Highlights:

Performance Analysis - Champions League Spotlight – Europe: Russia & Poland Business Development - The AmericasProduct Development - RECRUITER

Newsletter – Spring 2010

DELIVERING PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS

CONTENTSP2 FOREWORD P3-4 PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS Premier League Promotion Champions League

P5 INDUSTRY EVENTS Leaders in Performance PGMOL Conference Think Fitness Performance Conference

P6-7 SPOTLIGHT – EUROPE Russia: Dynamo Moscow and CSKA Moscow Poland: Ekstraklasa League-wide

P8-9 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – THE AMERICAS Prozone’s latest recruit Colorado Rapids Toronto FC

P10-12 PRODUCT - RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Introducing: Prozone RECRUITER Academic Research Blackburn Rovers Analyst on DASHBOARD & PROFILE

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FOREWORD With many European leagues coming to a close, like the rest of the world our attention will be turning to this summers World Cup where we will be analyzing all 64 games and delivering full performance analysis services to a number of national teams. Once the final whistle has blown on July 11th, we’ll be gearing up for the start of the 2010/11 season during when our service provision will reach new heights, as we analyse over 6,000 games from core leagues across the world. This extensive dataset combined with archive data going back more than 10 years, our latest product innovation; RECRUITER, will provide the most advanced player recruitment solution available.

Just like any good football business we’ve strengthened the team to ensure we’re up to the challenges of the season ahead. Andrew Opatkiewicz has joined as our Americas Business Development Manager and will be based at our Chicago offices.

With so many positive developments, I guess that all that remains is to wish you the very best of luck for the season ahead.

Barry McNeill Managing Director

PAGE THREE

Promotion to the Premier League can increase a club’s revenue by a staggering £90 million, according to a report by sports finance experts Deloitte. That figure is an increase of 50% on the value of a promotion place since last season.

This should be music to the ears of both West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United. The two clubs were relegated after disappointing performances in the 08/9 season, but following a far more successful 09/10 season, both have now secured an immediate return to the top flight, with Newcastle crowned Champions and West Brom securing second place.

Analysis of PromotionThe two teams have dominated the Championship for the majority of the season, so we’ve looked at the level and style of their play during this campaign to see what factors contributed to their immediate return to the top table of the English game.

Pass Masters Both Newcastle and West Brom’s passing average per game was well above the Coca-Cola Championship average, and even went beyond this season’s Barclays Premier League average. Newcastle and West Brom respectively averaged 310 and 325 passes per game with success rates of 81.2% and 80.9%. Again, out-passing teams in both the Premier League (78.6%) and Championship (74.9%).

When breaking down pass length both teams fall below the Championship average for long passes and above the average for medium passes, suggesting that the teams’ trends are closer to that of the Premier League than the Championship.

In contrast both teams played less forward passes and more backward passes when compared to the Championship average suggesting they are more comfortable in possession, which in turn allows them to be more selective in their choice of pass.

PERFORMANCE ANALYSISPREMIER LEAGUE PROMOTION

Newcastle West Brom

FAPL Average CCC Average

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Figure 1. A breakdown of length of passes

as a percentage of all passes

The Season AheadWhilst there are distinct differences in the average performance outputs from the Premier League and Championship, our analysis of the passing statistics for the 2009/10 season suggests that teams adopting a style more consistent with the Premier League have been more successful.

There is an obvious difference in the quality of opposition that Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion will face in the 2010/11 season but our analysis shows that their style of play allied with the effectiveness and direction of their passing should give both teams reason to feel confident for the season ahead. Especially when you take in to account the fact 17 of the last 30 newly promoted clubs have managed to remain in the top flight for at least one season.

“Thanks to you and all at Prozone in helping to make the 2009/10 campaign a successful one for us. Not only did we manage to achieve our goal of automatic promotion we also did it within the Club DNA/game style. Backed up by your stats I was interested to see that ourselves and Newcastle were not only the top two scorers in the division but also were top of the possession stats and both outperformed the average in the Premier League.”Dan Ashworth, Sporting and Technical Director - WBA

For Europe’s top clubs Champions League qualification has become a pre-requisite of a successful season. With an minimum of €3 million in prize money for qualification and a possible €31.2 million for the eventual winner, it’s easy to understand why Champions League qualification is so important.

Champions League qualification provides many other benefits through the increased exposure. Individual club’s TV revenues can exceed €20 million and with the additional high profile gate receipts comes the potential for increased sponsorship and advertising revenues. However, it’s on the field of play where the competition holds the biggest draw. Champions League football is an absolute must for many of the world’s best players and enables clubs to attract higher profile signings and keep hold of their own rising stars.

