Jim Kerr, front man of the band Simple Minds, is supporting a move to take over the Scottish champions Celtic. He has also asked U2's lead singer Bono to back the consortium making the bid.

The aim of the consortium, led by the club's former director Brian Dempsey, is to buy out the majority shareholding of the chairman Fergus McCann, who has pledged to sell his £36 million sterling stake next year.

Last week Celtic began moves to float the club on the stock market with the intention of selling McCann's 51 per cent holding to a mixture of fans and financial interests.

Kerr, who is a lifelong Celtic fan, was said by a friend to be "terrified" of someone becoming the major shareholder who "has not got a Celtic or a Scottish or Irish background".

It is thought the Dempsey deal would allow fans to buy £20 million worth of McCann's shares with the consortium purchasing any that went unsold. But the offer is pitched at £180 per share for shares which are trading at £255, and the potential loss that could entail may not be acceptable to McCann.

Cameroon will be missing a key player in the World Cup finals after midfielder Marc Vivien Foe suffered a fractured left leg in training in Norcia, Italy on Saturday.

The injury has not only put paid to the 23-year-old's World Cup aspirations but also looks certain to have ended his chances of moving to Manchester United next season.

Alex Ferguson, United's manager, had offered £5 million for the Lens star in the hope that he would team up with his new signing from PSV Eindvoven, Jaap Stam.

Foe flew back to France yesterday morning. He played for his country in the 1994 World Cup and helped Lens finish this season as French league champions.