The most famous sporting events in the capital are the London Marathon in April, the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in May (not at Wembley again until at least 2004) and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club (tel: (020) 8944 1066 or 8946 2244) in June and July. Just outside London, Ascot Racecourse (tel: (01344) 622 211) and Epsom Downs Racecourse (tel: (01372) 726 311) host Royal Ascot and The Derby.

The English are fanatical about football and now the future of the self-styled ‘home of football’, Wembley Stadium, is far from certain, as the planned redevelopment has increasingly become shrouded in controversy (with talk even of the national stadium being built in Birmingham instead). Support for one of London’s several Premiership football clubs divides the city. Rivalry between Arsenal (tel: (020) 7704 4000; website: www.arsenal.com ) and Tottenham Hotspur (tel: (020) 8365 5000; website: www.spurs.co.uk ) dominates the scene in north London, while Chelsea FC (tel: (020) 7385 5545; website: www.chelseafc.co.uk ) draws the crowds in the southwest. Wimbledon FC (tel: (020) 8771 2233; website: www.wimbledon.org ) and West Ham United (tel: (020) 8548 2748; website: www.westhamunited.co.uk ) have loyal followings in south and east London respectively. Wimbledon dropped down into the First Division, while city rivals Charlton Athletic (tel: (020) 8333 4000; website: www.charlton-athletic.co.uk ) have managed to hold on to their top flight status with relatively recent gradates to the Premiership. In recent years, Arsenal have come closest to threatening the pre-eminence of Manchester United on the domestic front, while both they and Chelsea have made progress in Europe.

National and international Rugby Union is based at Twickenham. Successful local clubs include Harlequins, Wasps, Saracens and London Irish. Lord’s, St John’s Wood Road, NW8 (tel: (020) 7289 1611), is the home of cricket’s governing body – the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787 – and hosts league, cup and International Test matches. Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Ledrington Road, SE19 (tel: (020) 8778 0131), is the setting for major athletics events.

Sportsline (tel: (020) 7222 8000) has details of sporting venues, clubs and activities throughout London. Tickets to sporting events can be purchased through Ticketmaster UK (tel: (020) 7316 4709; website: www.ticketmaster.co.uk ). Tickets are also available at Virgin Megastore Piccadilly and selected branches of HMV.

Fitness centres:
Swimming pools, gyms and sports halls are available at London Central YMCA, 112 Great Russell Street, WC1 (tel: (020) 7343 1844), Chelsea Sports Centre, Chelsea Manor Street, SW3 (tel: (020) 7352 6985), and the massive Oasis Centre, 32 Endell Street, WC2H (tel: (020) 7831 1804), right in the heart of the West End. Fitness classes are also offered at Jubilee Hall Leisure Centre, 30 The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2 (tel: (020) 7836 4835).

Golf:
Regent’s Park Golf School, Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, NW1 (tel: (020) 7724 0643), offers professional lessons (?24 for thirty minutes or ?90 for six lessons) and driving practice (?5 for 50 balls). The English Golf Union (tel: (01526) 354 500; website: www.englishgolfunion.org ) have information on many of the capital’s golf courses.

Swimming pools:
Open-air swimming pools include the seasonal Brockwell Lido, SW9 (tel: (020) 7274 3088), and Parliament Hill Lido on Hampstead Heath, NW3 (tel: (020) 7485 3873), while the Oasis Centre (see above) has an indoor as well as an outdoor pool and is open year round.

Tennis:
Outdoor public courts are available at Regent’s Park, NW1 (tel: (020) 7486 7905). Islington Tennis Centre, Market Road, N7 (tel: (020) 7700 1370), and the Queen’s Club, Palliser Road, West Kensington, W14 (tel: (020) 7385 3421), have good indoor facilities.

Watersports:
Sailing tuition is offered at Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre, Millwall Dock, 235A Westferry Road, E14 (tel: (020) 7537 2626), and Lee Valley Watersports Centre on Banbury Reservoir, E4 (tel: (020) 8531 1129). Windsurfing, water-skiing and canoeing are also available.