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Post by QPR Report on Jan 25, 2009 16:46:55 GMT
The Sporting Power 100 - The Times identifies the most influential people in British sport today www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article5576544.ece#1 Alex Ferguson [At #13.... 13 Bernie Ecclestone Chief executive, Formula One Wily, mischievous, funny and something of a genius, nobody seems to have told Ecclestone that he is 78. He still thinks he is 30 and is determined to go on running the show. Criticised for running a sport that is too extravagant and not exciting enough, yet it enjoyed massive audiences last year. Could face his biggest test yet with the recession biting and teams forming a united front to demand more money from the little emperor of F1. Joint ownership of Queens Park Rangers no more than a distraction for now. [/b] The Times - The Sporting Power 100The Times identifies the most influential people in British sport today " 5 Dave Brailsford Performance director, British CyclingHowever many gold medals British cyclists win, it is some statement that a bike bloke should be so high in our top 100. But Dave Brailsford oversaw a team in Beijing who won eight gold medals, more than the whole of the France team. This means that he is as instrumental as anyone in pushing Britain to success in the London Olympics in 2012. Furthermore, he has made cycling a rare sport that fits Olympic intentions: success at elite level has prompted a participation boom at grass roots. About 100,000 children have had coaching opportunities in the past year, and for his next trick, Brailsford intends to unveil a Great Britain team for next year’s Tour de France. Brailsford is 44 and Welsh by upbringing. After school he went to France and lingered on the fringes of professional cycling for four years before realising that he would not make it as a rider. So he applied his mind to making it from a stationary position.He inherited a thriving set-up from Peter Keen, who coached Chris Boardman, and his success is largely based on the success of the appointments he made around him. He believes in empowering people: athletes and staff alike. He has become synonymous with the concept of “compassionate ruthlessness”. For those around him the formula works impeccably. Words by Owen Slot 4 Jeremy Darroch Chief executive, Sky TVHe could have as much impact on sport this year as any individual. To understand why we rank him so highly, look at the list of broadcasting rights deals he has signed off: in football the Champions League, Football League and Carling Cup; in rugby union the Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership; in golf the Ryder Cup, European Tour, US Open and US PGA Championship; and in cricket the England tour to the West Indies. In addition, Sky Sports is British Cycling’s first principal partner. Darroch has also got the station busy on grass-roots projects such as the London Freewheel cycling event, which attracted 50,000 people, and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s coach education programme. There is also a programme to develop sports in schools affecting 30,000 youngsters over the next four years. Darroch is expected to sign the cheque to keep hold of the rights to the Barclays Premier League and sources say that he might produce a bid as good as the £1.4 billion in the previous deal. By his side will be Vic Wakeling, the managing director of Sky Sports and News. At 65 he is due to retire, but many believe the warhorse is determined to see through this rights deal, which would end in 2013 and cement Sky’s place at the heart of televised British sport. Words by Kevin Eason 3 Sheikh Mansour bin Zayad al Nahyan Owner, Man CityThe Beatles had a hit with Can’t Buy Me Love in 1964, but Kaká’s dismissal of a £100 million offer from Manchester City could yet turn the song into a theme tune for Sheikh Mansour’s Manchester City. The task of telling a man with access to a $1 trillion family fortune that money might not be enough to buy the greatest football team in the world will fall to Mark Hughes, whose departure as manager is on the cards without some rapid results. As well as being a key figure in the Abu Dhabi business world as chairman of First Gulf Bank and the International Petroleum Investment Company, Sheikh Mansour loves his sport and has used his wealth to enjoy it. He is chairman of the Emirates Horse Racing Authority, but al-Jazeera Football Club, where he is also chairman, probably best spells out his ambitions. Part of a sporting complex, the club has an Olympic-size pool, 32 bedrooms for players and staff plus handball, volleyball and basketball courts. The Sheikh’s ambitions for City are liable to be just as expansive. Even if the top stars do not fancy playing in a team struggling in the Barclays Premier League, the impact of Sheikh Mansour’s riches has been seismic. There is every chance that he will top this list next year if he achieves his goal of transforming City. Words by Kevin Eason 2 Lord Coe Chairman, LOCOGAs the front-of-house face of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Lord Coe was not only the key man in winning the capital’s bid to be hosts, but he is now the face of the Games themselves. The home Olympics are colossal and controversial and Coe is as influential as anyone in terms of how successful they are and how successful they are perceived to be. In his final lobbying speech in Singapore nearly four years ago, to persuade voters to give London the Games, Coe promised an event that would “inspire young people to choose sport” – a noble and far-reaching cause. Were he to pull it off – and right now you would probably say that it is odds against – he will be remembered as one of British sport’s greatest statesmen. If he does not, then the Olympics will seem to many to have been an expensive con. All this says nothing of the achievements of his previous life, as a double Olympic gold medal-winner, or his political career, as an MP. The two were combined as he moved increasingly into sports politics. A Chelsea fan, he is chairman of Fifa’s ethics commission and a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations and, when he has seen London 2012 through, he is tipped to extend his influence farther into international sports politics. Words by Owen Slot 1 Sir Alex Ferguson Manager, Manchester United Following the money would have led us to an Arab sheikh. Or a man in a suit controlling sport from his seat behind a desk. But this has not been a rich list. It is The Times Power 100 and, among our criteria, we have measured the power to put bums on seats, to stir our emotions, to shape events. Sir Alex Ferguson, above and right, has been shaping our sporting lives for decades, to the extent that he is atop our summit, and the hard part is not in establishing where his power starts but where it ends. It is a job best approached with caution, given that the old bully recently banned a journalist for describing him as the leader of a mob. And we all saw what Ferguson did recently to Rafael Benítez. The Liverpool manager described his United counterpart as above the law, a serial intimidator of officials and hell-bent on organising the fixture list to suit his own ends — the most powerful man in sport, in other words — and the Spaniard still has the bruises for saying what others only think. As Benítez’s Liverpool team have stuttered, Ferguson has remained as immovable and impervious as Scottish granite. Benítez claimed to have been inundated with messages of support from other managers, but there has not been a squeak from any of them in public. They know what is good for them. Another Barclays Premier League manager recently disclosed that, faced with a career choice, he summoned the courage to phone Ferguson, with whom he was not even closely acquainted. Within hours he was sitting in a chair opposite the Scotsman’s desk going through his options and obeying the old man’s advice. These are the tentacles of power and influence that have grown through a lifetime in the game. But Ferguson’s leverage goes way beyond a Godfatherly presence among his peers. If the modern Premier League is a global phenomenon — and it is the most watched and wealthy sporting franchise on the planet — then Ferguson is