Sports marketing agency behind Rio Ferdinand to fold

LONDON - World Sport Solution, the sports marketing agency that set Rio Ferdinand up to advertise Ben Sherman shirts, looks set to go out of business over uncertainty about its financial position.

The company is reported to have called an emergency general meeting with investors on March 28 to voluntarily wind up the business. The company is expected to be taken over or its management would stage a buyout.

WSS is run by former M&C Saatchi Sponsorship CEO Matthew Patten, who joined in September, and Tony Simpson. Its chairman is Tory peer Lord Taylor and the company's investors include Arsenal captain and French international Patrick Vieira.

WSS is understood to have come under pressure from lenders about loans it took out before it floated on the London Stock Exchange 15 months ago. The company has already asked the stock exchange to halt trading in its shares while it awaits clarification of its financial position

As well as representing Manchester United star Ferdinand, WSS's clients also include Leeds United and the BMW.Williams Formula 1 racing team.

The company was not available for comment at the time of writing.

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