Hello and welcome to SGB – Sports and Outdoor! I'm the title's new editor, Jon Bruford, and I'll be guiding SGB through some changes in forthcoming issues. I'd very much like to hear your opinions about what a sports retail and outdoor magazine should be bringing to its readers, so feel free to email me on jonbruford@yahoo.co.uk to share your opinions.

Recent research from Mintel shows that a significant percentage of British holidaymakers are choosing a cycling holiday instead of the traditional package tour.

Nistex, the SGB-backed trade show for sports retailers, is to return after the success of its inaugural event in 2007. The 2008 show will again be held at Cranmore Park, Solihull, on Thursday July 3.

Top sports kit manufacturer Umbro has been affected by poor sales of the replica England football shirt following the team's poor showing in the 2006 World Cup.

Following the successful launch of the ispo newcomers platform during ispo SPORT & STYLE, ispo winter 08 will again set the stage for a number of newcomer brands from the segments of skiing, outdoor, board, and fitness at a specially designated presentation area.

The Parker Steel East Kent Youth Football League, one of the biggest youth leagues in the UK, has selected the revolutionary Molten ACENTEC Vantaggio football (FVA-4000Y) as its official match ball for the forthcoming season, 2007/08. The Molten football was voted the league’s official match ball for its 15-19 year-old age group at its recent Annual General Meeting and it is to be used in all league matches.

Alistair Dickson has joined the team at 1000 Mile Sportswear,working with brands including Mueller, Maxim, 1000 Mile socks,Nathan and Compeed. Bringing with him over five years of experience in the rugby and running sectors through his previous work with Mizuno and Saucony, he is 1000 Mile’s first dedicated sales rep for Scotland and the North. He can be contacted on 07774 100156.

With the ski season and Christmas fast approaching, are you having problems trying to decide what to buy the ski and snowboarding fanatic or on piste fashionista in your life? Simply click through to www.oracle-eyecentre.co.uk and see their must-have, catwalk collection of the latest and hottest designer ski and snowboard glasses, goggles and masks.

Indian Cricket star Anil Kumble, renowned spin bowler and third highest test wicket taker of all time is being sponsored by advertising agency Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest (VCCP).His recent first-ever Test century was hit using the VCCP sponsored bat.

Ronhill, the widely respected running gear brand, has announced its new Shape line, a range for the female runner.We put a few questions to Ronhill's marketing manager Oliver Carter to find out a bit more about this exciting new line.

Ron Harrod, Chairman and founder of leading sports equipment manufacturer Harrod UK Ltd, was this week delighted to have a road named after him in the company’s home town of Lowestoft.

The road,Harrod Close, runs past the site of the original Harrod UK factory in Horn Hill, Lowestoft.Harrod UK operated on this site from its inception in 1954 until 1984, when it moved to its existing premises on the South Lowestoft Industrial Estate.

Runner’s World magazine has named the New Balance 1223 running shoe a “Best Update” award winner in its Fall 2007 Shoe Buyer’s Guide (September 2007). “The 1223 comes with better cushioning than its predecessor, thanks to a soft layer of foam over the midsole and a section of durable foam in the heel,” said the Runner’s World editors.

Established in 1966 by Paul Van Doren,Vans has always been at the forefront of shoe design with the ‘sticky’ waffle sole at it’s core. From these humble beginnings as a hand made shoe company,Vans has risen to become a worldwide dominant force in the footwear and freesports markets, making it the brand of choice for the contemporary consumer seeking action sport and lifestyle footwear.

Four years ago the Prince management team and an investment partner acquired Prince Sports, Inc. (the parent of the Prince and Ektelon racquet sports brands) from the Benetton Group. Since then, Prince Sports has seen substantial growth in all areas of its business. Late last year, the Company began looking for a new investment partner to support its growth and development plans.

Aqua Sphere's MEXICO performance swimsuit was recently awarded a coveted 9/10 in 220 Triathlon magazine's Test Centre report.

220 wrote that the Mexico offers " a fantastic feeling of quality, speed in the water and carefully designed construction.... The oft-used cliche of feeling like you're slicing through the water is strangely apt when you're wearing the Mexico, and its quality and hold mean you could use it for racing as well as training. Overall, one of the finest suits we've tested."

Racquet giants Prince have scored two successes with player endorsements. Squash star James Willstrop has recorded his first victory since signing for the company, and Nicol David has notched a 17th month at number one in the squash Women's World Rankings.

Lotto Sport Italia, Italian leader in the manufacturing and distribution of sport footwear, clothing and accessories, and Compagnia dell’Orologio Spa in Noventa di Piave jointly announce that they have signed a licence agreement for the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of Lotto branded watches. The agreement, which is scheduled to last for five years and includes international distribution, confirms the entry of the company, led by Andrea Tomat, into the Watches & Accessories segment.

