npower announces the winner of Every Shirt competition for Huddersfield Town

Tue, 24 May 2011 17:08:55 GMT

npower has announced that Terriers' fan Sam Preest will be the face of Huddersfield Town when they take on Peterborough United.

Sam, 29, originally from Aspley, West Yorks, will feature on a giant 15x6 metre banner on the side of Old Trafford – seen by thousands of people on their way into the ground on Sunday, May 29 for the npower League One play offs Final.

He won the competition – run by Football League title sponsors npower - after explaining what the Huddersfield shirt means to him. There were more than three thousand entries from football fans across the country.

Sam, who works as a finance officer at the University of Huddersfield, said on his Every shirt winner entry: "I'll always remember walking on the beach in Dubai with my Town shirt on; local people coming up to me to ask which shirt it was.

"It was great to explain about Town and its history...the fact we won the League three times in a row before Manchester United, Liverpool or anyone else."

The giant banner of Sam will be revealed on Old Trafford's East Stand in full view of the thousands of fans walking up Sir Matt Busby Way to the stadium.

Sam added: "I couldn't believe it when I found out I would be the face of Huddersfield at Old Trafford.

"It's surreal to think that my face will represent the Terriers in the biggest match of the season. I've told my close friends and family about the banner, but it will be a shock to a lot of people.

"I'll be going to the match with my Dad, Cliff. We are both season ticket holders at the Galpharm and huge fans."

The competition was part of npower's Every Shirt Has a Story campaign, which encouraged football fans across the country to submit their favourite shirt stories.

npower sponsorship manager Emma Collins said: "We're delighted to announce Sam as our Every Shirt Has a Story winner for Huddersfield.

"We hope that this helps make it a memorable day for Sam and his family, regardless of what happens on the pitch."

The Every Shirt promotion is still open for fans to enter, with a range of prizes and football tickets to be won before June 30.

ENDS

About npower:
npower are proud sponsors of The npower Football League, including The npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2 commencing July 2010. It also offers a Football Saver energy tariff.

npower has 6.5 million residential gas and electricity accounts throughout the UK. npower is a market leader in renewable energy. npower juice matches green energy primarily from off-shore wind farms for juice customers at no extra cost Join the energy industry discussion on npower's interactive debating website the brighter energy debate where you can post your questions, views and comments.

npower has been awarded platinum status in Business in the Community's CR Index and is one of twenty-nine companies to have achieved the CommunityMark since its launch. All CommunityMark achievers have been recognised for demonstrating excellence in their holistic and strategic approach to community investment.

npower announces the winner of Every Shirt competition for Swansea City

Mon, 23 May 2011 16:58:22 GMT

npower has announced that Swansea City fan Steve Meredith will be the face of the Swans when they take on Reading.

Steve, originally from Swansea but now based in St Helens, will feature on giant 24x16 metre posters outside Wembley Stadium on Monday May 30, which will be seen by thousands of people on their way into the ground to watch the npower Championship play offs Final.

He won the competition – run by Football League title sponsors npower – after explaining the history behind his Swansea City shirt.

Steve's Every Shirt winner entry told how he cradled his newborn son, Will, with his Swansea City shirt when he was born.

Will, now 13, features on the huge poster, wearing the very same shirt from the day of his birth.

The artwork of the pair will be revealed on the North External Wall of Wembley Stadium.

He said: "I was completely gobsmacked when I heard I'd won.

"The day was always going to be a special one, with Swansea so close to promotion. But for me to represent the club in this way is incredible.

"It still hasn't really sunk in. I can't wait to see the posters when they're on display."

npower sponsorship manager Emma Collins said: "Steve's story really deserved to win the competition. We're delighted for him.

"The poster of the two promises to look fantastic. Fingers crossed for Steve it will be a wonderful day at Wembley, regardless of the result."

The competition was part of npower's Every Shirt Has a Story campaign, which encouraged football fans across the country to submit their favourite shirt stories.

There were more than three thousand entries from footy fans across the country.

The promotion is still open for fans to enter, with a range of prizes and football tickets to be won before June 30.

ENDS

npower announces the winner of Every Shirt competition for Reading FC

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:45:17 GMT

npower has announced that Royals' fan Mark Horseman will be the face of Reading FC when they take on Swansea City.

Mark, 63, from Kennington, Oxford, will feature on a giant 24 x16 metre poster on the side of Wembley Stadium on Monday, May 30 - seen by thousands of people on their way into the ground for the npower Championship play offs Final.

Mark won the competition - run by Football League title sponsors npower – after explaining what the Reading shirt means to him. There were more than three thousand entries from football fans across the country.

He explained on his entry: "I may not have got an invite to the Royal Wedding, but this shirt is the only proof I need that I'm a Royal."

