Sponsors Message - Liverpool Culture Company
Sport at the heart of European Capital of Culture 2008

The Liverpool Culture Company and Liverpool City Council, with partners across Merseyside, have launched the UK's biggest multi-sports deal involving new international events as well as initiatives to boost community sports participation.

The three-year sports strategy is the first by a European Capital of Culture and launched the 2006 themed year - Liverpool Performs, which focuses on the city's resurgence in sport, art and business.

Highlights include marketing deals with:

Tranmere Rovers FC
St Helens RLFC
Widnes Vikings RLFC
Waterloo RUFC
New Brighton RUFC

Grassroots sport is also being heavily backed through initiatives such as:

Sporting Chance: £50,000 Creative Communities Sports Fund
Liverpool's first Disability Sports Festival
Girls with a Goal: 'Bend it like Beckham' style project
Box Clever:  £10,000 grant to provide new equipment
Liverpool Community Games: Winners go into first-ever Merseyside Community Games - August
Liverpool City Council: Investment of £3.68m to improve sports facilities in 2006

A key element of the strategy also involves staging new and improving existing events, such as:

Liverpool 08 Rugby League Challenge
European Wheelchair Basketball Cup qualifiers
Inaugural Liverpool 08 Open Squash Tournament
Liverpool International Tennis Tournament 
Homecoming of the Clipper 05-06 Race
Finish of North West stage Cycle Tour of Great Britain August 30: Three-year deal with tour finish held in Liverpool in 2008
Final Grand Prix Honda Formula 4-Stroke race series: River Mersey, Sep 9-10

There is also additional marketing activity planned with The Grand National, The Open Championship, Everton FC and Liverpool FC and Liverpool Cricket Club with a three-year deal for Lancashire to play in the city from 2006-2008.

Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Warren Bradley, who also coaches a junior football team, said: ''I'm delighted that as European Capital of Culture we are tapping into our world famous passion for sport and developing opportunities that will hopefully inspire a new generation of sporting champions.''