Elan without Vice-President Martin Lehner

Martin Lehner (38) gives up his position as Vice-President for Elan because of dissents, but in mutual agreement. He started his career at the Slovenian company in 1997 and was Marketing Director from 1999 to 2000. In 2000, he moved up to the board and was responsible for sales and marketing.

Roger Southcott, Director of the Outdoor Industries Association, has announced he will be leaving the association at the end of October 2007.

Following recent discussions between the founders of the Outdoor Trade Show (OTS) and the STAG Buying Group, OTS organisers are pleased to announce an arrangement whereby STAG will promote and recommend OTS through its communication channels with its membership of over 400 retailers.

The UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has recently launched a new initiative to improve sustainability performance of a range of priority products and services including clothing.

Outdoor, snowsport and footwear equipment supplier AMG Group has appointed Andy Riley as Business Development Manager for the company’s outdoor and snowsport division.

Iceland based Nikita Clothing has announced the appointment of Michelle Rushbrooke as the brand’s PR Manager. Michelle is responsible for all PR communications released on behalf of the company including Nikita,Nikita Selekzion and Atikin as well as special projects, associations and events.

Berghaus has opened the doors of its first flagship store, in the Gateshead MetroCentre. The store is the UK’s only outlet to stock the full range of Berghaus performance outdoor clothing, footwear, rucsacs and accessories. It was formally opened by Sir Chris Bonington and Leo Houlding.

Entering their second year of a three-year deal,Vango is once again the proud sponsor of this year's largest and most illustrious mountain marathon event and the greatest outdoor challenge in the UK – the Original Mountain Marathon (OMM).

The company has decided the time is right to present ALPINUS, Poland’s leading technical outdoor brand, to the UK outdoor trade. All the products in each range are designed and developed in Poland and includes an extensive collection of technical walking and mountaineering clothing. ALPINUS was selected as the official uniform supplier for the Polish Olympic team at the recent Turin Winter Olympics and is the premier brand in Poland.

Mountain biking is an excellent way to enjoy the great outdoors. I’d venture as far as to say that there are some upland areas of the UK that lend themselves far better to exploration on bike than they do on foot – although I’m not going to name them in fear of a postbag full of complaints.

GELERT are the first in the Outdoor Market to introduce an innovative, great value range of family tents. The Twister range of tents is the quickest to erect, family tents in the market. These unique tents have been exclusively designed for the family who want to spend time enjoying the outdoors and not wasting precious time pitching their tent!

Not what you might expect to see in the Outdoor pages of SGB, Sebago's product is included because of its potential crossover appeal.Many fans of the great outdoors love sailing, be it on lake or sea, and the footwear is multi-functional while being designed for optimum performance at sea.

SOLE Custom Footbeds tick all the boxes for the sport enthusiast looking for the best over–the-counter orthotic available. In three simple steps, SOLE’s heat fit creates a custom fit for your foot in your footwear.

Mountain Equipment’s new Compressor Jacket and Compressor Gilet are superlightweight, extremely compressible and make for ideal stow-away companions for when the going gets tough: wet, windy or cold. The Compressor Gilet packs down to the size of a tennis ball and comes with an integral stuff sack.

Being one who leaves a lot of things to the last minute, meeting the Editor’s deadline for submitting my article each month sometimes makes me feel like I used to at school when I hadn’t got my homework done to hand in on time.

It is a little over five years since I was last in Robertsbridge – a hilly picture-postcard village which, even before being home to cricket bat making in the late 1800s, actually made women’s stays. It was here that Baden-Powell, just a century ago, formed the first cub scout pack.

BATS

All new graphics and two new models:– Purist II is a masterpiece reworked – as one of GM’s lightest models it now has GM’s Super Powerarc Blade and Contoured Edges.With enhanced Perimeter Weighting, it’s THE bat for Controlled Power.

Already proven the leader in performance cricket footwear, ASICS takes its range to new heights with the GEL-Advance and GEL-8 For 64. Worn by international test players of the highest calibre and endorsed as the preferred footwear supplier to the ECB, these shoes provide the very latest footwear technology and cricket-specific features for the ultimate cricketing experience.

Slazenger has invested heavily in the new 2008 range, building upon their established reputation as being a leader in the cricket equipment sector. Premium materials have been used in the new look range, delivering exceptional quality products throughout the collection.

Designed and developed in conjunction with our International stars,Gray-Nicolls introduce the Nitro. Unique shoulder and toe contouring gives the Nitro an impressive look and feel. It’s steep spine running from splice to toe allows an imposing profile full of power. A natural bow gives every player the control they strive.New for 2008! The Nitro continues to enhance the Gray-Nicolls reputation for bat making.

In celebration of the company’s Bicentenary, Readers have developed a unique Limited Edition Range of Test Match Quality Personal Equipment. The Bicentennial Collection offers players the chance to get ‘state of the art’ at a fraction of the price of products offered by the competing promotional brands.

