STAFF and officials at Manchester City yesterday felt the backlash from angry supporters after one of, their prized assets, Garry Flitcroft, was sold to Blackburn Rovers for, £3.2 million.

Fans besieged the Maine Road switchboard to register their dissent over the transfer of the 23 year old midfielder, who captained City during Keith Curle's recent absence.

Flitcroft pronounced himself, "shocked", but the City manager, Alan Ball, insisted the deal was sanctioned on foot balling criteria rather than to ease their financial position.

"We have a glut of midfield players at the club," Ball said. "Although Garry has done brilliantly, it's a decision we had to take. There were issues we had to take into account, such as the emergence of young Michael Brown, who has proved his class."

Ball's chairman, Francis Lee, maintained Blackburn had instigated the move. Flitcroft, involved with City from the age of 12, said. "The timing was the biggest shock because of where City are in the League."

Flitcroft's arrival takes Ray Harford's spending in nine months as Blackburn's manager through the £10 million barrier.

Tony Yeboah, who will become the first Ghanaian to play at Wembley in Sunday's League Cup final, plans to retire at the end of his contract with Leeds United in 1998.

The 29 year old striker, who cost Leeds £3.4 million from Eintracht Frankfurt and signed a three year deal last summer, said. "This will be my last one. After that I'm going back to Ghana to coach young players."

Maggie Atkinson, wife of the Coventry manager Ron Atkinson, was bound and gagged for 13 hours after burglars broke into their Worcestershire home. Mrs Atkinson, whose husband was away working as a summariser for ITV on the Juventus Real Madrid game, was said yesterday to be "extremely distressed" after being handcuffed to a bannister and having jewellery and cash stolen.