Annual Sport Journalism Lecture 2016 – Dick Pound to speak

Dick Pound, sport’s most prominent anti-drug campaigner, will turn his attention to something he now deems even more problematic, namely match-fixing, at this year’s Annual Sport Journalism Lecture.

On May 6, Pound, of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), will be part of a panel discussing this increasingly thorny issue in the University of Brighton’s Hilbrow Lecture Theatre on the Eastbourne campus. He will be joined by Alison Kervin, sports editor of the Mail on Sunday, and Graham Sharpe, media relations officer at bookmaker William Hill, in addition to Sport Journalism BA(Hons) co-course leader Rob Steen.

It is hoped that the panel will also feature Baroness Sue Campbell, chair of UK Sport since 2003, and Dan Johnson, head of communications at the Premier League.

”There are two main reasons we invited Dick,” explained Rob. “I heard him make an eloquent case for match-fixing as the No.1 enemy for sport at a conference in Denmark last year, and he has a background as a lawyer. Knowledge of legal issues is vital to such a discussion.”

“Given the amount of globetrotting he has to do, and the importance of what he does, to have Dick Pound join us for a discussion like this is a wonderful privilege,” added Sport Journalism co-course leader Jed Novick.

“The Annual Sport Journalism Lecture has featured some major names in sport and sports journalism down the years, from John Carlos, Hugh McIlvanney and Andrew Jennings to Clare Balding, Henry Winter and Jacquie Oatley.

“But this year’s lecture looks destined to top them all, because the subject is so intrinsic to the health and future of professional and even amateur sport.”

Information regarding tickets for the lecture will be available shortly. Watch this space.