Ferguson cleared to play after ruling

CON the day that Everton, along with their neighbours from Anfield, received the freedom of the city of Liverpool, Duncan Ferguson was also pronounced free to play on when a Judicial Review quashed the remaining seven games of a 12 match ban imposed by the Scottish Football Association.

In his judgment, delivered in Edinburgh yesterday, Lord Justice MacFadyen ruled that the SFA acted "outside its powers" by suspending the £4 million Everton striker for butting Raith Rovers' player John McStay while playing for Rangers in April 1994.

The decision challenges the SFA's practice of acting on a report by the refereeing supervisor when a referee has failed to take action against a player during a match. The officials for the Rangers Raith game missed the offence, although it was spotted by the supervisor and by television cameras. Ferguson later served 44 days in Barlinnie prison for assaulting McStay.

Lord MacFadyen's decision represents a setback for the game's governing body in Scotland. The prominent Glasgow lawyer Donald Findlay, who is vice chairman of Rangers, urged the SFA to have a "complete re think" about its disciplinary procedures. Tony Higgins, chief executive of the Scottish players' union, said the rules would have to be "re drafted".

Findlay, claiming vindication, said "From day one I argued that the rule under which the disciplinary committee was punishing Ferguson was incompetent. The idea of an additional penalty was invalid when there had been no initial penalty on the day of the game." The SFA, added Findlay, had to admit that the present system was a shambles. "There must be a complete re think, with discussions with the clubs, referees and the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association, to get something clear on paper".

Higgins pledged his union's backing for an overhaul, the need for which he felt was made more urgent by the likely introduction of TV evidence next season "The aim must be to show that football can police itself rather than have the law intervening."

In a terse statement, the SFA acknowledged the judgment, concluding "It would appear that the action taken by the Association in dealing with an act of violence on the field cannot be sustained."

Ferguson, who had sought the Judicial Review, now faces Southampton this weekend knowing he can play a full part in what is left of Everton's season and in Scotland's build up to the European Championship provided he avoids further trouble.

Martin O'Neill, the Leicester manager, plans to make Neil Lennon, Crewe's Northern Ireland midfielder, his first major signing in a £500,000 deal.

AC Milan captain Franco Baresi has signed on for another season, his 20th with the club. The new deal will take the 35 year old libero up to June 1997. Baresi made his league debut for Milan in April. 1978.

Ulf Kirsten, the German international striker, claimed last night that he was discussing a "free transfer" to Tottenham in the wake of the Jean Marc Bosman ruling.