The giant poster of the Every Shirt winner will be revealed on Wembley's North Exterior Wall in full view of the thousands of fans walking up Olympic Way to the stadium.

Mark added: "I could hardly believe it when I heard I would be the face of Reading at Wembley. It is a huge day for the club and I am proud to be a part of it.

"I can imagine thousands of Reading fans walking towards the stadium. They will see my picture as soon as they are off the train. Several of my friends will be at the game and I am not going to tell them about the posters. It will be a big surprise for them.

"I go to most games with my daughter Helen and we will be at Wembley together to cheer the Royals on. I'm predicting a 3-1 win for the Royals with Super Shane Long to score."

npower sponsorship manager Emma Collins said: "We are delighted for Mark. He is clearly a huge Reading fan.

"It is the biggest day of the season for the Royals. We're sure Mark and Helen will enjoy their trip to Wembley – which promises to be a huge occasion for everyone involved."

The competition was part of npower's Every Shirt Has a Story campaign, which encouraged football fans across the country to submit their favourite shirt stories.

The promotion is still open for fans to enter, with a range of prizes and football tickets to be won before June 30.

ENDS

npower announces its Manager of the Month award winners for April

Thu, 12 May 2011 09:42:01 GMT

npower has announced the winners of the Manager of the Month awards for the npower Football League in April.

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins has been named npower League 1 Manager of the Month for April.

Adkins' side stand on the brink of promotion thanks to wins against Milton Keynes Dons, Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient, Bristol Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Hartlepool United and Brentford.

Former Charlton Athletic boss Alan Curbishley chairs the npower Football League Manager of the Month judging panel. He said: "Southampton maintained their fine form throughout April with seven wins from their eight games.

"Nigel Adkins has done a great job since his appointment and his side have all but secured promotion back to the npower Championship."

In League 2, Bury caretaker manager Richie Barker has been named npower League 2 Manager of the Month for April.

Barker took charge in March, and went on to lead his side through a six-game unbeaten run to ensure automatic promotion to npower League 1.

npower head of sponsorship Emma Collins added: "For the club to do so well with a managerial change late in the season is very impressive.

"Barker has hit the ground running, and fully deserves the award."

Finally, in the Championship Norwich City striker Simeon Jackson has been named npower Championship Player of the Month for April.

Jackson netted eight times during the month to help the Canaries secure automatic promotion.

His impressive goal haul included hat-tricks against Scunthorpe United and Derby County.

Sky Sports' Football League expert Peter Beagrie sits on the npower Manager of the Month judging panel. He said: "After going more than 20 games without a goal, Jackson produced a show of true marksmanship in April.

"He began May in similar style, scoring the most important goal of his career to secure Norwich an automatic promotion spot."

The judging panel comprises former Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley, Sky Sports Football League expert Peter Beagrie, Football League chief operating officer Andy Williamson, BBC Sport's Mark Clemmit, League Managers Association deputy CEO Olaf Dixon and npower head of sponsorship Emma Collins.

About npower:
npower are title sponsors of the Test Match Series in England, Women's Test Series and the Village Cup, with results appearing on the npower cricket website.

npower are proud sponsors of the npower Football League, including The npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2 commencing July 2010.

npower has 6.6 million residential gas and electricity accounts throughout the UK. npower is a market leader in renewable energy and aims to help customers with their energy efficiency. npower juice matches green energy primarily from off-shore wind farms for juice customers at no extra cost.

npower announces its Player of the Month award winners for April

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:19:07 GMT

npower has announced the winners of the players of the month awards for the npower Football League in April.

Sheffield Wednesday striker Neil Mellor has been named npower League 1 Player of the Month for April.

Mellor, who is on loan from Preston North End, fired in six goals during the month, including vital strikes against Colchester United, Walsall and Swindon Town.

Sky Sports' Football League expert Peter Beagrie sits on the npower Football League Player of the Month judging panel. He said: "At the beginning of the month, Wednesday were hovering just above the relegation zone in 17th position.

"But Mellor's six goal contribution has helped navigate the Owls up the table - a safe distance 11 points from the drop-zone."

Over in League 2, Bury striker Ryan Lowe has been named npower League 2 Player of the Month for April.

The veteran skipper netted four times during the month, leading his team to an automatic promotion place in League 2.

npower head of sponsorship Emma Collins said: "Lowe's experience and quality has been a huge part of Bury's success this season.

"His performances have been of the highest order in recent weeks, and he fully deserves the League 2 award."

Finally, in the Championship Norwich City striker Simeon Jackson has been named npower Championship Player of the Month for April.

Jackson netted eight times during the month to help the Canaries secure automatic promotion.

His impressive goal haul included hat-tricks against Scunthorpe United and Derby County.

Peter Beagrie added: "After going more than 20 games without a goal, Jackson produced a show of true marksmanship in April.

