Skating.
Joanne Conway, who is hoping to become the first woman for more than 20 years to win five successive titles, made a strong start at the Skate Electic British championships in Basingstoke.
The 18-year-old from North Shields beat off eight opponents and a tendon injury to take the lead after the opening compulsory figures.
Soccer: Ball denies being ' vulture ' over Mills.
By Russell Thomas
ONE former England international stepped into another's shoes yesterday when Alan Ball succeeded Mick Mills as managerial upheavals continued in earnest.
But Ball denied that he had trampled on Mills's feet since arriving at Stoke City less than three weeks ago.
The 1966 World Cup winner, starting his caretakership of the Potteries club, said: ' I have not been a vulture on Mick's back  and he knows that. '
Mills lost his first managerial job after seeing his side win only two Second Division games in the last 30 while spending more than 1 million.
The results, especially the dooming 6-0 defeat at Swindon last Saturday, tell their own story, even if Ball's arrival at the Victoria Ground from Colchester as first-team coach pointed to his promotion.
But there was no treachery, said Ball.
' I came to work with him, shoulder to shoulder. '
Ball, 44, says his aim is to be ' the greatest coach and manager in the country ', and he will be given another chance to achieve it if he turns Stoke around.
He must apply for the advertised post, which will attract their former England full-back Mike Pejic, Port Vale's first-team coach.
Hull are set to name their new manager at a press conference this morning.
Among the names touted to succeed the sacked Colin Appleton are Peter Reid, Cyril Knowles and Terry Dolan.
The Bristol Rovers chairman, Denis Dunford, said yesterday that the Third Division club would be ' reluctant ' to part with their goalkeeper Nigel Martyn and the striker Gary Penrice.
Crystal Palace have offered 1 million for Martyn, named in England's B squad on Monday, while Watford have had a 500,000 offer for Penrice rejected but are thought to be considering a higher bid.
Andy Platt, England's latest recruit, has agreed a new deal with Aston Villa which will keep him at the club until 1994.
Birmingham face FA punishment after their managing director, Ken Wheldon, allegedly sold tickets before the trouble-torn match at Blackpool.
He is not named in the charge but the club are accused of breaking all-ticket rules on match-day morning.
The FA is taking no action against either club over incidents in the ground.
The Welsh Cup holders Swansea were surprisingly knocked out in the third round of the competition by the Vauxhall Conference side Merthyr Tydfil, who won 3-0 at the Vetch Field last night.
Littlewoods Cup third round replay: Bolton 1, Swindon 1 (aet) Shearer's instant reply forces third meeting.
By Cynthia Bateman
SEVEN minutes from the end of extra time Bolton broke the deadlock in their Littlewoods Cup third-round replay that had produced no goals for 113 minutes... only to let Swindon equalise two minutes later to take the tie to a second replay at Bolton next Tuesday.
A powerful 25-yard shot by Brown gave Bolton a justly deserved lead but Shearer's fine header robbed them of it almost immediately.
The town of Bolton has just announced that it is to make its football hero, Nat Lofthouse, a freeman of the borough.
The Wanderers' manager, Phil Neal, has some way to go before he can expect to be so honoured but he collected several brownie points after his side's spirited performance.
Bolton, still smarting from a controversial refereeing decision that denied them a penalty and, they believe, victory at the County Ground at Swindon, had their opponents well and truly cornered at the start.
The Swindon goalkeeper, Digby, was forced into throwing more punches than a boxer in his efforts to clear headers, shots and volleys from expertly delivered corner kicks by Comstive on the right.
Digby was kept under considerable pressure and at times was found wanting as Bolton, fed by full-backs determined to work their way forward, put everything into attack.
Reeves, the Bolton striker, was so certain his header had beaten Digby that he turned away to celebrate, but somehow the effort went wide.
And the goalkeeper made a brilliant save to tip Philliskirk's long-range shot over the bar.
