FA PREMIERSHIP: Graeme Souness is facing his second three-match touchline ban of the season after being charged by the Football Association for abusing the officials during last month's League Cup win at Wigan.
The Blackburn manager has been charged with "improper conduct and abusive and/or insulting language" directed at an assistant referee and the fourth official during the 2-0 win on December 17th. He was sent from the dug-out, the third time he had been banished to the stands in 2002.
The Scot has 14 days in which to respond to the charges, with Blackburn confirming he will seek a personal hearing. But if the decision is upheld he will have to watch the FA Cup fourth-round tie with either Bolton or Sunderland and the Premiership visits to West Ham and Aston Villa from directors' boxes. The FA was expected to ban him for five games, although it is likely to issue another three-game punishment.
Not that he is unaccustomed to taking a seat in the stands. Souness was banned for three games in November and fined £15,000 for abusing the referee Steve Bennett during Blackburn's 2-2 draw with Liverpool in August. He also served a one-match suspension and paid a £10,000 fine in April for comments made to the referee Graham Barber after he had sent off Lucas Neill in the 1-0 FA Cup fifth-round defeat at Middlesbrough in February.
Manchester City have opened talks with Celta Vigo for the South African striker Benni McCarthy after successfully completing negotiations to take Barcelona's Dutch defender Michael Reiziger on loan. Kevin Keegan also wants the 25-year-old McCarthy on loan, but Celta are demanding a £600,000 downpayment. City are also seeking the unsettled Bordeaux defender David Sommeil, who would cost about £4 million.
Newcastle United, still searching for a centre-half, are in danger of losing one of the more promising ones already at the club. Steven Caldwell is out of contract in the summer but the 22-year-old has not been offered a new one by Newcastle. Rangers and Norwich City are monitoring events.
A Japanese international midfielder, Kazuyuki Toda, begins a fortnight trial with Sunderland today. Toda (25) played in Japan's four matches at the World Cup.
Guardian Service
