United Kingdom

London looks set to get its first racecourse since Alexandra Park in the north of the city closed 30 years ago.

Germany need to give their all in the closing stages of the race to hold the 2006 soccer World Cup finals, German bid chief Franz Beckenbauer said.

Britain's first online lottery has been launched with a football theme and the backing of top soccer clubs, giving fans the opportunity to choose which club receives the proceeds from each game.

Mobile telecommunications giant Orange is set to unveil a massive #70m ($120m) sponsorship deal tomorrow ? although is keeping tight-lipped over which sport will benefit.

The editor of cricket bible Wisden, Matthew Engel, has announced he is quitting the job at the cricket almanack for at least a year because he was tired of having to write about England's "relentless failures".

Europe's top clubs brought their complaints about losing players to international duty to UEFA earlier this week, demanding European soccer's governing body push for a universal calendar that fits their needs.

UK high street retailer Marks & Spencer has announced it is targetting the mainstream sports fan after signing deals to sell branded leisure gear for a number of English Premier League soccer clubs.

Open Links Internet Ltd, a London-based internet company, has agreed to provide, install and manage an Internet-based National Handicapping System for the Portuguese Golf Federation (PGF).

Rachel Anderson, Britain's only woman soccer agent, has won her sex discrimination case against the English Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) after being barred from its men-only annual awards dinner.

Owners of Wembley Stadium in London have denied claims that the new `super-stadium? ? which will open 2003 ? will be focused more on corporate customers than the sports fan.

UK fitness centre operator L.A. Fitness claims record membership increase in the second quarter of 1999.

English Premier League soccer club Newcastle United Plc reported a 36 percent fall in annual operating profit after their failure to qualify for Europe's Champions League last season.

More than one and a quarter million people jammed telephone lines as they tried to buy a ticket for England's vital Euro 2000 playoff match against Scotland next month.

Manchester United has signed an agreement with Irish department chain Roche Stores to open a flagship retail outlet in Dublin next year - as well as three shop-in-shop outlets according to the UK?s Sunday Business newspaper.

The English Premier League is to make a ruling over whether British Sky Broadcasting can keep a stake of more than 10 percent in champions Manchester United while also holding shares in Premiership rival Leeds United ? the latest stage in a long-running saga over media company ownership.

The England bid for the 2006 World Cup will not be undermined by the British Government?s rejection of the plans for the new Wembley Stadium ? despite the venue being the jewel in the bid?s crown.