its founding father. It was he who built the modern megaclub that is Manchester United, the giant flagship of the Premier League enterprise. And we must ask whether the league would be half as popular in Bangkok or Beijing — or, for that matter, in Basingstoke — if it were not for United’s sustained success. The whole concept of the “39th game” was built on United’s worldwide appeal, although the irony is that no man did more to kill the idea than Ferguson, who was enraged not to have been consulted. That is power for you, if you can veto such a lucrative project. Longevity was not one of the measuring sticks for The Times Power 100, but it says much about Ferguson’s stature that he has proved unsackable in a profession where 22 years at one club, particularly one carrying the expectations of United, may never be replicated. Think for a moment what has happened in your life across the past two decades — and just consider that, during that great sweep of time, Ferguson’s enthusiasm to arrive at the training ground before breakfast has not ebbed. Yes, he has taken some blows. Pizza topping stained his jacket after the Battle of the Buffet; mud stuck to him and his family after allegations of nepotism; and there was the terribly misguided business over Rock Of Gibraltar. We may acclaim Ferguson as the most powerful man in sport, but the Coolmore Mafia could have done for him. He was forced to retreat, but he brushed himself down and came back stronger than ever, most recently seeing off the threat of Chelsea’s roubles to become champion of Europe and the world. And while the end for him at Old Trafford cannot be far away, if not in four months’ time then probably in 2010, it will be some years before we see the back of him. In 2012, Olympic gold could be hanging around Ferguson’s neck. Lord Coe has pleaded for him to take charge of the host team in London, knowing that Ferguson is the only man who might be able to break the resistance of the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish and bring together a Great Britain football team. Ferguson will be 70 by then, but still one hell of an intimidating pensioner. Words by Matt thingyinson www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article5576544.ece
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Post by QPR Report on Jan 25, 2009 16:50:29 GMT
100 Mark McCafferty Chief executive, Premier Rugby
Charged with keeping a tight ship afloat as recession bites into the Guinness Premiership. The multilingual former banker and businessman is well qualified to understand the importance of running his sport carefully when the financial pressures are on, although he is walking a tightrope of conflicting opinions. Entering his fourth year in the job, we rate McCafferty for deploying all his diplomatic skills to get a new salary cap, a reduction in squad sizes and to slow the influx of foreign players.
99 Andrew “Chubby” Chandler Agent
A decent professional golfer — his best finish on the European Order of Merit was 44th — Chandler has become a powerful agent over the past 20 years in charge of International Sports Management. His clients include Ernie Els, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, as well as Rory McIlroy, the highly rated young Ulsterman. Has branched into cricket with Neil Fairbrother, the former England batsman, handling Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan and Stephen Harmison.
98 Zara Phillips Three-day event rider
The charismatic young woman who made both horses and royalty fashionable. Eventing world champion and BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2006, Phillips, 27, above, has bridged the gap between a sport considered as only for toffs and a public who have taken to her Hello! magazine lifestyle, including the story of her relationship with Mike Tindall, the England rugby union centre. Phillips could inherit the mantle as the voice of equestrianism from the Princess Royal, her mother.
97 Barry Hearn Darts/snooker impresario
Essex boy made good. Hearn was an accountant who first made his money buying and selling snooker halls. Had the good fortune to discover Steve Davis in 1976 and founded Matchroom Sport, the promotions company, with leading players such as Davis, Cliff Thorburn and Jimmy White. Branched out into boxing, pool, bowling, golf, fishing, poker and darts, giving the latter a much-needed injection of razzmatazz. Is the chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation and Leyton Orient FC.
96 Jon Holmes Managing director, Jon Holmes Media
Ubiquitous manager of talent, television show inventor and commentator, Holmes has 30 years’ experience in sport’s front line. Started in journalism before branching into sports management; his first client was Peter Shilton, the England goalkeeper. Now manages more than 70 well-known faces in broadcasting, such as Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen, of Match of the Day, and came up with the format for They Think It’s All Over, the television show.
95 Rio Ferdinand Footballer
Centre back for Manchester United and England. Twice set a world record for transfer fees for a defender, when West Ham United sold him to Leeds United in 2000 for £18 million and when he joined Manchester United for £30 million in 2002. Is contracted to stay at Old Trafford until 2013 on a deal worth £130,000 per week. Created the Rio Ferdinand Live The Dream Foundation for disadvantaged children. Also owns a small record company and is about to publish his first digital magazine.
Related Links Ten athletes who changed our views Top 50 British footballers of 2008 Football's top 50 rising stars 94 Richard Bevan Chief executive, League Managers Association
Marks a year in the job with football’s corridors littered with managerial casualties. But an able administrator who won praise for his 11 years at the helm of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, growing its wealth and influence before moving on. Showing early signs of being able to play a deft political game and wants the LMA to become a more authoritative voice, as well as helping to cultivate more home-grown managers. We expect Bevan’s profile to rise.
93 Jennie Price Chief executive, Sport England
A former barrister who was chief executive of the Construction Confederation and the Waste and Resources Action Programme. Is handling the strategy to get one million more people, especially children, playing sport by 2012. Sport England runs five National Sports Centres, including the bases at Lilleshall and Bisham Abbey, and has been operating without a chairman since Derek Mapp was forced to resign by the Government in 2007. Supports Wolverhampton Wanderers.
92 Edward Wray, Andrew Black Co-founders, Betfair
A few months short of its tenth birthday, Betfair can celebrate changing the way the nation gambles. Black, a former professional gambler, and Wray, a banker, built a business that not only cut out betting’s middle man — the bookie — but went on to win the Queen’s Award for Industry for both innovation and international trade. The only dark cloud on the horizon is that such immediate access for punters has raised questions about the dangers of match-fixing, though Betfair says it can deal with it.
91 Steven Gerrard Liverpool captain
A stalwart at Anfield for more than a decade, who captained Liverpool to the Champions League title in 2005, which made it easier for him to reject a £32 million offer from Chelsea. Is the only player to have scored in the finals of the FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Cup and Champions League. Made his international debut in 2000 and has scored 14 goals in 70 matches for England. Ranks higher than Ferdinand (No 95) because goalscorers are always bigger crowd-pleasers than goal-stoppers.
90 Phil Lane Chief executive, British Paralympic Association
The former Essex head teacher and coach at Saracens rugby union club can take pride in a haul of 102 medals from the Beijing Paralympics, which led to his being appointed OBE. Also a founder of the Paralympics World Cup, which extended opportunities for disabled athletes to compete. Tireless in the face of his seemingly endless quest to raise funds for his athletes, which even led to convincing Sir Paul McCartney to help. A backroom star of British sport.
