Canon UK Press Release

Online gallery returns to search for best photograph of UEFA Champions League 2004/2005

Canon is pleased to announce the launch of The Shot, an interactive photo competition hosted on the official website of UEFA, www.uefa.com/theshot.  The original competition during UEFA EURO 2004™ attracted over 1.3 million visitors and we expect this updated version to be even more popular.

Available now, the website will be updated after each UEFA Champions League matchday with the very best images captured at each game by Getty Images, the world’s leading professional sports photographers.  Football and photography fans alike can then visit the site and vote on which pictures they think are the most visually exciting; these votes will be recorded throughout the knockout stages of the competition to identify The Shot of the competition after the Final in May.

By registering to vote and taking part in the competition, fans can win a range of fantastic prizes. There are six competition periods, each offering the chance to win a variety of cutting edge Canon cameras and printers and limited edition Canon merchandise. The Grand Prize is a once in a lifetime VIP trip to a UEFA Champions League game during next year’s competition.

In a new feature for the UEFA Champions League edition of The Shot, visitors will also be able to browse an image gallery separate from the competition voting that features a wider selection of photographs taken by Getty Images during UEFA Champions League 2004/2005.

Alessandro Stanzani, Director of Marketing for Canon Consumer Imaging Europe, said: “The UEFA Champions League has an unrivalled lead in showcasing the most exciting, creative club football in the world. The Shot is all about merging the very best football with the very best photography, creating an online image gallery that captures the most dramatic and evocative moments from the knockout stages.”

Voting for each image and entering the prize draw is easy. As with the UEFA EURO 2004™ edition of The Shot, fans register to play at www.uefa.com/theshot and are then able to vote for their favourite from eight images captured during each UEFA Champions League matchday.  The photo with the most votes at the end of each competition period goes forward to the Grand Final, to be entered as the Picture of the Competition, which runs between 15 and 25 May; any fans who voted for the winning photo are automatically entered into the draw for one of the great Canon prizes.

The competition periods are as follows:

· Period 1 – First knockout round 1st leg, 24 Feb to 15 March
· Period 2 – First knockout round 2nd leg, 16 March to 6 April
· Period 3 – Quarter-Finals 1st leg, 7 April to 13 April
· Period 4 – Quarter-Finals 2nd leg, 14 April to 27 April
· Period 5 – Semi-Finals 1st leg, 28 April to 4 May
· Period 6 – Semi-Finals 2nd leg, 5 May to 14 May
· Grand Prize – Lead up to Final, 15 May to 25 May

William Gaillard UEFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs, said: “After the tremendous success of Canon’s The Shot competition during UEFA EURO 2004™, we’re delighted to see it returning to showcase the most exciting images from this year’s UEFA Champions League. By logging on to The Shot, fans will not only be able to relive their favourite moments, they’ll also be able to have their say in picking the photo they think best captures the drama of the 2004/2005 UEFA Champions League.”

Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology , has long-standing ties with UEFA and football which to date have included sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup (1978-1998), UEFA Champions League (1995-2000), UEFA European Football Championship (1980-1996) and UEFA EURO 2004™.

Reader enquiries:
UK – 08705 143723 / www.canon.co.uk    
Eire – (01) 2052400 / www.canon.ie