Referee David Elleray has pulled out of tomorrow's crucial Premiership clash between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Highbury.
Elleray, who was slated by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and Old Trafford chairman Martin Edwards for his display in their 2-2 draw at Liverpool when he awarded a controversial penalty against United and then sent off Denis Irwin, has a back injury.
Edwards was particularly scathing of the official, claiming that if Arsenal went on to win the title they should award Elleray a special medal, because he had helped their cause.
With the Premiership title chase going down to the wire tomorrow, Elleray would have certainly ended the season with all Manchester eyes on him at Highbury with United attempting to lift the crown by beating Tottenham at home.
But Elleray has now been replaced by Dermot Gallagher.
Kevin Keegan was unveiled as England's full-time manager yesterday after taking just 10 minutes to agree the terms of the threeyear contract which will make him the highest-paid England manager ever, with a reported annual salary of around £750,000.
Keegan has severed his ties with his club Fulham completely to take up the post as senior England coach and a compensation package has been agreed between the English Football Association and the west London club. The deal will take Keegan through to the end of the 2002 World Cup finals. A confident Keegan declared: "If things went really well for us, at the end of my third year in charge, the World Cup could be in this country."
Responding to questions about Keegan's financial deal, David Davies, the FA's interim executive director, declared that he had been paid "the going rate."
That sum far exceeds the £350,000 or so which Glenn Hoddle was paid towards the end of his reign and part of that was even performance-related.
Keegan went on to express his delight that Paul Bracewell and Frank Sibley had taken over from him at Fulham and offered his advice - if it was needed.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Football Association yesterday announced that match referee High Dallas and managers, captains and senior players from Celtic and Rangers will be called together ahead of the May 29th encounter at Hampden Park in a bid to prevent a repeat of the ugly scenes which marred the last clash between the two.
Three players were sent off, four fans ran onto the pitch and referee Hugh Dallas was struck by a missile thrown from the crowd during the game which Rangers won 3-0 to take the Premier League title.
Strathclyde Police made 113 arrests before, during and after the match and the SFA are desperate to avoid a similar outcome at the new-look Hampden where Rangers will be gunning for a domestic treble.
Apart from the summit meeting, the SFA have also ruled that each player will walk out onto the field accompanied by a mascot wearing the opposing club's colours in a further bid to calm a potentially poisonous atmosphere.
Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert gave the move guarded approval. "Everyone says it is the biggest derby game in the world and it is okay trying to calm things down. But once you get out on the field you want to win. It is a game of football and you need to be disciplined but sometimes it is not so easy," he said.