"He began May in similar style, scoring the most important goal of his career to secure Norwich an automatic promotion spot."

The judging panel comprises Sky Sports Football League expert Peter Beagrie, Football League head of communications John Nagle, BBC Sport's Mark Clemmit and Emma Collins, npower head of sponsorship.

About npower:
npower are title sponsors of the Test Match Series in England, Women's Test Series and the Village Cup, with results appearing on the npower cricket website.

npower are proud sponsors of the npower football league, including The npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2 commencing July 2010.

npower Football League brings Peter Shilton to Asfordby Hill

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:00:43 GMT

npower Football League has announced that it will be bringing Leicester City and England football star Peter Shilton to Asfordby Hill School to deliver an inspirational coaching session for pupils.

Local lad, Shilton, who started his career with the Foxes, made his first team appearance at the age of just 16 and played more than 280 times at Filbert Street, narrowly missing out on the FA Cup winner's medal in 1969, before going on to win The Charity Shield and the Division Two Championship the following season. Shilton to this day still remains England's highest ever capped player, donning the Three Lion's shirt 125 times. His return to Leicester is part of npower and The Football League's Trust new community initiative Home Team Heroes.

The npower Football League put the power in the hands of Leicester City fans to determine which of three available community programmes they wanted implemented before the end of the season. With votes cast, counted and verified, 'Coaching' has been revealed as the project supporters felt would most benefit Leicester.

Shilton, who was awarded an MBE shortly followed by an OBE for his outstanding services to the game, will help deliver the Coaching programme, alongside fully qualified Leicester City community coaches.

The course will offer local 4-6 year olds the chance to attend a fun five week course at the football club, a local community centre or their school, where the children will learn basic sporting skills such as agility, balance, co-ordination, rolling and dribbling.

The fundamental coaching course is designed to improve the general dexterity and co-ordination of 4 - 6 year olds, providing an opportunity for children to make friends, develop core physical and mental skills, and build a lasting, positive attitude towards active lifestyles.

"I think this is a great scheme to get young children not only interested in football, but to build their social skills and enjoy themselves," said Shilton.

"It's great to be back at the club where it all started for me. They gave me so much, so it's nice to be able to give something back to this wonderful place. Football is more than just a sport, and can bring people together and in ways like nothing else."

The npower Football League is a place where dreams are achieved and heroes are created. With heroics happening on the pitch, npower is committed to replicating these actions away from the terraces with its community initiative Home Team Heroes and The Football League Trust.

Clare McDougall, head of community and education at npower, said: "Football clubs are an integral part of a town and hugely important to the local community. The fundamental idea at the heart of Home Team Heroes is to give something back to the community through football and we hope the kids will really enjoy themselves, as well as learning some new skills they can put to good use in the future. It's amazing to see the support for community initiatives like this and the power sport has to bring people together. "

Home Team Heroes is a £2million community initiative which will run over the course of npower's three year sponsorship with The Football League, helping each of the 72 clubs in England and Wales.

About npower:
npower is one of the top energy suppliers to the UK business market, serving over 238,000 small to medium sized enterprise sites and around 17,000 industrial and commercial customers, with over 100,000 sites.

npower Industrial and Commercial Markets is an award-winning business energy supplier. In 2010 it was named 'The Consumer Supplier of the Year' award at The Energy Event and was also awarded 'Energy Supplier of the Year' at the inaugural Energy 'Buying & Supplying Excellence' Awards. Both awards were voted for by business customers.

Sportpost.com launches the new version of its website

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:21:01 GMT

Sportpost.com has launched the new version of its website. The new site sees the addition of the Post Up button, which allows users to indicate to the community what content they 'like'.

Since being released in BETA the button has already been used over a million times. The button is now available for website owners and users with sports blogs who want to encourage their audience to Post Up their content on Sportpost.

Set-up under the mantra 'share your sport with the world', Sportpost.com allows sports fans to find and post content from all over the web and share it with other fans all over the world.

The continued growth of the site and its popularity with sports fans has attracted over 140 premium Sports videos channels onto the site. The new video partners have made Sportpost the largest sports social sharing platform on the web.

Channel partners now include the Ferrari and McLaren F1, Puma, Red Bull, the NBA, ATP Tennis Tour, The PGA Tour, London 2012, FC Barcelona and England Rugby.

Being completely independent, Sportpost is able to utilise external video feeds and media owner's own customised players into the platform to create a huge melting pot of sports content giving the sports fan total choice and access.

"There is a growing move online from users being passive observers to active participants," said Sportpost.com founder, Peter Janes. "The Sportpost platform puts fans back in charge. The site allows users to customise the site to their personal interests in sport, find and post the best content from all over the web and then share that content directly with other likeminded fans. We are very different in that we don't use editors, and all our content is sourced, shared and ranked by the millions of sports fans on the site."