Champions League Performance AnalysisProzone analyse every game of the Champions League as part of our dedicated service to clubs across Europe. The following analysis from the from the 2009/10 competition* gives an insight into the style of play in the Champions League and more importantly, the kind of playing style needed to progress from the group stages and ensure a greater share in the prize money.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ANALYSIS

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FOCUS: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION

Team dynamicsThe average number of passes in the Champions League is 17% higher than in the Premier League. The pass success rate and the number of forward passes played are also marginally higher, while there are 34% less headers.

DistributionThe number of passes and the average number of touches is higher for all positions on the pitch in the Champions League, with the biggest differences seen in passing outputs for centre backs (+8) and central midfield players (+7) when compared to the Premier League position specific averages.

AttackingWhile attackers have slightly fewer shots in the Champions League, they enjoy the same number of shots on target across both competitions and make 40% less headers. Another interesting difference is that full backs enjoy significantly more entries into the final third and the penalty area in the Premier League compared to the Champions League.

DefensiveWhile centre backs see more of the ball with more touches and more passes in the Champions League they make less headers, interceptions and clearances. Wide midfielders and full backs get more involved in defence with a significantly higher number of tackles and central midfield also sees a change with a higher number of successful passes, more balls received and more entries made into the final third of the pitch.

In ConclusionObjective analysis suggests that the Champions League requires a more patient, less direct style of play, with a greater number of passes received across all positions and fewer entries into the final third. When you ally this with the same average number of shots on goal across both competitions, it would appear that teams are more selective and considered in their attacking play in the Champions League.

*All data and comparisons were correct as of 01/05/10

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FC Barcelona FC Bayern Munchen

FC Internazionale

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Olympique Lyonnais

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PAGE FIVE

October - 2010 Leaders in PerformanceLeaders in Performance, the international conference dedicated to the identification, development and management of talent, is proud to officially launch its second edition on 7th October 2010 at Chelsea FC.

In the first of a long list of world class speakers, Billy Beane, General Manager of the MLB franchise the Oakland A’s and renowned baseball legend, will be addressing the delegates attending.

Beane says: “I am very much looking forward to speaking at Leaders in Performance and meeting all the delegates from around the world involved in player identification and development.”

James Worrall, CEO, Leaders in Performance states: “Billy is a legend not just in baseball but across all sports for the way in which he revolutionised player recruitment and it is an honour to welcome him to the stage at Leaders in Performance this year.”

To register for the event or to learn more about Leaders in Performance please contact one of the team on +44 (0) 208 545 1595 or email performance@leadersinfootball.com

July 2010 – PGMOL Annual ConferenceFollowing the success of the 2009 conference, the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) have once again asked Prozone to organise the annual conference.

Building on a partnership that’s developed over the last seven years we will be working alongside PGMOL General Manager, Mike Riley, to organise and manage every aspect of the 2010 event.

“As the partnership between the PGMOL and Prozone continues to develop and grow we are delighted to have them manage our annual conference following the success of the 2009 event. The PGMOL Conference is crucial to the training, education and development of our match officials and it is important we have the right partner to ensure its success. Prozone has continued to provide PGMOL with a reliable and professional service.” Mike Riley, General Manager - PGMOL

The PGMOL conference is by invitation only

May 2010 - Think Fitness Performance ConferenceProzone were once again pleased to support the 2010 Think Fitness Performance Conference as the official performance analysis partner.

The 2010 conference built on the success of the 2009 event with insights from leading practitioners, including Dr. Tony Strudwick (Manchester United FC’s First Team Fitness Coach) and Dr. Vernon Neville (Pro-Sailor & Elite Performance Consultant).

This year’s focus was on performance management and its role within the unique environment of professional football and covered key topics including the Science of Recovery, Managing the Injury Prone Footballer and the applied use of Science to Debunk Conventional Wisdom.

Jon Goodman commented; “Once again the Think Fitness Performance Conference was a sell out success! Delegates were treated to genuine insights in various performance aspects and all presenters highlighted the future need for performance ‘intelligence’ through objective analysis and interpretation suggesting an increased dependency on high quality data providers such as Prozone.”

For details of future events please visit www.thinkfitness.net

INDUSTRY EVENTS

RUSSIA

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SPOTLIGHT – EUROPE

CSKA’s recent progression to a UEFA Champions League quarter final is a sign of the progress that Russian football has taken over the last few years. Continued investment is seen as critical to the future of the Russian game and its development as a European force. To that end both Dynamo Moscow and CSKA Moscow have become the first Russian teams to utilise the leading PROZONE3 performance analysis solution.