89 Francis Baron Chief executive, RFU
The first chief executive of the RFU after rugby union became professional, Baron was previously chief executive of First Choice Holidays and before that oversaw the creation of Eurosport. He turned the RFU into a profitable business within a year, creating a budget that helped England to win the 2003 World Cup, but has been criticised for his poor relationship with several England coaches. Appointed Rob Andrew to be director of elite rugby in 2006 to improve the quality of English rugby.
88 Andrew Flintoff Cricketer
Few sportsmen, let alone cricketers, transcend their sport, but “Freddie” Flintoff has done just that. He has made cricket sexy for a new generation with his big hitting and spectacular bowling performances. Suddenly, kids started wielding bats again. Injury has blighted his form, though, and, at 31, he needs a return to the winning ways of the Ashes of 2005. Still a power broker in the England camp and millionaire status confirms his attraction for a plethora of high-profile sponsors.
87 Harry Redknapp Manager, Tottenham Hotspur
The manager with the Midas touch after lifting Tottenham off the bottom of the Premiership this season with ten points in his first four games in charge, although they have since slipped back a little. His popularity with fans ensures his place on this list when managers of more successful clubs miss out. Developed many of England’s present players through the West Ham United academy and, in two spells, was in charge when Portsmouth were promoted to the top flight and won the FA Cup.
86 Michael Jermey Director, ITV news, current affairs and sport
Low-profile executive who has taken control of ITV’s dwindling sports portfolio. Since the station’s raid on the FA Cup and England matches in 2007, ITV’s fortunes have been hit by a slump in advertising revenue, forcing the station to cut its sports roster. Formula One was dispatched to the BBC and football will now be ITV’s mainstay. It seems unlikely that Jermey will be in a strong position to bid big in the next round of Premier League broadcasting rights.
85 Hugh Morris Managing director, England cricket
Former Glamorgan and England opening batsman who rose through the ranks at the England and Wales Cricket Board, from technical coaching director, performance director and deputy chief executive before being appointed to his present post in 2007. Has been praised for his calm diplomacy but some have questioned whether he could have done more to prevent the rift that grew between Kevin Pietersen, the former captain, and Peter Moores, the former head coach.
84 Tiger Woods Golfer
Not so much golfer as institution, as Woods’s personal invitation to attend Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration shows. Golf has survived without the world No 1 and richest sportsman on the planet, but his return from a career-threatening knee injury will be the biggest talking point of the new year and crowds will flock to see the comeback of the Tiger.
His influence did not decline in his absence and no sportsman in history has harnessed such money-making ability.
83 Giles Clarke Chairman, England and Wales Cricket Board
Brought £520 million into the ECB’s coffers by selling the broadcast rights for England’s home internationals from 2006 to 2013 to Sky, but some suggest that this has reduced cricket’s public standing. There has also been disquiet at his relationship with Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire. Made his money by founding Majestic Wine and Pet City. As Somerset chairman he developed the County Ground in Taunton. If he wins a second term at the ECB, he will rise up the list.
82 Ian Todd President, IMG International
The man who put Nike and Manchester United together has worked with one of the most impressive client lists in the world. Names include Sir Jackie Stewart, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, as well as tournaments such as Wimbledon and golf’s Open Championship. A 36-year IMG veteran, apart from a brief spell at Nike, he now heads up IMG’s rights and distribution business. Todd, a member of the 1968 Great Britain Olympic downhill ski team, has a significant impact around the globe.
81 Peter Dawson Chief executive, Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
Appointed the successor to Michael Bonallack in 1999, Dawson, whose background is in construction, demolished the image of the R&A as a fusty private club and turned it into one of the best-run governing bodies in sport. As well as running the Open and safeguarding the rules of golf, the R&A supports development projects around the world and is pushing to get golf into the Olympics. Also chairman of the World Golf Foundation.
80 Alex Horne Chief operating officer, Football Association
Whiz-kid accountant who specialises as the FA’s financial firefighter. Hired by Mark Palios, the FA chief executive at the time, to fill in a black hole in the FA’s books, Horne, 36, gained a solid reputation and was diverted to sort out the Wembley Stadium project. That achieved, he was recruited by Lord Triesman, the new chairman, to become his lieutenant. A clever performer but risks being caught up in the political crossfire, particularly with the 2018 World Cup bid.
Figure it out
£25.5 billion the collective wealth of five football team owners in the list 78 The age of oldest entrant 47 People in the list involved in football 23 Sports administrators 16 Sportsmen and women 10 People aged 30 or under 10 Peers and knights 8 Women on the list 7 Coaches or managers
How we did it
Our contenders were scored across five categories to earn their rating in our top 100. First, they had to prove their influence on their sports and the knock-on effect on other sports. That could mean as a figurehead or influence of overwhelming importance.
Next we scored them on whether that influence permeated the grass roots of sport. Then we judged whether our contenders were crowd-pleasers. Did they put bums on seats, either by producing fantastic displays of sport, managing wonderful teams or providing the infrastructure and finance for great sport?
They also had to score highly in the category that attempted to measure the esteem in which they are held, by the public or their peers.
Finally, we rated our contenders on a category which we called the I Factor, or Influence Factor, a round-up of all the qualities that singled out these 100 individuals from the rest. It was an emotional as much as rational score, to grade some of the most outstanding people in sport.
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Post by QPR Report on Jan 25, 2009 16:53:16 GMT
79. Ricky Hatton
Boxer
“The Hitman” from Manchester, above, is the IBO light-welterweight champion and is boxing his way back towards the top with two wins in 2008 after suffering the only loss of his professional career to Floyd Mayweather Jr at the end of 2007. Hatton became recognised as one of the best boxers in the world when he beat Kostya Tszyu in 2005. A sign of Hatton's return to form is that Mayweather expressed interest in a rematch. Ironically, Hatton is now trained by Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr.
78. Anthony Hamilton
Manager of Formula One driver
The former British Rail worker from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, could never have known when he put his young son in a go-kart that he would turn into sport's hottest ticket. He continues to manage Lewis, the Formula One world champion, showing no sign that eventually he might be out of his depth. To judge from his son's earnings, which is are on course to reach £1billion as Lewis resembles a cash-generating combination of Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher, he is doing fine.
77. Niels de Vos
Chief executive, UK Athletics
Replaced David Moorcroft as the head of UK Athletics in 2007, with the task of building towards the London Olympics in 2012, having previously been with Sale Sharks rugby union club, where his main influence was to move them to a groundshare with Stockport County FC at Edgeley Park. Before that, he gained a reputation for negotiating lucrative sponsorship deals as commercial director for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. At UKA, De Vos has adopted a strong anti-doping stance.
