Soccerex European Forum confirms itself as continent's premier football business event

Last week saw the fourth and final edition of the Soccerex European Forum held in Manchester. As with every edition so far, the Forum was hugely successful, with this year's addition attracting 1,600 delegates made up of senior federation and government representatives, clubs, rights holders, brands and true footballing legends, a mix that can’t be found at any other football business event in Europe.

The event helped set the industry's agenda with UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino announcing a number of exclusive initiatives including proposing a minimum 10-match ban for any player found guilty of racism and potential stadium closures for the clubs involved. 2018 FIFA World Cup LOC Deputy CEO Alexander Djordjadze confirmed that the tournament will feature visa-free entry for ticket-holders travelling to Russia, but also free travel on trains and buses for supporters moving in and between host cities.

The Football Association, led by Chairman David Bernstein, played an extremely important role in this year's Forum, not only hosting a special "FA150 Lounge" for VIPs but also providing a number of speakers including England Manager Roy Hodgson, Club England Managing Director Adrian Bevington and a closing address by the FA Chairman.

In a stand-out conference programme a session moderated by Guillem Balague, Edwin van der Sar, Gaizka Mendieta, Edu Gaspar and Ledley King insightfully and openly discussed the separate journeys they have gone on throughout their careers and the challenges that some of them have had in adapting to life after football.

The workshops at this year's Forum were extremely successful with packed sessions by Repucom, 20.20, the Royal Belgian Football Association and Huggity, as well key development sessions by high profile delegations including Brazil, India, Manchester and Swansea. The significant rise of social media in football was highlighted by an industry setting presentation from Head of Sport for Twitter UK, Lewis Wiltshire and a tremendously popular workshop on 'Monetising social media' by AS Roma, AC Milan and Eurosport, which had delegates queuing through the door to watch. This enthusiasm was reflected during the Forum itself when #Soccerex was trending number 1 to over 10million active users in the UK.

As usual, Soccerex is still the only football business brand in the world that attracts true legends of the game with Sir Bobby Charlton, Steven Gerrard, Eusebio, Joe Hart, Michael Owen, Roy Hodgson, Gordon Strachan, Ossie Ardiles, Bryan Robson, Phil Thompson, Kevin Keegan, Gary Neville, Edwin van der Sar, Ledley King, Edu Gaspar, Gaizka Mendieta, Denis Law, Mike Summerbee, Ali Al-Habsi, Joe Jordan and Gordon McQueen all in attendance at the Forum.

Commenting on the Forum, Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said, "The last four years in Manchester have proven enormously successful for everyone involved, with this year's edition surpassing all expectations. We have consistently brought the biggest names in European football together, creating a fantastic learning and networking experience that cannot be matched anywhere else in the industry. We're now looking forward to Rio and our final Global Convention in the city this November, before returning to Soccerex’s birthplace, Manchester where the Global Convention will be hosted from 2014-2017."

Marketing Manchester Chief Executive Andrew Stokes said, "The Soccerex European Forum has been an integral part of our strategy to position Manchester as a major destination for football business. This year's event was an incredible achievement for everyone involved and laid the perfect foundation for Manchester to host the Global Convention starting in September 2014."

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com .

Dates confirmed for 2014 Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester

Soccerex is delighted to announce that the Soccerex Global Convention 2014, hosted by Marketing Manchester, will take place September 6 to 10, 2014 at the Manchester Central Convention Centre in England.

As one of the first business events of the 2014/15 football season, the Convention will be a crucial opportunity for national FA's, federations and cities to promote their 2020 EURO Championship bid to the key senior UEFA representatives in attendance before the bid process closes later that month.

This year's Soccerex European Forum in Manchester had opened the door to the championships and offer the first chance for all potential bids to understand the bidding process through an exclusive insight from UEFA's General Secretary, Gianni Infantino.

The Global Convention, which has previously been held in Paris, Los Angeles, Dubai, Johannesburg as well as being hosted in Rio de Janeiro for the last 3 years, with the final edition this winter, will be returning to the UK for the first time since 2000. It is expected to attract over 20,000 delegates to Manchester between 2014 and 2017, command significant international media attention and bring a host of football legends who will participate in the extremely popular 'Football Festival', which makes up two of the five-day event.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com .

The India Panel at the Soccerex European Forum

For a second year running the Soccerex European Forum gave a platform for Indian football to showcase itself on Thursday, April 11 afternoon with this years panel having the title 'Awakening Football's Sleeping Giant'.

The India session was moderated by Sukhvinder Singh, the Managing Director of Libero Sports India. The panelists taking part were Vivek Narayan (Director Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India), Rajpal Singh (Director Sports & Youth Affairs, FICCI), Kunal Dua (Head - Sports Marketing, Panasonic India) and Shirish Kulkarni (Executive Director – DSK Group, Owner of DSK Shivajians FC - Pune).

