Source: Daily_Mail
CHARLES SALE: Olympics on alert after Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans' offers
Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans is already advertising unofficial corporate hospitality packages for the showcase closing events of the London Olympics, much to the concern of organisers LOCOG. [LNB]Evans's Sports Marketing Group are offering tables of 10 with all the champagne hospitality trimmings, plus a 'short transfer' to the Olympic Stadium, for the 4x100m relay final, the super Saturday track and field finals and the closing ceremony for an astonishing £98,500 plus a 24 per cent service charge, exclusive of VAT. [LNB]The sale is called a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' in an email to potential clients, which describes Evans's parent company as the world's leading business information company, with the recent purchase of Ipswich reflecting 'our innovative approach'. [LNB] Camera shy: Marcus Evans refuses to be photographed despite owning Ipswich Town, for whom midfielder David Norris (right) celebrates scoring against QPR[LNB] More from Charles Sale... CHARLES SALE: Inverdale's treatment of Sven Goran Eriksson a choker12/02/10 CHARLES SALE: Northern Ireland's claim rubbished over England visit for Windsor Park reopening11/02/10 Charles Sale: Michael Grade wants to succeed Lord Mawhinney as chairman of Football League10/02/10 Charles Sale: Barmy England put shirt on Kasabian09/02/10 Charles Sale: FA chasing £30m England sponsor08/02/10 Charles Sale: Wembley's tough line on box bandits07/02/10 CHARLES SALE: Protesters hunt down TV historian in bid to stop 2012 Olympics equestrian at Greenwich Park 05/02/10 Charles Sale: Shamed England skipper Terry is expected to keep his kit on04/02/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEThe promotion plugs the company's close links to the British Olympic Association through their financial support of the Beijing 2008 appeal, which they claim was a major factor in a full-strength GB team being sent to China. [LNB]Only in the final paragraph comes the disclaimer that SMG are 'entirely independent from the IOC, LOCOG and event sponsors' - and the literature makes no definitive mention of tickets being included, to avoid legal challenges. [LNB]Evans, who has been described as the biggest ticket tout in the world, refuses to be photographed despite owning a football club and running a high-profile business that operates from 31 offices in cities around the globe. [LNB]His dealings with former BOA chief executive Simon Clegg in the Beijing appeal led to Clegg joining Ipswich as CEO following his departure from the BOA. [LNB]A London 2012 spokesperson said: 'We are aware of this initiative and are keeping a close eye on it. This company has no official status and no tickets are on sale to anyone until 2011.' [LNB] Following the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training crash, it is the height of bad taste that the official Vancouver 2010 video game advert, with the now wholly inappropriate slogan 'Pain is temporary, glory is forever', continues to use the event as part of their promotional activity online and in TV adverts. [LNB]ESPN face a massive task resurrecting the status of the FA Cup when their £70million contract begins next season, judging by the way it continues to lose importance. [LNB]Meanwhile, ITV's lacklustre coverage was summed up on Saturday when newscaster Nina Hossain introduced a clip of Portsmouth's 4-1 win over Southampton by saying: 'Here comes a terrific strike by Jamie O'Hara (for Pompey's fourth goal)' when what followed was Southampton's equaliser by Rickie Lambert. [LNB] BBC coy over saboteur The BBC have finally completed their inquiries after more than four months concerning the insertion of obscene material into an early morning pre-recorded sports news bulletin. [LNB]An email to staff said: 'Following an exhaustive and comprehensive investigation into acts of sabotage, the BBC have identified the person responsible and taken appropriate action.' [LNB]Freelance Ben Jacobs has been the only suspect from the start of this fiasco, after BBC Radio Solent's sports editor sent an email to all regions naming him. But Jacobs has denied any involvement and the Beeb, fearful of legal action, have not named anybody. [LNB]However, Jacobs, who revealed by email to freelance colleagues that he was under investigation, has not worked a shift for the Corporation since the incident and there are no plans to employ him in future. [LNB]He has yet to be told of the BBC's verdict and will consult lawyers if he is officially named as the culprit as he has denied any wrongdoing. [LNB] Volunteers: Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp (left) and current Leicester Chairman,Milan Mandaric at Westminster Magistrates Court on February 11[LNB]It has emerged that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp and Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric voluntarily provided the information to the Inland Revenue about their dotcom business investment opportunity in the United States that has led to their being charged with tax evasion. [LNB]This prompts the question of exactly what, if anything, did the police, Customs, Lord Stevens' Quest team and the football authorities discover for themselves during the four-year, multi-million pound probe into football corruption. [LNB]
