Adam Crozier, English soccer's top administrator, resigned as chief executive of the Football Association yesterday after clashes with other leading officials over how the game should be run. The 38-year-old, who took over at the FA in January 2000, had been under pressure because of disagreements over commercial deals involving the England team.
Crozier leaves the top table
FA spokesman Paul Newman said Crozier's decision would not affect the position of England coach Sven Goran Eriksson who was brought in by the Scot.
However, Mark Lawrenson has questioned whether Eriksson will remain in his post after Crozier quit.
"He (Crozier) has done an extremely good job.
"The problem now is the story could move on to Sven-Goran Eriksson - is he going to stay because Adam Crozier has left or is it a reason for him to leave?
"This story has got a long, long way to run I think."
Club over country
Wayne Rooney can line up for Everton at Leeds on Sunday after being granted special dispensation to pull out of England's under-19 squad.
The 17-year-old was also due to miss his side's League Cup clash with Newcastle to play in a European qualification tournament against Macedonia, Moldova and Romania.
But because of Rooney's rise to Premiership prominence the FA have allowed him to remain at Goodison Park.
Even time is against Keane
Time is running out for Manchester United captain Roy Keane to appeal against the five-match ban and £150,000 fine dished out by the FA. The Irishman was handed the penalty on October 15th after the FA found him guilty of two misconduct charges arising from his tackle on Manchester City's Alfie Haaland and revelations made in his autobiography.
Keane has until 5 p.m. today to appeal against the punishment. If he opts not to contest the ban he will begin his suspension on November 4th.
Three of a kind
Sunderland trio Seán Thorntan, Mark Rossiter and Stephen Capper are all included in the panel of 18 players named by Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr for two under-20 friendly games against Slovakia and the Czech Republic next week. The Irish will play Slovakia at Devin this Monday and the Czech Republic next Wednesday in Drnovice (kick-off 4.30 p.m. local time).
IRELAND UNDER-20 SQUAD (for friendlies against Slovakia and Czech Republic): Wayne Henderson (Aston Villa), Saul Deeny (Notts County), Stephen Brennan (Newcastle United), Patrick McCarthy (Manchester City), Stephen Paisley (Manchester City), Mark Rossiter (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Tottenham Hotspur), Stephen Capper (Sunderland), Keith Gilroy (Middlesboro), Adrian Deane (Charlton Athletic), Michael Foley-Sheridan (Liverpool), Sean Thornton (Sunderland), Graham Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jonathon Daly (Stockport County), Conor Gethins (Ross County), Stephen Elliott (Manchester City), Liam Kearney (Nottingham Forest), Darryl McMahon (West Ham United).
Well done, Dunne
Richard Dunne says he has learnt a valuable lesson after returning to the Manchester City side following a serious breach of club discipline. Dunne was fined and suspended for two weeks in September after turning up for training in what boss Kevin Keegan called a "dishevelled state".
"I'm grateful for the second chance as it would have been easy for them to say they've had enough of me," Dunne said.
"All the coaches have helped me and I've had a really hard month's training which seems to have paid off. The key now is not to let it slip."
Italian job
Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni's future as boss of the national team will be decided on Monday. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) have called the Azzurri coach to a meeting with FIGC president Franco Carraro in the federation's Rome headquarters. The Italian national team have won only two of their past 10 matches.
Some good news for Tofting
Stig Tofting was yesterday handed a reprieve by Bolton and told to start reproducing the type of form that won him widespread praise in the World Cup.
The club decided against sacking the 33-year-old Denmark midfielder after he was convicted of assault. Instead Tofting - who's appealing against the four-month jail sentence imposed by a court in his homeland - will finish his career at Bolton in June. His contract has been reduced by 12 months, but, in the meantime, he'll come back into the first-team frame.
In Brief. . .
George Burley yesterday delivered an 11th-hour snub to the offer to become Stoke's manager. Ronnie Moore and Burley have emerged as the leading candidates to take over the manager's position at Sheffield Wednesday, after Terry Yorath's decision to quit. Watford have announced a loss of £7.61 million for the last financial year. Newcastle boss Bobby Robson has tied up one of the club's hottest properties - 18-year-old striker Michael Chopra - on a new three-year deal. And Bayern Munich's goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was fined €10,000 by his club yesterday for turning up at a disco last weekend when he was supposed to be recovering from injury.
