Platt: Former England midfielder David Platt has joined Manchester City as first-team coach, the Premier League side confirmed yesterday. Platt, 44, was a team-mate of City manager Roberto Mancini at Sampdoria.

Morientes: Experienced Spanish striker Fernando Morientes is to leave Ligue 1 club Marseille after the last year of his contract was cancelled by mutual consent. The forward had struggled to command a regular place at the Stade Velodrome club.

Hoffer: Austrian international striker Erwin Hoffer has moved to German first division club Kaiserslautern on a one-year loan from Napoli yesterday. The 23-year-old had moved to Napoli only a year ago in July 2009 on a five-year contract from Rapid Vienna but played just four times last season.

Davenport: Former West Ham defender Calum Davenport was cleared yesterday of trying to throttle his pregnant sister during a drunken row which later saw him stabbed in both legs. The 27-year-old was found not guilty of causing actual bodily harm to his sister Cara Davenport last August in a row about how she was going to support her second child.

Swimming: Jenny Thompson, who won eight Olympic gold medals in her swimming career, said that she was hit in the face by thieves out to get her motor scooter on Monday. Thompson said that she was riding in Boston when a vehicle without headlights stopped behind. Two people got out, punched her, pushed her to the ground and tried to steal the scooter. The 37-year-old, who is now a doctor, held onto the scooter and screamed for help, and her assailants fled. Thompson suffered a cut on her nose and some scrapes.

Basketball: Doc Rivers will stay for another season as coach of the Boston Celtics, vying for another championship run with the team he has guided to the NBA finals twice in three years. The Celtics released a brief statement on Wednesday saying Rivers would return, confirming earlier press reports. "Doc is re-energised and enthusiastic about coming back to make another run at winning a championship with the Celtics," general manager Danny Ainge said.

Rugby Union: The All Blacks have been offered big cash bonuses to end their drought of Rugby World Cup titles at home next year. A new collective agreement for professional rugby players announced yesterday offers All Blacks 100,000 dollars each if they win next year's World Cup or 35,000 dollars if they finish second. Although consistently rated one of the world's top teams, the All Blacks have failed to win the World Cup since the inaugural event in New Zealand in 1987.

Golf: Building work began yesterday on US tycoon Donald Trump's luxury golf course in Scotland, the culmination of a four-year effort in the face of strong local opposition. The one-billion-pound (1.2-billion-euro) development on the coast in Aberdeenshire has progressed in fits and starts but the links finally won full planning permission on Tuesday. The Scottish government gave its backing last year for the development - which will include a hotel, 950 holiday apartments and 500 residential homes - though planning permission is still needed for areas such as the clubhouse.

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