Today's other stories in brief
Everton sign Sheppard
Everton have signed 16-year-old Karl Sheppard from Shelbourne. The striker was on Merseyside earlier this month to undergo a medical and the deal can now be confirmed, the club's website said yesterday. Sheppard had an impressive scoring record last term, scoring over 20 goals for Shelbourne's youth team.
He is also a regular for the Republic of Ireland under-16 side and has been tracked by Everton's scouts for 18 months having trained at the Academy last year. "Settling in in England will be hard but once I get going I will be grand," he said. "Pace would be one of the best things about my game, that and finishing."
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate yesterday fired a warning shot across Everton's bows amid speculation Everton are ready to launch a £10million bid for England winger Stewart Downing. "Stewart is definitely not for sale, so other clubs would be wasting their time even considering making an offer."
FA request Bolton file
English Football Association investigators will request details of the internal inquiry conducted by Bolton Wanderers' chairman Phil Gartside into allegations of potential corruption at his club. Four Bolton transfers were among the 17 deals that Lord Stevens' Quest team refused to sign off when the results of his inquiry were announced last Friday. Stevens called for the FA and Fifa to investigate those deals.
Last September Bolton launched a "thorough and robust investigation" into Panorama's allegations of transfer irregularities, but the results were never volunteered to either Quest or the FA. The FA's compliance department will now ask Gartside, who is an FA board member, for his findings and a spokeswoman for his club said yesterday he would "be happy to co-operate".
Woman referee chosen
Germany's soccer federation (DFB) has appointed a 28-year-old police officer as the first woman to referee men's professional matches. Bibiana Steinhaus from Hanover will referee second division matches after several years' experience in regional games. "My aim for the coming years is to direct games well, to direct them according to the rules and hopefully to be able to influence the game positively that way," Steinhaus told a news conference yesterday.
Totti wins Golden Boot
AS Roma striker Francesco Totti hailed his own remarkable comeback from injury after winning the Golden Boot award for finishing the season as Europe's top striker. The 30-year-old scored 26 goals in Serie A this season despite playing the whole of the season with a metal pin in his ankle - the result of an injury that threatened to keep him out of Italy's World Cup-winning campaign in Germany last year.
He took the Golden Boot after the only player capable of beating him, Real Madrid's Ruud van Nistelrooy, limped off with a hamstring injury without scoring during his team's 3-1 win over Real Mallorca on Sunday.
Inquiry about Smith
Middlesbrough have made an inquiry about the availability of Manchester United's Alan Smith. They would be willing to pay around £6 million for the England international and Smith's arrival at the Riverside would leave Portsmouth free to re-sign Yakubu Ayegbeni.
Chase on for Forlan
Diego Forlan, Villarreal's Uruguayan striker, claims that Sunderland, managed by his former Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane, and Liverpool are two of three Premiership clubs pursuing his signature. Keane's immediate priority, however, is to sign Jussi Jaaskelainen from Bolton where the goalkeeper is refusing to sign a new contract.
Celtic eye Italian duo
Celtic will hold talks within the next few days with AC Milan's Massimo Donati in an attempt to seal a deal for the 26-year-old winger. The Scottish champions have also been linked with a move for Sampdoria midfielder Gennaro Delvecchio as part of a double Italian raid.
Agent Andrea D'Amico told the Daily Record: "Massimo is very interested in the Celtic proposal and he is seriously considering that option and wants to hear what they have to say."
Sheffield hopeful
Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe remains hopeful the club can overturn their relegation from the Premiership. They are halfway through a two-day hearing which will decide if they should be reinstated after West Ham breached player ownership rules.
West Ham avoided a points penalty over the signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano but were fined £5.5 million.
"The arbitration is going well and I think the panel recognise all the points of the case," said McCabe. The United chairman added: "It's about righting the wrongs from the first decision."
In brief . . .
Motherwell have appointed Mark McGhee as their new manager. Birmingham are understood to have had a £3 million bid rejected for West Ham striker Marlon Harewood (27).
