Leeds manager David O'Leary yesterday hailed a victory for "common sense" after escaping a Football Association rap following his "sending off" against Chelsea on Sunday.
O'Leary was left fuming with referee Paul Durkin and linesman Phil Sharp in the wake of Chelsea captain Graeme Le Saux's two-footed lunge on Danny Mills.
Le Saux escaped with only a booking, which led O'Leary to first remonstrate with Sharp on the touchline before confronting Durkin in the tunnel.
Durkin banished O'Leary to the stands for the second half of the draw at Elland Road, which led to the Irishman expecting to be summoned to FA headquarters for a disciplinary hearing.
O'Leary had vowed to argue his case in a bid to avoid a potential three-game touchline suspension, but the FA have now ruled no further punishment will be taken. "I am glad to see common sense has prevailed," said a delighted O'Leary, who had always maintained he never used foul and abusive language.
Satellite broadcasters Sky have leapt to the defence of the Barclaycard Premiership because of deflected criticism over the rescheduling of ITV's Saturday night highlights programme The Premiership.
Sky have the contract for broadcasting live Premiership matches and have backed the league following ITV's decision to move the highlights programme back from a prime-time 7 p.m slot on Saturday to 10.30 p.m.
"It is totally wrong for people to knock Premiership football simply because one programme has failed to work," said Sky Sport's Jonathan Sim.
Argentina international striker Gabriel Batistuta will retire from football after next year's World Cup. The 32-year-old, who fired Roma to the Serie A title last season with 19 goals and has played a key role in Argentina's successful World Cup qualifying campaign, is weary of the demands placed on him.
Sport England may take legal action against the Football Association to recover its £120 million sterling grant if Wembley is not to be the site for the national football stadium.
Sport England awarded the lottery grant to Wembley National Stadium Limited, an FA subsidiary, in March 1999. The agreement stated that the money must be repaid if the project collapsed.
A high-ranking policeman has told an inquiry into the Ellis Park disaster that teargas was in the air outside the stadium as 43 soccer fans were crushed to death on April 11th in South Africa's worst sporting tragedy. The alleged use of tear gas on that night has been a key issue at the public hearings.
Italian first division club Verona was yesterday fined $18,000 by Italian football disciplinary chiefs after supporters unveiled a banner with a swastika during the 2-0 victory at Fiorentina on Sunday while Lazio were fined $9,000 dollars for racist chants aimed at an opposing players.