76. Ian Ritchie
Wimbledon always looks from the outside like a guaranteed success, but Ritchie, a former chief executive of Five, refuses to rest on Wimbledon's lush laurels and is dragging Britain's annual festival of tennis into the modern era. Equal prize-money for men and women was just the start and now the Centre Court roof is due for completion this summer, transforming Wimbledon into a modern theatre. The tournament has also funded British tennis to the tune of £25 million annually, making Ritchie a key figure in the much-needed development of the sport.
75. Lord Mawhinney
Chairman, Football League
The first of four former Conservative politicians in this list. Brian Mawhinney was an MP for 26 years, serving in John Major's Cabinet as Transport Secretary and party chairman. In 2003, Mawhinney was appointed chairman of the Football League while sitting as MP for North West Cambridgeshire, but he left Parliament in 2005, a year after overseeing a reorganisation of the League. Secured a three-year television deal worth £264 million with Sky and the BBC in 2007, to start next season.
74. Danny Cipriani
Rugby union player
There has not been a rugby union player so blessed with the combination of outrageous good looks and glittering talent. The tabloid newspapers love him and his romance with Kelly Brook has catapulted Cipriani into the spotlight and on to the rosters of sponsors. Yet a rocky comeback for England and problems with London Wasps, his club, have cast a pall over his fledgeling career. If Cipriani is to be in this list next year, he needs some thrilling performances in the RBS Six Nations Championship for England, but at 21 he has time on his side.
73. Frank Warren
Boxing promoter
Manager and promoter since 1980 who has handled some of the leading British boxers, including Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, Amir Khan, Naseem Hamed and Nigel Benn, as well as founding and owning the now-defunct London Arena for seven years. Under Warren, Hamed became Britain's youngest world champion, while he guided Calzaghe for most of his 46-bout unbeaten career. Survived a shooting in 1989, which he described as “bang, shot, bit of pain, back at work in nine days”.
72. Charles van Commenee
Brought in after last summer's Beijing Olympics to sort out Team GB's underperforming athletics team. With a reputation as a hard man, the former technical director for the Dutch Olympic Committee has declared his hand, stating that he will concentrate his efforts on 25 elite athletes to guarantee medals at London 2012. Despite being described regularly as “ruthless”, many top athletes will take the pain because they believe that he can turn around the track and field squad.
71. Daniel Levy
Chairman, Tottenham Hotspur
Succeeded Alan Sugar at Tottenham in 2001 after Enic International, the investment company of which he is managing director, bought a controlling stake in the club. The company has also held stakes in Rangers, Slavia Prague and Warner Bros, the film company. Under his chairmanship Tottenham are planning to develop their training facilities and expand their White Hart Lane ground in North London. He also handled the “night of the long knives” last October when four coaches were sacked.
70. Rafael Benítez
Manager, Liverpool FC
Plenty of people in football would like the genial Spaniard to succeed with a first Premier League title for Liverpool. Well, genial, that is, until he returned to duty after a bout of kidney stones and laid into Sir Alex Ferguson, his counterpart at Manchester United. Perhaps he is just getting used to infighting; he has waged a war with the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, and sparks flew with Rick Parry, the chief executive. Benítez's quiet style belies a combative nature and the supporters love him.
73. Frank Warren
Boxing promoter
Manager and promoter since 1980 who has handled some of the leading British boxers, including Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, Amir Khan, Naseem Hamed and Nigel Benn, as well as founding and owning the now-defunct London Arena for seven years. Under Warren, Hamed became Britain's youngest world champion, while he guided Calzaghe for most of his 46-bout unbeaten career. Survived a shooting in 1989, which he described as “bang, shot, bit of pain, back at work in nine days”.
72. Charles van Commenee
Brought in after last summer's Beijing Olympics to sort out Team GB's underperforming athletics team. With a reputation as a hard man, the former technical director for the Dutch Olympic Committee has declared his hand, stating that he will concentrate his efforts on 25 elite athletes to guarantee medals at London 2012. Despite being described regularly as “ruthless”, many top athletes will take the pain because they believe that he can turn around the track and field squad.
71. Daniel Levy
Chairman, Tottenham Hotspur
Succeeded Alan Sugar at Tottenham in 2001 after Enic International, the investment company of which he is managing director, bought a controlling stake in the club. The company has also held stakes in Rangers, Slavia Prague and Warner Bros, the film company. Under his chairmanship Tottenham are planning to develop their training facilities and expand their White Hart Lane ground in North London. He also handled the “night of the long knives” last October when four coaches were sacked.
70. Rafael Benítez
Manager, Liverpool FC
Plenty of people in football would like the genial Spaniard to succeed with a first Premier League title for Liverpool. Well, genial, that is, until he returned to duty after a bout of kidney stones and laid into Sir Alex Ferguson, his counterpart at Manchester United. Perhaps he is just getting used to infighting; he has waged a war with the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, and sparks flew with Rick Parry, the chief executive. Benítez's quiet style belies a combative nature and the supporters love him.
65. Allen Stanford
Entrepreneur and cricket mogul
Texan billionaire who has been investing the profits from his insurance and real estate company into building a cricket empire in the Caribbean. In November last year, his Stanford Superstars team humiliated England in a match for $20 million (about £14 million) at the Stanford Cricket Ground, which he built in Antigua. Also sponsors tennis, polo and sailing competitions and three of the world's leading golfers - Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson and Camilo Villegas.
64. Roger Draper Chief executive, Lawn Tennis Association
Never in the history of our country has so much been given to produce so few. Draper is constantly forced to justify why the annual £25 million or so handed over by the All England Club has produced so few stars. Andy Murray came from outside the system. Yet there are the green shoots of recovery, particularly in the women's game. He has made mistakes, but his authority is backed by a £25 million, five-year sponsorship deal with AEGON, an insurance business.
63. Paul Deighton
Chief executive, London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games
The man who will deliver the 2012 London Olympic Games on time and on budget. That is the plan, anyway. Deighton, an investment banker, fought off 300 other applicants to land the job at Locog in 2005, having developed a reputation for defeating hostile takeover bids on British companies. Handles an operation budget of £1.5 billion and a staff of 3,000. “It's the only job I would have considered leaving Goldman Sachs for,” he said.
62. Andrew Dwyer
Managing director, brandRapport Arena
The tentacles of brandRapport, one of the leading sports sponsorship and marketing agencies, have been reaching ever farther under Dwyer's stewardship. Deals in France and Germany were added to last year when the company absorbed Arena International, one of the big names in football sponsorship. A former Great Britain squash player, Dwyer worked with top tennis stars, such as Pat Rafter and Boris Becker, before taking over at brandRapport in 2006.
61. Peter Kenyon
Chief executive, Chelsea Football Club
Roman Abramovich's representative on earth - or at least at Stamford Bridge. He had been chief executive at Manchester United from 2000 to late 2003, when his biggest success was talking Sir Alex Ferguson out of retiring. Must have been regretting that for every mile down the M6. Came into football from a marketing background with Umbro, the sports equipment manufacturer. His biggest impact at United and Chelsea is in raising their profile in the Far East.
