Today's other stories in brief

Liverpool want Euro date changed

UEFA are considering a request from Liverpool to move a Champions League match to avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

Liverpool have asked if the second leg of their quarter-final – should they reach it – can be brought forward from its scheduled date of April 15th.

That day marks exactly two decades since 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives at Hillsborough before and during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Liverpool would like the game to be played on April 14th, allowing players and staff to attend a memorial service at Anfield the following day.

The club have alerted Uefa to this potential clash but European football’s governing body will not make a firm decision until after the last-16 ties are played and the quarter-final draw made.

Da Silva out for a fortnight

EDUARDO da Silva, who this week made a two-goal return to Arsenal action after almost a year on the sidelines, will be out of action for another two weeks with a hamstring strain, the club said yesterday.

The Croatia striker helped Arsenal to a 4-0 victory over Cardiff City in the FA Cup on Monday but tweaked a hamstring just before being substituted after 67 minutes.

Second tier now on for Scotland

THE Scottish Premier League were yesterday finally given the green light to try to create a second division – two and a half years after first proposing it.

The Scottish Football League had contested the SPL’s bid to introduce a new top-flight structure of 22 clubs playing in two divisions, claiming it breached a previous agreement between the two organisations.

The SFL called on the Scottish Football Association to set up an independent arbitration panel to establish if this was the case.

That three-man panel was first convened in April 2007 and it has taken almost two years for them to decide the SPL had not breached any agreement, paving the way for them to move forward with their SPL2 proposal.

SPL executive chairman Lex Gold said: “We welcome this outcome. It has taken quite some time to arrive at this conclusion.

“But the way is now clear for us to review this outcome.”

Mehmet sets up quarter-final date with Celtic

BILLY Mehmet grabbed a dramatic late winner for St Mirren over Motherwell last night to set up a quarter-final meeting with Celtic in the Scottish Cup.

The first attempt at the fifth-round tie had ended 1-1 at Fir Park and this clash at St Mirren Park was also a closely fought encounter, with extra-time and penalties – as predicted by Motherwell boss Mark McGhee – looking likely.

But Mehmet’s strike with 85 minutes on the clock proved to be decisive, with a mouth-watering tie now awaiting them in the next round.

ST MIRREN: Smith, Ross, Cuthbert, Potter, Barron, Murray, Dorman, Brady, Thomson, Mehmet, Wyness (Dargo 70).

Booked: Cuthbert, Barron, Murray.

MOTHERWELL: Graeme Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell, Klimpl, O'Brien, Hughes, Fitzpatrick (Darren Smith 79), Sheridan (Sutton 82), Clarkson.

Booked: Craigan.

Bullard ruled out for rest of season

HULL’S hopes of avoiding a relegation scrap have suffered a serious blow with record signing Jimmy Bullard ruled out for the rest of the season.

The 30-year-old midfielder, who has played just 37 minutes for Hull since his €5.6 million January move from Fulham, needs further surgery to repair a damaged knee ligament.

Bullard travelled to the US this week for an operation after jarring his knee on his Hull debut against West Ham last month.

The club had hoped the procedure, conducted by the same surgeon who operated on the player in 2006, would be minor but the injury has proved more serious. Bullard spent 16 months on the sidelines after a major operation on the same knee in September 2006.

Everton's Rodwell signs five-year deal

HIGHLY-RATED Everton youngster Jack Rodwell has signed a new five-year contract at Goodison Park. The 17-year-old midfielder, who scored his first senior goal in the FA Cup fifth-round win over Aston Villa, is committed to the club until 2014.

A product of the club’s Academy, Rodwell has made 13 appearances this season including seven starts.

Manager David Moyes, who handed Rodwell his debut last season, said: “When we get good young players, we want to sign them up and keep them here. That’s always the way that we have gone about it.

“Jack has got a long way to go and it wasn’t ideal that we had to pitch him in at the start of the season – we threw him in at the deep end.”