Sportpost users sourced and virally spread the recent drunken efforts of a man attempting to streak an amateur tennis match which become an overnight internet sports video sensation

Sportpost continues to be a truly global proposition with big traffic figures from around the globe, with users from every country in the world having accessed the site. The core user base continues to be in the UK and Western Europe and the site is continually growing in the USA and Canada.

About Sportpost.com:
Sportpost is a social sharing platform for sports fans. The site allows users to find the very best sports content that is relevant to them - combining the best sports content on the web in the form of football videos, blogs, sports news stories, twitter feeds - in fact anything and everything to do with sport.

The Post Up button allows users to show the stuff they like and also see what's hot based on content other people are Posting Up. Users can customise the site to what they like, then create, promote and share their sport with the world.

Sportpost.com is the brainchild of three co-founders, Loughborough University alumni and sporting fanatics, Peter Janes (CEO), Paul Stewart (CFO) and Charlie Cooper (design and CTO), Sportpost.com is expected to dramatically impact the way sports fans consume and share content in future.

The site is completely independent and aims to work with athletes, brand owners and media partners to give sports fans access and choice.

npower announces npower Football League winners for December

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:09:23 GMT

npower has announced the winners of the managers of the month and players of the month awards for the npower Football League in December.

Watford striker Danny Graham has been named npower Championship Player of the Month after his impressive form continued with five goals during the month of December.

Sky Sports football league expert Peter Beagrie, who sits on the judging panel, said: "Danny's season just keeps getting better and better. He has now taken his tally to 17 starts in 26 games across all competitions, and is even in the frame for the January award with three goals already."

In League 1, Hartlepool United's Sam Collins won the npower Player of the Month Award after he helped his side shut out Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth in their two league games.

Peter Beagrie continued: "Collins has been a rock at the heart of the defence, and helped thwart two of the most potent attacks in the division."

In League 2, Stockport County's Greg Tansey won the npower Player of the Month Award for his league after he scored four goals in his side's three December games.

npower head of sponsorship Emma Collins said: "Greg Tansey has been in fine form recently and fully deserves the npower League 2 Player of the Month Award. I'd like to congratulate Greg on behalf of npower, and wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season."

Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has been named npower Championship Manager of the Month for December, with his side taking eleven points during December.

Former Charlton Athletic boss Alan Curbishley chairs the npower Manager of the Month judging panel. He said: "It was a great month for Grayson and Leeds United. A notable win over leaders QPR really stood out, and has put United firmly into the promotional race."

In League 1, Hartlepool United boss Mick Wadsworth was named npower Manager of the Month, after his side won all three of their games, with league victories over Huddersfield Town and AFC Bournemouth, and a win against Yeovil Town in the FA Cup.

Alan Curbishley continued: "Two away wins in December mean Mick's award is richly deserved. Huddersfield and Bournemouth have proved to be two of the division's strongest teams. To combine both victories with clean sheets ensures Hartlepool are now in Play-Off contention."

The League 2 npower Manager of the Month Award went to Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler after his side took maximum points for their two games against Port Vale and Macclesfield Town.

Alan Curbishley added: "Hessenthaler's men scored seven goals in two games, four of which came away from home. A notable win over high-flying Port Vale helped ensure they had a productive festive period."

The judging panel comprises Sky Sports Football League expert Peter Beagrie, Football League head of communications John Nagle, BBC Sport's Mark Clemmit and npower head of sponsorship Emma Collins.

About npower:
npower is one of the UK's largest electricity suppliers and has 6.6 million customer accounts across the UK.

npower sponsors The npower Football League and npower cricket by sponsoring English Test Cricket.

npower is dedicated to helping UK businesses with energy efficiency which helps them spend less money on their bills. It aims to have a positive impact on the communities it serves and reduce its customers' carbon footprint whilst always improving its service to its customers.

npower launches search to find Fan of the Year

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:46:18 GMT

npower and the Football League have launched a nationwide search to find the 'npower Fan of the Year' who will be honoured at a spectacular gala dinner at The Brewery, London in March 2011.

Supporters are now being asked to put forward fellow fans that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support their club.

To nominate a fan for the npower Fan of the Year award, supporters can email the nominees name, their supported club, the entrants relationship to them and a summary of why they should win the award to awards@football-league.co.uk.

Entries close on Friday 14th January 2011.

The sixth annual Football League Awards event, in association with npower, will recognise footballing excellence both on the field and behind the scenes – with clubs and players awarded alongside fans.

The nominations for the npower Fan of The Year Award will be judged by an expert panel, including representatives from The Football League, the media and npower.