60. Lord Moynihan
Chairman, British Olympic Association
The man dubbed the “Miniature for Sport” when part of Margaret Thatcher's Government turns out to have a big heart for sport. He loaned the BOA £250,000 to fund Sir Clive Woodward as director of elite performance. Unfortunately, sport has yet to be convinced by Woodward's plans. With the BOA amassing losses of £1.3 million last year, Moynihan, 53, is leading the search for funding if Team GB are to improve in 2012 on an impressive Beijing Olympic Games.
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Post by QPR Report on Jan 25, 2009 16:54:35 GMT
59-40
59 George O’Grady Chief executive, European Tour
Succeeded Ken Schofield in 2004 at a point when the European Tour was under serious pressure from the PGA Tour of the United States. His greatest achievement has been to stretch the definition of “European” beyond credibility, taking the tour to some far-flung places (South Korea, China, Abu Dhabi), but boosting its attractiveness to the world’s leading golfers in the process. The new Race to Dubai, replacing the Order of Merit, is worth £100 million over five years.
58 Sir Dave Richards Chairman, Premier League
For a man who has been at the top of the world’s most successful league for a decade, Richards has suffered some turbulent times. Sheffield Wednesday fans blame his chairmanship for the club’s slide, as he swapped them for the Premier League and jobs at the FA and Uefa. He has survived despite foot-in-mouth moments, such as blaming the Premier League for stifling English talent, for which Richard Scudamore, the chief executive, called him for a “chat”.
57 John Terry Captain, England football team
The rock in the heart of the Chelsea and England defence, twice voted best defender in the Champions League and the only England player to be in Fifa’s All-Star squad at the 2006 World Cup. He has been protected by Chelsea after some exuberance-of-youth episodes, but he has matured and is a fine role model. His stock might be a smidgin higher if he hadn’t missed that penalty in the Champions League final to cost Chelsea the European Cup last May.
56 Karen Earl Chairman, Synergy Earl has been at the heart of sport for more than two decades. A rare woman in a decidedly man’s world, she started her agency in 1984, and built a clientele across a range of sports and countries. Earl is stepping back from the front line with Synergy, now part of the Engine Group. But she has watched her team win a raft of awards, such as Sports Agency of the Year 2007, while she has become chairman of the prestigious European Sponsor Association.
55 David Wheldon Global brand director, Vodafone
Having your company logo plastered on images of David Beckham would be achievement enough for some people, but Wheldon is purring with delight that his backing for Mercedes McLaren and Lewis Hamilton has borne fruit. He controls an advertising budget to be envied, but there has been some rethinking. Vodafone no longer sponsors Manchester United or the Derby and its deal with the England cricket team is set to end, but is Hamilton recession-proof?
54 Gerry Sutcliffe Sports Minister Somewhat quieter since he burst on to the scene in 2007 with criticism of the “obscene” wages of Premier League footballers and the foreigners invading English football. Sports leaders say that Sutcliffe has genuine concern for British sport and the Manchester United supporter is open to new ideas as the Government faces up to the 2012 Olympics. Won a bet with his Australian counterpart that Great Britain would win more medals in Beijing last summer.
53 Sam Rush Chief operating officer Europe, Wasserman Media Group
The roll call of clients that sits on the desk of the former Saracens player is a who’s who of British sport: Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, Robbie Keane, Jamie Carragher, Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Shearer, Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson are among WMG’s client list. But Rush’s influence goes farther. He is on the board of the Association of Football Agents and is a director of the Amateur Boxing Association.
52 Amanda Staveley Senior partner, PCP Capital Partners
Blonde and, for a self-made millionairess, refreshingly down to earth, Staveley was a key figure in bringing Sheikh Mansour to Manchester City and was the front woman for Dubai’s ruling family as they looked to buy Liverpool. With her boutique financial consultancy, Staveley, 35, to whom Prince Andrew is said to have proposed, is a trusted route to Middle Eastern money. Football has not seen the last of her.
51 Martin Johnson England rugby union team manager
Anyone who has captained England to World Cup success and the Lions to a tour victory over South Africa deserves respect, especially if they are 6ft 7in and have a stare that can turn people to stone. When they then offer to manage the national side, our respect is doubled and pity is added. The Johnson era of English rugby has had a difficult start, but never underestimate his determination. The players all speak of their respect for the boss, an achievement in itself.
50 Adrian van Klaveren Controller, BBC Radio 5 Live
Van Klaveren could be described as the man behind the voice of British sport. With no realistic private-sector competition, 5 Live rules the sporting airwaves, covering the pick of football plus much else that happens. Not yet a year into the job, he has not come up with any radical innovations but the audience figures are robust and there is a warm acceptance of 5 Live’s output. Stands accused, though, of an infatuation with celebrity over journalistic authority.
49 Tessa Jowell Olympics Minister
No longer attends Cabinet by right, but she has retained her brief for the Olympics despite losing the rest of the Culture, Media and Sport portfolio when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister. One of the team who won the Olympics for London, she faces having to carry the blame for any cost overruns. Had to backtrack last year when she was quoted as saying that Britain would never have bid to hold the Games if it had known how the economy would change.
48 Baroness Sue Campbell Chairman, UK Sport
One of the most acknowledged figures in British sport, Campbell has exerted her influence at the heart of decision-making. A temporary appointment to shake up UK Sport became a four-year contract, leading to the historic success of the Beijing Olympics. Extensively involved in grassroots sport, Campbell, 60, wields her influence with a smile, and is a rare case in that she is as well thought of by her peers and ruling politicians as she is by sportsmen and women.
47 Keith Harris Chairman, Seymour Pierce
A merchant banker who was involved in the purchases of Chelsea by Roman Abramovich, Aston Villa by Randy Lerner, West Ham United by Björgólfur Gudmundsson and Thaksin Shinawatra’s original interest in Manchester City. Harris has also been linked to finding buyers for Newcastle United and Everton but believes that in the present economic climate there will be little activity on the takeover scene. “You can’t force a club down somebody’s throat,” he said.
46 Herbert Hainer Chairman and chief executive, adidas
Life is one long race to catch Nike, the world’s No 1 sportswear manufacturer, for Hainer but, at least in Britain, we have something to thank the German for: adidas is a £100 million partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Team GB athletes. With Reebok and golf brand TaylorMade in the fold and a successful Olympics just gone, adidas is on a roll and closing in on its American rival. We just wish that Hainer would rename it Adidas.
