Online betting exchange Betfair has signed on as the official betting partner of English Premier League club Southampton FC.

Betfair managed to usurp UK rivals William Hill, who acted as Southampton’s betting partner during the previous EPL season. In addition to the Saints, Betfair’s EPL tie-ups also include Arsenal, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Sunderland, suggesting that the company didn’t blow its entire wad on CEO Breon Corcoran’s recent £10m bonus.

Southampton CEO Gareth Rogers said the new partnership would offer team fans “great flexibility and odds to match their needs.” Betfair’s media, PR and sponsorship overlord Stephen Mault said Saints fans could expect loads of exclusive offers and promotions and his firm looked forward to “playing our part in the club’s remarkable success story this season.”

FONBET INKS TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF RUSSIAN FOOTBALL’S SECOND DIVISION

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has apologized after video footage was obtained of him calling an Asian man a ‘Jap’ at a local casino.

On 7 June 2015, Leicester City forward, Jamie Vardy, won his first England cap after replacing Wayne Rooney in the goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland.

It’s a good job we only have one head.

On Saturday, Vardy was on top of the world; netting his first goal of the season in his side’s 4-2 demolition of Sunderland. The Match of the Day pundits were full of praise for another hard working performance. Leicester City were top of the Premier League.

UK bookies Coral have burnished their English Premier League visibility by signing a deal with Fulham Football Club.

Coral, the sports betting arm of the Gala Coral Group, announced on Tuesday that it had signed a deal to serve as Fulham FC’s official betting and gaming partner. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, so just for fun, let’s make investors nervous by spreading a rumor that Coral paid one hundred bajillion pounds.

The deal is valid for an initial two-year term, with an option for a third year if the parties find each other’s company agreeable. Coral will become sponsor of the Putney End Stand at Craven Cottage and will provide in-stadia betting services via kiosks on game days.

Coral’s logo will be splashed across the giant screen and TV gantry of the Putney End Stand, as well as on interview backdrops and LED pitch perimeter advertising.

Online betting exchange Betfair has inked a European betting partnership with English Premier League club Arsenal.

Arsenal went down to defeat against West Ham in their EPL season opener over the weekend but emerged a winner from its new deal with Betfair. The partnership covers continental Europe, excluding the UK, Ireland, Italy and Russia.

Betfair will enjoy branding at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium for the club’s domestic games while also getting the rights to use team players in marketing pitches. In exchange, Arsenal gets an undetermined pile of cash and team fans will enjoy myriad exclusive betting offers and promotions.

The deal further bolsters Betfair’s EPL profile, having recently inked betting partnerships with Leicester City, Sunderland and Aston Villa.

Lee Davy shares his view on Week 1 of the English Premier League, including a shock defeat for Arsenal, a late show from Liverpool and much more.

Jose Mourinho reminds me of Worzel Gummidge, the 1980s scarecrow who had a head for every occasion.

He is without doubt the best manager in the English Premier League. He can also be the strangest, the funniest and the most outrageous.

What head did he wear this week?

International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has picked China as the host of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the first time that China will host FIBA’s flagship event.

During the Host Announcement Ceremony on Friday in Tokyo Japan, FIBA announced that China won the bid to host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, beating the Philippines.

China and the Philippines, the two finalists who submitted their bids, each gave presentations during the ceremony. The board voted 14 in favor of China’s bid, with 7 backing the Philippines.

Yao Ming, the Ambassador for the China 2019  and who played at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said that this would help China to inspire more young athletes to pick up basketball.

Sports betting firm SportPesa has signed a deal with the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) to become the official title sponsor for the next four and a half years.

The league will now be called the SportsPesa Premier League and will run until the end of the 2019 season.

The value of the deal was not disclosed but KPL Chairman Ambrose Rachier confirmed that it would be more than the amount  of the three-year naming rights agreement that the league had with a beer brand Tusker for KES170 million ($1m).

SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri said that the betting company’s long term plan was to improve the quality of the league and ensure that Kenya featured prominently in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  The sports betting company has been spreading its wings by sponsoring a number of sports events in the country and yesterday, they scored big by securing the sponsorship of the country’s top tier league.

With the new Premier League season upon us Lee Davy explains why he believes Chelsea will successfully retain their title this season.

Football is back.

None of this namby pamby Spanish rubbish. None of this kicking the ball from side to side Italian garbage. I am talking about proper football, man football – hairy chest football. I am talking about the English Premier League.

The fixture list has picked a dream tie to kick things off. Tottenham Hotspur will head to Old Trafford to get their asses handed to them on a plate by one of only three teams I believe has any chance of preventing Chelsea from retaining their title.

Betclic Everest subsidiary Bet-at-home has been officially unveiled as the new shirt sponsor of German football side Hertha BSC.

News of the tie-up was floated last month but the two parties didn’t officially announce their engagement until Thursday. The three-year deal will see Bet-at-home’s logo adorn the Bundesliga club’s home and away jerseys, plus major advertising rights at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin where Hertha plies tis trade. The two parties will also work together on online and social media campaigns.

The deal marks Bet-at-home’s first sponsorship deal in Germany’s top-tier football world. Bet-at-home marketing man Michael Gierke called it “an important step in our efforts to further increase awareness” of the brand.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but German media reported that the team stood to reap a hefty €6m per year. The deal will remain valid for the entire three-year term even if Hertha’s fortunes decline and the team faces relegation to the second division.

Las Vegas and Quebec City are moving on to the second of three phases in their bids to land National Hockey League (NHL) expansion franchises.

The ownership groups trying to bring the first major sports franchise to Las Vegas and Quebec City both announced Wednesday that the league has invited them to participate in the second phase of the league’s expansion process.

Bill Foley, leading the Las Vegas bid, announced on his group’s website vegaswantshockey.com that they have received an invitation from the NHL to advance on the next phase. Quebecor also posted on its Twitter account that Quebec City has been retained for the next level.

“In this phase, we will be providing the League with additional information, including information about the Las Vegas market and the MGM AEG Arena being developed between Monte Carlo and New York New York. We will also be permitted access to information provided by the League that it deems important to us. We are hopeful that at the conclusion of this phase, the League will invite us to participate in Phase III,” said Foley.

Manchester United flop Angel Di Maria is on the verge of a move to Paris St Germain, Pedro is the likely replacement, but David Beckham squeezes into the No.7 shirt before anyone else.

Manchester United star Angel Di Maria, the most expensive signing in English footballing history, is leaving the club after a dismal 12-months. He will be joining Paris St-Germain in a deal believed to be worth £44m.

French rag L’Equipe is calling the Argentinian ‘The Messiah.’ I’m sure the Stretford End has some nicknames of their own.

Di Maria arrived at United for an English club record of £59.7m at the beginning of last season. It was seen as a sign of strength for Louis van Gaal to pick up such a world-renowned star when the rest of the glitterati seemed to be stuck in their positions. And he was a world-renowned star. The only caveat that crept into everyone’s little caves was why did Real want to sell him in the first place?

Online betting companies Betfair and NETBET have secured partnerships with English Premier League football clubs, ahead of the 2015-16 Barclays Premier League season.

Betfair becomes the Leicester City’s official betting partner, giving Foxes fans access to its online betting products and some exclusive offers throughout the season.

“Betfair is a world leader in online betting and has an extremely strong presence in professional football, owing to their expertise in engaging football supporters and their innovative methods that have become industry standard,” said Leicester City’s Commercial Director Ian Flanagan. “We’re very much looking forward to working with them in the coming 2015/16 season and to forging a relationship that will have great benefits for both parties.”

