SPORT Ireland increases sport NGB fund


The Irish government has increased its investment in the country’s national gov- erning bodies of sport (NGB). Channeled through the


Irish Sports Council (ISC), a total of £14.5m will be made available to NGBs during 2015 – an increase of more than £700,000 on the funding levels from last year. Te investment includes an


allocation of £8m to 59 NGBs, while £6.1m will be invested in 22 Performance Plans, set to support Irish participa- tion at the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. Minister of state for sport, Michael Ring,


Latest Improvement Fund focuses on artificial pitches


Grassroots hockey, football and rugby are the major beneficiaries of the latest round of Sport England’s Improvement Fund. Twelve projects will share a total of


£4.3m, with the majority of the grants going towards improving artificial grass pitches. Ten of the 12 projects will either build


new, or replace existing artificial surfaces, improving the quality of the playing pitches. The other projects include building a new boathouse and gymnastics centre. Each project has received between £150,000 and £500,000 from the fund. In total, £45m of Lottery funding will be


invested into local, medium-size projects. Details: http://lei.sr?a=m9g7r


Te funding will be spread across the 59 Irish NGBs


said: “Today’s investment is a substantial com- mitment from the Irish Government to the National Governing Bodies of Sport in Ireland. “Te importance of sport cannot be under-


stated. Sport has the unique ability to activate local communities through participation and volunteerism whilst uniting a nation. Te funding also includes a £444,831 grant


to support the Women in Sport programme – which has been adopted by 23 Irish NGBs. Tis year marks the 10th anniversary of the


Women in Sport programme, a scheme which aims to raise physical activity levels among women. It’s been described as a key driver in closing the gender gap, as women’s participa- tion has grown from 39 per cent (2011) to 42.7 per cent (2013). Details: http://lei.sr?a=U7P8B


Chelsea FC nets £40m-a-year shirt deal


Chelsea FC has secured the sec- ond-largest shirt sponsorship deal in the history of English football as the club bids to boost its transfer market war chest without falling foul of Financial Fair Play rules. The English Premier


League leader has agreed a five-year contract with tyre manufacturer Te Yokohama Rubber Company, worth a reported £40m a year. The deal – running from the start of the 2015/16 season – will see the Yokohama brand appearing on all Chelsea FC shirts from the first team to youth teams. Te sponsorship deal is worth more than


Te new stadium is part of a £135m project


Castleford Tigers gets green light for £135m plan


Wakefield Council has granted planning permission for Castleford Tigers’ ambitious £135m stadium complex. As well as a 10,000-capacity stadium, the


development – situated near Junction 32 of the M62 at Glasshoughton – will also include a 50-acre country park, as well as featuring shops and restaurants. Tigers’ development partner for the


Chelsea FC was the most-watched PL team on TV worldwide last year


double the previous £18m agreement Chelsea had with Samsung and in English football history is second only to the £53m-a-year deal Manchester United secured with Chevrolet. Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho has


frequently complained about the paucity of his squad and is now widely believed to be seeking reinforcements in the summer transfer window, with £30m-rated Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane thought to be among these targets. Mourinho has so far had to sell


© CYBERTREK 2015


off a number of big stars to fund acquisitions while staying within Financial Fair Play regu- lations, so the commercial capital boost will no doubt embolden his transfer market ambitions. Te club is hoping to secure a number of


sponsorship opportunities, having recently brought in Christian Purslow as head of global commercial activities. Last season Chelsea FC was the most watched Premier League team on television worldwide, with over 31,000 broad- cast hours, and Purslow has been tasked with driving the club’s strategy to partner “market- leading organisations” from around the world.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=P9M4A


Twitter: @leisureopps


scheme, Lateral Property Group, has indicated that the scheme is likely to create a total of around 2,000 jobs. As part of the campaign, the Council was


presented signatures from more than 6,000 people backing the application. Tigers CEO Steve Gill, said: “Today has


been a big milestone in the club’s history and one I’m so proud to be part of. “We’ve worked tirelessly to get to


this point and I’m overwhelmed by the masses of support we have received and the well wishes, especially from other Super League clubs, cementing the fact that Rugby League is the best sport in the world, with awesome fans.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=G9B9C


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