Sorry, it may be me but your requirements are contradictory...
You say Wide, but you want to get close to the action? Does this mean you want to zoom into things that are far away?
In which case, it sounds to me like you should investigate a superzoom (something like an 18-200) as this will cover almost any type of photography with a realistic amount of compromise.
Having said this, if you want to go wide and wide only then the Sigma 10-20mm cannot be beaten for value for money. At the long end, then something like the 70-200 f4L from Canon can be picked up for around £300 all in.
It's going to depend on budget, more than anything!
Cheers,
James