Swindon lost Hockaday with a fractured cheekbone just before half-time as they were beginning to make an impression on the game.
Both sides have been soaring up their respective divisions.
Bolton play the same sort of attractive passing football as Swindon under the influence of Ossie Ardiles.
But the Lancashire side had the added ingredient of grit and some decisive tackling limited Swindon's chances to two in an hour.
The Second Division side seemed bereft of ideas until White suddenly found an opening.
His strike in the 68th minute, from a MacLaren pass, beat the Bolton goalkeeper but hit the upright.
Encouraged, Swindon at last began to take the initiative and Felgate saved Bolton by tipping Simpson's shot over the bar.
But Swindon had a similar close shave in the last seconds of full time as Philliskirk hit the crossbar and the game went into extra time.
Bolton Wanderers: Felgate; Brown, Cowdrill, Comstive, Crombie, Winstanley, Henshaw, Thompson, Reeves, Philliskirk, Darby.
Swindon Town: Digby; Hockaday, Bodin, McLoughlin, Calderwood, Gittens, Jones, Shearer, White, MacLaren, Simpson.
Referee: K Redfern (Whitley Bay)..
Bournemouth 0, Sunderland 1 Gabbiadini's dash makes the difference.
By David Foot
MARCO GABBIADINI, Sunderland's England Under-21 forward, eloquently provided the dash and style that made the difference between these two sides, and it was his sharply taken goal that won this Littlewoods Cup replay.
He had already scored in the first meeting at Roker Park.
And last night he eluded his two markers to decisive effect although they shadowed him well for much of the match.
Bournemouth searched spiritedly for an equaliser in the second half.
Their most energetic and impressive player, Shaun Brooks, hung his head when his 20-yard free-kick spun off the bar.
In a final gamble Bournemouth brought on a towering central defender, John Williams, as a striker  but Sunderland held on.
Two injury-ravaged sides understandably lacked precision and poise but Gabbiadini was always direct in his approach and it was appropriate that he should give Sunderland the lead six minutes before the interval.
He snatched at the ball inside the Bournemouth penalty area and, though confronted by four defenders, enterprisingly veered to his right before hitting the ball on the turn and in off the bar.
Sunderland should have scored just before this.
Within a frantic five-second period Kite and O'Driscoll blocked close-range shots from Armstrong and Pascoe.
The two main threats to Sunderland in the first half came from Brooks and Coleman.
Brooks's curling drive brought an equally adept save from Carter, while Coleman's thumping shot skimmed over  after Blissett had quick-wittedly overrun the ball as it came over from Shearer in one of the home team's brightest moves.
Bournemouth: Kite; Bond, Coleman, Teale, Peacock, Shearer, O'Connor, Moulden, O'Driscoll, Brooks, Blissett.
Sunderland: Carter; P Williams, Agboola, Bennett, Ord, Owers, Atkinson, Armstrong, Gates, Gabbiadini, Pascoe.
Referee: D Axcell (Southend).
Chess: England stumble to bronze.
ENGLAND tripped at the final hurdle of the world team championship in Lucerne last night, writes Leonard Barden, and finished as bronze medal winners behind the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
In the ninth and decisive round England could only draw 2-2 against China, so Yugoslavia, leading the US 2-1 with a favourable unfinished game, were assured of silver.
Nigel Short's defeat from a superior position swung the result against England.
The world No.3 over-pressed on the Queen's side and Ye Jiangchuan countered so strongly against the King that Short lost his Queen and resigned in 45 moves.
Ice Skating.
Steve Cousins, 17, skated an exciting free programme at the Skate Electric British championships at Basingstoke last night to become British men's champion.
In the women's event, the accident-prone Joanne Conway is in danger of being dethroned after suffering another tumble when she missed a combination jump in her original programme, leaving her behind Gina Fulton going into today's free programme.
The identical twins Jason and Simon Briggs both won junior titles.
