Sport

Lineker's agent set to be Leicester chairman

Jon Holmes, Gary Lineker's long-standing agent, will be Leicester City's chairman if the consortium headed by the former England…

Tue Dec 24 2002 - 00:00

Jon Holmes, Gary Lineker's long-standing agent, will be Leicester City's chairman if the consortium headed by the former England striker wins the battle for the financially troubled First Division club.

As the consortium yesterday announced seven other prospective directors, Holmes claimed the group was within £1 million of the £5 million needed to take over the club, in administration with £30 million debts.With that £1 million appearing to be the last obstacle, the consortium's offer has been accepted in principle and Holmes and the new club board may well be installed next month.

"We need to get there as quickly as we can," Holmes said yesterday, adding that the consortium was looking for other interested parties to come in with financial support.

Lineker himself will have no role on the board, and Holmes is to relinquish his FIFA agent's licence and take no further part in the football transfer and contract business of SFX Sports Group. But he will remain as managing director of SFX and concentrate on its television and broadcasting activities.

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Micky Adams's immediate target is three more points on St Stephen's Day in Leicester's quest for an automatic return to the Premiership. But the visitors, Joe Royle's Ipswich, have the capacity to dent Leicester's strong record at the Walkers Stadium.

Leicester are three points behind Portsmouth, whose manager Harry Redknapp is already warning fans not to see his team's 12-point lead over the pursuing pack, headed by third-placed Nottingham Forest, as a guarantee of automatic promotion.

Carlisle, managed by Roddy Collins, had their hopes of an FA Cup third-round match against Leeds United ended last night when they were beaten 1-0 by Scunthorpe, Martin Carruthers scoring the goal.

The weekend's postponed National League games have been re-fixed. Longford Town and UCD will now play their Premier Division fixture next Monday, December 30th, at 7.30 in Flancare Park. Dublin City's First Division match against Kilkenny City at the Morton Stadium has been re-fixed for January 7th with a 2.15 kick-off.