Russian airline Aeroflot is to become an unlikely addition to Manchester United's global roster of sponsors in a multi-million-pound contract to be announced this summer.
Aeroflot, majority-owned by the Russian Government, will be the official airline of the Premier League champions-elect from next season — taking over from Turkish Airlines.
The choice of Aeroflot from a sponsorship sector in which United would be spoilt for choice seems surprising. The accident-prone former Soviet airline has had a particularly poor safety record over the years — especially on internal flights in Russia.
But Aeroflot have embarked on a major modernisation of their fleet and the huge United sponsorship is seen as a way of overhauling their image around the world. It is also hoped it will improve the reputation of Russia's airline business as a whole ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
However, it is expected that the sponsorship details will only require the United team to travel with Aeroflot when they fly to and from Moscow. Aeroflot have followed Russian energy giants Gazprom, the Champions League sponsors, into the high-profile European football market.
The England Cricket Board have regained the services of formidable director of communications Colin Gibson after three years working for the International Cricket Council in Dubai. Gibson's return will strengthen the ECB's strategic and PR hand in all the contentious issues sure to surround back-to-back Ashes series.
His Dubai knowledge will aid chairman Giles Clarke in his bid to become ICC leader in 2014. The charmless Clarke will need all the spin-doctor assistance he can muster for that campaign.
UK Athletics, who announced Sainsbury's as the sponsor of their Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium yesterday, will unveil another new backer today. They have other deals in advanced talks as they pursue the ambition of assembling a Champions League-style roster of sponsorships.
Meanwhile, despite the absence of Oscar Pistorius, Paralympic day at the Anniversary Games is attracting more ticket interest than the Diamond League Friday session.
Time is fast running out for the FA in their gridlocked attempts to introduce governance reforms or face the threat of an independent regulator. The self-imposed deadline for changes given by football's response to Government recommendations was the start of next season.
And that is the date by which Whitehall want answers, although combative incoming FA chairman Greg Dyke will be a lot less conciliatory with politicians than the consensus-driven David Bernstein.
The hospitality for match officials at Barnet's Under 18 fixtures at the Hive — the Edgware training ground where the first team will play next season when a new stadium is completed — does not even extend to the usual cup of tea or coffee before the match.
Starbucks have a franchise there and anything Barnet order, they have to pay for. So the referee and assistants have to make do with a jug of tap water. A Barnet spokesman said: 'We do not have tea-making facilities and the staff have to pay for their drinks from Starbucks as well, but the officials do get fed afterwards.'
The Football League, struggling to find a title backer since npower announced they were pulling the plug, now have DIY store B&Q and fast food chain Domino's Pizza competing for the £7million-a-year sponsorship.
The use of Premier League grounds for football and rugby league is expected to be back on the agenda at the PL summer meeting. Hull City are likely to be joining Wigan in the top flight next season and both have Super League tenants. The PL have reminded clubs staging Rugby World Cup 2015 games that football must take priority.
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