FIFA fashion range set to hit the stores

The global roll-out of the first official range of FIFA branded clothing and merchandise is set to begin later this year. The move follows a long-term worldwide agreement with Global Brands Group, the international brand management and licensing company, to become FIFA’s exclusive worldwide Master Licensee.

Global Brands Group is to use a series of high-profile trade shows over the next few months to reveal the first FIFA Collections to the international retail industry. The FIFA Collections, which will initially comprise five separate ranges of apparel – 1904, Editions, Code, Essentials and Trophy – is expected to be available in more than 100 FIFA Official Stores® and in an extensive network of FIFA branded retail spaces in over 12 markets around the world from August 2009 onwards. In addition to the two seasonal launches (Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer), Global Brands Group is also currently developing a dedicated Event range celebrating the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The special official licensed product range is set to reflect not only the excitement of the world’s single largest sporting event, but also the rich history of the African host nation. The range – which will be sold exclusively via FIFA Official Stores® and FIFA branded retail environments – is due for launch in Summer 2009 and will complement the more widely available 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ licensed event merchandise ranges that will be available in FIFA Official Event Strores®, general retail outlets and onsite at the event. Together with a series of leading designers, Global Brands Group, has carefully developed each FIFA apparel line to reflect the heritage and dynamism of football in order to connect with both the global community of football fans as well as mainstream, high street fashion and lifestyle consumers. The collection has been engineered to garner an emotional connection with the consumer through the power and history of the FIFA brand. Key ranges will include apparel for both the male and female markets. As part of the international roll-out of the FIFA brand, Global Brands Group is in the process of signing exclusive strategic agreements with Master Distributors in each territory. Agreements have already been reached in five markets (US, UK, India, Australia and Turkey), with deals in three further markets pending and an additional six identified.

Global Brands Group is also actively seeking Master Distributors in a series of other key territories. The Master Distributors may also be responsible for the creation of FIFA Official Stores®, the first of which opened at Singapore’s new T3 terminal at Changi airport in January 2008. Global Brands Group has just announced that the second of these stores, and the companies first in Europe, will open at Paris’ Orly airport on 1st September 2009. Further FIFA Official Stores® in London, Tokyo and Los Angeles, as well as in emerging markets such as Latin America, China and India, are already in development. Official FIFA Stores® will act as a primary destination for fans, offering them a unique football inspired shopping experience in addition to exclusive collections.

Mark Matheny, CEO and Co-Chairman of Global Brands Group, said: “Since becoming FIFA’s official licensing partner in 2005, Global Brands Group has worked tirelessly to create a range of apparel in keeping with the tradition and global stature of the FIFA brand. It was also important to ensure that we produced a range of apparel that appealed to a wide range of consumers, including football fans, fashionistas and men and women of all ages.” Simon Hawkins, SVP Global Product Sales of Global Brands Group, said: “Through our Master Distributor network, our goal is to deliver the FIFA brand experience to the broadest group of football fans and consumers worldwide. Our distributors have built up experience in the sports, lifestyle and value sectors, and have an established distribution infrastructure in place to meet the needs of retailers in their region. “They are effectively an extension of Global Brands Group and will also provide valuable insight into their market and consumers in orders to ensure that we meet their needs’’.

Thierry Weil, Marketing Director of FIFA, said: “The launch of the first FIFA sports lifestyle collection marks an important milestone in our goal to connect with fans around the world. There has been huge demand for the launch of this collection due to FIFA’s incredible brand exposure as well as the countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Global Brands Group has therefore developed five ranges of apparel that fully incorporate the heritage and dynamism of FIFA. “We are confident that Global Brands Group’s expertise in the licensing and retail industry will ensure that FIFA merchandise reaches as wide an audience as possible, in every corner of the world”.

About Global Brands Group Global Brands Group is the world's leading independent, international brand management, retail and licensing company. Global Brands Group's passion for managing brands is tied to its desire to building sustainable equity and creating new branding opportunities through geographic expansion, category extension and retail innovation. Through its international network of offices across six continents, Global Brands Group maximises revenue potential by creating manufacturing, retail and distribution partnerships worldwide. Global Brands Group's business is focused on product licensing, merchandising and retail development. Currently Global Brands Group's growing portfolio of intellectual properties includes brands created by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the PGA TOUR Licensed Properties, Inc. (PGA TOUR), Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) and Warner Bros. Consumer Products among others. With corporate headquarters located in Singapore, Global Brands Group has a network of offices in major cities around the world including London, Dubai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Buenos Aires and Johannesburg. www.globalbrandsgroup.com