The aim of the session was to shed light on the Indian football market besides giving a positive outlook to the international football fraternity, whose most generic question has been for years, when will the 'Sleeping Giant' finally wake-up and be a player in the global football business.

That question could not be answered by the session, but one key statement came from Vivek Narayan when he said that the Government of India had received a new draft proposal from FIFA on hosting the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which the world governing body would like us to host but for that certain regulations would need to be changed.

Rajpal Singh spoke about the role of FICCI as being a bridge between the government and sports federations, while also organising its own events as FICCI Turf and FICCI GOAL in bringing the different stakeholders together.

Kunal Dua spoke about what Panasonic India has done to activate football as a marketing tool, but also using Bollywood and Cricket stars for its promotion. He also spoke about what Indian football needs to do to attract further sponsorship.

Shirish Kulkarni spoke from a perspective of a team owner of a 2nd Division I-League club in DSK Shivajians FC, which gave a different insight then the other speakers and also some infos on the I-League Franchise expansion plan.

In the end the session gave a positive outlook though the problems became evident when the Q&A session was held and the people present asked the tough questions.

FICCI and Libero Sports India Organize Indian Delegation to Soccerex European Forum

A delegation of 40 members will represent the Indian football industry at the 2013 Soccerex European Forum taking place today and tomorrow in Manchester, England.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in partnership with Libero Sports India, India's first and only strategic football consultancy, will be leading an official 40 member Indian delegation to the Soccerex European Forum.

Soccerex is the world's biggest football business event attended by global stakeholders with their European Forum being part of a series of events across the globe. The 40 member Indian delegation will be led by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and the All India Football Federation, and will have participation from the leading brands, clubs, academies and agencies involved in growing of football in India.

English Premier League champions Manchester City FC will host the delegation later today at the Etihad Stadium, while tomorrow the delegation will participate in a 90 minute session entitled, "Awakening the Sleeping Giant, the Rising Billion" which will focus on the unique business opportunities in Indian football, including possible opportunities associated with hosting the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said, "There is a lot of development taking place in Indian football across all levels and Soccerex gives us a platform to share these developments with global investors. FICCI and Libero Sports India put in a lot of effort in creating this delegation every year and this initiative has full support from the Federation."

During the two day forum, the Indian delegation will have an exclusive exhibition stall to conduct meetings and showcase some of the key initiatives currently taking place within the Indian football landscape.

The FA to showcase 150th anniversary at Soccerex European Forum

The English Football Association, in short called 'The FA' is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary and this week at the Soccerex European Forum in Manchester it will showcase itself and its work.

The FA was formed in 1863 and it is the oldest football association in the world, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in England.

FA Chairman David Bernstein and England Manager Roy Hodgson will lead The FA delegation, which will see the opening address at the two-day conference being given by Club England Managing Director Adrian Bevington, while as part of its year-long celebration of a century and a half of organised football, The FA will be playing a major role by hosting a special FA150 Lounge across both days.

Adrian Bevington said, "Soccerex is a major event in the global football calendar and we are delighted The FA has been asked to play a prominent role in the 2013 European Forum in this our 150th year."

"In particular, it will be a valuable opportunity for The FA to talk about our wider grassroots work as part of the FA150 programme. As well as providing prominent contributions to a number of the sessions, we will also be able to put our world-class facilities at Wembley and St. George’s Park in the spotlight once again."

"Soccerex attracts delegates from across the world and we know from our experience in Rio last year just how positive the event can be for promoting The FA and English football in general."

Asian Kings 7 A-Side Football Tournament in Manchester

The Asian Kings Football Tournament 2012 is a 7 A-Side tournament which will be played on September 8 and it is being organiserd by Pro Academy Soccer Scout along with the British Asian Football team to provide a platform for British Asian and non-Asian footballers to showcase their skill and ability directly to the world of professional football.

The Asian Kings Football Tournament will enhance the opportunity for Footballers to stand out and for the first time will provide them with the exposure and recognition
they have been waiting for... The search has begun!

7-A-Side Tournament Details
Date: Saturday; September 8, 2012
Time: 8am Registration (Please arrive early to register your team)
Venue: The Etihad Complex, Sportscity, Etihad Campus, Manchester, M11 3FF
Entry Fee: The entry fee is £500.00 per team

Prize Monies & Trophies: The winning team will receive a cash prize of £2500.00 and the honour to lift the Asian Kings Trophy. The runners up will receive a cash prize of £1000.00 and every player entered in the tournament will be introduced to our online platform. There will also be a Golden Boot Trophy and a Player of the Tournament Trophy awarded to the relevant.

