United Kingdom

The British Office of Fair Trading is licking its wounds after the #30million ($45m) court case it brought against the English soccer Premier League came crashing down at the London's Restrictive Practices Court.

A number of key Scottish rugby union internationals are to take strike action as a row over match bonuses escalates.

The trial of four Germans accused of beating a French policeman almost to death at last year's World Cup finals will not affect Germany's bid to host the tournament in 2006, German Football Federation (DFB) President Egidius Braun has said.

Talk Radio plan to invest #6m to start up the UK's first 24-hour all-sports radio station.

Sportinglife.com, the UK?s multi-sports website, has joined forces with Amstel, Europe?s second largest beer brand, to produce a site which will allow soccer fans to follow the UEFA Champions League over the next eight months.
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Irish soccer?s League Cup has secured a new sponsorship deal with insurance firm the Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS).
How to Develop Effective Sponsorship Programmes: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

UEFA has given Celtic and Glasgow Rangers a boost in their quest to join the English Premier League after general secretary Gerhard Aigner said that European soccer?s governing body would not obstruct such a move.

Scottish Premier League soccer champions Celtic has struck a deal with online broadcasting specialist Servecast.
Sport and Broadband: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

Telecommunications company Vodafone has emerged as one of the front runners to strike a deal with Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid as its shirt sponsor.
How to Develop Effective Sponsorship Programmes: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

Betting operations will have to pay a percentage of their revenues to the UK?s Football Data Company, the commercial and licensing division of England?s Premier League and Football Leagues, for the privilege of offering soccer bets, sportbusiness.com has learned.
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Hooliganism is again rife in British football, a new report has claimed.

Prize money is to be awarded for the first time in the English soccer's FA Cup tournament in a total package worth around #30m ($42.9m/?48.5m).

Newly launched European sponsorship consultancy Stream\MSI ? a joint venture between TBWA Group and its US Omnicom sister agency Millsport ? has told sportbusiness.com that it will offer ?a sophisticated service which will be led by client briefs not available properties?.
How to Develop Effective Sponsorship Programmes: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

The former head of England?s Wembley Stadium project is to take legal action against the Football Association over his sudden dismissal.

The importance of sport to almost every revenue stream in British satellite broadcaster BSkyB's digital offering has been highlighted by the release of its annual results for the year ended June 30, 2001.
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IG Index, the London-based company which offers spread betting on sport and financial markets, reported a 53 percent increase in pre-tax profit to #15.4m ($22m) for the year ending May 31, about #1m ($1.6m) more than analysts? expectations.