Archive for category Sports
Grab the NETELLER app and your sports section too
We are always looking for ways to make your lives easier. And if you’re one of the many people who eat and breathe sports or just want the latest sporting news, getting your sports fix just got better.
How? Simple. We added lifestyle widgets to the NETELLER app. Most notably, the Sporting Life widget has been added just in time for Grand National. Stay up to date on the latest news about your favourite sports team or event including Grand National right from your desktop.
Imagine being able to get the latest news on your team or scores as well as buying tickets to a sporting event right in your hometown. Well you can do all of that with the NETELLER app. It’s that easy! And right at your fingertips.
Watch our quick demo for a sneak peek at what the Sporting Life widget and the NETELLER app can do for you.
Today’s post was written by Kimber. She is a Marketing Program Manager and is passionate about building the NETELLER community.
Everton FC at Tottenham Hotspur with NETELLER and Mansion
It started off as any normal match day, a train to White Hart Lane and a stroll to the ground. But that’s where the normality stopped. We were greeted at reception with our passes for the day, which were kindly supplied by Mansion and made our way to the 4th floor Directors Box.
The hospitality was superb: champagne on entrance that was filled as soon as the last drop had left the glass and a buffet table that wouldn’t look out of place on a 5 star cruise ship. We made our way through to the main ground to place a bet with www.mansion.com. My bets were first scorer Pavlyuchenko and final score 3-1.
Everton FC at Tottenham Hotspur
But we weren’t there for the ambiance — we were there for the match. Our seats were right on the halfway line and provided a great view for the opening goal on 11 minutes. Huddlestone’s long ball put Defoe behind the defence and he fired across goal for “Super Pav” to slide home his fifth in the space of a week! We didn’t have to wait long for the second goal as Spurs’s Croatian contingent linked up neatly on the right-hand corner of the box before Modric curled an exquisite looping effort in off the bar. Spurs had a handful of decent chances to increase the lead but it finished 2-0 at the break as we made our way back into the box to warm up whilst we brushed shoulders with high profile businessmen and ex professionals.
The second half started with pressure building from Everton and they made a breakthrough on 54 minutes, a goal mouth scramble led to Yakubu bundling home, 2-1. Soon after an injury for Huddlestone meant Spurs were forced into a defensive game for the remaining 35 minutes. Pressure started to build again but Spurs were able to hold on for a deserved 2-1 victory.
I had a truly magnificent day and would like to extend my thanks to the people at Manson for their hospitality. But now I must be off to mansion.com to collect my winnings.
Up the Spurs!
Today’s post was written by Tony Caruso. He is a Project Manager at NETELLER’s sister company NETBANX. He also happens to be our resident Spurs fanatic.
A house divided – Czech Republic vs. Scotland
Posted by Being from Canada, my background is very colorful. But since my last name’s MacNeill and I look right sexy in a kilt, I’ve always identified with my Scottish heritage. That’s why I’ve always supported the Scottish national football team (Unless Canada qualifies for World Cup – LOL). When I married a girl with Czech parents and family in Prague, I began to support the Czech Republic when Scotland didn’t qualify for the World Cup or Euros (unfortunately since the mid-90’s).
With the Czech vs Scotland friendly on March 3rd and neither team qualified for the World Cup, I’m just hoping for a great game with no family fighting. Both Michal Bílek (CZ) and Craig Levein (SCO) are making their debuts as the new managers of their countries and it should be an interesting look into the future playing styles of these 2 teams.
MacNeill and sons
Good thing I have 2 sons, because if this match repeats itself on the road or in Brazil 2014, one can have the Scotland scarf and the other can have the Czech Republic scarf. Unless Scotland appoints Kenny Dalglish. Because above all else, we are a Liverpool FC household.
Who will you be cheering come March 3?
Today’s post was written by Clay. He is our Graphic Designer and is responsible for designing everything from emails campaigns to websites. He also happens to be a football fanatic.
My Net+ prepaid card deserves a gold medal
As I write this blog post surrounded by the Coastal Mountains under another sunny blue sky, it makes me realize how lucky I am to be taking in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Net+ is a great travel companion
After arriving in Vancouver from Calgary, Alberta, I found myself sitting at the Sky Train station counting change for the fare when I realized I didn’t have enough money. (The concert the night before had wreaked havoc on my wallet and head.) Suddenly it occurred to me that this was a job for my new Net+ Prepaid MasterCard®. I quickly found an ATM and had cash in hand before I knew it. The speed and ease of my initial transaction made me glad I’d applied for the card in advance of my trip. Fare taken care of, I soon found myself downtown taking in the Olympic electricity that is energizing Vancouver.