Simon won the men's and Jason, with Kathryn Pritchard, the pairs.
Sailing: Sleighing in southern seas.
By Bob Fisher
IN WHAT is becoming a very fast ride across the wastes of the Southern Ocean, Lawrie Smith's Rothmans has moved into second place in the Whitbread Round the World Race.
Although the 80ft British sloop charged through the fleet yesterday morning, it is still 68 miles behind the leader, Fisher &amp; Paykel.
Less than 80 miles separates the leading six boats.
The wind has varied for them between 20 and 40 knots and it has, in the main, blown from the west, allowing them sleigh rides down the faces of the big waves.
Rothmans maintained an average of 14.2 knots throughout the morning while most of her close rivals slowed.
She is still on a latitude 60 miles to the north of the New Zealand ketch, whose skipper Grant Dalton was going even further south.
Dalton gained the lead by moving furthest south last week.
Smith was on course to cross ahead of Steinlager 2's track, the 84 foot ketch which won the first leg having slowed noticeably in the past two days.
Peter Blake, the skipper of Steinlager 2, has pinned his course to the 50th Parallel, doubtless in an effort to avoid the icebergs; Dalton seems willing to take greater risks.
Tracy Edwards and the all-girl crew of Maiden have increased their lead over their Division D rivals.
Maiden was 91 miles ahead of Rucanor Sport and 158 miles in front of L'Esprit de Liberte, the class winner of the first leg.
Rugby League: Featherstone Rovers 20, New Zealanders 44 Leota puts in his Test claim.
By Paul Fitzpatrick
THE New Zealanders might not have been unduly impressive in the early part of their tour but they have played some exhilarating football at the end, completing their final match against a club side with an emphatic victory, 44-20, over Featherstone Rovers at Post Office Road last night.
This was also the last opportunity for candidates to press late claims for a place in the third Test at Wigan on Saturday.
Most berths are, of course, already booked.
But once again Francis Leota was a highly dangerous, mobile prop, worthy surely of a place on the bench at least on Saturday.
At blindside prop George Mann, recruited from St Helens to ease mounting injury problems, ran with the enthusiasm of a man keen to catch the eye; and with Kuiti and Nikau generating a good deal of power in the second row, Rovers were hard pressed to close the gaps.
Rovers had a splendid start to the second half, reducing an interval deficit of 4-22 to 14-22 with tries from Trevor Clark and Manning, the result of an astute lofted kick from Sharp.
But they had a tiring game on Sunday, energy reserves began to run low and the tourists hit back with tries from Taewa (2), Leota and Kuiti.
Rovers enjoyed a heavy advantage in penalties before half-time but it did not do them a lot of good.
Smales was successful with two kicks at goal but by half-time the Kiwis looked to have the game well under control, scoring tries through Edwards and Watson by the 16th minute, and through Watson and Nikau in the three minutes before the interval.
The first 15 minutes of the second half reminded the tourists that the game was not yet won.
But just past the hour Taewa, after good centre play from Watson and Sherlock, reasserted their authority.
Two minutes later Leota was seen at his exciting best when he made a midfield break from 45 yards which took him clean through the Rovers defence, and when Taewa scored his second try in the 72nd minute Rovers looked to be subsiding fast.
In fact they still had enough resilience to manage a try from short range by Fisher but another highly satisfactory night for the Kiwis ended with Kuiti scoring in the 79th minute and Bancroft landing his sixth goal.
Featherstone Rovers: Bibb (S Newlove, 19min); Drummond, Ropati, Manning, Banks; Smales, Sharp; Bell, Clark, Dakin (Grayshon, h-t), Price, Smith, Fisher.
New Zealanders: Edwards; Taewa, Watson, Sherlock, Ewe; Clark, Bancroft; Leota, Wallace, Mann, Kuiti, Nikau, Tuuta.
Referee: A Bowman (Whitehaven)..
Regal return for Schofield.