About FIFA For more than 100 years, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, founded on 21 May 1904 in Paris and better known as FIFA, has continued to provide the essential leadership role to the international football family. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the eighth FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter (Switzerland), guides the organization today with a commitment to the evolution of FIFA as a modern and dynamic association. FIFA's members form the basis of the world’s football family. From the founding seven, the family has today grown to 208 affiliated football associations, organised into six confederations spanning the globe. FIFA’s worldwide activities go well beyond its various competitions, such as the world’s biggest single sport event, the FIFA World Cup. FIFA gives material, financial and promotional support to develop the game around the world through projects such as FIFA Goal or Futuro. Underprivileged people and communities benefit from the Football for Hope movement that FIFA and streetfootballworld founded in 2005 to promote and support local organisations that are using the power of the game for social development.

For more information on FIFA and its competitions, especially on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, please visit the official website at www.fifa.com

Source: PressPortal

Not sure

Hhhhmmmm 60 days to go and this is the news that has hit the press this evening - Specialist banking group Investec has bought 50 000 tickets for the 2009 Confederation Cup at a cost of R3.5m....

Wonder what to make of that?

50000 tickets is a fair whack and do you interpret that as South Africa having failed to have sold the tickets or do you believe that Investec are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts?

That bunch of tickets being given out as a bit of a social development initiative is great - but it is 50000 tickets that have not been sold to international tourists hitting our shores...

Best club side at the mo...

The Champions League is supposed to answer the question of which side is currently the greatest club competing in Europe at the moment.

Obviously everyone has their own favourite who they believe is the best side, but last nights round made for some seriously interesting viewing.

Chelsea beat Liverpool at Anfield - 1-3 - big result
Barcelona thumped Bayern Munich - 4-0

On top of that, you had the gutsy performance out of Porto to hold Manchester United 2-2 at Old Trafford and definately playing from a strong position going into their home round...

Any thoughts on which is the best club side at the moment and why?

PIFA-CYFC football team in South Africa

Premier India Football Academy’s U-17 boys “PIFA-CYFC” from India were invited through Cutting Edge Pvt Ltd to participate in the Gauteng Future Champions Under-17 Football Tournament that was held in South Africa from March 23 to 29, 2009.

The 16-member team from India, which was invited by the Gauteng Provincial Government, joined 11 other top junior teams from around the globe. The competition was being held in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup that will be held in South Africa.

The following players were selected for the team :
Harshad Meher ( Capt), Kean Lewis, Ajit Bhoir, Amarjeet Gadhri, Rehan Poonawala, Sumehr Gwalani, Rickin Dang, Rishi Singh, Suveer Katariya, Burges Master, Dev Krsna Sagar, Crish Shah, Karan Sawhney, Siddharth Singh, Prudhvi Kolaventy & Amal Khandwala

The team officials were Coach Nirvan Shah, a UEFA licencee, Tour Manager - Armaan Malick and Team Manager - Anjali Shah.

PIFA-CYFC was in Group ‘A’ along with Notwane FC of Botswana, Sedibeng Select of South Africa. and Inter Milan of Italy.

The other teams in the tournament include the formidable SC Corinthians of Brazil, Kaiser Chiefs of South Africa and Boca Juniors of Argentina.

Even thought the team lost all its matches by narrow margins in the final minutes of the match mainly due to lack of fitness, the boys came out of the game with their heads up and hopeful that they could beat their opponents.

The highlight of this tour was when Karan Sawhney put one past Inter-Milan goal keeper.
The finals was won by Boca Juniors (Argentina) they beat Esperance (Tunisia) 2-0, the third place was taken by Inter Milan.

The Gauteng Provincial Government and South African Football Association provided first class staying and match facilities. VIP security. The teams were treated to a gala dinner & an African cultural show Umoja, a tour to the Cradle of Life and a Lion Safari.

Later, the teams were taken to SAFA House the head office of South African Football Association and to see the construction of the Soccer City stadium that will host the opening & closing ceremony of the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

The team’s air travel was fully sponsored by South African Airways and the playing kit by NIKE.

Mighty Aston Villa!

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Villa are "as close as anyone" to breaking the Big Four's supremacy.

Ferguson says O'Neill will not be happy with the way his side have fallen away in the past few weeks because he is a winner - but believes Villa will make big strides in the coming seasons.

He said: "Martin has seen his high hopes of a spot in next season's Champions League slip back a little. He won't be happy with that because he is a winner - it's the nature of the man.

"But no matter how the season ends for them, he had done a fantastic job at Villa.

"He launched a rebuilding programme when he first arrived and there is a lot of youth in his squad.

"He is as close as anyone to breaking into the top four and they will get better. He has a team for the future."

Source: Aston Villa media