UK-Sport Summary

Curbishley wins claim for wrongful dismissal

LONDON - Former West Ham United manager Alan Curbishley won his case of wrongful dismissal against the Premier League club on Tuesday. A Premier League managers arbitration tribunal upheld his claim West Ham were wrong to sell Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland against his wishes in September 2008.

Kroenke raises Arsenal stake again

LONDON - American sports mogul Stan Kroenke raised his stake in Arsenal to 29.6 percent on Tuesday, edging him closer to the 29.9 percent threshold that would force him to make an offer for the remaining shares. Kroenke, the club's largest shareholder, bought another 427 shares in the Premier League club for 3.6 million pounds, Arsenal Holdings PLC said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.

Valuev unfazed by Haye antics ahead of title fight

BERLIN - WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev said he was unfazed by David Haye's pre-fight antics after the challenger switched hotels Tuesday calling the choice of the organisers a "rancid lair." Haye, who takes a 21-1 record into the bout with the 'Beast from the East' in Nuremberg Saturday, said on his blog the German promoters had booked him a hotel where he would catch "guaranteed Black Death."

Title the only target now, says Vettel

BEIJING - Sebastian Vettel aims to end Britain's run of success and become Formula One's youngest champion next year. Two days after concluding a superb season with his fourth win of the year in Abu Dhabi, the 22-year-old German was still oozing the sort of confidence that took him to the overall runner-up spot behind champion Jenson Button.

Accrington win battle for survival again

LONDON status, won their latest battle to survive after paying a 308,000 pound tax debt on Tuesday. The Lancashire club, whose fame outweighs anything they have achieved on the pitch in their chequered 118-year history, faced becoming the first club to go out of existence twice during a league season after the demise of the original club in 1962.

Platini says new rules will target club debt

LONDON - Premier League clubs and others must stop amassing huge debts and new regulations will be drawn up to regulate team finances, UEFA president Michael Platini said Tuesday. In an interview in The Daily Telegraph the Frenchman said a UEFA committee would meet next week to begin devising new rules to protect the financial welfare of European clubs.

Queen plants first tree at 2012 site

LONDON - London 2012 chief Sebastian Coe described it as a symbolic moment when the Queen toured the Olympic Park on Tuesday and planted the first of 4,000 trees that will landscape the site. The Queen, who last visited in 2005, also viewed progress on the Olympic Stadium which is now a feature of the east London skyline as work continues on the venues and infrastructure for the 9.3 billion pound project.

Time for Europe to take some southern rugby scalps

LONDON - A year ago Europe's rugby powers were steamrollered by the southern hemisphere nations and, at the midway point between World Cups, they need to start showing they can compete if they are to be serious contenders in 2011. The next four weekends give them that opportunity, kicking off with Wales's chance to end their 56-year drought against New Zealand and closing with a Dublin showdown between Six Nations champions Ireland and world and Tri Nations champions South Africa.

Comeback decision was not rational - Schumacher

BEIJING - Michael Schumacher's abortive decision to return to Formula One last season as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa was "emotional not rational," the seven-times world champion said Tuesday. Brazilian Massa sustained serious head injuries in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix in July and missed the rest of the season leaving a vacant seat in the Ferrari team.

City's Santa Cruz recalled to Paraguay squad

ASUNCION - Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz has been recalled to the Paraguay squad after a long injury absence for this month's friendlies against Qatar and the Netherlands. Santa Cruz missed Paraguay's eight World Cup qualifiers this year in which they secured their place in South Africa for their fourth consecutive finals. The 28-year-old played at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.