Source: Daily_Mail
Charles Sale: Tennis chiefs hire Stavros Flatley comic duo
The money-no-object Lawn Tennis Association hired Britain's Got Talent finalists Stavros Flatley as part of a variety show at their Roehampton HQ last week to reward staff for their hard work.[LNB]Father and son comic dance duo Demetrios and Michalakis, whose Greek take on Michael Flatley's Riverdance was a great hit on the TV reality show, cost about £4,000 for a two-dance routine. And they were just one of the acts that the LTA arranged for a lavish in-house cabaret, which also included two comedians.[LNB] Like father, like son: The free-spending LTA hired Britain's Got Talent dancing duo Stavros Flatley to perform for their staff at their Roehampton HQ last week[LNB]A tennis insider said the extravagant event that was put on during the British Tennis Experience week, when the LTA's nationwide workforce gather in Roehampton, was the idea of chief executive Roger Draper to improve team bonding. [LNB]Britain's Got Talent ringmaster Simon Cowell had described the innovative Stavros Flatley routine as 'making people feel good'.[LNB]An LTA spokeswoman said morale at Roehampton was excellent and the Stavros Flatley show had been held early in the New Year instead of a Christmas party as a way of thanking staff for their work. [LNB]She said: 'It was an internal event, which is all we want to say.'[LNB] Former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson (right), whose spending was blamed by new owner David Sullivan for West Ham's serious debt, still has his own residential property problems to sort out in London. [LNB]Eggert's two high-value residences in Canary Wharf and Kensington are in danger of being repossessed due to alleged payment arrears of over £4million. Magnusson, who also has a Florida property portfolio, raised eyebrows when at West Ham with the money he spent to buy a Docklands penthouse.[LNB]Political blogger and West Ham fan Iain Dale, whose company Biteback is starting to publish sports books, is one of those showing interest in Magnusson's memoir of his West Ham reign.[LNB] Malaysian airline tycoon Tony Fernandes is such a skilful promotions man that Manchester United fear he will somehow continue to link Air Asia with Old Trafford despite Turkish Airlines taking over the United sponsorship opportunity that has been vacant for two years since Air Asia ended their involvement. [LNB]Fernandes received huge publicity during his foiled bid for West Ham, although some United sceptics believe he was never a serious buyer.[LNB] ESPN Sport, who made a huge impact with their Premier League coverage at the start of the season, have failed to capitalise on the positive reaction since excellent UK communications chief Damion Potter left in November to become commercial director of the British Eembassy in Moscow.[LNB]While his American successor waits for a visa to relocate to London, the lack of continuity on the PR front seems surprising because cautious Disney bankrollers had waited for the media reaction as well as the subscription uptake before granting the £100million funding to secure FAa Cup and Premiership rugby rights.[LNB] What? More names...FA chief executive Ian Watmore has taken the unusual step in documents prepared for next week's FA council meeting of naming everyone he has spoken to in his first 100 days in office Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all some whose knowledge of FA business would be wafer thin.[LNB]The list is meant to demonstrate the breadth of personnel former senior civil servantWatmore has consulted before reaching his re-structuring decisions. But it might not have the desired effect, as councillors are furious at having their role marginalised when the FA are expanding in other directions.[LNB]And the legion of sports journalists listed will only increase paranoia within Wembley about leaks of confidential information to the media.[LNB] It doesn't say much for Amir Khan, who announced last week that he was splitting from Frank Warren's Sports Network, that he has still to explain personally the reasons to the British promoter, who had resurrected his career as a marquee fighter.[LNB] More from Charles Sale... Charles Sale: Chelsea face Pitch battle to oust Richard King21/01/10 Charles Sale: Eggert Magnusson will have the write of reply!20/01/10 Charles Sale: Manchester United save face by silencing the twits19/01/10 Charles Sale: LMA chief Richard Bevan calls for bosses to be based at Burton 18/01/10 Charles Sale: Revolt over FA's fat-cat salaries17/01/10 Charles Sale: Micah hoping for super agent of change15/01/10 Charles Sale: Manchester City gaffe leaves United red-faced 14/01/10 Charles Sale: Age mystery over Crystal Palace ace Victor Moses13/01/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE [LNB] Explore more:People:Frank Warren, Ian Watmore, David Sullivan, Amir Khan, Simon CowellPlaces:London, Moscow, United KingdomOrganisations:Lawn Tennis Association, Federal Aviation Administration
