Our History

Company Timeline

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.

1. 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.

2. 1999

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

3. 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.

4. 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 lifetime 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.

5. 2008

   SDRP changes its trading name to Sport Resolutions 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.

6. 2011

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

7. 2012

   SR 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. SR 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.

8. 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.

9. 2014

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

10. 2015

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

11. 2016

    Edwin Glasgow KC replaces Peter Crystal as Chair. Richard Harry replaces Ed Procter as CEO. SR announces New Case Management Team lead by Catherine Pitre.

12. 2017

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

13. 2018

    SR 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. 

14. 2019

    SR operates the ad hoc panel of the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal for the duration of the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. SR assists the ITF by operating and administering an ad hoc Independent Tribunal during the 2019 Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.

15. 2021

    SR enters into an agreement with the International Testing Agency (ITA) to operate the International Hearing Panel (IHP), available to adjudicate on first instance anti-doping matters for international federations. Audley Sheppard KC replaces Edwin Glasgow KC as Chair. SR's home moves to modern, serviced offices at the International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC), 1 Paternoster Lane, London, EC4M 7BQ. SR assists the ITF by operating and administering its ad hoc Independent Tribunal during the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas and Davis Cup by Rakuten finals respectively.

16. 2022

    SR assists the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in operating an ad hoc panel of the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal for the duration of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA. SR operates and administers the Commonwealth Games Federation Court during the Birmingham 2022 Games