GARRY SCHOFIELD plays his first game for Leeds for almost seven weeks in tonight's Regal Trophy preliminary round match against Ryedale-York at Headingley, writes Paul Fitzpatrick.
One of the game's most effective finishers, the Great Britain centre suffered a bad ankle injury playing for Yorkshire against Lancashire in September.
John Bentley moves to the wing to accommodate him.
Schofield returned home early from Great Britain's tour of Australasia last year and missed many games last season because of a damaged shoulder.
Craig Richards has been brought into Bradford's squad for tonight's Stones Bitter Championship match with Castleford, who are four points behind the leaders Wigan with two games in hand.
Andy Bateman of St Helens, who have serious forward problems, could be absent for a month after damaging a kidney in Saturday's game with Salford.
Hartlepool horrors, Darlington dreams David Hopps on a 20-mile abyss between the League's bottom and the Conference's top.
SHADES OF Michael Knighton at Hartlepool as John Smart, hounded last week from the chairmanship of the Football League's bottom club, savoured a memory of brief exhilaration.
Knighton juggled a football in front of the Stretford End to advertise his designs on Manchester United; last season Smart merely wandered out to draw the raffle before Hartlepool's FA Cup tie with Bournemouth, but the adrenalin surged just the same.
' I stood in the centre circle and waved my blue-and-white scarf.
The crowd chanted my name.
It was marvellous, ' Smart recalled.
Hartlepool drew that fateful tie 1-1, losing not only the replay but the potential salvation of a fifth-round journey to Old Trafford.
Long-term debts of around 150,000 continue to finger the back of the club's neck as unpleasantly as a north-eastern sea fret.
Takeover talk now dominates with John Hall, the Tyneside entrepreneur and long-time combatant for control of Newcastle, emerging as a possible saviour of Hartlepool.
Back from holiday yesterday, he is due to meet the board.
Hall could break the embarrassing boardroom impasse at the Victoria Ground.
A Wearside businessman, Philip Benison, who precipitated Smart's resignation with talk of a 300,000 takeover, looks unlikely to succeed after failing to persuade other directors at an emergency meeting that the club go into liquidation.
The temporary club chairman, Roland Boyes MP, returns to the Labour benches this week suspecting that, compared with a Hartlepool board meeting, the House of Commons is a scene of perfect unity.
Whoever takes control, loss of League status beckons an inexperienced team forced to learn on the run.
Hartlepool's 3-0 home victory against Wrexham on Saturday was only their second win of the season.
To aggravate the hurt, 20 miles down the road Darlington's rehabilitation bounds ahead.
Demoted from the League last spring, they are top of the GM Vauxhall Conference.
The rivals in adversity could shortly exchange places.
Smart's financial intervention six years ago saved Hartlepool from liquidation, but this summer the tide turned.
By the first match of this season, his days were numbered.
With Hartlepool 3-0 down at Halifax, the chairman tried to move his Rolls-Royce.
Jostling fans rocked his car and hurled verbal abuse.
' I don't need this aggravation.
If anybody wants to buy this club, they can have it, ' Smart stormed.
The Hartlepool Mail told of one emergency board meeting hastily convened on a Skipton pavement.
Meanwhile, in the manager's office at Darlington Brian Little had responded to the club'sfall from grace with a purge during the summer.
On one unsettling day 13 professionals were released, 12 of them on free transfers.
' Some were useful players but they did not gel, ' Little said.
' Their experiences at Darlington had left a bad taste in the mouth.
I could have got money for some of them, but that would have meant delays. '
Little proceeded to recruit some impressive names for a total outlay of 58,000.
Frank Gray, Sunderland's former Scottish international, was appointed player-coach.
Soon after came David Cork, an inventive inside-forward once with Arsenal and Huddersfield, and York's Kevan Smith, who two years earlier had played with Coventry.
In a move that particularly irked Hartlepool supporters, Little also bought Andy Toman.
