Source: Daily_Mail
Charles Sale: Stoke start clubs' fund for 2018 bid
Stoke City are the first Premier League club to state publicly theywould be prepared to back the England 2018 World Cup bid with hard cash.[LNB]And it is understood that other members of the richest league in theworld would follow suit and provide £250,000 each towards replacing the£5million that the Government promised the 2018 team but neverdelivered.[LNB]Putting their money where their mouth is: Stoke[LNB]The Premier League say they have drawn a line under the 2018 fundingissue, having offered the England bid assistance only in kind despitetheir fabulous wealth. The 2018 campaign is struggling to operate withlimited money, as shown by their embarrassing bargain basement videoproduction at the Cape Town media expo for all the 2018 and 2022 bidslast week.[LNB] More from Charles Sale... Charles Sale: Award is twice in a lifetime for golfing iconoclast Seve Ballesteros10/12/09 Charles Sale: New Notts County owners may signal Sven's end10/12/09 Charles Sale: FA blazers aren't in the Christmas party spirit08/12/09 CHARLES SALE: Newmarket Two get the brush-off07/12/09 CHARLES SALE: Cup looking half full for FA accountants06/12/09 CHARLES SALE: David Beckham makes another fine save for 2018 bid04/12/09 EXCLUSIVE: Eriksson ready to walk out on Notts County over cash row03/12/09 Charles Sale: David Davies joins the 2018 World Cup brain drain02/12/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE The highly respected Stoke owner Peter Coates, who sits on the FAinternational committee, said: 'It is very important for football inthis country that we host the 2018 World Cup and the Premier Leagueshould do all they can to help. I would be happy to contribute withmonetary assistance and I'm sure other clubs would do the same.'[LNB]It is no secret that the acrimonious relationship between PremierLeague chief executive Richard Scudamore and FA bid chairman LordTriesman has proved a major obstacle to the PL embracing the 2018campaign. And the clubs are still in the dark as to why their 2018board representative, PL chairman Sir Dave Richards, suddenly resigned.[LNB]A PL spokesman said there is nothing to stop individual clubs giving money to the England 2018 effort.[LNB] [LNB]Super careful TV buyers ESPN decided they needed more content for their UK sports channels, so they have splashed out around £100m on sports rights in one week. [LNB]The Disney-owned network have followed their near £70m purchase of four years of FA Cup football with another payment approaching £30m for three years of Guinness Premiership rugby.[LNB] [LNB]The Football League are running out of patience with crisis club Notts County, who have yet to answer questions sent to them weeks ago about their financial situation. [LNB]Unless a reply is received soon, County will be given an ultimatum, after which action will be taken. [LNB]Executive chairman Peter Trembling has to juggle his response to the League with his management buy-out bid that would entail new ownership and a fresh set of fit-and-proper person forms from the Football League.[LNB] [LNB]Liverpool is lucky that its reputation as a football hotbed means it cannot be ignored as a prospective 2018 England World Cup venue when a potential 14 stadiums are announced next Wednesday. [LNB]Anfield is likely to be one of the locations with the proviso that the Liverpool stadium planned for Stanley Park will replace if it gets off the ground. But Everton will surely miss out: they have no site for their new ground after the proposed Kirkby site was turned down and Goodison Park was never part of the Merseyside bid.[LNB] [LNB]Pink shindig in profit?The MCC, embarking on the overseas venture of holding their season opener against county champions Durham in Abu Dhabi, where they will test the pink cricket ball under lights, will hope it proves more of a financial winner than their international Twenty20 challenge match between Middlesex and Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals at Lord's last July.[LNB]The initiative was described as a 'great success' by the MCC, but it has emerged that Lord's made an £18,000 loss on the game from a 20,000 crowd following a £50,000 donation to the British Asian Trust. The appearance fee paid to Royals captain Shane Warne has not been disclosed.[LNB] Around five people in IMG's golf division have been made redundant following the streamlining of their worldwide sports marketing operation. But the company deny it has anything to do with the current meltdown surrounding their No 1 sports client Tiger Woods, although that won't help their 2010 bank balance.[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People:Tiger Woods, Shane WarnePlaces:Liverpool, Cape Town, United Kingdom, Goodison Park, Premier League club, Stanley ParkOrganisations:Football League
