News round-up: Leeds' mid-season crisis was exacerbated yesterday after Lee Bowyer was banned for six matches at an English Football Association disciplinary hearing and Danny Mills was also suspended for two matches.

Bowyer pleaded guilty to a charge of violent conduct after elbowing Gary McAllister during Leeds' FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Liverpool at Elland Road 12 months ago and to using foul and abusive language against referee Jeff Winter after his dismissal for two bookable offences against Arsenal in August.

Bowyer was also fined £10,000 sterling for the latter incident, and will start his suspension immediately and will not return until March 30th.

Mills was also fined £7,500 as he also pleaded guilty to using foul and abusive language against the fourth official in the tunnel at Arsenal after being dismissed for two yellow-card offences. Mills, who has already served two games of a four-match ban after kicking Newcastle's Craig Bellamy at St James' Park last month, will not be back until March 17th.

David O'Leary will also be without Alan Smith for Saturday's trip to the Riverside as he has served just three matches of a five-game ban.

Smith also faces a further disciplinary hearing in early March after being charged with misconduct following a bodycheck on Graeme Le Saux during a League Cup defeat against Chelsea at the end of November. A further three-match suspension looms.

Mark Viduka is due to appear before the same panel as he was also charged last week with misconduct for elbowing Arsenal's Martin Keown at Elland Road on January 20th.

Former England manager Graham Taylor has set his sights on "finishing the job" he started 15 years ago after returning to club management with Aston Villa yesterday. The 57-year-old guided Villa back to the top flight after taking over in 1987 before the lure of leading his country prised him away from Birmingham three years later.

"We qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing runners-up in my last season (1989-'90) and I'm taking over with European (qualification) up for grabs again. So in a way I'm coming back to try and finish what I started here," he said.

Former Villa manager John Gregory was given a three-match touchline ban and a £12,000 fine by the English FA after being found guilty of abusing a linesman in a St Stephen's Day clash. He will serve it as Derby boss.

The English Football League wants to combine the League Cups in Scotland and England from the semi-final stage of the individual competitions in a bid to give both competitions a much-needed boost.

Ade Akinbiyi ended his Premiership pain by signing for Crystal Palace for £2.2 million sterling yesterday. He had scored just three goals all season for relegation-threatened Leicester, and only 13 in 57 starts.

The number 10 shirt worn by Pele during Brazil's famous victory over Italy in the 1970 World Cup final will go under the hammer in London in March. The shirt is being sold by former Italian international Roberto Rosato, who took it in a swap after the match in Mexico City.