Football Partnerships

By Alex Kotler

Football Partnerships is pleased to announce the launch of PlayBeautiful - an interactive, community-driven pop-up experience and celebration of the 2010 World Cup coming to New York City from June 11-July 11.

For 30 days, New York City residents and visitors will enjoy real-time match-viewing, live demonstrations by local and international football freestylers, free coaching clinics, panel discussions, film series, concessions and retail shopping for soccer’s top brands in and around the neighborhood of NoLIta, in lower Manhattan.

As an organizing partner of PlayBeautiful, Football Partnerships will go on hiatus during this time - suspending its blog post, its weekly member newsletter and its podcast.

In the meantime, visit the PlayBeautiful website for more information and to register for your FREE tickets to New York’s top destination during the 2010 World Cup.

By Alex Kotler

Football Partnerships places weekly soccer-business review on shelf until August

Two days after formally presenting England’s 2018/2022 World Cup bid to FIFA, Lord David Triesman has resigned from his post. The former government minister and current chief of the English FA accused rival countries Spain and Russia of bribery, causing embarrassment and potential harm to his nation’s bid.

The news comes amidst other revelations, that the married Triesman had been intimate with Melissa Jacobs, a civil servant to whom he confided his damaging claims.

On the heels of this information, and in an effort to be honest, forthright, committed and steadfast, Football Partnerships announces that its Week In Review updates will be tabled until after the 2010 World Cup. Podcast episodes will continue for the next few weeks, until they, too, are suspended until after the tournament.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we wish you a happy and healthy summer.

By Alex Kotler

In for three, not for five. Or not.

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, having put the club on the sales block, have admitted that their three year investment may, in fact, extend to five.

Despite being quoted in SportsBusiness Journal in March as saying, “We’ve owned it three years. We won’t own it for five,” Hicks - facing reality - has relented.

Meanwhile, the Glazer family has rebuffed a supposed £1.5 billion offer for Manchester United. The Red Knights have vowed not to overpay, calling their efforts into question should the American owners prefer not to hear a bid for sub-£1.5 billion.

Are some ‘Reds’ worth more than others? What say you?

Read more in SportBusiness

Read more about the Red Knights and United the Guardian

Heavy hands, big boots

FIFA, the governing body of world football, takes its intellectual property seriously. To date, the organization has launched over 2,500 legal actions against those it deems to have violated its rights - and those of its sponsors.

Read more in SportBusiness

MLS makes big Impact

MLS has announced a third Canadian-based soccer franchise: the Montreal Impact.

In 2012, Saputo Stadium - named after team president Joey Saputo - will open its doors to other Major League Soccer. Said Saputo: “Montreal will finally have the soccer it deserves; a major-league team for a major-league city,” Saputo said.

Should Canada have a third team before Montana or Georgia or Hawaii get a first?

Read more in the Montreal Gazette

G’day World Cup

Football may be coming home to the fans of the Socceroos, as Australia is set to bid on the World Cup for 2018 or 2022.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley believes that the tournament is in safe hands in Oz: “We have the experience, stability and certainty to hold such a major event,” Buckley said. “The host cities and stadia we are using in our bid will showcase Australia to the rest of the world and combined with our sports loving culture and the friendliest volunteers in the world it will be a fantastic FIFA World Cup.”

Are they ready or is Australia too un-roo-ly? (Apologies.)

Read more in ESPN

Togo a go-go

Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA and master negotiator, has brokered an arrangement that will see Togo return to the African Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2014.

After being ambushed by gunmen during last year’s tournament, the team - and its emotionally-scarred players - pulled out. Togo was then banned from future participation for its government’s involvement in the affair.

Fair or unfair? Need we even ask?

Read more in the NY Times

In Review: Week of April 27 - May 3

By Alex Kotler

Hats off to FIFA, on to Iran

The Iranian girls football team is returning to compete in the Youth Olympics after being barred for wearing hijab scarves, traditional worn to protect the modesty of Islamic women.

FIFA today approved a motion for the team to wear specially-made caps that cover their heads to the hairline without extending below the ears to the neck. The team will feature in a six-nation tournament for girls at the games being held August 12-25 in Singapore.

