Backing for Keegan

Kevin Keegan has been cleared to carry on managing both Fulham and England by his Craven Cottage boss Mohammed Al Fayed.

Al Fayed, who owns Fulham, will give his backing to Keegan if he wants to continue managing both club and country on a part-time basis.

Keegan has said all along that he would be reluctant to give up managing Fulham.

He has been a big success there, and the team are currently runaway leaders of the English second division and therefore expected to clinch automatic promotion.

But after leading England to victory over Poland in Saturday's Euro 2000 qualifier, Keegan now knows it will be very difficult to walk away from the international scene when his part-time, four-match contract expires.

The English Football Association cleared the first hurdle for Keegan yesterday when they admitted they would find it hard to resist an approach from him to carry on coaching the national team part-time if he leads them to the European Championship finals in 2000.

Now the only other obstacle has been cleared after Al Fayed said he too would be happy for Keegan to carry on doing both jobs part-time.

Al Fayed's spokesman Lawrie Mayer said: "Mr Al Fayed has always said that Kevin must do what he thinks is best and what he wants to do. Therefore, there would be no objections to Kevin continuing on a part-time basis if that is what he wants to do."

Although the FA insist their top priority is to find a full-time coach, they will consider allowing Keegan to stay on at the England helm on a part-time basis through to the Euro 2000 finals - if he secures a place in them.

Keegan has already achieved emphatically the FA's first priority, which was to raise the morale of everyone who cared about the England team.

His contract as Chief Operating Officer at Craven Cottage expires in June 2000, but one solution is for him to combine both jobs next season. Both Keegan and the FA have agreed that now is not the time to discuss the issue.

There were suggestions that talks about Keegan's future may have taken place before England's next match, the friendly against Hungary on April 28th, although that fixture is now in doubt because of the Balkans crisis.

The FA's interim executive director David Davies has, meanwhile, welcomed the co-operation of Fulham.

"We are delighted with the support that we have received from everyone at Fulham, not least their chairman," said Davies.

Today's Diary

Greyhound Racing - Shelbourne Park, 8.0.

Hockey - Under-16 Boys and Girls European Youth Trophy, Antwerp - Boys: Germany v France, 10.0; Ireland v England, 12.0; Netherlands v Spain, 2.0; Belgium v Scotland, 4.0; Girls: Netherlands v Spain, 10.0; Belgium v Scotland 12.0; Germany v France, 2.0; Ireland v England, 4.0.

Racing - Leicester 2.10; Lingfield 2.0; Musselburgh 2.20.

Rugby - World Under-19 Championship semi-finals - Ireland v New Zealand, Bridgend, 6.0; Wales v South Africa, Bridgend, 8.0.

Soccer - National League Reserve Division - Athlone Town v Shamrock Rovers, St Mel's Park, 7.30.