A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Webb gets United game

World Cup final referee Howard Webb will take charge of the crucial Premier League title showdown between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Chelsea will jump above United on goal difference with just two games remaining should they win and Alex Ferguson has already expressed his concern at the number of key decisions that have gone against his team in big matches this season.

The United boss was hit with a five-game touchline ban after criticising Martin Atkinson following his performance during the first meeting between the two sides at Stamford Bridge in March.

Bates brings Leeds 'transparency'

KEN BATES has become the major shareholder of Leeds in a move that means the ownership of the club is no longer a mystery – even if the issue of who has owned them for the last six years still remains shrouded in secrecy. Bates, the club’s chairman, has bought out Switzerland-based firm FSF Limited through his company Outro Limited, Leeds confirmed in a statement. Leeds say they hope the move will bring an end to “scaremongering” about the club’s ownership and “delivers the transparency sought”.

An inquiry into football governance by a committee of MPs has put Leeds’ ownership under the spotlight and the Premier League had said they would require full disclosure of the shareholders of the three offshore trusts that had owned FSF Limited. Leeds said no individual owned more than 10 per cent of any of those trusts, which meant they did not have to provide further details to the Football League and FA under their ownership disclosure rules. “This change in ownership structure makes Ken Bates the controlling shareholder of Leeds United and delivers the transparency sought,” the statement added

QPR face anxious wait as hearing gets under way

THE FOOTBALL Association hearing which could yet decide whether QPR play Premier League football next season finally got under way at Wembley yesterday, but news on a potential outcome is not expected until Friday.

Neil Warnock’s side have won the Championship, but their place among the elite remains in the balance as they face a possible points deduction over seven charges relating to the registration of Argentinian midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in 2009.

The verdict from an Independent Regulatory Commission is scheduled just a day before the final round of Championship fixtures, meaning any appeal could possibly delay the play-offs. Rangers and chairman Gianni Paladini deny the charges and were represented yesterday by Ian Mill QC, who acted for Sheffield United in the Carlos Tevez affair which saw the rules on third-party ownership clarified.

The charges facing QPR concern the alleged existence of an agreement between the club and a third party in respect of Faurlin’s economic rights, and the alleged failure by the club to notify the FA of that agreement before the player was registered to play in England in July 2009. The club have also been charged with allegedly using or seeking to pay an unauthorised agent as part of the Faurlin deal, while both the club and Paladini have been charged with allegedly submitting false information to the FA over a contract extension signed by Faurlin.

Bolton's Alonso involved in Madrid car accident

MADRID POLICE have confirmed that Bolton defender Marcos Alonso was involved in a car accident in which a woman died.

Alonso (20) crashed a BMW into a wall in the centre of Madrid early Monday morning following a night out with friends in the Spanish capital. The player was driving three friends, who all had to be rescued from the back seat of the wrecked car by Madrid firefighters.

One of the passengers, a 22-year-old woman, was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead just half an hour later.

Another woman is reported to be badly injured while the fourth passenger, Real Madrid youngster Jaime Navarro, was treated for a broken collarbone.

A statement from the Superior de Justicia de Madrid read: “Preliminary investigating Court No 4 in Madrid yesterday released footballer Marcos Alonso Mendoza, who is suspected of having committed an alleged crime against road safety, driving while over the alcohol limit, a crime of negligent homicide and causing of reckless injury.

“In addition, the judge has imposed precautionary measures to withdraw his driving licence and impose a driving ban throughout the national territory for the duration of the instruction process.”

Alonso can return to England while a court date is set. That process could take up to eight months.

Alonso, who turned out just once for Madrid’s first-team, has made four appearances for Bolton in the Premier League this season.

He is the son of the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid midfielder of the same name and the grandson of former Real defender Marquitos.

Fifa set for goal-line technology tests

FIFA ANNOUNCED yesterday a timetable for goal-line technology tests with a first stage to be held later this year and a final report to be presented to the sports rule-making body in July next year.

The announcement came three days after Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the English Premier League with a late goal in which, replays showed, the ball did not cross the line.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who was opposed to goal-line technology until an incident in last years Germany-England World Cup match, has already said that it could be used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil if a suitable system could be found in time. Fifa said that potential suppliers of the technology needed to declare their interest by June 3rd and formally apply one month later, paying a €13,000 registration fee.

Fifa said the first stage of tests would be held between September and December and that systems achieving at least 90 per cent accuracy in simulated match situations could be invited back for the second stage of tests between March and June next year.

All tests would be held in a stadium chosen by the manufacturers and behind closed doors, Fifa said. Fifa conducted tests in February but they failed to meet the exacting requirements.

Ardiles says Messi will be best ever

LIONEL MESSI will go down as the greatest player in footballing history – better even than Diego Maradona and Pele, according to Ossie Ardiles. The former Argentina midfielder claims Messi is similar to their fellow countryman Maradona – except better. Former Tottenham star Ardiles, who helped nurture Maradona for the national side, said: “I think there is only one player you can compare with Messi, and that is Maradona, and in many ways they are very similar.

“But for some time I have thought that Diego could never be surpassed, and nor could Pele, but no longer. I would now say that Lionel Messi will go down in history as the number one player of all time, the best that there ever was.

“The big difference is that Maradona played in Argentina, then in Italy, while Pele stayed in Brazil, and during their time the pressures were less intense than they are now.

“Messi is under pressure all the time, and has to play in incredibly high intensity games all of the time.”