Hartlepool collected a 40,000 sponge to soak up some of their debts, Darlington took in exchange their outstanding midfield player.
A striker, John Borthwick, also changed allegiance.
Little's insistence that Darlington remain full-time (' more for advantages of preparation than fitness') won the support of the club's new chairman, Richard Corden, director of an industrial scaffolding company  and also, to his chagrin, a worthy candidate for the title of the unluckiest man in football.
Corden's playing career ended abruptly when he smashed his knee on his debut for Darlington.
His son, Stephen, suffered the same fate when he broke a leg in his first game for Middlesbrough.
When Corden joined the Darlington board, they immediately dropped out of the League.
But Corden won Darlington's ensuing boardroom kerfuffle, and both he and his new vice-chairman contributed 60,000 to the cause.
Little assembled a squad of 20 professionals, many on terms which would make Hartlepool blanch.
A youth set-up, from nine years upwards, soon followed.
' It is a gamble, ' admits Corden.
' If no one comes through the turnstiles, we 'll go bust. '
Little speaks persuasively of the Conference's progressive attitudes.
Yeovil and Wycombe plan to move into new stadiums at the end of the season, and most clubs carry the stamp of middle-class wealth: Barnet, Cheltenham, Altrincham and Macclesfield.
The prospect of recovering League status has encouraged slicker organisation without the disadvantages of decaying grounds and long-term debts that bedevil many of their Fourth Division counterparts.
Little, anxious for Darlington to emulate Lincoln City by returning to the League at the first attempt, is convinced that the habit of the League's poorer brethren somehow surviving can not last.
Merely the removal of about 100,000 from the League annually in TV fees and sponsorship can cause an icy blast to the Fourth Division's infirm.
Hartlepool should be keenly aware of that danger.
After all, back in the Thirties even the holiday posters would tell of ' Healthful Hartlepool  the most bracing air in the kingdom '.
Brian Little has become the first man to win the Vauxhall Conference manager of the month award, worth 250, for the second time in succession, for Darlington's unbeaten run throughout October.
Hockey: Reverse order favours England before extended sunshine break.
By Pat Rowley
IF ENGLAND qualify for the semi-finals of the seventh World Cup at Lahore next February, they will have a three-day rest before trying to qualify for their second successive World Cup final.
England get the long rest because their five group matches have been squeezed into seven days while other teams, like Pakistan, the hosts, have their pool games spread over eight.
Bernard Cotton, the England manager, is disappointed with the match scheduling.
He feels that, for such an important event, countries should have a day's rest between their games, as they did at the 1986 World Cup in London, where England lost in the final to Australia.
But Cotton has no complaints about the order for England's group matches.
His team would appear to be playing their opponents in reverse of their ranking order.
Ireland are England's first opponents, followed by Canada, Spain, Pakistan and West Germany.
Britain benefited from such a programme when they finished third at the Los Angeles Olympics and England did at the 1986 World Cup.
Cotton said: ' In theory the games should get more difficult as we improve through the tournament. '
Should England qualify, their semi-final opponents could be the holders or the Netherlands, who have twice scored five against England this year.
Korea, the Olympic silver medallists, duly qualified for the women's World Cup finals when they beat Italy 6-1 in their fourth match at the Intercontinental Cup in New Delhi yesterday.
Spain will also take part in the World Cup, at Sydney next May, after holding Japan, who qualified 24 hours earlier, to a 1-1 draw.
The last qualifying place is likely to be filled by China, though Ireland still have an outside chance.
DRAW: Pool A: Argentina, Australia, France, India, Netherlands, USSR.
Pool B: Canada, England, W Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Spain.
Feb 12: Netherlands v France, USSR v India, Ireland v England, Pakistan v Spain.
Feb 13: Australia v Argentina, Netherlands v USSR, W Germany v Canada, Pakistan v Ireland.