Gold medalist Amy Williams and NETELLER's own Chris Doucher
From the city, I took a bus to the mountain resort village of Whistler, and apparently, so had everyone else. In the few days I’ve been here, I’ve met people from all over the world. Many have told me how lucky I am to live in Canada and that has filled me with an immense sense of pride. The other night I bought a couple of drinks for some new German friends with my Net+ card. Call it prepaid diplomacy. After some high-fives, they went on their way to watch a medal ceremony while I headed over to Araxia restaurant, where I was lucky enough to meet Amy Williams of Great Britain, the Gold Medalist in the women’s Skeleton race.
And now I’m off to soak up more atmosphere before I head back to reality outside of the Olympic bubble.
Cheers!
Today’s post was written by Chris. He is one of our web writers, a comic book aficionado, news junkie and sports nut. Sit back, relax and enjoy his posts.
Countdown to the London Affiliate Conference – 1 day left!
On Friday, the London Affiliate Conference (LAC) officially begins, but I can tell you this: the excitement is already in the air here. The gaming industry in London is buzzing with the upcoming kick-off of one of the biggest affiliate events of the year.
NETELLER nominated for the “best payment system for affiliates”
For the third year running, we are honoured to be nominated for the iGB award for “best payment system for affiliates.” It’s like the People’s Choice awards – the industry’s affiliates tell us whether we have served them well in 2009. As the pre-cursor to the actual LAC show, Thursday’s black tie awards night is when we find out. Regardless of the outcome, I’d like to thank all the affiliates who have voted (especially the ones who voted for us!).
What’s so special about LAC?
Besides being 1 of the most hopping gaming events in the industry, it’s also when we get to meet with our affiliates and partners’ affiliates to see how we can work together to help them earn more cash and get more players playing the games they love. With cost per acquisition (CPA) bonuses, revenue share plans and joint marketing opportunities, we’ve got a lot in store in 2010 for our affiliates and we can’t wait to share it with them.
Intrigued? Meet up with us!
We’ll be at LAC all weekend, so if you are an affiliate or merchant, drop an email to affiliate@neteller.com over the next day or so and request a meeting with myself or Arvind.
2010 gaming sneak-a-peak
Although LAC doesn’t start for another day, it’s already been a busy week here in London. We’ve spent most of the week hanging out with our favourite merchants like PartyGaming, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Cake Poker, Foxy Bingo, Purple Lounge, 24hPoker, and NoiQ (just to name a few) at the International Gaming Expo (IGE) getting the inside scoop on what they have in store for their customers in 2010. There are definitely some great events and promotions planned for World Cup 2010, Grand National, the World Poker Tour, the European Masters of Poker and so much more. But I really shouldn’t spoil the surprise, so let’s just say this is going to be one great year for sports, bingo, poker, casino and spreadbetting!
Are you going to LAC? If so, tell us where you’ll be.
Today’s post was written by Sona. She is our Director of Brand and Group Marketing.
Robert Fagg gave NETELLER great video moments in 2009
One of the highlights of 2009 has definitely been NETELLER’s sponsorship of rally car co-driver Robert Fagg, who hails from the Isle of Man. I’ve really enjoyed reading his blog entries and watching footage from his races.
Our YouTube channel is a great way to get your Robert Fagg fix. There are a tonne of wicked videos. Whenever I watch them I feel like I’m actually sitting in the car. It’s so much fun! Why not check out some of our other videos while you’re there too? If you’ve ever wondered about upgrading your eWallet, learning more about our Net+ virtual prepaid card or the Net+ ninja, we have video answers for you on our channel.
You can also keep up with Robert as he lives his dream by visiting his website or following him on Twitter.
Thanks for a great year, Robert. Good luck in 2010!
What’s your favourite 2009 Robert Fagg moment?
Today’s post was written by Kimber. She is a Marketing Program Manager and is passionate about building the NETELLER community.
NETELLER: a year in review
We’re so busy around the NETELLER office that we don’t always take time to reflect on all of our accomplishments. That’s why I’m going to take a moment to go through my personal highlights for 2009. Before I get to that, I just want to say how much I love working with such a dedicated group of people. The pride these guys take in helping all of you get the most from your NETELLER membership is truly inspiring.
I promised you highlights, so here they are:
New services, countries and deposit options
We launched our Money Transfer service to help you send money easily and securely to family and friends wherever they may be. We also tweaked our NETPoints program to give you more opportunities to win seats at great tournaments, earn NETPoints on Net+ transactions and secure online money transfers, as well as give VIPs a chance to earn free deposits. But that wasn’t the only perk we gave our VIPs in 2009 – we rolled out tons of great VIP benefits. And because you asked for it, we also lifted IP blocking for all our members so you can access your account from almost anywhere in the world!
