July 2003

Travel manager wins Asia Cup soccer deal

Travel Management Group, a Warwickshire-based independent travel company, has won the contract to organise travel for the FA Premier League Asia Cup in Malaysia later this month.  The business travel group will fly out premiership club Birmingham City, Chelsea and Newcastle United from airports in Manchester and London to take part in the pre-season tournament, which also includes the Malaysian national team.

TMG, based in Leamington Spa, clinched the deal with the English Premier League and sponsors ESPN STAR - a joint venture between Rupert Murdoch's News Corp media empire and US broadcaster ESPN.  Stuart Turnecliff, account manager at TMG, said the matches would be played at the 86,000 seater National Stadium at Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur in front of an estimated television audience of 150 million viewers.  The final will be held on July 27 and screened in Britain on Sky.

"TMG will be organising the flights, hotel and internal travel for the Premiership clubs, as well as for the media and official supporters," said Mr Turnecliff. TMG's sports division also looks after travel arrangements for clubs such as Arsenal, Southampton and Fulham and is also the appointed agent for official England football fans and for various FA organisations.

Recently, TMG clinched the contract to organise worldwide travel for one of the newest racing teams, Team Maranello Concessionaires, on the hugely popular FIA GT circuit. 

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