Feb 14: India v Argentina, France v Australia, England v Canada, W Germany v Spain.
Feb 15: France v India, Spain v England.
Feb 16: Ireland v W Germany, USSR v Australia, Pakistan v Canada, Netherlands v Argentina.
Feb 17: Spain v Ireland, France v USSR, Pakistan v England, Netherlands v India.
Feb 18: Spain v Canada, France v Argentina, England v W Germany, India v Australia.
Feb 19: Ireland v Canada, USSR v Argentina, Pakistan v W Germany, Netherlands v Australia.
Feb 21: Semi-finals  2nd Pool A v 1st Pool B; 1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B. Feb 22: Play-offs (minor placings).
Feb 23: Final and play-offs.
Hockey: Points of order may enable England to rest assured.
By Pat Rowley
IF England qualify for the semi-finals of the seventh World Cup at Lahore next February, they will have a three-day rest before trying to qualify for their second successive World Cup final.
England get the long rest because their five group matches have been squeezed into seven days while other teams, like Pakistan, the hosts, have their pool games spread over eight.
Bernard Cotton, the England manager, is disappointed with the match scheduling.
He feels that, for such an important event, countries should have a day's rest between their games, as they did at the 1986 World Cup in London, where England lost in the final to Australia.
But Cotton has no complaints about the order for England's group matches.
His team would appear to be playing their opponents in reverse of their ranking order.
Ireland are England's first opponents, followed by Canada, Spain, Pakistan and West Germany.
Britain benefited from such a programme when they finished third at the Los Angeles Olympics, as did England at the 1986 World Cup.
Should England qualify, their semi-final opponents could be the holders or the Netherlands, who have twice scored five against England this year.
South Korea duly qualified for the women's World Cup finals when they beat Italy 6-1 in their fourth match at the Intercontinental Cup in New Delhi yesterday.
Spain also made sure of their place by holding Japan to a 1-1 draw.
DRAW: Pool A: Argentina, Australia, France, India, Netherlands, USSR.
Pool B: Canada, England, W Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Spain.
Feb 12: Netherlands v France, USSR v India, Ireland v England, Pakistan v Spain.
Feb 13: Australia v Argentina, Netherlands v USSR, W Germany v Canada, Pakistan v Ireland.
Feb 14: India v Argentina, France v Australia, England v Canada, W Germany v Spain.
Feb 15: France v India, Spain v England.
Feb 16: Ireland v W Germany, USSR v Australia, Pakistan v Canada, Netherlands v Argentina.
Feb 17: Spain v Ireland, France v USSR, Pakistan v England, Netherlands v India.
Feb 18: Spain v Canada, France v Argentina, England v W Germany, India v Australia.
Feb 19: Ireland v Canada, USSR v Argentina, Pakistan v W Germany, Netherlands v Australia.
Feb 21: Semi-finals  A 2nd v B 1st; A 1st v B 2nd.
Feb 22: Play-offs (minor placings).
Feb 23: Final and play-offs.
Rugby Union: All black over Ireland Charles Edwards explains how the game has acquired a dim profile with the public.
PSYCHOLOGICALLY the Aztecs were probably better prepared for the invasion of Cortes than Irish rugby is for the arrival of the All Blacks.
Two undistinguished international seasons, only token involvement with the Lions in Australia and bitter controversy about South Africa have combined to give the game in Ireland possibly the worst public profile it has had.
The visit to South Africa of several eminent Irish Rugby Football Union officers and their wives  among them the president, Ronnie Dawson  triggered off an acrimonious debate which looks likely to run on in spite of an IRFU statement regretting the safari.
The union's promise that no Irish team will be allowed to go to South Africa ' whilst the remainder of the apartheid laws exist ' has not convinced many people, while drawing the wrath of their recent hosts down about the heads of Dawson and his fellow-travellers.
The IRFU's South African links have been criticised in the past, notably when Ireland toured there in 1981 amid a storm of public and governmental condemnation.
