Soccer digest

Today's other stories in brief

Bellamy cleared of verbal abuse

WEST HAM have cleared Craig Bellamy over an alleged row with an Ipswich fan during a friendly on Monday night. The striker was accused of verbally abusing a fan as he walked along the touchline after being substituted. But a West Ham spokesman confirmed yesterday that Bellamy had no case to answer.

The Wales captain (29) had a scan yesterday to assess the hamstring injury that saw him limp off after just 24 minutes of the game at Portman Road. He may now miss the start of the season.

Bellamy was seen to kick an advertising board and then appeared to be involved in a verbal exchange as he left the field.

Portsmouth's Lassana Diarra is a doubt for Sunday's Community Shield clash with Manchester United after limping out of a pre-season friendly with an ankle injury.

The France international shipped a tough tackle in the 2-1 win at non-League Oxford United last night. And though club sources insist the injury is not long-term the player is unlikely to be risked at Wembley.

Nigeria blunder over Cole call-up

NIGERIA COACH Shaibu Amodu appears to have made a blunder by calling up West Ham United's Carlton Cole to a 20-man squad to take on South Africa early next month, the striker having been deemed ineligible to play for the Super Eagles.

The West Ham forward, who was born in Croydon, was a regular member of England's under-21 squad earlier in his career and turned down previous call-ups to the Nigeria squad, saying instead he wanted to play for his homeland.

Under Fifa guidelines, players who represent one country at junior level are allowed switch to another country provided they are still under the age of 21.

With Cole, who has a Nigerian father and Sierra Leonean mother, due to turn 25 in November, playing for Nigeria is out of the question.

Referees agree deal with SPL

THE SCOTTISH Premier League have confirmed their season will start on time this weekend after they agreed to pay referees €1,011 per game.

Referees were reportedly considering strike action if they did not receive a 40 per cent increase on their €727 match fee, but they have now secured a new deal and agreed to co-operate with a review of their pay in the coming weeks.

SPL operations director Iain Blair said: "Contrary to speculation earlier today, the Clydesdale Bank Premier League fixtures this weekend will go ahead as planned."

The Scottish Senior Referees' Association expect the review to cement their interim rise, and they are optimistic that comparisons with leagues on the continent will take their pay above the provisional €1,011 figure.

The union, headed by referee Stuart Dougal, have been looking for their fee to rise to €1,264 by 2010.

The new deal will also see assistant referees receiving an increase to €506.

Gerrard limps off in 4-1 victory over Valerenga

LIVERPOOL'S INCREASINGLY impressive unbeaten pre-season run was stretched to seven games in Oslo last night with a 4-1 win over Valerenga - but they suffered the worrying loss of skipper Steven Gerrard.

The midfielder limped off in the first half with what looked like a recurrence of a groin problem that has dogged him in recent weeks.

Liverpool will hope they took Gerrard off before any further serious damage could be done, but with a Champions League qualifier in a week's time (away leg August 13th and the return August 27th) against Standard Liege, this is a problem manager Rafael Benitez could have done without.

However, Martin Skrtel should have recovered from a groin strain he picked up last Saturday against Rangers in time for the first leg.

The Greek club Olympiakos Piraeus are set to sign Anfield's Argentinian winger Sebastian Leto on loan after Britain's Department of Work and Pensions refused a work permit for the 21-year-old.

Inter must pay Napoli fan €1,500

ITALIAN CHAMPIONS Inter Milan have been ordered to pay a Napoli fan €1,500 "existential damage" caused by banners calling Naples the "sewer of Italy" displayed at San Siro last October.

A Naples court yesterday ordered Inter to pay the fan, identified only by initials, compensation and legal costs for insults that referred to a refuse crisis that left garbage rotting in the streets of Naples.

"Ciao cholera sufferers!" read another of the banners seen at the October 6th game, which the fan's lawyer, Raffaele Di Monda, said had made his client feel "indignant and deeply hurt". Inter, who won the game 2-1, had already been punished by the Italian league with the closure of the sections of San Siro where the banners had been shown for the following home match.

The club fought against the lawsuit arguing the Naples court did not have jurisdiction.

Johnson to join Fulham today

EVERTON EXPECT the transfer of Andrew Johnson to Fulham to be completed today. The Goodison Park club's chairman, Bill Kenwright, met Fulham officials in London on Monday night to finalise a deal.

Fulham will pay an initial €6.9 million for the England forward, rising to €16.4 million based on appearances only. The bulk of the missing €9.5 million will become due sooner rather than later, however.

The move had stalled over the weekend because Fulham were concerned about signs of an old ankle injury that showed up on a scan last week. The London club wanted to renegotiate the initial payment for the England forward and have successfully manoeuvred the upfront instalment downwards.

Kenwright also held talks with Everton officials in London after speculation that the club was up for sale.