Teams: Teams will consist of a squad of 10 with 7 players and 3 subs in each team. Teams must wear a regimented kit and we also request to receive your team colours before the tournament date to ensure there will be no colour clashing on the date. It is imperative all players must wear shin pads.

Referees/Disciplinary: Our professional referees will explain the match rules at registration and to each Captain at the beginning of their match. Any player receiving a red card will be suspended for the rest of the match and the following match. Any player/team guilty of violent conduct will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament. Please be aware this is a prestigious event for everyone, there will be families and children present and any misbehaviour example fighting, swearing will result in the team getting disqualified.

Attendees: The British Asian Football and Pro Academy Soccer Scout group ambassador Kevin Campbell will be in attendance alongside scouts from a range of professional football clubs including the Premier League, Championship and professional clubs from around Europe.

Tournament Format: 32 teams from around the UK will get split into 8 groups of 4 teams. Each team will play 3 games in their respective groups and gain either 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. The top 2 teams from each group will then progress onto the 1st round of the knockout phases, the quarter finals, semi finals and the grand finals.

Game Times:
Group games – 10 minutes one way
1st round knockout phase – 10 minutes one way
Quarter Finals – 10 minutes one way
Semi Finals – 15 minutes one way
Grand Final – 10 minutes each way

Contact Details:
The Pro Academy Soccer Scout Team
Phone: 0161 276 9740 / 07908664186 / 07776331588 / 07807765825
Website: www.pass2pro.com
Email: info@pass2pro.com/andy@pass2pro.com /barry@pass2pro.com/ Kevin@pass2pro.com
Address: Manchester Buildings, 71-73 Hyde Road, Manchester, M12 6BH

If you have any questions or queries regarding the Asian Kings Football Tournament 2012, please do not hesitate to contact the organisers. Apply now to avoid disappointment... Good Luck!

Airtel Rising Stars - Goa: Set for August 18/19 trials

The Airtel Rising Stars programme, a nationwide under-16 soccer talent hunt, will hold its Goan-leg over the weekend of August 18/19 at the Poriat Ground in Calangute.

Interested children born on or after 1st January, 1996 can register through the official Facebook Fanpage www.facebook.come/airtelsoccer . Forms can also be collected from the Goa Football Association at GFA office, 5th Floor, Atmaram Commercial Complex, Opp Nova Goa Hotel, Panaji, Goa 403 001.

Also local Goans schools have been invited to send their top 12 footballers in the same age group to the open trials. The schools have been asked to send in their list of participants to the above address by sending a written letter to the GFA office address listed above by August 10.

Out of all applicants who appear on the first day, 120 boys will be short listed and called back on Day two (August 19) for further individual screening, while at the end of the second day there will be three finalists from Goa, who would then participate in the national finals.

The Airtel Rising Stars programme is spread over three months with the talent hunt being conducted in 16 Indian cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Panaji, Kolkata, Bangalore, Calicut, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Shillong, Pune, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Chennai, Hyderabad and Jaipur, all with the support of the respective State and District Football Associations.

Launched in association with Manchester United, 'Airtel Rising Stars' is a rigorous scouting programme that will cover 16 cities across India and choose 12 talented footballers who will get the chance-of-a-lifetime to attend a week long training camp with Manchester United in Old Trafford, England.

The best three players from each of the 16 cities will be picked to attend a final six-day camp-cum-selection trial conducted by coaches from Manchester United. These 48 players will be divided into four teams of 12 each and will be tested on all parameters (including physical attributes, individual skills, match situations and their performances in actual matches) before 12 of the best players are chosen to travel to Manchester United for a week and to train alongside the Manchester United Academy team.

Soccerex: International Confusion about Indian football

Day one of the Soccerex European Forum here in Manchester was as always good then one meets old friends in football and makes new contacts. One gets to know what's happening in the industry and the hot topics of the moment. Interestingly everyone seems to be very interested about Indian football - the opportunities and challenges that the 'emerging market' offers.

But there are misunderstandings and misconceptions about India and its football. Many see the Indian economy its healthy growth rate and the rise of the new middle class, a group with leisure money to spend; but often the difficulties and challenges are forgotten.

One of the biggest talking point is the IPL-style Premier League Soccer in West Bengal, which for different people in the industry has different meanings, then the international media has covered it extensively but has not always gotten the key facts right or transported the information needed to understand it properly.

Many think the PLS is a new national league, some a new Indian Pro League, some call it a rebel league others meanwhile know that it is a regional (state) league in the football crazy state of West Bengal. Explaining over and over again what the PLS is, why it has been delayed and what it could mean for Indian football vis-a-vis to the I-League and the development of football in India isn't always easy.

Here my write-up on the upcoming panel this morning about: Soccerex: Emerging Markets Panel on India .

Loads to talk about, more later in the day and over the coming days...