The Football League's head of marketing, David Malkinson said: "The Football League Football Awards has become one of the most prestigious events of the football season, and this award helps ensure that the role fans play in the game is recognised alongside that of the players they watch and the work clubs do.

"Fans are at the very heart of what the Football League is about but their dedication and commitment to their clubs often goes unrewarded. I would encourage anyone to put forward any individual they believe should be considered for this award, and give them a chance to receive the recognition they deserve."

npower is proud sponsor of the npower Football League, including the npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2.

npower is dedicated to helping UK businesses use energy more efficiently and therefore spend less money on their bills. It aims to have a positive impact on the communities it serves and reduce its customers' carbon footprint whilst always improving its service to its customers.

npower and Karren Brady urge small businesses to back England's bid

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:03:20 GMT

npower has launched new research which shows that 73% of small businesses in the 'football front line' - the chippies, bars, hotels and pubs in the hospitality trade - believe the tournament would result in a significant increase in sales.

2018 bid advisory board member, West Ham vice-chairman and star of The Apprentice, Karren Brady launched the new research from npower, an official England 2018 world cup bid supporter.

With just over two weeks to go until FIFA makes its decision on who will host the 2018 World Cup, the research of 1000 businesses by npower also showed that many are already thinking ahead to 2018 and across all sectors, one in 25 predict they would have to take on additional staff to cope with demand, expecting to see a 17% increase in trade or sales on average.

In fact one in 12 businesses in the hospitality sector, and one in 14 in the travel, tourism and leisure sectors would start to plan for how they could take advantage of the World Cup on home soil straight after FIFA makes its decision on 2 December. One in six businesses in the hospitality sector would start their planning in 2013 - five years before the tournament starts.

One in 10 businesses also said they would introduce new products or services or would consider expanding their business to capitalise on the tournament being on home soil. This rises to a significant one in three in the hospitality sector and one in five in the travel, tourism and leisure sectors.

As a result of these findings, Karren Brady is urging people to back the bid to show their support for the entrepreneurs and small business owners that would benefit from the predicted £3bn boost to the economy the World Cup would bring.

Brady commented: "Having worked in football for many years, I am aware of how much it would mean to the public to host a World Cup in England. The UK economy would also prosper, particularly the small businesses that would get a huge and welcome boost if thousands of travelling football fans were coming through their doors. In fact, this research from npower revealed that a third of businesses (29%) believed it would be the smaller companies that would see the biggest benefit."

The research showed that overall, one in six small businesses believe a World Cup in England in 2018 would have a positive impact on their company. Of these, over half (54%) believe that hosting the World Cup would increase trade and 55% believe it would provide a welcome boost to employee morale.

Kevin Peake, marketing director at npower, added: "npower is a proud supporter of the England 2018 bid, and as we enter the final crucial two weeks before decision day, it is clear that there is a huge amount of support from small businesses. We have already been helping some of the these businesses in the host cities get in shape for the tournament by providing them energy efficiency audits and advice, and it's clear to see that many would take advantage of the opportunities a World Cup in England would bring."

npower is proud sponsor of the npower Football League, including the npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2.

npower set to light up The Football League

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:13:20 GMT

npower, energy provider, has agreed a new three-year title sponsorship with The Football League.

From the beginning of the 2010/11 season, The League's flagship competition will be titled 'The npower Football League' with its three divisions being titled 'The npower Championship', 'npower League 1' and 'npower League 2'.

Football League Chairman Lord Mawhinney said: "I am delighted to welcome npower to this new partnership with The Football League. They are a widely respected company with a strong pedigree in sports sponsorship. Their support is a huge boost to our clubs and represents the enhanced reputation of The Football League in the commercial marketplace.

"Like us, npower recognise the extraordinary attachment that Football League clubs have with people living in their local communities. This agreement will provide real benefit to those people."

As part of the new agreement, each of The League's 72 clubs will receive a grant from the npower Charity Fund for a bespoke community initiative in their local area. Fans will also be rewarded if they switch to npower for their gas and/or electricity supply.

npower will also become the new title sponsor of The Football League Community Cup, the annual six-a-side competitions for teams of mixed Under-11's and Under-13 girls played in towns and cities throughout the country, culminating in finals played at Wembley Stadium before the end of season npower Play-Off Finals.

Volker Beckers, Chief Executive Officer of RWE npower said: "We're absolutely delighted to be partnering The Football League. We share the enthusiasm of the fans that get behind their local teams and, like npower, football has always placed great emphasis on community involvement. We are committing a substantial amount to assist community initiatives at each of the 72 clubs through a Charity Fund administered by both npower and The Football League.

"npower is an evolving brand, moving from simply supplying electricity and gas to providing our customers with a whole home solution. Our sponsorship of The Football League will provide us with a cost-effective means of raising awareness of the range of services we now offer customers, such as npower hometeam, our boiler servicing and installation division. It's also a perfect platform for putting something back into the community through sport in the UK."

