Soccer Digest

Other soccer news in brief

Bassong gets the all-clear

TOTTENHAM DEFENDER Sebastien Bassong has been given the all-clear by a head and neck specialist after suffering concussion during Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Chelsea.

Bassong left the field after a fall at Stamford Bridge, while fellow centre-back Ledley King was also forced out of the game with a hamstring problem. The injuries left manager Harry Redknapp facing a defensive crisis with Michael Dawson and Jonathan Woodgate still unfit. A statement from Spurs suggested their problems were easing, although King was to undergo a scan on his hamstring.

A club spokesperson said: “Sebastien Bassong was back at Spurs Lodge for further assessment after being given the all-clear by a head and neck consultant at a hospital on Sunday evening.

“Ledley King will undergo a scan on his right hamstring after also being forced off with injury early on in the second half.”

McCarthy happy with Doyle

WOLVES MANAGER Mick McCarthy believes record signing Kevin Doyle will establish himself as a proven Premier League goalscorer.

The €7.2 million summer signing from Reading opened his account for the club with a close-range header in yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Fulham.

It was Doyle’s fifth appearance for Wolves and McCarthy admitted it was good for the Republic of Ireland international, who scored just six goals in his last top-flight season with Reading, to have got up and running on the goalscoring front.

“It’s brilliant for Kev. He’s a Premier League striker and a Premier League goalscorer,” said the manager. “Unfortunately when we took him he had a hernia and he’s never been fit, even yesterday. He has been getting his fitness on the hoof a little bit in training and in games but he has not been fit enough in games. It is great for him to get his first goal and that will help his confidence.”

Robson a 'footballing colossus'

BOBBY ROBSON was described as a “footballing colossus” as some of the sport’s greatest names attended a memorial service for the former England manager yesterday.

More than 1,000 people, including Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and current England manager Fabio Capello, were at the service in Durham’s Cathedral to pay tribute to Robson who died in July aged 76 after a long battle with cancer.

Former players including Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker joined representatives from soccer’s governing bodies Fifa and Uefa as well as Barcelona, inside the cathedral.

“This is a day to celebrate the life of a remarkable man and all he stood for,” said the Bishop of Newcastle, Martin Wharton.

Diouf questioned at Goodison

THE ENGLISH FA are investigating a clash between Blackburn player El Hadji Diouf and a ball boy at Everton on Sunday.

Diouf was interviewed by police in a private room at Goodison Park an hour after yesterday’s match after allegedly using racist abuse towards the ball boy.

An FA spokesman added: “We are aware of the incident and are awaiting reports from the match official. We will also be speaking with the police to establish what their inquiries are in the matter.”

The Senegalese international appeared to complain the ball was not thrown back to him quickly enough, and suffered abuse from Everton fans following the clash with the ball boy, and again when he went to take two corners.

Referee banned for three games

SWISS REFEREE Massimo Busacca, who took charge of last season’s Champions League final, was handed a three-match ban yesterday for making an insulting gesture to fans who barracked him at the weekend.

Busacca was photographed sticking his middle finger up at Young Boys fans who insulted him during their team’s Swiss Cup match at third division FC Baden. He has apologised for the incident.

English FA may ban players after Manchester incidents

CRAIG BELLAMY is facing a possible three-match ban for striking a pitch invader towards the end of a rancorous Manchester derby that could also have costly repercussions for Gary Neville, writes Daniel Taylor.

The English Football Association’s disciplinary department is considering whether Bellamy should be charged with violent conduct, while Neville’s habit of goading opposition supporters could result in the Manchester United defender getting a charge of improper conduct and a possible fine or one-match suspension.

The FA’s disciplinary department spent yesterday studying television pictures of the two flashpoints and may also take action against United for failing to control their supporters. As well as the pitch invader, a coin was thrown from the crowd, striking Javier Garrido, a Manchester City substitute.