League Championship side Leeds United has "staved off a winding-up order from former director Melvyn Levi." Leeds-based law firm Ford & Warren last week filed the petition for unpaid fees -- reported to be around £150,000 ($237,000) and dating back to when Ken Bates owned the club -- on behalf of Levi. A statement from Leeds said, "The winding-up petition presented by Melvyn Levi has been dismissed on agreed terms" (PA, 11/12). ... Shares in online gambling group Bwin.party "soared on Wednesday" after Bwin "put itself in the shop window by confirming bid speculation." The Gibraltar-based poker specialist and sportsbook operator said it had begun preliminary talks "with a number of interested parties regarding a variety of potential business combinations" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 11/12). ... Australian Football League side Port Adelaide will post a loss of close to A$2M ($1.74M) this year,
despite the club recording "record attendances, membership and a top-four
finish." In a financial result that "appears an indictment on the
agreement struck at the Adelaide Oval with the heavy involvement of the
AFL, the South Australian government and the SANFL, Port's on-field
rags-to-riches story will soon be revealed as far from that in an off-field sense" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 11/12).