Should any headwear be permitted? Should FIFA be more amenable to religious custom?

Read Nasser Karimi’s article on Google

Promotion worth about £90 million

It’s worth about £90 million to clubs getting promoted from England’s second division to the Premier League.

“The Championship Play-off Final winners will benefit from at least £40m of additional revenue in 2010/11, the vast majority of this coming from television income and the rest from higher gate receipts and increased commercial income,” said Paul Rawnsley, Director of the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.

That’s a lot of cheddar.

Read more in SportBusiness

United still, despite United collapse

Praful Patel, president of the All India Football Federation, is resolute that Mahindra United’s decision to disband will not affect Indian football over the long term.

He said: “It is unfortunate that they have taken such decision, but I don’t think it will really impact Indian football. Already, in Pune FC and Mumbai FC, we have two new teams from Maharashtra. So football here wasn’t only about Air India and Mahindra United.”

Is it lip service or truth?

Read Dhiman Sarkar’s article in the Hindustan Times

Son of a pitch: Soccer field revitalization delayed

Proponents of the controversial plans to revitalize three Golden Gate Park soccer fields by replacing natural grass with tuff are miffed following news that the project would be delayed for at least a year.

As reported by Brent Begin in the San Francisco Examiner, ‘artificial turf and lights would be safer for athletes and increase the amount of time the soccer fields near the Beach Chalet can be used, but critics such as the Sierra Club decry the plan because the changes could affect bird migration and create runoff issues.’

What are your thoughts? Save the birds or the public soccer space? Can both be done?

Read the original article

Called Off: Underage callgirl case halted until after the World Cup

To the relief of Raymond Domenech and the players embroiled in a scandal involving an underage prostitute, police have postponed their investigation until after the 2010 World Cup.

The case, which involves Les Bleus team members Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema and Sidney Govou and their alleged relations with the (then 17) Algerian-born Zahia Dehar, will be pursued later this summer - freeing the players to focus on the tournament and not the sideshow (or the afterparty).

Is this fair?

More in the BBC

By Alex Kotler

Scottish football is a snoozer

Soccer fans in Scotland have branded their domestic league as boring.

According to a poll by Supporters Direct, the collective voice of football supporters’ trusts in the UK, the lack of parity of domestic clubs with those across Europe from other similarly-sized nations leaves fans ill at ease.

Concomitantly, a completely fabricated report shows that Scotch consumption is up.

What should the Scots do?

Read more in Jonathan Clegg’s article

Old rivalry, neutral ground

Speaking of the SPL, reports of an Old Firm match at Fenway Park - home to Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox - continue.

According to a recent post in the NY Times Goal blog, negotiations are underway to hold an offsite encounter between Celtic FC and Glasgow Rangers.

Great idea? Subordinating tradition in the name of money? You decide.

Read more of Jack Bell’s piece in the Goal blog

Publish and perish (if you don’t pay)

Betting companies and newspapers in the UK must now pay to publish fixture lists.

A high court ruling now protects the English Premier League from the unauthorized - and uncompensated - reproduction of match schedules.

Said Judge Christopher Floyd: “The process of preparing fixture lists involves very significant labour and skill in satisfying the multitude of often competing requirements of those involved.”

As a result, Football Partnerships has implemented a policy of invoicing clients that request written notice of the company schedule - considering the ’signficant labour and skill’ required to provide such information.

Slightly ridiculous? Excessive monetization? You tell us.

Read more in SportBusiness

Bono lends voice, support to World Cup

U2 frontman, pop star and goodwill ambassador Bono has supplied the voiceover for a new ESPN commercial. The spot aired during the NFL draft last weekend, and will continue through the World Cup.

Are you feeling it?

Read more in beatweek

Watch the ‘mercial

PlayBeautiful: Call for Participants, Panelists & Performers

PlayBeautiful, an interactive, community-driven pop-up experience and celebration of the 2010 World Cup, is seeking participants, panelists and performers for its 32-day festival.

Get involved!

Details on PlayBeautiful