About npower:
npower has 6.6 million residential gas and electricity accounts throughout the UK. npower is a market leader in renewable energy. npower juice matches green energy primarily from off-shore wind farms for juice customers at no extra cost. Join the energy industry discussion on npower's interactive debating website the brighter energy debate where you can post your questions, views and comments.

NSPCC announces ‘Call to Action’ to put child protection at the heart of sport

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:21:30 GMT

The NSPCC is today (25 February 2010) announcing a ‘Call to Action’ to sports organisations and their partners in England to sign up to a shared vision of child protection in sport for 2015.

The ‘Call to Action’ builds on the progress made over the past decade and has been developed in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), Sport England, UK Sport, and the Youth Sport Trust, and marks a tipping point for child protection in sport.

It calls on all organisations providing sport to children to sign up to key actions, such as involving children and young people in creating child protection plans, and ensuring appropriate checks are followed when recruiting staff and volunteers.

NSPCC director of the Child Protection in Sport Unit Anne Tiivas said: “In the year 2000, only one in ten sports bodies completed police checks on paid coaches and staff members dealing with children and almost half had no reporting system in place for handling abuse allegations.

“Thanks to the huge progress made by sports organisations in introducing safeguards, since the creation in 2001 of the Child Protection in Sport Unit in England, co-funded by the NSPCC and Sport England, the picture today is very different.

“The NSPCC is calling on anyone providing sport for children to work closely with partners in the statutory, voluntary and private sectors to ensure children and young people can enjoy sport free from all forms of abuse and exploitation.”

Around 8 million children and young people take part in sporting activity each year. Most do so safely, but a small number of children do suffer abuse at the hands of adults working or volunteering in sport.

Sport England’s Director for Children and Young People Mike Diaper said: “A decade ago, sport’s house was not in order when it came to safeguarding children and young people. There have been major advances since then.

"We want sport to continue to lead the way over the next decade promoting the welfare of children and young people. Sport has so much to offer young people, it’s vital that all sports organisations work together so that every child can participate in a fun and safe environment.”

Anne Tiivas continued: “We must also recognise the role that sport has in identifying and getting help for children who may be experiencing abuse elsewhere. Staff and volunteers need to know what to do if a child turns to them for help.

“The ‘Call to Action’ is a commitment to protect children and young people and deliver a high quality experience for all children playing sport across England.”

A full copy of the ‘Call to Action’ is available to download at www.thecpsu.org.uk

Ends

Notes to editors:
1. The ‘Call To Action’ was launched today (25 Feb) at a conference ‘How Safe is Your Sport – Taking a Lead in Safeguarding Children’ hosted by Coventry Sports Foundation and the Geese Theatre Company, and sponsored by Network Rail, at the Xcel Leisure Centre, Coventry. http://www.safeguardingchildrensportconference.com/

For more information about Coventry Sports Foundation contact Paul Breed, Chief Executive, on 07747 448 569 or email pnbreed@covsf.com. For Geese Theatre Company please call 0121 449 6222 or email mailbox@geese.co.uk

2. National Safeguarding Standards were introduced in 2002, and since then 52 national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) and 49 county sports partnerships (CSPs) have achieved the preliminary standard and among these 19 NGBs and 28 CSPs have also achieved the advanced standard.

LV= sponsors the Anglo-Welsh rugby tournament

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:25:16 GMT

LV=, the insurance, investments and pensions group, is the new title sponsor of the LV= Cup, rugby's Anglo-Welsh tournament. The competition is jointly managed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

The initial two-year deal for the LV= Cup, with an option to renew for a further two years, will build on LV='s existing investment in Rugby Union and also complement its LV= County Championship sponsorship in cricket.*

The high profile LV= Cup is a 16-team competition involving the 12 English Guinness Premiership clubs and four Welsh regional teams. This year's competition commences on 5 November and the final will be played in March 2010 at a neutral venue to be confirmed. The eventual winner, if an English club, will gain a place in the Heineken Cup for next season.

The tournament already has a broadcaster, with Sky Sports committed to promoting the LV= Cup. They will screen one live match per round, plus the semi-finals and final, for the next five years. The competition also has a committed supporter base with an average of 8,500 spectators at each pool game over the last three years, and 55,000 attending last April's final at Twickenham Stadium.

The RFU, WRU and LV=, as well as Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) and Regional Rugby Wales, which oversee the teams playing in the competition, have all jointly committed to extensively promote the LV= Cup using existing channels and media.

David Radford, LV=Group Marketing Director, commented: "We are delighted to be extending our sponsorship interests in rugby with The LV= Cup. As an expanding business we see The LV= Cup providing a good fit with our target audiences and we’re pleased to put our support behind this popular competition."

