■ Soccer
Striker cautions coach
Chile striker Mauricio Pinilla has told the national coach to stay out of his private life after Nelson Acosta suggested he cut down on his nightlife. "I don't want Acosta inter-fering with my private life," the Sporting Lisbon player told Chilean media. "I've got other people to look after me and give me advice. Let him just worry about what I do on the field," said Pinilla, who scored a hat-trick against Braga in the Portuguese league at the weekend. Acos-ta, who replaced Juvenal Olmos as Chile coach last week, said on Monday he was worried about the 21-year-old's lifestyle. Pinilla has been a regular in the Chile side although he was suspended for a game against Brazil last August after pulling his shorts off and putting them on his head as he celebrated scoring the winning goal to Venezuela.
■ Soccer
Man U fans plan boycott
Manchester United supporters' groups have called for fans to boycott tomorrow's English Premier-ship home game with West Brom. The "Not For Sale Coalition" made up of the Independent Manchester United Supporters Assoc-iation, Shareholders United plus the Red Devils' three major fanzines is behind the move as it cranks up its campaign against Malcolm Glazer's takeover bid. The group also wants to send out a message to the current United board, emphasizing the widespread disgust at recent ticket price rises. "We realise it's asking a lot for people who have bought tickets not to use them, but we feel we have to take a stand," spokesman Jules Spencer said. "This is the last Saturday matchday oppor-tunity for supporters to let any potential new owners and the current board know that supporters' loyalty cannot be taken for granted." Supporters who do not want to miss the game have been asked to join a protest march to the stadium 45 minutes before kick-off.
■ Soccer
Sydney United suspended
An Australian football team was suspended for the rest of the season on Wednesday following an inquiry into a spate of ethnic-related crowd violence which has prompted tough new laws to outlaw hooligans. New South Wales (NSW) state football chiefs said Sydney United would be banned for four matches after dozens of fans from its Croatian support base battled with followers of the Serbian-backed Bonnyrigg White Eagles at a ground in suburban Sydney last March. In the days after the clash, shots were fired at one Serbian community club and a car was firebombed at another. "The lunatic fringe whose conduct brought the club's suspension should hang their heads in shame," Soccer NSW president Tom Doumanis said.
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