Bernie Ecclestone in "The Top Five" Most Influential People in London - Sports

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This is London - "The 1,000: London's Most Influential People - Sports" (Published a few weeks ago - October 9)

SPORTS THE TOP FIVE

Sebastian Coe, 51 LONDON OLYMPICS ORGANISING COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN
Coe will be arguably the most influential individual in British sport over the next five years. The Tory peer's main priority is to ensure that he delivers on the promise that a London Olympics will create a legacy to remedy decades of underinvestment in British Olympic sport. Expect his notorious determination to kick in should the Government attempt to economise on the main venues in the Olympic Park. Also a strong candidate to succeed Jacques Rogge as president of the International Olympic Committee in 2013.
See also Running London

Roman Abramovich, 40 CHELSEA FC, OWNER
The Russian oligarch, worth about £10bn, has invested some £500m in Chelsea since he bought the club four years ago. Abramovich bankrolled an unprecedented splurge on players and Chelsea have twice won the Premier League - although he is growing impatient as the crown of European champions continues to elude the club, a likely factor in manager Jose Mourinho's departure. Chelsea have been relatively quiet in the transfer market this summer as they attempt to reduce annual losses of £80m. Abramovich has taken the club to his heart, attending most home games and dropping into the players' dressing room after the game.

Vic Wakeling, 63 SKY SPORTS, MD
Since 1993 he has been the force that changed televised sport, buying the rights to many major events including the "crown jewel" of home Test cricket. On his watch Sky has introduced Sky Sports News, five dedicated sports channels and highdefinition broadcasts. Wakeling, a personable 63-year-old Geordie and Sky "lifer", now faces a fresh challenge after the European Union ended the station's monopoly on live Premiership football coverage, allowing upstart Setanta a slice of the action. One of his big regrets is being beaten to coverage of the London Olympics by the BBC

Bernie Ecclestone, 76 FORMULA ONE, SUPREMO
The former dealer in spare parts for motorcycles has gone on to amass a £2.25bn fortune from motor racing. Once raced cars and still calls the shots in Formula One, steering the sport towards lucrative new markets in the Middle East and Asia. Has a luxury home in Chelsea and offices overlooking Hyde Park. Recently expressed an interest in buying Arsenal football club but instead has taken over Queens Park Rangers with Renault racing team boss Flavio Briatore.

Richard Scudamore, 47 PREMIER LEAGUE, CEO
Since 1999, Scudamore has helped to create the world's richest football league. An uncompromising negotiator, he was credited with clinching a record £2.7bn deal for media rights to the Premiership. However his position was weakened over the league's handling of the ownership rights and transfer of former West Ham player Carlos Tevez. Future challenges include maintaining the competitiveness of the league and preventing any of the richer clubs, notably Manchester United, from rejecting collective bargaining to negotiate their own media deals.

See rest of the list at Sports Most Influential in London

Complete Evening Standard "The 1,000 - London's Most Influential People"