United Kingdom
Business

Shares in Manchester United opened up 1.5p at 171.5p this morning following weekend press reports that Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan was planning a substantial investment in the club.
Business

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has won a landmark test case hearing over London-based Danish channel, TV Danmark (TVD) which will have severe repercussions on the Kirch Gruppe?s dispute with UK terrestrial broadcasters BBC and ITV over the domestic TV rights for the 2002 soccer World Cup.
Business

England?s Institute of Football Management and Administration (IFMA) has a new chairman.
Media

Susan Eid, an adviser to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has urged industry leaders in the cable market to end their quest for regulation of sports programming in the US.
Media

Sportsworld Media, the London-based sports marketing group, has said it would like to recruit some Asian clients from bankrupt marketing group ISL Worldwide.

A special Commonwealth Games Bill is being drafted to ensure that the A$400m redevelopment of the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia is completed on schedule for the 2006 Games, with minimal impact on the AFL season.

Soccer fans in the UK are spending more than twice the money of their European counterparts on soccer merchandise, according to a football merchandise report carried out by Cologne-based market researcher Sport+Markt.
Business

Rainbow Media Holdings, the subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation and NBC, has promoted Andrea Greenberg to president, Rainbow Sports Networks.
Stadia

For the first time in the history of the English soccer divisional play-offs, the four teams participating in the play-off for promotion to the Premier League from the first division are all quoted on the stock exchange.
Stadia

A spokesperson for the Football Association, English soccer's governing body, said on Tuesday that the #475 million ($681m) Wembley Stadium project is doomed to failure unless the UK government bails it out.

The ruling body of men's tennis has said it hopes top players would not boycott Wimbledon after the All England Club changed its approach to seeding the men's singles.
Business

CricInfo has struck a one-year sponsorship deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that will see the internet company title sponsor the English County Championship.
Business

Italy's Serie A side Fiorentina and Investment bank Morgan Stanley are in talks which could lead to the purchase of the Florence club, Italian newspapers reported on Tuesday.
Business

Cable operator NTL has confirmed it was part of a consortium of British pay TV groups bidding for the English soccer pay-per-view rights for which the company abandoned an exclusive bid last year.

England rugby league teams Wigan Warriors and Bradford Bulls have alleged that officials from the Rugby Football Union are attempting to get six of their contracted players to switch codes.
Sponsorship & Marketing

SportBusiness Group is moving its central London headquarters as it continues to expand.
Events

Australia's Victorian Major Events is reported to have offered a $1.2 million (US$600,000) "sweetener" to ensure that if Australia's soccer team makes it to the final phase of the World Cup qualifying campaign, the decisive match will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The UK?s Cheltenham racing festival, due to start this week but postponed because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, will now be staged on April 17-19.