FC Dynamo Sport Director, Konstantin Sarsania commented: “We are very happy that now we can use Prozone analysis in our work as we wanted this a long time ago. PROZONE3 is a very professional product and gives us lots of useful information which helps us to build the whole training process of the team. We hope Prozone will help us this year to achieve the highest aims.”

Sergey Bedyagin, General Director of Arena-Khimki added:“We are very proud to be the first Russian stadium to install Prozone. We are happy to give the opportunity to use Prozone for the teams that host their home games at Arena-Khimki, providing the same service as Manchester United, Arsenal and Real Madrid. Installing Prozone at Arena-Khimki is the step towards new technologies. We are looking forward for improving the quality of teams’ performance that play at Arena-Khimki and all Russian Football as well.”

POLAND

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Andrzej Rusko, President of the board of Ekstraklasa commented; “We had no doubt that providing clubs of Ekstraklasa with Prozone’s MATCHVIEWER is a big step forward. Such a modern application provides them with new possibilities. The system has been presented to our coaches, who reacted very positively. Now it is time to start using it from the first match-day this year to improve their skill and tactical levels of their teams.”

Prozone’s Poland Business Manager, Jakub Myszkorowski, sees the agreement as a big step forward for the Polish league. “Providing an entire league-wide analysis solution is clear intent from the Ekstraklasa officials to help improve the performance standards of all its teams and we look forward to serving them throughout the season.”

As part of a commitment to improve the development of the Polish game, Poland’s premier football league - The Ekstraklasa - has recently signed a long term agreement with Prozone to offer league-wide analysis.

Sitting at the top of the Polish league system, The Ekstraklasa is contested by 16 clubs. Teams including Polonia Warszawa, Wisła Kraków and Zagłebie Lubin will all be using our single-camera MATCHVIEWER software to create an objective assessment of team and player performance, benefiting from the games most comprehensive post-match and opposition analysis solution.

BUSINESS DEVELOPENT

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THE AMERICASProzone are pleased to confirm the signing of Andrew Opatkiewicz as the new Business Development manager for the Americas to support our continued growth in the region.

Andrew will join our US team in Chicago and will oversee the sales, marketing and business development for North, Central and South America. Bringing a wealth of local knowledge to the Prozone team Andrew has previously co-founded the Seattle Wolves FC and will be drawing on his skills and expertise to drive our US strategy forward across the MLS and collegiate soccer as well as developing multi-sport opportunities to build on Prozone’s expertise in team-based sports analysis.

Andrew commented;

“I am thrilled to join the Prozone Sports’ team as the Business Development Manager for the Americas. Prozone represents a set of products and services highly valued by the most successful sporting clubs in the world. Their impressive history and commitment to continued evolution have made them the global leaders in the performance analysis industry. The North, Central, and South American sports markets represent interesting opportunities for Prozone.”

“In the United States and Canada, soccer is an emerging sport. With a unique history within the youth and collegiate ranks, Prozone products and services will not only benefit top-flight MLS clubs, but also USSDA Academy clubs, colleges and universities who support the developmental athletes that aspire to make up the next generation of professional players.”

“Prozone have done a fantastic job building relationships within North America, including the United States Soccer Federation and several MLS clubs — including 2009 champions, Real Salt Lake, and 2011 expansion club Portland Timbers. I look forward to working with them, and the rest of the Prozone Sports team, to continue this progress.”

The Colorado Rapids become the latest Major League Soccer club to choose Prozone joining the 2009 MLS Cup Winners Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC.

The Rapids will be using our interactive MATCHVIEWER service and supporting online applications for both post game and opposition analysis. They will also have access to a wealth of historical worldwide performance data through Prozone’s extensive TREND database.

“We are excited about our new partnership with Prozone. We feel that this is a great tool for our Technical Staff and will enhance our players’ individual development, team preparation and the overall performance of our club on the field.”

Paul Bravo, Technical Director - Colorado Rapids

“It’s great to get Colorado Rapids on board after recently extending our agreement with U.S. Soccer. With Prozone Sports LLC now established and a full time office in Chicago, we look forward to supporting Colorado and further developing our business in North America.”

Stewart Mairs Prozone’s US Operations Manager

Founded in 2006, Toronto FC was Major League Soccer’s 13th team and the first to install our world leading ‘8-camera’ PROZONE3 analysis system. And they’ve continued to use Prozone for their post-match and opposition analysis services ever since.

Under the new management of former Chivas USA head coach, Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic,

Toronto FC have recently renewed their partnership and are looking forward to the start of the 2010 MLS season.

