THIS summer's Team GB football warm-up double-header at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium is likely to be crucial to the state of the British Olympic Association's finances in the wake of the Olympic Games.

Stuart Pearce's men's side take on Brazil, with Hope Powell's women's side entertaining Sweden, on Friday, July 20.

The profits from the double-header will be jointly shared between the BOA and the Football Association, with Middlesbrough receiving a set fee for staging the matches.

It is hoped that with the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs potentially featuring for Team GB, along with Middlesbrough goalkeeper Jason Steele, the occasion will be close to a sell-out.

As well as raising ticketing revenue, the BBC will also pay a rights fee to televise the two games and there will be considerable opportunities for sponsorship and hospitality.

The BOA will welcome the financial boost as they prepare to send a squad of around 550 competitors to the Olympic Games.

The organisation is understood to have set a budget of around £13m to cover their expenses to the end of the Games, and the coffers will have to be refilled ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

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THE kick-off times of the Riverside double-header should be confirmed within the next couple of weeks.

It had been thought that the women's game would kick off at 5pm, with the men's match starting at 7.45pm.

However, it is believed that the BBC have requested that both games be brought forward by an hour, a move that would enable them to screen the Six O'Clock News in the break between games.

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PLANNING for the Olympic football matches at Newcastle's St James' Park is at an advanced stage, and includes the erection of a fans' park close to Grey's Monument.

A designated fans' area will be created on Market Street, which will be closed to traffic on the days that St James' is staging matches.

There will be big screens for fans without tickets to watch the games as well as a series of stalls and activities. Access to the fans' site will be free.

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THE Newcastle leg of the Olympic torch relay will be beamed live to the nation as part of the BBC's "The One Show".

The torch travels from Alnwick to Newcastle on Friday, June 15, and will be the centre-piece of an evening celebration on the Quayside.

One of the highlights will see the torch travel from the Tyne Bridge to the Quayside on a zip wire, and it is this section of the relay that the BBC are especially keen to screen live.

The identity of the celebrity torch bearers will not be confirmed until the week before the Newcastle leg of the relay, but it is understood that Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini and former manager Kevin Keegan are set to be involved.