45 Phil Knight Chairman, Nike
The American billionaire co-founded the sporting goods giant and holds a 35 per cent stake, making him worth about $10 billion (about £7.2 billion). Nike has been a regular sponsor of sportsmen, starting with Ilie Nastase and running through Michael Jordan to Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. Its deal to sponsor the India cricket team until 2010 costs $43 million. The Nike “swoosh” was commissioned for $35, although the creator was later given shares.
44 Michel Platini President, Uefa
Great footballer turned administrator and nemesis of English football. It is two years since Platini took over European football’s governing body and he wasted no time in declaring his belief that English football is too powerful and too debt-laden for the good of itself and Europe. Warnings that those with heavy debts could be barred from European competition have yet to be turned into action, but he means it; he just has yet to find a way to halt the English bandwagon.
43 Rebecca Adlington Swimmer
Adlington wasn’t alive when Britain previously had an Olympic swimming champion before her two gold medals in the pool in Beijing last year. The Mansfield teenager won hearts with her victories in the 400 metres and 800 metres freestyle finals, breaking a 19-year-old world record in the latter and becoming Britain’s first female swimming Olympic champion since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960 in the former. Her local swimming baths was renamed in her honour.
42 Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson Chairwoman, UK Athletics’ anti-doping review Arguably Britain’s most successful Paralympic athlete is turning her considerable charm and skills to sports administration. Confined to a wheelchair from the age of 7 because of spina bifida, she won 11 gold medals and six London Marathons. Grey-Thompson, 39, was put in charge of a review by UK Athletics into its anti-doping measures and promises to be a key figure in the run-up to the London 2012 Games.
41 Sir Keith Mills Deputy chairman 2012 Games / 2018 football World Cup bid board / Team Origin leader
A man with fingers in many sporting pies, Mills was chief executive of the London 2012 Olympic bid team and was scouted to become the chair of Sport England but instead decided on returning the football World Cup to England in 2018. Runs Team Origin, Britain’s entry for the America’s Cup, and backs Alex Thomson Racing, supporting the circumnavigator. Made his cash in loyalty cards and Air Miles.
40 Rick Parry Chief executive, Liverpool FC
The scrutiny that Parry is suffering in the Hicks and Gillett show, as the Liverpool owners bounce from financial crisis to infighting, is in contrast to his former years in the sport. Parry, 53, was the first chief executive for the Premier League and pioneered the rules and the lucrative television deals that have made the league the richest in the world. Thought to have rejected the chance to become chief executive of the 2018 World Cup bid.
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Post by QPR Report on Jan 25, 2009 16:57:01 GMT
39-20
39 Alan Pascoe Chairman, Fast Track
A silver medal-winner in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Pascoe served on the Sports Council and the BBC Advisory Council in the late 1970s before setting up his own sports consultancy company. Not afraid to be confrontational — he said that athletics had been “stabbed in the back” by Tony Blair after the Government pulled out of hosting the World Championships in 2001. Was vice-chairman of the London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.
38 Randy Lerner Owner, Aston Villa
We rate the American highly as a foreign owner who has chosen a sensible alternative to throwing his chequebook at success. Low-key, yet has set Villa up to become one of the country’s top clubs by picking an intelligent manager and developing young English talent. Lerner, 46, inherited much of his fortune from his father’s credit-card business, but has proved he has plenty of acumen in his own right. Donated £5 million to the National Portrait Gallery.
37 Andy Anson Chief executive, FA 2018 World Cup bid
An Oxford mathematician, who at one stage was the tutorial partner for Ruth Lawrence, the child prodigy, Anson followed the path into management consultancy, working for Disney and Channel 4 before becoming the commercial director at Manchester United in 2004. Left two years later after setting up partnerships with AIG and Audi, but has returned to football after a similarly brief spell as European chief executive of the ATP.
36 Martin O’Neill Manager, Aston Villa
Rated only two places above Randy Lerner, the club’s owner, but O’Neill’s talents of man management and tactical skill are being given full rein at Villa Park. O’Neill is emulating his mentor at Nottingham Forest, Brian Clough, by fashioning a club in his own image. We believe that O’Neill could be in this list next year as one of the biggest-hitting managers in football, his mission accomplished without breaking more hearts in the banking sector.
35 David Gill Chief executive, Manchester United
Background Top 50 British footballers of 2008 Football's top 50 rising stars Definitive guide to sporting references in music 50 greatest sports movies Background The Sporting Power 100: 39 to 20 The Sporting Power 100: 59 to 40 The Sporting Power 100: 79-60 The Sporting Power 100: 100-80 The 51-year-old accountant held a variety of business roles before joining Manchester United in 1997 as finance director. Worked his way along the boardroom table at Old Trafford before being made chief executive in 2003 after Peter Kenyon left for Chelsea. In 2006, Gill was elected on to the board of the FA and is tipped to become the governing body’s next chief executive. Was vice-chairman of the now-disbanded G14 group of the leading European clubs.
34 Arsène Wenger Manager, Arsenal
The maestro who conducts some of the most beautiful football on the planet. But are his powers waning? While most fans around the country would be delighted to watch their side perform like Arsenal’s youngsters, expectations at the Emirates Stadium are huge, not least in the boardroom, where entry to the Champions League is not a desire but a necessity if the club are to stay in touch with Manchester United and Chelsea. We back Wenger to come through.
33 Wayne Rooney Footballer
Signed by Everton at 10, he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he hit the winner against Arsenal five days before his 17th birthday in 2002. Newcastle United and Manchester United both tried to sign him in 2004 and he went to Old Trafford for £31 million. First played for England aged 17 and his already hefty earnings were bolstered in 2006 by signing a five-book publishing deal for £5 million with HarperCollins.
32 Trevor East Director of sport, Setanta
There was almost no joke when adverts had someone asking Des Lynam: “What? Sultana?” Well, few sports fans now do not know Setanta after East led the smash-and-grab raid on football’s broadcasting-rights market. East was a deputy director of Sky Sports before moving and has spent about £500 million buying up the rights to FA Cup and England games, live Premier League football and golf. All Setanta needs now is viewers to pay back the investment.
31 Kia Joorabchian Businessman
An Oxford mathematician, who at one stage was the tutorial partner for Ruth Lawrence, the child prodigy, Anson followed the path into management consultancy, working for Disney and Channel 4 before becoming the commercial director at Manchester United in 2004. Left two years later after setting up partnerships with AIG and Audi, but has returned to football after a similarly brief spell as European chief executive of the ATP.
36 Martin O’Neill Manager, Aston Villa
Rated only two places above Randy Lerner, the club’s owner, but O’Neill’s talents of man management and tactical skill are being given full rein at Villa Park. O’Neill is emulating his mentor at Nottingham Forest, Brian Clough, by fashioning a club in his own image. We believe that O’Neill could be in this list next year as one of the biggest-hitting managers in football, his mission accomplished without breaking more hearts in the banking sector.
