United Kingdom

South African cricket supremo Ali Bacher has alleged that two matches were fixed during last year's World Cup, The Australian newspaper has reported.

A South African restaurant chain has terminated a multi-million rand advertising contract with disgraced cricket captain Hansie Cronje.
Business

A study on trends in English football by the German research company, Sport + Markt, has revealed 19.5m

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.
Business

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.
Business

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.
Events

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).
Events

The BBC has secured the UK television rights for the European Cup and the European Shield in a four-year deal worth #24m ($45m).
Stadia

The way soccer transfers in England are carried out could about to be changed after the League Managers Association - the body representing all 92 league club managers - struck a #200,000 ($350,000) deal with Cisco Systems.

Ticketing firm Synchro Systems have signed new deals with six British soccer clubs and two foreign teams.

The organisers of Euro 2000 responded to complaints of major ticketing problems, saying that only "a few hundred" fans had suffered because of mistakes in the ticket allocation process.
Stadia

The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair and film star Hugh Grant will lead attempts to impress international soccer chiefs who will inspect England's World Cup 2006 facilities this week.
Stadia

Rugby World Cup chiefs are unlikely to answer calls to shut the retractable roof on Cardiff's new Millennium Stadium for Saturday's World Cup final and stage the first indoor test unless the players' safety is threatened.

English Premier League West Ham United have been given the go-ahead to redevelop their London home Upton Park.