USL News Release
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues strategic partner Beswicks Sports, a leading European sports management and law firm, is leading a diversified group of foreign organizations that will be visiting the USL Annual General Meeting at the 2009 USL Soccer Fest November 19-24.
“As the level of sophistication has grown for USL, so too has the quality of organizations outside of our borders that we are working with,” said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. “Forging partnerships with exceptional individuals and organizations abroad will further enhance the opportunities for USL, the clubs and the players. This is an important element to the business as the soccer world no longer consists of isolated regions. We are moving forward by breaking new ground and reaching new heights, and we are proud to have Beswicks by our side leading the way.”
For Beswicks, it will be the firm’s second consecutive trip to the United States for the USL AGM with executives Tim Bailey, Gary Mellor and Simon Woodings having attended last year. Joining Mellor and Woodings this year are Mark Cartwright, Darren Long and Clive Clarke. In addition to nearly all the Sports executives travelling to Tampa for the 2009 meeting, Beswicks has invited several clubs to join them such as Burnley.
“Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham all indicated an interest in the exciting changes in USL,” said Mellor, who said the three clubs are keen on attending. “We were overwhelmed last year by the interest from the clubs at all levels looking to expand their horizons and linking up with teams around the world. As a result, we are bringing more people. Personally, I had what seemed a hundred meetings last year and I felt we couldn’t do everybody justice. We want to make sure we have enough people there from our firm on hand to meet the demand for personal meetings in addition to the seminars and panels we will be involved with.”
Burnley, which is already working with the PDL and W-League Cary Clarets teams and has taken tours of the United States, playing games against the Portland Timbers and Ventura County Fusion in 2009, will be represented by Brendan Flood, the club’s operating director. Flood recently published a book, ‘Big Club, Small Town and Me,’ chronicling the story of Burnley FCs meteoric rise to the Premiership from an inside perspective, opening the door to the boardroom and telling the story of the most exhilarating, turbulent and breathtaking years of his life.
One individual among Beswicks’ invited guests has first-hand knowledge of USL as former Portland Timber player Sean McAuley is the current Academy Manager for Sheffield Wednesday. He played 16 games with the club in 2002.
The diverse group of attendees will also include Portuguese agent Tony Araujo, who also represents a number of African players, as well as Mexican entrepreneurs Rodrigo Suarez and Eduardo Salamonovitz, affiliated with the Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies, will be attending as representatives of a group of Mexican investors interested in launching a club with United Soccer Leagues.
Also expected are groups from Brazil and Argentina.
