have the following specifications:-

-Ideally educated to degree level in graphic design or similar

-Have relevant commercial graphic design experience within a studio environment

-Knowledge of the latest Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office and Keynote

-A good understanding of digital platforms and the latest technologies

-Extensive experience of designing copy layout and graphics for print publications

-An excellent communicator with experience of interpreting and building upon initial briefs

-A working knowledge of video editing and 3d software

-Creative flair

-A keen eye for detail and pride in work

-An enthusiastic,well organised and flexible person who can maintain a high degree of accuracy whilst working under pressure and to tight deadlines

-Strong interpersonal skills

-Able to work unsupervised on own initiative as well as able to work with others as part of a team

-Experience of working within a fast passed creative environment, either at an agency or within an in house creative team.

Team:

The Commercial Partnerships Department is made up of seventeen staff members who are split into the following three teams: Partnership Development, Partnership Management and Partnership Events Management. The prime objective of the department is to bring in exciting new brands with which the Club can partner and work with to build recognition in LFC key territories, help raise LFC’s profile and bring in revenue for the Club. Once we bring a new Partner in to the LFC family, it’s the responsibility of the Partnership Management and Partnership Events Management Teams to make sure they are looked after and work with them on marketing plans and to assist them with activating their assets from player appearances to tickets and hospitality allocations.

How to Apply

Click to apply HERE

Carling becomes official beer of the Premier League

The Premier League have announced that Carling will become its Official Beer Partner, in an agreement that covers the three seasons from 2016/17 to 2018/19.

The deal marks the next chapter in Carling’s long-standing association with football having been the first ever title sponsor of the Premier League in a relationship that lasted eight seasons from 1993 to 2001, and title sponsor of the Carling Cup for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012.

Find out more HERE.

FC Bayern Munich and Yahoo Sports Seal Global Media Partnership

German Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich have signed a global media partnership with Yahoo Sports.

As part of the deal, viagra the club will syndicate its original content to be programmed strategically and cross-promoted to fans across the Yahoo network.

Bayern hope the agreement will help them reach new audiences key markets such as the U.S., seek Latin America and Central Europe.

The partnership will include the syndication of FC Bayern’s editorial and video content for programming in English, ambulance Spanish and German, across Yahoo Sports,

In addition, Yahoo will also provide original FC Bayern content to its audience, such as player interviews and features.

Executive Board Member of Internationalization and Strategy of FC Bayern Munich, Joerg Wacker, said: “Yahoo’s extensive reach provides us with a unique platform to connect with new fans in key markets like the U.S. and Latin America.

“This partnership will support the club’s continued internationalization, bringing the FC Bayern brand closer to all of our fans around the world.”

Dr. Gunther Picker, Head of Editorial EMEA, Yahoo, said: “Soccer is a huge focus for Yahoo. With FC Bayern Munich, we were able to get one of the most internationally-renowned sports teams on board, and through this partnership, we are able to expand our premium content offering.”

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Crystal Palace Confirm Deal With American Investors

English Premier League club Crystal Palace have confirmed it has agreed an investment deal with American businessmen Josh Harris and David Blitzer.

The deal will see chairman Steve Parish, medicine Josh Harris and David Blitzer take control of the club in a general partnership structure.

Full story HERE.

 

 

Watch our BIG Interview earlier this year with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish

The BIG Interview with Steve Parish, medicine Chairman of Crystal Palace FC from iSportconnect TV on Vimeo.

Sports Matters 2015 Completes a Hatrick of Events With Successful Third Instalment of the Region’s Leading Sports Conference

The curtain fell on the annual Sports Matters conference at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Maurizio Barbieri of Samsung, said: “This is a time of change in the sports industry and we are excited and proud to be driving this period of growth. We have seen new players entering the market these past two years and there will be more coming in over the next two years.

“We continue to have high hopes for the industry and Sports Matters remains the destination event for the business of sport.”

The content-rich programme ended with two overriding messages for the industry: Be here, and connect with your fans.

Much of the talk on Day Two centred on China and it’s coming of age.

Hang Yu, Vice President Sports, LeTV Sports delivered a powerful and honest appraisal of the recent changes in his market: “There is no doubt that the sports industry in China is booming however the most important thing for LeTV is to get more people to participate in sports whether they watch online video content or attend events. We need to solidify a foundation of sports fans.”

This was recognised by those outside China too. Andrew Georgiou, CEO, World Sport Group acknowledged that “Everyone’s been talking about China for 20 years and here we are… and we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Sports Matters mission statement is to create the foundation for a sustainable Asian sports industry.

