Morrison is charged: Birmingham City striker Clinton Morrison has been charged with improper conduct by the English Football Association following an incident during Tuesday's Premiership clash with Bolton.
Morrison was clearly seen to push Bolton defender Nicky Hunt to the ground inside the visitors' penalty area after a flare-up involving Emile Heskey and Bruno N'Gotty.
Referee Uriah Rennie did not see the incident as it occurred but the FA have taken action and charged the Republic of Ireland international.
Maybury seals move: Leicester yesterday unveiled Craig Levein's first signings of his career at the club, with Hearts duo Alan Maybury and Mark de Vries moving to the Walkers Stadium.
The Tynecastle pair have joined the Foxes on three-and-a-half-year deals which will keep them at City until the summer of 2008.
A fee Leicester have described as "nominal" but which is reported to be between £60,000 and £100,000 was agreed for the pair who settled personal terms after a medical at Walkers Stadium on Tuesday.
Reid quits Coventry: Coventry chairman Mike McGinnity insists his club's players must take their share of the blame for the slump which yesterday led to manager Peter Reid leaving the club.
The former Manchester City, Sunderland and Leeds boss left the Highfield Road club by mutual consent after four straight defeats left them 20th in the Championship.
"I've had an excellent working relationship with Peter. There's total honesty between us, and I wish him all the very best," said McGinnity. "We as a club were under-achieving, but don't put all the blame on Peter Reid. The players have to be accountable as well."
Reid had come under increasing pressure in recent weeks. He had won 10 of his 31 games in charge, losing 13 and drawing eight.
Forssell loan axed: Finnish striker Mikael Forssell's loan to Birmingham City has been cancelled and the player has returned to Chelsea, the Midlands club said yesterday.
City exercised an option to release Forssell during the January transfer window as he has been out with a knee injury since September and is not expected to be fit until April.
Edu not for Valencia: Arsenal midfielder Edu has denied reports he has agreed a deal with Spanish champions Valencia.
The Brazilian's failure to agree new terms with Arsenal means he can now talk to other clubs and it has been rumoured that he has already put pen to paper on a deal that will see him swap Highbury for the Mestalla this summer.
However, the 26-year-old says that is not the case. "I have not signed anything yet," he told Spain's Efe Radio. "I am waiting for a meeting with Arsenal to see what I am going to do in the future, after that I am going to speak to other clubs. It is totally false that I have signed with Valencia and also that I have been given a medical check by them."
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal's offer of just a one-year contract to 27-year-old defender Lauren does not demonstrate a "lack of respect", despite the fact that such deals are normally reserved for the over-30s of Arsenal's first-choice stars.
Wenger said: "We have tried to extend Lauren's contract but, at the moment, we have not found an agreement.
"I understand where he's coming from and I can understand his position. I don't think it (a one-year contract offer) shows a lack of respect. In these kind of negotiations, I respect highly Lauren and I respect highly his spirit.
"But you have to respect the positions in both camps and I prefer it when negotiations are secret and you come out when it is agreed or not. When things are made public, it is much more difficult."
Hartson deal close: John Hartson is "moving closer" to signing a contract extension with Celtic.
The Welsh international's current deal is set to expire in the summer and he had been linked with a move back to the English Premiership.
Hartson's representative Jonathan Barnett said: "We are negotiating with Celtic every single day and if we get to an agreement then he will sign and an announcement will be made and if we don't reach an agreement then we won't be doing anything," he said. "But things are ongoing and we are talking every day. I will say that things are moving closer."
The Scottish Football Association confirmed last night that Celtic's Bobo Balde will not be charged over an incident against Livingston last weekend. It was claimed the defender raised his hands to Jim Hamilton in last Sunday's 2-1 Premier League win at Parkhead.
In brief . . . Reading have signed Les Ferdinand for the remainder of the season after the striker left Bolton by mutual consent . . . Dmitri Bulykin has been given permission by his club Dinamo Moscow to speak to Crystal Palace about a possible transfer . . . Blackburn Rovers have signed New Zealand international captain Ryan Nelsen from US MLS side DC United . . . Wrexham's appeal against the 10-point Football League deduction following the club's move into administration was yesterday dismissed by an independent panel.