Net+ Chip & PIN and virtual prepaid cards gave you more
Our award-winning Net+ cards gave you the ability to control your spending and the freedom to securely shop online without the worry of your card number being stolen thanks to its one-time generated card numbers — and at 750 EUR, the Chip & PIN cards give you some of the highest ATM withdrawal limits in the biz. And finally, the Net+ ninja has you protected wherever and whenever you use your Net+ cards.
Special offers
2009 was all about cash giveaways and promotions, and the response from you guys was overwhelming. We awarded 6000 EUR to some fantastic players in our Luck or Skill promotion, sent out great offers from top gaming merchants like PKR, Purple Lounge and Full Tilt, and opened up our Showcase to members worldwide so that wherever you live, you can keep up with the latest promos from your favourite sites!
Online community
We know that you guys live your lives online and with an expanded presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the NETELLER blog, we’re meeting you on your turf. For those of you who wanted to come onto our turf, we gave you a chance to literally become the next face of NETELLER with the Be a hero contest.
And it was great to get to know a lot of you rally race car fans thanks to our sponsorship of rally racer Robert Fagg. His blogs really took us into the mind of a rally car co-driver and some of the videos are priceless, like when he hit a tree.
We heard you
It’s easy to forget that the internet is all about making connections. We really pushed ourselves to connect with more of you in 2009. Poker in the Park and Betsson Estoril LIVE gave us a chance to meet many of you face-to-face. One of the best ways to stay connected is through the newsletter that we launched in September to provide you with all you need to know about NETELLER as we move forward.
I am pumped for 2010! Keep an eye out for more tournaments, more giveaways and a lot of great ways to use your NETPoints and so much more!
Today’s post was written by Krista. Krista is the Brand and Marketing Planning Manager and she’s also an avid runner and a die-hard soccer player.
Barbarians beat the All Blacks for the first time since 1973!
The weather was typically British outside as I put my feet up a few days ago to watch the Barbarians play New Zealand at Twickenham and check out the NETELLER advertising placement. Fully expecting the All Blacks to make it a walk over, I idly picked through sports pages and checked out the squad. Jamie Roberts, Matt Giteau, Bryan Habana were on for the Barbarians. They might actually make a game of this, I thought. I then had just enough time to check the odds and back the Barbarians before the start whistle.
Setting the tone
At just 4 minutes into the game the All Blacks are awarded a penalty advantage and kicked for an easy 3 points! This, I thought, would surely set the pattern of play for the rest of the game, but an All Blacks fumble gives Drew Mitchell an opportunity that he steals, sprinting for the try line at the far end of the pitch, followed by Habana who takes a neat pass and drops the ball over the line, grinning from ear-to-ear! Giteau kicks a tight conversion and the game is on! All Blacks respond at 24 minutes with a converted try and take the lead by a crucial 3 points.
Hat trick!
At 40 minutes, another All Blacks fumble gives the South African flier Habana the excuse to run two thirds of the pitch unchallenged before they break with the psychological advantage over New Zealand at half time. Whilst the All Blacks maintain possession and kick a further 6 points in the second half, it’s the Barbarians who are monopolising on quick set play when Habana again scores a try to make it his hat trick.
The odds are good
At 76 minutes, Barbarians are defending their 4 point lead just yards from the try line when the All Blacks give away a penalty, just as the NETELLER logo pops up on the hoarding reminding me to check the odds on my live bet. Barbarians kick the 3-pointer sealing their fate.
36 years worth of cheering
The Barbarians beat the All Blacks by 7 clear points, not only breaking their undefeated run on the European tour, but for the first time since 1973!
Bryan Habana takes man of the match and I head out for the Christmas shopping with my Net+ prepaid card and an unexpected windfall!
Did you watch the match? Were you there? What did you think?
Today’s post was written by Daniel. Daniel works for our UK Operations and has close ties with our merchants. He never misses an episode of Top Gear, is rarely far from his camera and loves his rugby.
Robert Fagg hits the stages
Today, we have a guest post by Robert Fagg. Robert is a rally racer co-driver or navigator and has emerged as a fierce competitor as he’s raced across Great Britain and as far afield as China. You can learn more about Robert on his website or subscribe to the blog for further guest posts.
In my last event I competed in a type of car I never thought I’d get the chance to take to the stages in. Long gone are the Formula 2 Kit Car days of the mid-to-late 90’s, but following a late call-up, a boyhood dream was realised.
Driving with Andy
I accepted an invite from Andy Fenwick, a local to the UTS Cheviot Keith Knox Stages and last year’s winner of the event. I spent a day competing in an ex-factory prepared and run SEAT Ibiza F2 Kit Car. This car is the same one that was contested at World Championship level and also driven to victory by Toni Gardimiester. Not too shabby.