Francis Baron, Rugby Football Union (RFU) Chief Executive, added: "The Anglo-Welsh Cup is rich with heritage and history stretching back over many years, much like LV=. This year's tournament promises to be as exciting and hard fought as ever with the ultimate prize of a place in the Heineken Cup on offer for any English club that wins. In addition we believe the new structure will give players, coaches and supporters an exciting tournament that embodies all that's best about cross-border knockout competition, and further showcases the game."

Roger Lewis, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Chief Executive, concluded: "Anglo-Welsh rivalries are among the oldest in world rugby and this competition will once again stir a huge amount of excitement from players, coaches and fans. The Welsh Rugby Union has always championed this competition and so we very much welcome LV= as title sponsors of the tournament and Sky as host broadcaster. We look forward to another season of top class rugby between the best English clubs and our Welsh regions."

- ends -

NOTES TO EDITORS:
* LV= has been the title sponsor of the LV= County Championship, the premier domestic cricket competition, since 2002. LV= is also a sponsor of Harlequins RUFC.

About LV=
LV= is a registered trademark of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) and a trading style of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies.

The LV= insurance, investments and pensions group employs more than 3,800 people, serves over 3.6m customers and members, and manages around £7bn on their behalf. The company is also the UK's largest friendly society (Source: Association of Friendly Societies Key Statistics 2009) and a leading mutual financial services provider, offering customers car insurance, home insurance and travel insurance.

Liverpool Victoria Friendly Soc

Mirror Group Launches Standalone Football Website

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:01:37 GMT

The Mirror Group has launched a new standalone site which will display thousands of stunning never-seen-before images of Britain's most iconic football moments.

The launch, which coincides with the new football season will set a new standard for football coverage online.

Combining the latest Premier League updates, club-by-club breaking news, with the sharpest views in the sport, MirrorFootball.co.uk provides up to date football news as the season unfolds.

At the heart of this major new website, for the first time ever fans can now access hundreds of thousands of images from the archives of Mirror Group's stable of national titles.

Many of the photographs to be released online at MirrorFootball.co.uk have never been seen before, including remarkable shots of Sir Alf Ramsey's England in training the day before the 1966 World Cup Final, rare behind-the-scenes photos of Manchester United and Liverpool's great European triumphs, and newly-discovered pictures of iconic figures - from Dixie Dean to Bill Shankly, Billy Wright to Bobby Moore, George Best to Paul Gascoigne.

Paul Hood, head of digital for Mirror Group said: "The Mirror has been at the forefront of covering football since 1903. Now we're about to lead the way online.

"Not only will fans enjoy the absolute best in reporting and opinion of the modern game, but they will be staggered by the depth of content going back more than a century: breathtaking images of the most famous moments in football. MirrorFootball.co.uk will be a bookmark-must for every fan. For advertisers, Mirror Football represents a truly unique platform - the opportunity to reach a hugely engaged and receptive audience - to advertise within the most exclusive football image archive in the world."

As well as a huge archive of rare and previously unseen football pics, the new Mirror Football site contains video interviews with football stars, a dynamic match centre updated minute-by-minute with a wealth of data and breaking stories, and web-exclusive content produced by some of the best sports journalists and columnists in the country, including Stan Collymore, Mark Lawrenson and Oli Holt.

Mark Hollinshead, managing director of Mirror Group Newspapers, said: "Our firm intention is to fully capture the passion of football and its fans. MirrorFootball.co.uk will be a uniquely engaging website and an instant smash hit with a very broad and knowledgeable audience."

Mirrorfootball also incorporates a brand-new dynamic and engaging weekly fantasy football game: Mirror Fantasy Stakes allows users to set up mini-leagues to challenge their mates to pick the dream fantasy team, weekend by weekend.

The site, launched on 7 August 2009 was developed in conjunction with Liverpool based creative agency Rippleffect.

About Mirror Football:
Mirror Football is a dedicated website produced by Mirror Group Newspapers

Mirror Group Newspapers is owned by Trinity Mirror plc, one of the UK's largest newspaper publishers, with an award winning portfolio including five national newspapers, over 120 regional newspapers and 400 plus digital products.

The Group employs over 7,000 people in more than 85 locations across the UK, including nine printing sites. The group's strategic goal is to build a growing multi-platform media business, by developing and sustaining strong positions across print and digital, with products and services which meet the needs of its customers, both readers and advertisers.

npower encourages businesses to bat for England

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:40:37 GMT

npower, official sponsor of the Ashes Test Series, has conducted new research to find out how businesses and their employees across the UK are going to follow the Ashes series while at work.

