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QUICK NEWS TO KEEP YOU IN THE FAST LANE
IC NE S T KE Y IN T E F ST L E
10
Snooker launch new
Super6s format
Snooker has launched a new short form
of the game, entitled Super6s, in a bid
to open the sport up to new audiences
in a similar fashion to the introduction of
Twenty20 cricket. The new format was
launched at the World Championship
earlier this year. Each frame has the same
number of colours but only six red balls.
Tony Knowles won the inaugural
snooker ‘Super 6s’ tournament
against 13-year-old Ross Muir
with the aid of a lucky shot on the
brown.
The sport has come under attack in recent
years with players saying snooker was
“dying” and demanding the governing
body do more to attract new audiences
and improve tournaments. Two weeks
ago, World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney
Walker hailed the appeal of Twenty20
saying: “It has brought in a whole new
audience so what we have in mind we
think would be appealing to a younger
audience. As an observer of snooker you
cannot churn out the same diet year after
year.”
Four bids in frame
to host Euro 2016
France, Italy, and Turkey
have informed UEFA they
wish to submit a single bid
to host the UEFA European
Football Championship in
2016, while a joint bid will
be presented by Norway and Sweden.
The candidates will have to present their
campaigns to UEFA by 15th February
2010. The final decision will be taken
by the UEFA Executive Committee on or
about 27th May 2010.
The European Championship in 2012
is being jointly hosted by Poland and
Ukraine.
Triathlons gaining in
popularity, but fraught
with danger?
Triathlon is growing in popularity, but
recent reports question the sport’s
safety.
The Daily Telegraph
in Australia recently
claimed that ‘Triathlons are twice as
dangerous as marathons’.
American studies have suggested it is
the first segment of the triathlon that is
most fraught with danger. Research into
14 deaths in triathlons in America showed
that 13 of those occurred during the first
portion of the swim phase.
Doctors claim the stress of jumping into
cold water under competitive conditions
could cause vulnerable people to
hyperventilate or suffer a heart attack.
But there are those that argue that this
makes triathlons the trigger, rather than
the cause. Cold water temperatures and
choppy conditions pose problems for the
swim segment. At the World Triathlon
Championships in Vancouver, Canada the
event was switched to a duathlon (run,
bike, run) due to the water conditions.
This was not well received by many
participants who were disappointed with
the decision.
Swimming in waters below 12 degrees is
prohibited, while triathletes arenot allowed
to wear wetsuits if the water temperature
is above 22 degrees. Between 14 and 22
degrees it is up to the competitor whether
or not they wear a wetsuit.
English Premier League
revenues up as debt
for big clubs increases
The revenue accrued by the 20 Premier
League clubs jumped by 26% to close to
£2bn in the 2007/08 season according
to the latest Annual Review of Football
Finance by accountants Deloitte.
Revenues for the season were £1.93bn,
up from £1.5bn a year earlier. 11 of the 20
top league clubs made an operating profit
in 2007/08, up from 8 a year before.
However Premier League salary costs
topped £1bn for the first time, and the
clubs’ total net debt was £3.1bn. Two-
thirds of the debt was carried by the big
four of Manchester United, Liverpool,
Chelsea and Arsenal.
The strong revenue growth outstripped
the continuing rise in salary costs,
which increased by 23% to £1.2bn, the
biggest annual increase in absolute terms
recorded by the Premier League.
Premier League Clubs
Debt – Top Five
Chelsea - £711m
Manchester Utd - £649m
Arsenal - £318m
Liverpool - £300m
Newcastle Utd - £245m
(Figures are net debt at end of
2007/08 season)
Premier League Wage
Bills – Top Five
Chelsea - £172.1m (£132.9m)
Manchester Utd - £121.1m
(£92.3m)
Arsenal - £101.3m (£89.7m)
Liverpool - £90.4m (£77.6m)
Newcastle Utd - £74.6m (£56.7m)
(2006/07 wages in brackets)
Source: Deloitte
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