Kookaburra has enjoyed another bumper year of sales as the boom in the Cricket market continues. The brand has built its reputation upon innovative graphics, high quality technically innovative products and extreme value for money together with the endorsement of many of the world’s leading players. It is these qualities that ensure that customers will be eager to view the new collection as soon as it becomes available.

Dunlop Slazenger has been around for a long time, though not necessarily in its current form - how did the company make its mark in sporting goods, and what was its original focus in product terms?

In 1881 Slazenger first produced ‘The New Game of Lawn Tennis’ complete in a box. It was also in the late 1800s that Slazenger moved into tennis ball manufacturing and began to export product around the world. Since these beginnings Slazenger has produced a wide variety of sporting equipment.

The new 2008 range of Dunlop AEROGEL tennis rackets have been developed using the latest technology.

Dunlop AEROGEL rackets incorporate the world's lightest solid, which has a strength of up to 4,000 times its own weight. The three dimensional nanometer-sized molecular network delivers an unmatched strengthto- weight ratio for enhanced stiffness and increased power.

Developed in response to requests from parents, Rakpak allows children to keep everything they need to play Mini Tennis in one bag.

For the Spring/Summer 2008 collection, Lotto’s commitment to satisfy the diverse needs of players seeking design products with an aggressive look as well as players who love tradition and classical taste continues.

O3 Speedport, the latest development in the pioneering and internationally successful O3 racquet series from Prince, leads the brand's tennis product range for 2008.

Wilson, the No.1 tennis brand, is expanding its [K]Factor racket range to offer a racket to every skill level and type of player after [K]Factor rackets took both singles titles at Wimbledon. Four more [K]Factor rackets are being added to the range – the [K]One, [K]Three, [K]Four and [K]Zen.Wilson introduced the professional end of the range earlier this year following Roger Federer’s decision to play with the [K]Six.One Tour at the Australian Open.

Accell Fitness United Kingdom (formerly known as Bolton Stirland International) appointed Jonathan Adler as their new Sales Director, effective from September 1st. He has extensive experience working in sales, sales management, retail and marketing.Working the last 10 years in the marketing and fitness business he brings a great deal of expertise into the company. Jonathan Adler was Managing Director of Home Fitness Direct since 2003.

England and Leicester Tigers rugby star Lewis Moody MBE is putting his weight behind the launch of two revolutionary new sports support products being launched by Manchester based sports support and equipment specialist Vulkan.

Polar Electro is delighted to unveil their most innovative and advanced heart rate monitor to date. Combining the latest running measurement technology with their pioneering heart rate monitoring expertise, the elite-level RS800sd is the flagship of Polar’s latest generation of running computers and set to become an icon for serious runners.

Get the perfect bikini in this season’s hottest colours and prints from Bond-Eye Australia. The summer 2008 collection is all about bikini separates, letting you mix and match sizes and styles in exclusive prints and colours to find the ultimate swimsuit to fit your body.

At last! A good quality, popular sized rebounder, that won't take up all your store space and is attractively and informatively packaged to sell 'off the shelf' or even 'off the pallet'. Packed in a display carton measuring just 80 x 40 x 10cm (or in old language 31 x 16 x 4 inches), supplied complete with a draw string shoulder bag and weighing 10 kgs this is a purchase that can be easily carried out of the store by your customers. RRP is £59.00 and your delivered in store price is from £23.80 + VAT.

Super Tramp have a fantastic range of toboggans and sledges. Whoever said “Nah. We never get any snow” or “Huh. Global warming you must be joking”. Well Super Tramp and their band of retailers are really having the last laugh as they sold large volumes of toboggans last season with little or no snow! They say that the season is split into two. The first slice sells the most expensive models and are sold in the build up to Christmas. Then when it does snow watch out for the queues at your store.

For everyday sports enthusiasts, Sunwise sunglasses are not only a popular fashion accessory, they also provide real benefits. Protecting your eyes from the invisible UV rays produced by the sun is just one of the advantages of the Sunwise range. Extra comfort and a secure fit is provided with components like nose pads and rubber sleeves.

“Harrows’ new 2007/8 catalogue is packed with stunning products, all superbly presented and targeted at key retail price points,” said a spokesperson for the brand.

How long has the shop been open?

About 20 years, I think. The original shop opened in Kington, then Ludlow and Leominster. There are eight shops altogether, and we also have four Animal franchise shops as well, in Hereford, Shrewsbury, Aberystwyth and Chester. It's quite a 'local' chain.

myfootballclub.co.uk is a web site where people can sign up, register their interest, and pay the small sum of £35 for one year’s interest.What do they get for their money?

What do you do here at The Movement Works?

As physios,we basically deal with any musculoskeletal problems, which could be related to the neck, wrist, hand, lower back, knee... There's a lot of aspects to our profession. My specialism is in sports physio, so I work with athletes from all different sporting professions.