The gathered speakers reminded the attendees to keep this in mind as the two days progressed: Is it sustainable?

Right from the outset, opening keynote speaker Zubin Gandevia, President, Asia Pacific & Middle East, FOX International Channels commented: “The issue is not so much whether the Asian sports industry is sustainable, but it’s more about how we can work together to optimise the massive potential it has. That’s the beauty of being at a nascent stage with so much momentum”

Sports Matters will be back in 2016. For the latest information: www.sportsmatters.asia

Charlotte Hornets Announce Bid to Host NBA All-Star Weekend

Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Charlotte Sports Foundation have announced plans to submit a bid to host the 2017 or 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend.

Hornets owner Michael Jordan, sale a 14-time NBA All-Star, cialis is pushing to bring the game back to Charlotte, viagra 100mg who last hosted the event in 1991.

A contingent of Hornets employees and city officials flew to New York on Tuesday to submit their bid to NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and other league executives after a morning press conference in Charlotte.

“This is a great time to be a Charlotte Hornets fan and a fan of NBA basketball here in the Carolinas,” said Hornets COO Fred Whitfield.

“This is a chance for us to host the greatest basketball players in the world on not a national, but a global stage.”

Whitfield believes Charlotte will be competing with eight to 10 other cities to host the game.

The previous All-Star game in Charlotte was played at the suburban Charlotte Coliseum, which has since been demolished.

The Hornets now play in a downtown arena and Whitfield estimates the arena, which was opened in 2005, would need between $42 million and $43 million in development.

“The City Council at some point will receive the presentation on the results of the discussions that we have had,” Whitfield said.

“It has yet to be determined and it will be soon. Again, we want to make sure that our arena is very competitive with and against the rest of the region with high quality and high fan experience.”

Whitfield said those improvements to the arena will most likely be funded with hospitality tax revenues.

ICC Continue Design Partnership with Tobasgo Creative

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Tobasgo Creative on a two-year contract to create the design of a number of their reports.

The deal includes publication of the ICC Annual Report, site the ICC Playing Handbook and media guides relating to ICC events.

Appointing Tobasgo Creative marks the 17th consecutive year the ICC has worked with the design agency.

It also marks the fourth account won by the Tobasgo creative team, ampoule led by Gail Martin, ailment through the ICC’s global pitch process.

Geoff Allardice, ICC general manager cricket operations, commented: “We have a strong relationship with Tobasgo Creative and the ICC is delighted to continue working with the team across a range of publications.

“The new contract reflects the excellent relationship we have, as well as Tobasgo Creative’s consistent ability to deliver across a range of projects that require attention to detail as well as world-class quality.”

Super League to Revert to 12-Club Structure in 2015

The rugby Super League will be a 12-team competition from 2015, removing the 14-team structure that is currently in place.

The move came after the clubs finally ruled out the option to go down to 10 teams at their annual meeting in Bradford.

In June Super League clubs agreed to reduce the current 14 team structure and remove the current licensing system for a promotion and relegation structure.

Two proposals remain unresolved after the annual meeting, with the first being for two divisions of 12 with a promotion and relegation system between the two.

Alternatively, the Rugby Football League (RFL) wants to see Super League and a 12-team Championship split after 23 games into three qualifying play-off groups of eight clubs.

Nigel Wood, chief executive of both the RFL and Super League, said: “The clubs engaged in a robust and frank debate about the future of their competition and gave their full support to the RFL executive in our search for the most compelling league structure.

“It is apparent that there is a strong and widespread desire to deliver a really exciting league season that provides well-run clubs at all levels of the game with opportunities to flourish, succeed and make progress.

“Our task now is to drill down into the details of a range of issues such as minimum standards, financial distributions and the various mechanics around promotion and relegation.”

Declining crowds

The reorganisation of the league is designed to stop falling revenue and declining crowds.

St Helens’ Jon Wilkin, chairman of the Super League Players’ Association, saw the news as a positive.

He explained: “Some change is required in the competition structure. When you’ve got a relatively restricted player pool you have to sort a lot of players from overseas.

“We were probably overstretching our resources and this is an opportunity to make the competition more intense, commercially viable and sustainable – and that’s what’s probably in the players’ best interests in the long term.

“Promotion and relegation is something associated with British sport. Some clubs have a rich history and have been an integral part of the game so it’s good to have access back to the top flight.

“It’s a positive step for the game, if tied up with a strong commercial plan.”