35 David Gill Chief executive, Manchester United
Background Top 50 British footballers of 2008 Football's top 50 rising stars Definitive guide to sporting references in music 50 greatest sports movies Background The Sporting Power 100: 39 to 20 The Sporting Power 100: 59 to 40 The Sporting Power 100: 79-60 The Sporting Power 100: 100-80 The 51-year-old accountant held a variety of business roles before joining Manchester United in 1997 as finance director. Worked his way along the boardroom table at Old Trafford before being made chief executive in 2003 after Peter Kenyon left for Chelsea. In 2006, Gill was elected on to the board of the FA and is tipped to become the governing body’s next chief executive. Was vice-chairman of the now-disbanded G14 group of the leading European clubs.
34 Arsène Wenger Manager, Arsenal
The maestro who conducts some of the most beautiful football on the planet. But are his powers waning? While most fans around the country would be delighted to watch their side perform like Arsenal’s youngsters, expectations at the Emirates Stadium are huge, not least in the boardroom, where entry to the Champions League is not a desire but a necessity if the club are to stay in touch with Manchester United and Chelsea. We back Wenger to come through.
33 Wayne Rooney Footballer
Signed by Everton at 10, he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he hit the winner against Arsenal five days before his 17th birthday in 2002. Newcastle United and Manchester United both tried to sign him in 2004 and he went to Old Trafford for £31 million. First played for England aged 17 and his already hefty earnings were bolstered in 2006 by signing a five-book publishing deal for £5 million with HarperCollins.
32 Trevor East Director of sport, Setanta
There was almost no joke when adverts had someone asking Des Lynam: “What? Sultana?” Well, few sports fans now do not know Setanta after East led the smash-and-grab raid on football’s broadcasting-rights market. East was a deputy director of Sky Sports before moving and has spent about £500 million buying up the rights to FA Cup and England games, live Premier League football and golf. All Setanta needs now is viewers to pay back the investment.
31 Kia Joorabchian Businessman An Iranian-born businessman, Joorabchian founded Media Sports Investments in 2004, a vehicle that he used to buy Corinthians, the Brazilian football club. Has been linked with bids for West Ham United, Southampton and Fulham, but he is best known here for his role in the controversial transfer of Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano from Corinthians to West Ham. Has been advising Manchester City on their aborted bid for Kaká.
30 Sir Martin Sorrell Chief executive, WPP Group
They say that when Sir Martin Sorrell speaks, the advertising world listens. So we can expect his influence at the top of sport to be just as great. After building one of the world’s biggest communications and advertising companies, London-born Sorrell, 63, also sits on the board of CVC, the private equity firm and majority owner of Formula One, and was elected to the board running the FA’s bid for the 2018 World Cup. You can bet he will have a big say in both.
29 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Owner, Godolphin
Background Top 50 British footballers of 2008 Football's top 50 rising stars Definitive guide to sporting references in music 50 greatest sports movies Background The Sporting Power 100: 39 to 20 The Sporting Power 100: 59 to 40 The Sporting Power 100: 79-60 The Sporting Power 100: 100-80 Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates, as well as ruler of Dubai, and worth about $18 billion, Sheikh Mohammed has no shortage of political power, but he has also become an international sporting player through his involvement in horse racing and breeding. Has studs in England, Ireland, Australia and the United States and hosts the Dubai World Cup. His horses have won many big races around the world.
28 John Armitt Chairman, Olympic Delivery Authority
You would be entitled to shudder when you discover that Armitt’s job before guiding the construction work for the 2012 Olympic Games in London was chief executive of Network Rail. But despite the political argy-bargy, his £250,000-a-year job to ensure that the Olympic athletes have stadiums to perform in seems to be running more smoothly than the nation’s trains, with Armitt getting the job done on time so far.
27 Stephen Hester Chief executive, RBS
The Oxford-educated son of a don at the university, Hester became the youngest managing director of Credit Suisse in 1996, aged 35. Joined Abbey National as finance director in 2002 and then became chief executive of British Land before joining RBS last autumn. He will have to consider whether to pare back RBS’s wide-ranging portfolio of sports sponsorships, which include the rugby Six Nations, Zara Phillips, Andy Murray and the Williams Formula One team.
26 Andy Burnham Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The 39-year-old is one of new Labour’s bright young things. An ardent Everton fan and former honorary chairman of Leigh rugby league club, Burnham is a conviction politician and sport will want to hold on to him for a while longer, with the Olympic finishing post in sight. It remains to be seen, though, whether his attempt to instil some common sense into the Premier League’s extravagance comes to anything.
25 Jacques Rogge President, IOC An orthopaedic surgeon and former Olympic yachtsman (as well as a Belgium rugby player), Rogge became the eighth president of the International Olympic Committee in 2001, having served on it for a decade. Handled the thorny political topic of China’s human rights record well and will be loved (or cursed) by Londoners for several more years after deciding to give the 2012 Olympic Games to Great Britain.
24 Cristiano Ronaldo Footballer
All across the country today there will be children practising their Ronaldo step-over. The 23-year-old had a near-miraculous year in 2008, winning the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester United, as well as being voted the Fifa World Player of the Year. But every accolade seemed to spark more interest from Real Madrid. The question is whether the lure of Spain will outweigh the persuasive skills of Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager.
23 Boris Johnson Mayor of London
Background Top 50 British footballers of 2008 Football's top 50 rising stars Definitive guide to sporting references in music 50 greatest sports movies Background The Sporting Power 100: 39 to 20 The Sporting Power 100: 59 to 40 The Sporting Power 100: 79-60 The Sporting Power 100: 100-80 Carefully cultivates his image as a lovable buffoon, but he is not a politician to be underestimated. Accused by the Chinese media of being “rude, arrogant and disrespectful”, he declared at the Olympics handover party that “ping-pong is coming home”. Like him or hate him (and he may have been voted out a month or two before the 2012 Games in London), Johnson will ensure that the Olympics are jolly good fun.
22 Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr Co-owners, Liverpool FC
Punch and Judy, Morecambe and Wise — it is a long time since a double act gave us so much fun. Except that owning Liverpool is a serious business and the American duo seem to be making a hash of it. England’s most successful club still have no new stadium, the manager is unsettled and RBS, their main banker, is in a parlous state. Can it get any worse? Yes, if RBS calls in its £350 million loan and Rafael Benítez walks.
21 Sir Chris Hoy Cyclist
Knighted for services to pedalling, Hoy was the outstanding athlete for Team GB at the Beijing Olympics. With gold medals in the sprint, team sprint and keirin, he became the first Briton to win three Olympic golds at one Games for a century. Won a single gold in the 1km time-trial at the 2004 Olympics and has nine World Championship golds to his credit. Just as well his neck is strong, the weight of all those medals would be too much for any normal man to bear.
