UEFA CUP:Tottenham are set to receive a bye into the last 16 of the Uefa Cup after Feyenoord, their opponents in the next round, were last night excluded from the competition. The Dutch side's disqualification follows crowd trouble during their 3-0 defeat to Nancy in France in the group stages on November 30th.
Uefa will decide next week whether Spurs will be granted a free passage through to the next round or face fourth-placed Wisla Krakow, who finished behind Feyenoord in the group stage. The Premiership club had been due to face Erwin Koeman's side in Rotterdam on February 15th and then in the return leg at White Hart Lane a week later.
"It is most likely that Tottenham will get a bye but we will only know that at the beginning of next week," said a Uefa spokesman. "It seems likely, from the point of view of the appeals body, that as Feyenoord have been ejected from the competition Tottenham should get a bye and qualify."
Feyenoord were originally fined €125,000 with a suspended sentence of two matches behind closed doors. Both the club, hoping for a more lenient penalty, and Uefa, demanding harsher punishment, appealed against that decision and the independent control and disciplinary board found in Uefa's favour.
Feyenoord are considering an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This is a huge slap in the face for the club. It will have enormous consequences, both sporting and financial. A club spokesman said: "We'll lose ticket receipts, TV rights and the possibility of progressing in the competition. Our true supporters are the real victims of this decision."
A bye would take Tottenham one step closer to the trophy they last lifted 23 years ago. It would also give Martin Jol's side extra recovery time in their busy schedule, with the club challenging in three cups and pushing for a European place through the Premiership. A Tottenham spokesman said: "The club is consulting with Uefa to determine what will happen next."
SMOKING BAN: The English Football League has decided that, from next season, all 72 grounds in its three divisions will be non-smoking. The move goes beyond British government legislation, which would allow smoking to take place on terraces and in seated stands.
TRANSFERS: Lyon coach Gerard Houllier has confirmed he has made an inquiry about Aston Villa forward Milan Baros.
The Czech Republic international played under Houllier at Liverpool but, after a failed attempt to sign him in 2005, the Lyon coach had claimed he would drop his interest in the player.
But he yesterday told the club website www.olweb.fr: "Yes, I can confirm that I have seen Milan Baros's agent. Only fools never change their minds."
Baros (25) was top scorer in Euro 2004 but has since found it hard to rekindle that form.
He joined Villa for £6.5 million in August 2005 but has scored just 14 goals since in all competitions and has frequently found himself out of the side under manager Martin O'Neill.
PORTSMOUTH: Portsmouth's Glen Johnson was fined £80 for trying to steal bathroom fittings from a B&Q shop on Wednesday. The full-back, on loan from Chelsea, and Millwall's striker Ben May were seen putting a toilet seat into a box with a cheaper price tag and then hiding a set of taps beneath a sink unit they were paying for. Both players were issued with fixed-penalty notices.
CELTIC:Celtic skipper Neil Lennon will serve the second of his two-match suspension in the Parkhead side's home Scottish Premier League clash against St Mirren today.
The Irishman was sent off in the 1-0 win over Falkirk just before Christmas and missed the next game against Dundee United. He was banned for a further two SPL fixtures, the first of which was last week against Hearts at Tynecastle.
New goalkeeper Mark Brown, signed this week from Inverness Caledonian Thistle on a three-and-a-half-year deal, will start on the bench, while Stephen McManus looks to miss out again with a groin injury.
Guardian Service
