FIFA has become an international commercial behemoth, but it has been at the expense of the reputation of world football and without regard for the forgotten stakeholders of the game – the players and fans – argues the former head of corporate and public affairs in Football Federation Australia in an article based on her presentation to the Chartered Secretaries Australia Conference in December 2011.

Stray dogs in the streets of Ukraine's major cities have caused unexpected problems for UEFA in the run up to the 2012 European Championship. Local authorities have been killing the dogs in an effort to clean the streets before June, but the methods used have led to a public outcry and pressure on UEFA sponsors like Coca-Cola who in turn has demanded that UEFA takes action on the issue.

This weekend signalled a temporary halt in the growing trend to move the world's largest sports events away from Western countries when London beat Doha to host the World Athletics Championships in 2017, and the Gold Coast in Australia was preferred as host for the Commonwealth Games in 2018 over Hambantota in Sri Lanka.

The next football World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games threaten to produce a catalogue of white elephants for Brazil, while restricting benefits to the business community, a panel of academics warned at today’s Play the Game.

Are the security measures implemented at sports events always in proportion to the threat? Or are security issues being used to protect narrow business interests and profitability?

Mega-events may trigger the building of iconic stadiums and plenty of promises about a sparkling future. But in reality the result is often oversized, expensive structures that turn into financial burdens. A new, on-going study evaluates prestigious stadiums from all over the world.

With less than two weeks to go, it is time to register for a unique occasion to network directly with sports political heavyweights, leading experts and top media professionals in international sport.

Comment: While trying to control the riots in London, London Mayor Boris Johnson must also ensure that the riots will not affect the London Olympcs and that they do not happen again in July 2012.