20 Sepp Blatter President, Fifa
Accused of corruption and corporate greed, the man who once said that women footballers should wear tighter shorts to attract spectators remains world football’s omnipotent ruler. Even though the decision will go to a vote at Fifa’s executive, Blatter will have the crucial say in England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup. At 72, he remains in office until 2011 at least. That means the FA will have to persuade Blatter if the first World Cup in 52 years is to take place in England.
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Post by QPR Report on Jan 25, 2009 16:58:09 GMT
19 Malcolm Glazer Owner, Manchester United
Even if United win every trophy on offer this season, there is still unlikely to be a kind word for Glazer. United have continued to thrive under the Glazer family, despite the controversy when they took over the world’s richest club in 2005. They have built up a debt, thought to be more than £750 million, which needs United to remain successful to be serviced. Glazer, 80, is rarely seen, leaving the running of the club to his sons, Joel, Avram and Bryan.
18 John Varley Chief executive, Barclays Bank
Many expect Varley to ditch his bank’s £22 million-a-year sponsorship deal with the Premier League when it runs out next year. But our sources suggest that the value for money the deal gives is too good to miss, even if Barclays is struggling. In danger are its backing for the Scottish Open and Singapore Open golf tournaments, rugby union’s Churchill Cup and the Dubai tennis tournament. Varley may also drop the bank’s Spaces for Sport programme, investing in grass roots.
17 Jonny Wilkinson Rugby union player
The fly half, above, may be more noticeable for his injuries and absences these days, but he remains the iconic figure in the reinvention of English rugby in the 21st century. Some footballers lower down the list provide swagger and intrigue, but Wilkinson delivered a World Cup (nearly two), and has provided the modern-day template for how sports stars should prepare themselves for action and present themselves to the public. A truly powerful legacy.
16 Andy Murray Tennis player
At only 21, Murray has catapulted himself into the front rank of sport’s earners. By hiring Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment, to join a stable of stars that includes David Beckham, Murray is preparing to ratchet up his net value to an estimated £100 million. As Great Britain’s best male tennis player, he has one more mountain to climb to assure his status as one of the game’s greats: to win a grand-slam tournament, perhaps as early as a week on Sunday in Melbourne.
15 Roger Mosey Director of sport, BBC
Background jobs in broadcasting, juggling the catcalls of licence payers against pay-television channels with millions of pounds to throw at the sports they want. The former editor of Radio 4’s Today programme has come out of it all with credit, keeping Premier League football on Match of the Day and winning back Formula One. His wide experience and sound judgment mean Mosey, 50, will take control of coverage of the London Olympics, the biggest job in British sports television in this generation.
14 Pini Zahavi Football agent
His all-encompassing effect on British football puts the sport’s first super-agent into the top 20. The man who took Roman Abramovich to Chelsea, brokered the £30 million deal that sent Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United to Manchester United and was at the centre of the transfers of Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham United has made a fortune from being one of the best-connected men in football. Reputed to be worth about £60 million, the Israeli former sports journalist remains one of the sport’s key fixers.
13 Bernie Ecclestone Chief executive, Formula One
Wily, mischievous, funny and something of a genius, nobody seems to have told Ecclestone that he is 78. He still thinks he is 30 and is determined to go on running the show. Criticised for running a sport that is too extravagant and not exciting enough, yet it enjoyed massive audiences last year. Could face his biggest test yet with the recession biting and teams forming a united front to demand more money from the little emperor of F1. Joint ownership of Queens Park Rangers no more than a distraction for now.
12 Lord Triesman Chairman, Football Association
The first year of his job at the FA has proved an uphill climb. The former Labour Party activist, union leader and politician has wielded all his skills at Soho Square but the mountain of winning the right to host the 2018 World Cup looms large. His determination to put together a transparent bid could be doomed to failure in a football world in which the nod and wink have prevailed for decades and his battle for supremacy over the Premier League could also founder. But Triesman, 65, is a formidable administrator.
11 Lewis Hamilton Racing driver Hamilton has made the biggest impact of any sportsman since Tiger Woods. Young, gifted and black, he burst into Formula One and became the youngest world champion in only his second season. Hamilton, 24, is widely predicted to earn more than $1 billion during his career, assuming that the public do not tire of him and his Hollywood lifestyle. That seems highly unlikely given his appeal to young and old alike as well as in the United States, where Formula One drivers, except Hamilton, are as well known as Sunday league footballers.
10 Richard Scudamore Chief executive, Premier League
The man who wields power over the richest football league in the world. Able administrator, deal-maker, diplomat and doughty defender of his clubs, but widely seen to have shot himself in the foot over the issue of the 39th, or international, game and is under pressure from Uefa to force clubs to cut their debts. With the credit crunch yet to bite the Premier League, Scudamore’s biggest test may yet be to come, particularly over the renegotiation this spring of the domestic television rights, which hit a record £1.7 billion last time round.
9 Simon Fuller Chief executive, 19 Entertainment
The guru of pop is turning his hand to sport, with Andy Murray the latest addition to the 19 stable. Fuller’s company already handles commercial opportunities for the England football squad and, of course, represents David Beckham, which gives Fuller a unique position among the highest echelons of British sport. Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy may not have worked out from a football point of view, but his bank balance has not suffered. More sports stars will join Fuller, 48, if he can put Murray among the world's biggest sports earners.
8 Fabio Capello Manager, England football team
A winning national team do more than put bums on expensive seats, sell replica shirts and send the price of television rights soaring: they lift the national mood. On that one count Capello is one of the most important men in the country, never mind sport. Unlike his predecessor, Capello runs a tight ship and has a charisma that woos sponsors and charms administrators. England could be the 62-year-old’s final managerial job but if Capello gets the national team to the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa, he could retire as a legend.
7 David Beckham Footballer
There truly is only one David Beckham. A more workmanlike than earth-shattering talent, Beckham has nevertheless put three of the world’s greatest clubs — Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan — on his CV. But his looks and marketability have turned him into a worldwide phenomenon unequalled by any other sports star. If Beckham’s footballing career is in its twilight years, we believe that Brand Beckham will go on for some time yet, not least with him fronting England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
6 Roman Abramovich Owner, Chelsea Football Club
Perhaps spending all that money to transform English football has proved tiring. Speculation abounds that Abramovich’s love affair with Chelsea is waning after being hit hard by the credit crunch, although he insists he is not selling the club. There is no doubting his place on a list of the most powerful figures in sport after turning Chelsea into a world brand. But we wait to see whether he slithers down the rankings next year if his club’s new prudence has an effect on the team and he really has grown bored with English football.
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