SoccerShorts: The English Football Association will contact Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard following claims that referee Graham Poll targeted Chelsea during their defeat at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Poll, who has been backed by the referees' chief Keith Hackett, will also be spoken to by the FA as they gather information, as will his two assistants and the fourth official.
"We are communicating with the four match officials as well as Chelsea and Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard individually regarding the claims made today," confirmed an FA spokesman. "The priority at this stage is to gather information."
West Ham takeover closer
West Ham have given renewed hope to the takeover bid led by the Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson after he was given permission to inspect the club's accounts yesterday.
West Ham directors were told at a board meeting yesterday that Magnusson will now be allowed to carry out due diligence - the process of inspecting the accounts before making a formal bid.
The club had refused to meet Magnusson until yesterday, in the hope a formal offer would be received from a rival bid fronted by Iranian-born Kia Joorabchian and backed by Israeli businessman Eli Papouchado.
That bid had been the front-runner but when any offer failed to materialise by the end of last week the club's patience ran out and West Ham chairman Terence Brown yesterday met Magnusson.
It is understood Magnusson indicated his consortium is prepared to pay £75 million for the club, with most of it coming from equity rather than borrowing, and would also take over the £23-million debt.
Le Guen 'under pressure'
Rangers manager Paul Le Guen said he has never been under so much pressure in his career since taking charge of the stuttering Scottish Premier League side this season.
They trail league leaders and city rivals Celtic by 15 points after 13 games and Frenchman Le Guen believes the cup competitions are the club's best chance of success.
"For a club like Rangers there is not a transition period and I am aware of that and we need to win games, win titles, even if we choose the difficult way with young players, new players," Le Guen told a news conference yesterday.
Swindon go for Sturrock
Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Paul Sturrock has been appointed as the new manager of League Two side Swindon. Sturrock (50) was sacked by the Hillsborough club last month but makes a quick return to management as successor to Dennis Wise, who left the Robins two weeks ago to take charge of Championship strugglers Leeds.
Sturrock brings with him Kevin Summerfield as assistant manager and John Blackley as defensive coach.
Werder Bremen stay top
Bundesliga leaders Werder Bremen won 2-1 at Nuremberg last night to maintain their two-point advantage over VfB Stuttgart, who struck late to beat Hamburg SV 2-0. Torsten Frings fired in the opening goal for Werder with a low shot from outside the box in the 32nd minute and Diego struck with a free kick 11 minutes from time. An Ivica Banovic penalty deep in injury time came too late to save Nuremberg.
With 11 matches played, Werder are top with 23 points, followed by Stuttgart on 21.