Since Andy and I haven’t yet competed together, the pre-event recce gave us an opportunity to get to know each other inside the car. This took place the day before and in wet conditions we knew that the event would not be easy in our powerful front wheel drive car.
The main event
Our goal at the start of the event was to match the times of another local, Michael Glendenning, which we did by passing him with two miles left to go. Andy’s confidence grew with each stage, both in his new car and co-driver, resulting in us climbing to third place! During the middle of the rally we enjoyed a close battle with seconds being exchanged in every stage, but even though we held a 17 second lead at the time, a third place finish still wasn’t a lock.
The final 4
At the start of the event Andy and I would have been happy with a top 10 finish, however, our final result was more than stellar! The final 4 stages were exciting and when it came to the finish we were ecstatic to learn we had done enough to take third!
Back to the Isle of Man
I plan on riding the positive momentum from the UTS Cheviot Keith Knox Stages into the final event of my local series on the Isle of Man. The Blackhorse Finance Asphalt Stages takes place November 6th and 7th where I return to the car of my early success, a Ford Escort MkII.
My driver this go around will be Connor Corkill, a young Manxman who has been contesting the British Historic series in 2009. Last weekend we enjoyed a successful reconnaissance for the event and have a good set of pace notes I feel we can do well on.
Night vision
This will be a challenging one as 9 of the 22 stages take place under the cover of night. Connor and I will need the utmost trust in each other from the word go to ensure that we fulfill the potential in this event.
Fingers crossed for a good result.
Robert Fagg’s 2009 Round Up
Today, we have a guest post by Robert Fagg. Robert is a rally racer co-driver or navigator and has emerged as a fierce competitor as he’s raced across Great Britain and as far afield as China. You can learn more about Robert on his website or subscribe to the blog for further guest posts.
In my last post, I told you about my trek over to Ireland to contest the Ulster Challenge Rally, the penultimate round of the Kick Energy Fiesta SportTrophy and how we narrowly escaped near disaster after serious contact with a tree. We knew we’d have to give our all in the last round of The British Rally Championship Challenge if we were to have any chance of taking the title.
Unfortunately, the final round of the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire brought neither the result nor the prize – free entries into the 2010 British Rally Championship – that we had hoped for.
Despite the event being held on the same day as my driver Matt Edwards’ birthday, we had no luck whatsoever. With no chance to test before returning to a loose surface following 2 rounds on tarmac, we knew it would take a little time to get up to speed.
False alarm
We started at a comfortable pace, but although we caught up to a rival car from past events and posted a reasonable time, it could have been better. Things got worse for us on the next stage, when mid-way through the longest and toughest test, our engine cut out and the fire extinguisher deployed. With a distinct lack of flames, we traced the fault to the emergency switch outside the car and fixed it. Despite dropping a lot of time to the competition, we pushed on.
Turning out of place
The bad luck was still with us in the final stage as we punctured a front tire when braking for a tight corner from flat in 5th gear. Because of this, we struggled to turn the car in the tight corners for the remainder of the stage. That put paid to any chance we had of winning the 2009 championship. Too much time had been lost.
We ended the event in a very disappointing 8th place, only good enough to secure an overall 4th in the BRC Challenge Championship. Still, the finish was good enough for Matt to achieve the runner-up spot in the Fiesta challenge while I ended the season in 4th. Not bad considering I missed the opening round of the series.
Our plans for 2010 are already under discussion but have taken a knock with us not claiming those valuable free entries.
Scotland calling
I quickly put that disappointment behind me as I traveled to Scotland to contest the Tunnocks Tour of Mull. It is one of the last remaining ‘old school’ events and it’s becoming an annual trip competing alongside John Cope in his Subaru Impreza WRC.
John and I enjoyed a good run on the event, lying in the top 5 after the opening leg on Friday night before a strong run Saturday saw us climb to 3rd.
The final leg on Saturday night start with the longest stage of the event, 22 miles, and usually sets the scene for the rest of the leg. Unfortunately for us we dropped time to our rivals as we battled for 3rd, but such was our lead we did enough to move up to 2nd overall following a problem for the event leader.
Darkness falls
It remained tight between the 3 crews battling for the runner-up spot right down to the last stage with just 8 seconds separating us. With lots of work being carried out on the last section and making it very daunting, it really was going to be a make or break stage, especially in pitch black at 1:30am!
In the end, it just wasn’t meant to be, as we lost out not only on 2nd but on 3rd too. Following the problems we had last year, 4th place was a great result and now that the car is working really well, it gives a good platform for 2010.
Your support drove me
It remains for me to say thank you to NETELLER and all of you for your support. I could not have done it without you. Please keep an eye out for some more in-car footage in the coming weeks.
I hope to have a further announcement regarding my next event in the very near future.
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