“We are delighted to have signed a deal with Leicester City Football Club to become the Club’s Official Betting Partner. Leicester is a forward thinking club that shares our passion for innovation and we look forward to growing a successful relationship over the course of the upcoming season,” Betfair’s Head of Media, Sponsorship & PR Stephen Mault.

Lee Davy provides you with a recap of the 2015 Community Shield between FA Cup winners Arsenal and the Premier League champions Chelsea.

When my phone rings it buzzes to the sound of Match of the Day. The only other sound that comes close to producing the same nicotine rush of nostalgia comes from the ice cream van.

Match of the Day is the dog’s bollocks.

This is why the Community Shield is so much more than a friendly: the FA Cup Winners versus the Premier League Champions. Nobody cares about that. It’s more than that. The Community Shield is the starting gun, the flare and the ready, steady go.

UK bookies Coral have inked a landmark sponsorship deal with English Premier League side Norwich City.

In what may prove one of its last acts as an independent entity before the planned merger of Gala Coral Group and Ladbrokes, Coral has signed on as official betting partner of Norwich City FC. The deal was brokered by sports marketers BD Sports Rights, which owns the BD Stadia betting service in Norwich’s Carrow Road venue.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the relationship is expected to last at least two years. Coral inked an official European betting partnership with Premier Leaguers Everton last year.

The deal marks a first for Norwich City, in that it has never before sold the rights to name the Barclay Stand at Carrow Road. Coral’s logo will adorn both front and back of the 6,000-seat stand and the area will now be officially known as ‘the Barclay Stand sponsored by Coral.’

The Dutchman Michael van Gerwen defeats the Englishman James Wade by 18 legs to 12 in the BetVictor World Matchplay Final at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

“It felt like someone had cut my arm off.”

Those were the words of a forlorn looking James Wade after being disposed of, with ease, by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World #1, Michael van Gerwen, in the final of the BetVictor World Matchplay in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

The final score was 18-12 to the Dutchman, but victory seemed to be in the bag as early as the 15th leg. Van Gerwen taking out a 144 finish to skip into the break with a 9-6 lead. He won that session 4-1 after the pair had started all-square at five apiece.

The World Wrestling Entertainment has fired the legendary Hulk Hogan after allegedly using racist language during a sexual encounter with his best friend’s wife.

Hulk Hogan, the most famous wrestler in the history of the sport, has been fired by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for allegedly calling a black man a ‘fucking nigger.’

I have to be honest. I was never a lover of Hulk Hogan. He was the king of an industry I loved watching when I grew up as a boy. I knew that it wasn’t real. Deep down I knew. But just like I hoped Santa Claus existed contrary to public opinion, I also hoped that wrestling was real.

“It’s not real, you know,” my Dad used to say when we gathered around the TV screens to watch it.

French online poker operator Winamax has inked a new football sponsorship deal with French Ligue 1 football team OGC Nice.

The one-year deal will see Winamax’s logo adorn the front of the Nice players’ shorts beginning with the team’s friendly match against Napoli on August 2. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed but speculation has it that Winamax paid a sum in the low-six-figures. The deal follows Winamax’s recent shorts deal with Olympique de Marseille, suggesting an uncommon desire by the poker operator to get its name near players’ ‘pocket aces.’ Just sayin’.

Sticking with French gaming operators, Gallic casino outfit Groupe Partouche has extended its sponsorship of Ligue 1 side Lille OSC. The two parties have had a relationship extending back a dozen years now and the 2015-16 season will see the Groupe Partouche logo once again prominently displayed on the upper-right corner of Lille’s jerseys. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, so just for fun let’s say it’s worth eleventh million billion euros and see if anyone challenges that estimate.

Finally, German state lottery and betting operator Toto-Lotto Baden-Würtenburg has inked a two-year deal with Bundesliga squad VfB Stuttgart. The deal, which runs through the 2016-17 season, will see Toto-Lotto enjoy primo signage in and around the Reds’ stadium as well as lots of spots on German telly.