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Our History

Since it was founded in 1997 in response to a legal dispute that shook the foundations of British sport with its financial fallout, Sport Resolutions (SR) has developed into a leading and most respected independent organisation resolving legal issues in sport in the UK and - more increasingly in recent time - internationally.

SR was first established as the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel in the wake of Dianne Modahl's dispute with the British Athletics Federation ("BAF") which resulted in Modahl bankrupting herself and also contributed to the BAF going into administration.

It was against this backdrop that the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel (SDRP) (later renamed Sport Resolutions) was created by the representative umbrella groups of sport in the United Kingdom to provide an expert, speedy, and cost-effective alternative to resolving conflict and disputes in sport.

In recent years SR's international offering has grown at a pace, and the number of international bodies and partners recognising our independent expertise continues to increase. Today SR’s panel members, consisting of over 200 experts, covers a wide geographical area in six continents.

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Should you require Sport Resolutions to conduct and manage an investigation, review or inquiry, please contact us.

Timeline

1997

SDRP is created by the nine representative umbrella bodies of sport in the UK: British Athletes Commission, British Olympic Association, British Paralympic Association, European Sponsorship Association, Northern Ireland Sports Forum, Professional Players Federation, Sport & Recreation Alliance, Scottish Sports Association, Welsh Sports Association.

1999

SDRP opens for business at the CCPR offices in Victoria after receiving grant funding from UK Sport.

2000

SDRP completes its first case - a four party commercial dispute about alleged infringement of the intellectual property rights of a sports organisation by an NGB and sponsor.

2007

SDRP wins the contract to operate a centralised tribunal service to adjudicate on anti-doping disputes in the UK, called the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP).

SDRP resolves a dispute between 400m athlete Christine Ohuruogu and the British Olympic Association over a life time ban imposed under the BOA's Anti-Doping Bye-Law. Ohuruogu returns to the sport and is crowned World Champion in 2007 and Olympic Champion in 2008.

2008

SDRP changes its trading name to Sport Resolutions (UK) and moves into its own offices in Fleet Street.

Sport Resolutions resolves a revenue sharing dispute between the Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation and players representing it at the FIFA 2006 World Cup.

2011

Sport Resolutions moves into a new arbitration and mediation centre at 1 Salisbury Square, London.

2012

Sport Resolutions organises a pro-bono legal advice and representation service for athletes, teams, and officials competing at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in conjunction with LOCOG, Law Society, Bar Council and British Association for Sport and Law.

Sport Resolutions helps to resolve 19 athlete selection disputes in relation to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This includes the disputes between Aaron Cook and Taekwondo UK, and British Rhythmic Gymnastics Group and British Gymnastics.

2013

A specialist child protection investigation and adjudication service for sport is launched, called the National Safeguarding Panel (NSP), which is set up with the support of the NSPCC.

2014

Sport Resolutions runs National Anti-Doping Panel adjudicates on the UK's first biological passport case involving cyclist Jonathan Tiernan-Locke and UK Anti-Doping.

2015

Sport Resolutions has its Inaugural Annual Conference at Grange St. Pauls Hotel in London.

2016

Edwin Glasgow QC replaces Peter Crystal as Chairman.

Richard Harry replaces Ed Procter as CEO .

Sport Resolutions announces New Case Management Team lead by Catherine Pitre.

2017

Sport Resolutions starts providing services for leading international bodies such as ITF, IAAF, ICC, RLIF and World Sailing.

2018

Sport Resolutions contributes to the Government review in Australia in relation to the establishment of a national sport tribunal. Sport Resolutions is recognised in the Review of Australia’s Sport Integrity Arrangements as “one of the most successful and well-regarded sports arbitration agencies globally”. The Review states that the model for Australia’s proposed National Sports Tribunal should be similar to that employed by Sport Resolutions in that it must be transparent, independent, cost effective, efficient and expert.

2019

Sport Resolutions operates the ad hoc panel of the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal for the duration of the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.

Sport Resolutions assists the ITF by operating and administering an ad hoc Independent Tribunal during the 2019 Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.

All sports now recognise Sport Resolutions as the nation's sport specific, independent, dispute resolution body, with over 40 sports using its services each year. Since 2000, Sport Resolutions has helped to resolve over 1,500 sport disputes in the areas of anti-doping, athlete selection, commercial agreements, discrimination, player eligibility, promotion and relegation and safeguarding.