Now those critics have been joined by what entrenched IRFU committeemen may regard as the Enemy Within.
For the Irish rugby schools and clubs have loudly condemned the IRFU which, they say, purports to represent them yet made no efforts towards consultation before participating in the South African Rugby Board's centenary celebrations.
The absence of Dawson  or any deputy  from Ireland's recent tour to North America has also been deplored.
This courtesy might not be necessary, strictly speaking, but the fact that All the President's Men were in South Africa as guests of the SARB at the same time was not a help.
And the IRFU did nothing for its cause by not awarding caps for the matches against Canada and the United States and by refusing to pay the players the regulation daily allowance because the tour was one day short of the stipulated duration.
So the union  and the game  are held in low esteem at present.
And, in the battle for sporting hearts and minds, Irish rugby simply can not afford that unhappy situation.
In terms of mass appeal rugby comes fourth after Gaelic football, hurling and soccer.
Many believe that playing standards will improve only when more young players are attracted to rugby, which means getting them into the clubs at youth level.
But, if and when Jack Charlton brings the national team to the World Cup, every boy in the country will be kicking a soccer ball about.
But that is in the future.
At present the advent of the All Blacks is concentrating the national rugby mind wonderfully and all four provinces have been in early-season action.
Munster, the only Irish team ever to defeat the New Zealanders, drew with Glasgow and District and overwhelmed Pontypool.
Leinster did a similar demolition job on Llanelli and lost narrowly to the South-west Division.
Ulster, the reigning inter-provincial champions and the most consistent province over the past five seasons, enjoyed an easy win over the Scottish Saltires.
But Connacht, traditionally the weakest of the provinces, had a disastrous start, losing heavily to Glasgow and District and also to the humble Scottish North-Midlands, whose victory was their first for seven years.
The inter-provincial championship went to Ulster for the sixth consecutive year, and Munster have shown good form.
But realistically it is hard to predict anything other than a 100 per cent success rate for the All Blacks in Ireland.
The international at Lansdowne Road in 10 days could be traumatic for Ireland, whose only successes since January 1988 have been achieved against weak opposition which, oddly enough, includes Wales at the Arms Park last February.
Ireland have decided not to introduce a string of new players against New Zealand.
And one of the two new caps, the Australian Brian Smith who takes over at fly-half from the injured Paul Dean, has had a less than spectacular season with Leinster.
And the captain?
Philip Matthews had a brief incumbency and was replaced for the North American tour by David Irwin, who in turn gave way because of injury to Willie Anderson.
Anderson captained Ireland on their short tour of France, led them to an unexpected victory over a French XV and keeps the job now but age and waning powers put a question-mark over his selection for the team at all.
Some almost see him as a non-playing captain.
An Irish audience saw the All Blacks for the first time when they trained at Donnybrook on Monday, and the first impression of Mick Quinn, the former international fly-half, was: ' The omens are not good.
They train harder than we play. '
A good international season is essential if Irish rugby is to regain lost ground, improve its image and win back popular support.
But in the present climate that is a somewhat pious hope.
Dawson must know how Montezuma felt as his Aztec empire began to crumble around him.
Hong Kong form is all Chinese to the average punter.
FOR THE second Wednesday running racing from Hong Kong will be screened by SIS in the betting shops this afternoon, with Southwell's all-weather fixture again appearing to be cold shouldered, writes Chris Hawkins.
SIS will also be covering Kelso, Newbury and greyhound racing from Bristol so the need to give punters the opportunity to additionally sample delights from the orient hardly seems necessary.
There has been some sharp criticism in some areas of the sporting press  principally on three counts: That the turnover generated does not contribute to the levy; that it is a snub to the all-weather experiment; that it is pure exploitation of the punter.
Terry Ellis, racing director at SIS, answered these points for me yesterday, commenting: ' First of all it is factually incorrect to say that the turnover is not subject to levy.
