Sports Operations Management - Coursework Example

Running Head: SPORTS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY Sports Operations Management Case Study Abstract This paper will put a focus on the rules and regulations of the UEFA champions league and the requirements needed in order a team to participate in the competition. A team that needs to participate in the UEFA champions league must be proficient and know how to play football. In this case, we put a focus on Newcastle United football club. This is a proficient team playing in the Barclays premier league in England. This team has not yet had a chance to play in the UEFA champions’ league. Admission in the UEFA Here are some of the rules the team should adhere to before playing in the champions league. The chief executive officer and the board managing Newcastle United should make sure that they fill the documents that are officially used in the entry of the league. These documents should have the necessary information supposed by the UEFA league management so that the criteria of admission can be successfully completed. The management may need these documents in advance. They will have to communicate with the team by using a circular letter. After that process, the administration of the UEFA league will approve through writing if the team has fulfilled in joining the league (Richard, 2006). On the other hand, this team is required to have license, which is mainly obtained from the proficient public body that follows the UEFA champions league Licensing Regulations, which was amended in the year two thousand and eight. The executive officers of Newcastle football club should make sure that the team has been embraced in the licensing decisions listed and later the decisions to be put forward to the Licensing Regulation body. This body then makes a point of submitting the decisions to the UEFA management. The team is obliged to act in accordance with the rules and regulations that make sure the competitions’ integrity is adhered. The Newcastle club, administrators and players must write and have the same opinion of respecting the given regulations, statues, decisions and directives issued by UEFA champions’ league code of rules. On the other hand, the team, players and the administrators must be of the same mind in recognizing the authority of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne as described in the appropriate stipulations of the UEFA champions’ league statutes. They are required to come into agreement that whichever proceedings facing the Court of Arbitration for Sport about a team being excluded or admitted in the competition, will be apprehended in a manner defined as not impeded. This is according to the codes of sports and directions the Court of Arbitration for Sport has issued (Brussels, 2008, 1). The Newcastle club is required to write that it has not been involved in an action planned at influencing or organizing a match outcome or results at international and national level. In case the club has been found in an activity that has influenced the match outcome, the governing body of UEFA would disqualify the club from participating in the competition. This disqualification would only affect the club for a single football season. The decisions that UEFA come up with are mainly from either an international or national sports body or a court. If the club is declared ineligible in one way or the other, the UEFA justice system might be forced to discipline the club. This is according to the disciplinary regulations in UEFA (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08, 1). In a situation where Newcastle football club has qualified in joining the UEFA champions’ league then refuses to play in the matches, there will be no substitution of that club with any other club from the English premier league. This is according to the rules amended. This club will however be replaced with another club that has fulfilled the criteria of admission. This will lead to the adjusting of the list of the competitors in the UEFA championship. The chief executive officer of Newcastle football club should also know that investigations and spot checks will continue to be carried out by the UEFA governing body. UEFA Champions League (2007/08) confirms that this is to make sure that the criteria of admission has been adhered to despite a club being in the competition. The club will be disciplined incase it is found to have not adhered to the criteria’s of admission. UEFA Competition’s integrity Criteria The Newcastle united football club administration should know that any club that is participating in the competition should not deal or hold shares securities of another club that is participating in the competition. No football club participating should be one of the members of a participating club in the UEFA competition. The football clubs participating should not either involve themselves in managing and sporting the performance nor have power over another club that is taking part in the UEFA competition. On the other hand, no individual will be allowed to control more than one football clubs that are participating in the UEFA competition. This is either by the individual having control over a large number of voting rights of shareholders’ or be able to influence in decision creation of the football club (Brussels, 2008, 1). Responsibilities of the Successful Clubs that have joined UEFA The stadium must oblige to the criteria issued by the UEFA administration. The field should be measuring 106 by 68 meters. There should be another ground for official sessions of training. On the other hand, the stadium must have special dressing rooms specifically for referees and the teams to participate in the play offs. A UEFA delegate room, a control