Reid still leads
Leeds reduced their shortlist of potential managers from five to three yesterday, with the club's directors planning further talks over the next three days before making a final decision.
Peter Reid remains favourite to become the club's fourth manager in as many years, however, following a meeting between the club's new chairman John McKenzie and two other plc directors. Their first task was to scrub the names of Martin O'Neill and Gordon Strachan from the initial list of five candidates to succeed Terry Venables.
O'Neill, Leeds' preferred choice, is likely to sign a new contract at Celtic today and bring an end to continued speculation that he favoured a return to English football.
Reid, the caretaker manager, is the favourite, but McKenzie is also keen to give serious consideration to Micky Adams and Paul Hart, the respective managers of Leicester City and Nottingham Forest.
A definite decision on the appointment is likely next week.
**********
Bakke in trouble
Leeds midfielder Eirik Bakke was arrested for drink-driving after police spotted his luxury car in the early hours of the morning and went to his home to check it was not stolen, a court heard today.
Two police officers were waiting for the Norwegian international when he pulled his BMW X5 into the drive of his home in the early hours of January 14th, a district judge heard.
**********
Nose job
Newcastle United have decided not to bring forward Andy O'Brien's surgery despite clinching their place in Europe. The 23-year-old was unable to play last weekend after breaking his nose at Sunderland seven days earlier, but Robson hoped he might be available if needed at West Brom.
However, he is now likely to sit out once again, although the club has not changed the appointment they had booked for him to undergo surgery on Monday.
**********
Ticked off
England have confirmed they will not take up their ticket allocation for October's Euro 2004 qualifier away to Turkey.
"This decision was reached after wide consultation and with a view to the safety and security of all fans, Turkish and English," the English Football Association's board of directors said in a statement yesterday.
***********
The man from Mars
The English FA lurched back into a state of turmoil last night after its supposed first choice to take over as chief executive stunned his backers at Soho Square, London by turning down the job.
Peter Littlewood, an American-based English executive with Masterfoods, a subsidiary company of Mars, had been backed unanimously by the football association's six-man selection panel, but was apparently unnerved at the last by the lack of unity towards his appointment among the 12-man executive board, some of whom instead favour another candidate, Mark Palios.
**********
Black-listed
Blackburn's Henning Berg has been told he will not be given a new contract with the club.
The 33-year-old defender originally planned to move back to Norway at the end of the season, but the postponement of building work on his new house led Berg to offer his services to the club for another season. However, Blackburn boss Graeme Souness has told Berg he will not be needed.
***********
Loan stretched
Junichi Inamoto will still be a Fulham player next season. The London club announced yesterday that it had reached an agreement with the Japanese international to extend his loan period by a further year.
Fortune time
Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune has signed a new three-year contract with the newly-crowned Premiership champions. The South Africa international has only made 15 appearances for United this season after breaking his leg against Liverpool in December.