Kind-hearted bosses are planning to let employees get behind the England cricket team this summer, according to npower, with one in 16 UK employees saying that their boss was letting them follow the hotly-contested npower Ashes series between England and Australia during the working day, with many installing TVs and radios to make sure they don't miss a minute of the action.

npower surveyed over 1300 UK workers to see if they would be getting behind Kevin Pietersen and the rest of the England cricket team this summer, with nearly one third (28 per cent) of workers planning to follow the Ashes while at work. While the majority (37 per cent) said it was because they are cricket fans and wouldn't miss it, over one in 10 (11 per cent) said it would be good for staff morale during difficult economic times. However, one in 30 bosses admitted it was because they feared employees would take sick days if they weren't allowed to watch the cricket at work.

While applauding patriotic bosses, npower is urging businesses planning to install extra TVs and radios to consider switching other appliances off on order to keep energy consumption to a minimum.

Julia Lynch Williams, director of energy services at npower, said: "It is great that UK businesses are planning to get behind the team and follow them during the Ashes. However, just installing one extra appliance, such as a TV or radio, and keeping it on for the duration of the working-day will increase a businesses' energy consumption. All we are asking is that if you are getting behind Strauss, Pietersen, Collingwood and co, that you adopt a 'switch on switch off' policy during the test series. Fingers crossed it's going to be 2005 all over again."

Former England cricket captain Alec Stewart is also backing npower's campaign, commenting: "The Ashes is the test series that all English, and Australian, cricket fans look forward to and it is great that npower has been such a huge part of English cricket for so many years. It is also fantastic that the nation's workforce is planning to get behind the team, whether that is via TV, radio or online.

"Since hanging my bat up I have been involved in a business venture myself, so I know how important it is to save energy, both in terms of cost and carbon emissions, which is why I am backing npower's 'switch on switch off' initiative - get behind the lads but just turn off a printer or photocopier instead."

Julia Lynch Williams continued: "Many people don't realise that many local businesses are integral to the success of the Ashes series. As part of our commitment to providing energy advice to SMEs, we want to showcase some of those businesses that are working so hard behind the scenes, whether it's at the grounds or entertaining the fans."

The npower Ashes series starts in Cardiff on 8th July 2009.

Ends

Notes to Editor:
Online research was undertaken by YouGov across a sample of 1346 UK workers. The research took place in June 2009.

About npower:
npower is one of the top energy suppliers to the UK business market, serving over 230,000 small to medium sized enterprise sites and around 15,000 industrial and commercial customers, with over 100,000 sites.

npower specialises in risk management solutions, including market-leading flexible energy purchasing, energy efficiency, and broader energy management functions, tailored to every size of business.

JD Sports launches exclusive Masters competition to win a Carbrini football kit

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:33:10 GMT

JD Sports' exclusive Cabrini brand is pleased to be sponsoring a number of the teams at this year's events. To celebrate the occasion, JD Sports has hooked up with the guys from Masters to bring an exclusive competition to win a Carbrini football kit for an entire team.

As the Masters Cup celebrates its 10th year of competition this summer, the world's most popular legends football tournament will be coming to 8 regions throughout the UK and JD Sports have a football kit competition for every event. Featuring 40 teams and 360 players, in 8 different cities across the UK, the Masters Cup 2009 represents the pinnacle of indoor football excellence.

The list of legends to have played Masters Football is exhaustive, with new names coming through each series. The London Masters will be taking place on 20th June at Wembley Arena and teams from Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, West Ham, QPR and Fulham are taking part with Ray Parlour, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Tore Andre Flo and Paul Merson just some of the famous faces from the pitch to be seen in action.

The JD Sports football kit competition is open to anyone aged between 10 and 14 years old who wants to share the pitch with some of the all time greats and step up to the spot. The lucky winners will be selected for each regional event to take part in a penalty shootout and the lucky overall winner will take home a team strip for their team from Carbrini. The winner will then be put through to take part in another shoot out in the final of the Masters Cup in September.

Further competition information is available through the website or leaflets in store.

-ENDS-

About JD Sports
JD Sports Fashion Plc is the leading UK specialised multiple retailer of fashionable branded and own brand sports wear and casual wear. It operates from over 450 stores via a number of fascias and offers customers a selection of leading sports brands.

John David Sports was founded in 1981 with one shop in Bury. It expanded into the Arndale Centre in Manchester in 1983 and consolidated its position throughout the 1980s with further openings, largely in the North and Midlands. The first London store was opened in Oxford Street in 1989.

The business continued to grow organically until 2002 and then grew further with the acquisition of over 200 stores, further consolidating its position as the leading and by the time of JD Sports' stock market flotation in 1996 there were 56 stores.

JD Sports PR contact:
Kim Jones
JD Sports Fashion PLC
Hollinsbrook Way
Bury
BL9 8RR
0161 767 1659
www.jdsports.co.uk

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