“This will be our third season with Prozone and we are very happy with the relationship. As an organization we are committed to winning and development – specifically our fledgling academy – and Prozone’s services provide us with important tools to achieve both.”

Academy Director and Manager of Team Operations, Earl Cochrane

“Toronto FC have a desire to succeed and their decision to extend the Prozone analysis service is testament to that and we look forward to working closely with them over the next few years.”

Stewart Mairs Prozone’s U.S Operations Manager

THE COLORADO RAPIDS ARE THE LATEST MLS FRANCHISE TO CHOOSE PROZONE

TORONTO FC EXTEND PROZONE SERVICE

PRODUCT, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

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PAGE ELEVEN

Prozone RECRUITER is an innovative, online analytical player trading solution that allows teams to make more objective and better informed decisions on player trading through the use of the most accurate performance data available.

Our extensive coverage of the key leagues worldwide provides clubs with instant access to the world’s largest performance analysis database, making RECRUITER the most advanced player trading software software solution available.

Developed alongside some of the games leading professionals; RECRUITER supplements the intuition and expertise of scouts and managers while keeping their activity 100% confidential. Existing clients will find that the analysis language is consistent with other Prozone software, which enables the assessment and comparison of existing players against potential acquisitions without having to learn how to operate any new systems.

Prozone RECRUITER takes your asset management to the next level through interactive and advanced objective player analysis.

• Over 12,000 players to search and profile

• Powerful, user-defined search tools

• Objective performance data

• Secure 24/7 online access

• 100% client confidentiality

High-Speed Activities in Premier League Football

PRODUCT RESEARCH Introducing: Prozone RECRUITER

Delivering performance insights has always been at the core of everything we do and supporting academic research is a vital component to our performance strategy. Prozone data was recently used by leading academics at the University of Rome and the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University, to determine the between-match variability of high-speed running activities.

Published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine; desensitized player data was used from 485 outfield players competing in the English Premier League from 2003 to 2006 captured via the PROZONE3 player tracking solution.

The comprehensive study has shown that the match-to-match variability of physical outputs amongst elite football players is high. This type of data is being frequently used by sports scientists, performance analysts and coaches within professional football to support strategies for training prescription and performance improvements. An awareness of the position specific variability may also help inform their judgements in the practical application of this information.

Access the complete journal online at www.thieme-connect.com

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Prozone Sports: Delivering Performance Insights

Head Office:

Prozone Sports Ltd 3 Craven Court Millshaw Leeds LS11 8BN UK

T: +44 (0) 113 244 9296E: enquiries@prozonesports.comW: www.prozonesports.com

Regional Offices:

Chicago, USA Barcelona, SPAIN Dubai, UAE Tokyo, JAPAN Chennai, INDIA Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA São Paulo, BRAZIL St Petersberg, RUSSIA Moscow, RUSSIA Warsaw, POLAND

Prozone are continually evolving our analysis services and the ways in which they are delivered to our clubs. As part of that process we speak regularly to managers, coaches and performance analysts from around the world to capture insightful feedback to further direct our product strategy. Paul Brand is a performance analyst at Blackburn Rovers Football Club and this is what he had to say about Prozone’s DASHBOARD and PROFILE online products.

How do Blackburn use PROFILE and DASHBOARD?

At Blackburn, we use DASHBOARD to continually monitor our performances throughout the season against our averages and the Premier League averages. We also use it to look at information over a specific period of games. We

haven’t used PROFILE a lot so far, but intend to use it for individual end of season analysis.

How involved is the manager in reviewing the data?The manager looks at the graphs produced on a regular basis and will also ask the analysis department to analyse recent form using the software. The manager also uses the graphs in team meetings to aid the communication of certain topics to the players and staff.

What are the main benefits that you get from PROFILE?

PROFILE gives us a very quick overview of the players’ season over many different areas and allows us to produce graphs showing a player’s performance over a set period for the coaching staff and the players.

How do products like PROFILE and DASHBOARD help you in your role?PROFILE and DASHBOARD significantly reduce the time it takes for us to produce graphs and display information that we would have normally used TREND for. We feel that the two products help us produce information in a tenth of the time whilst still looking very sleek and being very presentable.

Continued innovation Over the coming months our development team will continue to work alongside all our clients as we strive to evolve the services we offer based on the needs of their club.

DEVELOPMENTSDASHBOARD and PROFILE

Image Credits:

P1 & 6 www.championat.ruP3 Action Images / Steven PastonP4 Action Images / John SibleyP5 Action Images/Andrew Couldridge LivepicP7 Action Images/REUTERS/Kacper Pempel (POLAND SPORT SOCCER)P9 The Denver Post/ZUMAPRESS.com