room, substitutes benches that are of high quality and a number of technical seats which will be close to benches of the substitutes are facilities needed in the stadium. There should be a good supply of power and issued without paying (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08, 1). The club shall make sure that all the entrances and exits used during emergencies are not obstructed in any way. Security teams in the stadium must be aware in identifying tickets that are counterfeit among team supporters. One entrance should be assigned for allowing access of endorsed cameras in the stadium. Cameras that have the capabilities of recording moving images must be restricted from being used in the stadium. Suitable control systems should be installed at the gate and around the stadium to monitor the public in general. The club must provide security for the UEFA partners and the media broadcasting companies. The club must make sure that facilities required in the stadium are available and ensure that the stadium is clean and in a good condition. Pitch conditions should be looked upon by the club. This is by ensuring that the stadium is in good condition suitable for hosting matches. The markings on the pitch are supposed to be strictly football field markings. On some occasions, the club may be requested to trim down the grass for the training and match sessions. The area bordering the football ground should be safe and secure for the players. The club is also supposed to install an additional carpet for safety purposes. In a case where the club’s stadium has a retractable roof, the referee and the delegates of UEFA come to a decision whether the roof will stay open or closed. The roof is supposed to be closed in the whole game if the match started with the roof being closed. The club must ensure that power is adequate even after the match so that the broadcasters have no problems when disassembling their equipments. Emergency lighting details should be issued to UEFA by the club. UEFA must also be issued with a legitimate lighting documentation from the club. The installation of the floodlights should be adversely maintained by the club and ensure that power back ups are available. Issuing of internet and telephone services is one of the main things the club is supposed to give. They are supposed to make available wireless and cabled internet connections to the photographers and the media tribune working in the stadium (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08, 1). Good systems for public address should be installed in the stadium, be functioning in all games and must not be affected by power problems. This system is used in announcing activities taking place in the stadium, the UEFA anthem and music. The public address system may be used in passing of necessary messages issued by the authorities or officials from UEFA. Another key issue that the club should ensure is the maintaining of the video and score board and the television channels in the stadium for putting on view the scores of a given match played (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08). A permanent television check up system should be installed in and out of the stadium. The club is supposed to issue the UEFA partners and officials with the tickets for watching matches. These tickets are supposed to be free of charge. Mainly, the UEFA partners and officials are to be issued with VIP tickets. The tickets are supposed to be sent by means of courier services to the ticket agency of the UEFA. The officials of UEFA and its partners shall be given the first priority in purchasing tickets either at the price charged to the supporters or at face value. The Newcastle club must make sure that five percent of their stadium capacity is meant for the supporters of the visiting club. Another thing required is a hospitality area for the UEFA officials and partners. The area will be named the Champions Club and will be no payments will be asked for by the club. In the play off competitions, this hospitality area is not supposed to be there. The Champions Club is supposed to accommodate three hundred and thirty guests and provide at least four hundred meters squared of open space. This area is supposed to be located near the first class seating region (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08, 1). The facilities provided to the hospitality area must be of high standards, good furnishing and decoration of the equipments. In a case whereby the club is not able to locate a hospitality area in its stadium, it is required to find another solution which shall meet the standards of the stadium and should be near the stadium. This will enable easy accessibility of the officials to the stadium. Parking space for the UEFA officials and partners should be given without any charges by the home club. It should be near the hospitality area. The club is supposed to ensure that the parking spaces are to the better state even in unfavorable weather conditions. Security must be one of the priorities in the parking lot (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08, 1). The UEFA partners and sponsors are to be provided with spaces to sell their products with the club. The spaces must have good security and need to be in good state. The space where broadcasting facilities are supposed to be is issued by the home club. Construction of studios, positions for interviews and commentators areas are to be done by the club using their finance. The club must ensure that the positioning of the cameras is done in a proficient manner. The Newcastle club management is supposed to ensure that the press area can accommodate fifty journalists during the group stages and seventy five journalists in the knock out stages. Internet