“There is a lot of technical skill in Africa,” Holmstrom said, “but many players are mentally weak Our idea is to develop life skills with football skills. We don’t believe you can create good footballers without social skills.”The project, supported by the Danish Government and launched in February this year, will run for five years supported by a $1.3m (£897,000) investment by FC Copenhagen, in partnership with the University of Port Elizabeth and a local company, Sport Access. But many in a sceptical audience contested claims that it offers wider benefits to Port Elizabeth’s poor townships. Pressed hard, Holmstrom conceded that its aim is to unearth talented players who can be brought to Copenhagen and then sold on at a profit.”Yes,” he said, “we have to look after our shareholders, and we hope to make a profit from it.” Several other European clubs are looking to forge similar supply lines for raw African talent. Ajax of Amsterdam bought Cape Town’s Premier League club – now renamed Ajax Cape Town – while Manchester United, as part of the deal which brought Quinton Fortune to Old Trafford, effectively use as a nursery one of Cape Town’s lower division clubs, FC Fortune – now owned by and named after the player.Julia Beffon, the Sports Editor of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian, said there was deep anger about the damage that such schemes were doing to her country’s domestic football and sense of being. “It’s a kind of colonialism, making teams nursery teams for Western countries,” she said. “You’re investing very little and hoping to make a great profit.
What will come back besides 19 boys out of the 20 you’ve selected?”Last week the EU recognised the danger of young Africans being exploited by unscrupulous agents, who take them to Europe on the promise of professional contracts, but end up leaving them at the mercy of homelessness or worse when clubs fail to show an interest. “Our scheme is not about white people exploiting blacks,” said Holmstrom. “If I had been a real imperialist we would have simply bought a franchise, which are on sale all the time That’s real exploitation. We are giving something back.” He said he did not believe the scheme, or its profits, were jeopardised too much by the challenge to transfer fees, because the EC says it is willing to let clubs be compensated for training young players.Malcolm Clarke, the chairman of England’s Football Supporters Association, reiterated the call for independent regulation during the conference, and said the FSA would watch “very carefully” the Independent Football Commission, the proposed new watchdog which has emerged from the work of the Football Task Force “It is the first kind of independent scrutiny,” he said.
“But it falls short of regulation because it has no statutory powers. We want to see it be an effective body, not yet another talking shop which achieves nothing.”Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen added that international governing bodies are suffering from a “democratic deficit”, allowing sports to be exploited by commercial interests. There appears no prospect of Denmark following Britain’s lead in backing Fifa. “If sport becomes a commodity,” Nielsen added, “then it forfeits the support of governments.”davidconn freeuk . The company which is carrying out the £660m redevelopment of Wembley Stadium yesterday dismissed claims that the project was financially unviable.
The company which is carrying out the £660m redevelopment of Wembley Stadium yesterday dismissed claims that the project was financially unviable.
Wembley National Stadium Limited, a subsidiary of the Football Association, said that, based on “conservative calculations”, the new stadium will generate revenues of more than £63m a year, after accounting for around £17m in operating costs. That compares to the net turnover of £12.6m a year raised from the old Wembley, which staged its last match last month.The company, which has received £120m of National Lottery funding, said it had already secured an agreement with the FA to stage matches which is worth about £21m a year This includes sponsorship and television revenues. A further £40m is expected to be made from “premium” ticket sales to corporate customers, hospitality firms and Wembley club members. An additional £10.7m is forecast from event day activities, including WNSL’s share of general admissions and the proceeds from food and merchandise sales. Non-event day revenues, from banqueting, conferencing and on-site office facilities, are projected to reach £8.8m.However, the figures do not take into account the estimated £30m of annual interest payments which the company will need to make on the £410m, 20-year loan that Chase Manhattan, the investment bank, is trying to raise from the City. WNSL is assuming that an average of 26 events – including football and rugby matches and concerts – will be held in the stadium each year. The design plans for the 90,000-seat stadium include provision for 12,800 “premium” seats which will feature extra leg room and offer some of the best views.
Other facilities will include a kilometre-long bank of food and merchandising points and 2,000 toilets, which WNSL says is the largest number at any public complex in the world.Joe Royle, the Manchester City manager, has made a £2m-plus move to sign Liverpool’s Danny Murphy. Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager, is reluctant to part company with the player while the club chases honours on three fronts, but may decide to let him go if City make a suitable offer. Meanwhile, Royle has decided not to sign Sebastian Rozental, the Chilean striker, following a trial period and the player will now return to Rangers.The Leeds United targets Azar Karadas and Thorstein Helstad have been ordered back to Norway following a row between David O’Leary’s club and Brann Bergen. The Under-21 internationals were due to join Leeds in a double deal valued at £4m, but Leeds angered Brann by asking the players to take part in a “trial” for the reserves last night.