connectivity, tables and chairs are supposed to be in the press area. The club is supposed to issue the press group with tickets. Facilities to be used by press conferences are supposed to be issued by the club (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08, 1). These facilities are tables, chairs, camera podium, and good lighting systems. The club shall facilitate interpreters who are qualified and are familiar with football. One of the main requirements the club should perform, is issuing the journalists with good hospitality. The club is not supposed to use its website in any exclusive area but may use it on tickets. Meeting rooms to be used by the UEFA officials are supposed to be allocated by the club. Commercial messages for the UEFA partners are permitted to be used in the stadium but not messages from the clubs partners. The club is supposed to use a logo recognized and approved by UEFA. Boards used in advertising are supposed to be visible and have adequate space. The club may run promotions and advertisements that are endorsed by UEFA. At any UEFA champions match, ‘centre circle ceremony’ is supposed to be conducted before the match kicking off. The club is supposed to use services and products given by the UEFA sponsors during an ongoing match. UEFA will issue the club with more information on products to be used on the match. Such products that can be provided in the media area and the hospitality area are Heineken which is a type of beer (UEFA Champions League, 2007/08). Roles to be performed by the Football Clubs In the case of Newcastle football club, if it qualifies in the competition, the administration should be accountable for the actions of the club’s supporters, officials, players and any party representing the club at a given match. Security must be provided by the particular club in case it hosts a match. Alexander (2011, pp .105) states that in case of any incidents, the home club may face disciplinary actions. In the group stages, the club is required to play to play all matches of the competition on the similar playing field. These matches may either be played in the home club ground or another playing field located in another city or if the administration of UEFA decides otherwise. The matches to be played in the home club should follow the UEFA instructions. Despite the club been given an insurance cover by UEFA, they are eligible in insuring themselves with insurance companies that have good reputation. This is to cover the players and administration to any dangers to be attained in participating in the competition. The administration of Newcastle united should know that if the team is heading to the UEFA champions matches, it should not involve itself in other matches (Simon, 2006). Regulations in the UEFA Champions League Competition According to James (2011, pp. 485) asserts that the equipments used from the stage of playoff to the finals, are needed to be free of the manufacturers recognition and sponsor advertising. The kits and playing equipments must be in accordance with the UEFA kits Regs amended in 2008. In case a team changes its sponsors on their shirts, they should inform UEFA in advance. The football clubs are also asked to make use of official drinking containers and medical kits given by the UEFA body. In an event where Newcastle united joins the competition, it is the duty of the administration in making sure that installations of floodlights are well maintained in the stadium. The administration should also make sure that the football pitch is in good condition. The club hosting a given match should make sure that there are ball boys, two boards for substitution of players and water the pitch before the start of a match. The home club should also provide flags, make sure that the UEFA champions music and anthem is played before any start of a match, provision of the VIP areas and hospitality, enough parking lot for the UEFA official vehicles and their partners and finally promote UEFA in and within the stadium (Santos, 2011). In conclusion, the stadium of the home teams need to be furnished with substitute benches that can carry averagely fourteen people. In the dressing room, there should be seats for twenty five people, five showers, three toilets, a table used in massage and a tactical plank. Stadiums used in the UEFA champions league are needed to have internet and phone lines, good power supply, a room for the delegates, good space for broadcasting people, a television surveillance system in and out of the stadium and floodlights. References Alexander, W., 2011, Cars and Football: Landmark Cases, Chicago Rd, United States: Springer, pp. 100-200. Brussels, 2008, UEFA rule on ‘home-grown players’: compatibility with the principle of free movement of persons, Available at . Accessed 26 March 2012. Daniel, G., 2010, Third Party Player Ownership: the Regulations for premier League and Football League Clubs for the 2009/10 Season, Warwick, ESLJ, Volume 7 Number 2- Interventions. European Commission, 2011, Bulletin of the European Union, Issues 5-9, European Commission, Secretariat-general, pp 20-67. James, A.R., N. and Stephen, F, R., 2011, Handbook on international Sports Law, Cheltenham, U.K: Edward Elgar publishing, Pp 480-551. Richard, G., and David, M., 2006, Sport, civil liberties and human rights, London: Routledge, Pp 100-167. Santos., 2011, Lel Sports Law in Portuga,. Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, pp 2. Simon, G., Sports law, 2006, London: Routledge, pp. 3-10. Stefaan, V., B., 2005 , Practical regulation of the mobility of sportsmen in the EU post Bosman, Netherlands: Kluwer law International, pp 1-10. UEFA Champions League, (2007/08), Regulation of UEFA Champions League, (online), Available at . Accessed 26 March 2012. Read More