All horse racing is.
I can not understand how that misconception arose.
Secondly, the decision to screen 16 Hong Kong meetings between now and the end of March was taken last year before firm plans about all-weather racing had been drawn up.
Our yearly schedules are finalised in October by our users committee.
' We covered Lingfield's inaugural all-weather meeting because that simply replaced a flat fixture scheduled for that day.
Southwell's all-weather meeting last Wednesday was not on the original fixture list and neither is today 's, but we will be covering meetings there on November 14 and 21 because there were ordinary jump meetings already scheduled.
' At the turn of the year we shall cover every all-weather fixture at Lingfield and Southwell in addition to the usual turf fixtures.
' The third point that we are merely exploiting the punter is unfair.
Although the major bookmaking firms are represented on the users committee, they were originally not keen on Hong Kong because it meant bringing in extra staff in the mornings.
' By arrangement with the sporting press we are providing full racecards and form for Hong Kong so punters are hardly betting blind.
And in any case, the punter has the final veto  no one forces him to bet. '
This is true but Hong Kong form means nothing to the average punter.
It is like looking at the menu in a French restaurant.
Ellis declined to say how much the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club is being paid for the service, but this is not money which British racing is missing out on, as a contract, subject to review after three years, was drawn up with the Racecourse Association at the beginning of SIS transmission.
Even so, the decision to cover Hong Kong has now been overtaken by developments.
The rapid strides made on the all-weather front really makes such betting fodder superfluous.
Leinster face an uphill task.
By Robert Armstrong in Dublin
THE ALL BLACKS begin the Irish leg of their 13-match tour at Lansdowne Road today against Leinster, who have never beaten a major touring side.
Leinster have named a team that looks strong on paper, including eight internationals, yet they recently lost to both Munster and Ulster in the Inter-Provincial Championship.
Such is the mood of pessimism here it is hard to find anyone who believes the All Blacks, having won their seven matches in Wales, will face any significant threat during the next fortnight.
Ulster, the provincial champions, may well fancy their chances on November 21, but Leinster look certain to face an uphill struggle even though the tourists have rested 13 of the team that beat Wales.
Leinster will be hard pushed to keep the score within the respectable margins of defeat set by their predecessors.
In 1964 the All Blacks defeated Leinster 11-5, they won 17-8 in 1972 and scraped home 8-3 in 1974.
However, during the Eighties Irish provincial rugby has assumed a Third World status in relation to New Zealand 's.
Leinster have been undermined by their failure to secure prestige fixtures since the mid-Seventies.
When New Zealand last toured Ireland in 1978 Leinster were ignored.
The same thing happened in 1984 when the province was denied a fixture against the Wallabies.
Such neglect has done nothing for their confidence.
Even so, the All Blacks, who include seven capped players, will give today's opponents due respect.
As their coach, Alex Wyllie, remarked: ' When we arrived in Wales we were told Cardiff were no damned good and look how well they played against us.
Leinster are quite capable of doing the same. '
Wyllie is confident his Western Samoan wing, Va'aiga Tuigamala, will play although he is still niggled by an ankle injury received against Neath two weeks ago.
The Test flanker Alan Whetton, whose hamstring injury kept him out against Wales, will form a powerful back row with Kevin Schuler and the international No.8, Zinzan Brooke.
The tourists will field four backs aged 21 or under.
For their part, Leinster are boosted by the presence of four players already selected for Ireland to play New Zealand in Dublin on November 18.
They are Brendan Mullin, the Lions centre, Fergus Aherne, the scrum-half, and the two new caps, Nick Popplewell at loose-head and Brian Smith, the fly-half.
No doubt Smith, the Oxford University Australian, who won five caps for the Wallabies, will feel a bit closer to home facing the All Blacks twice in the next 11 days.
It will be fascinating to see how Smith, a gifted all-round footballer, shapes up in his prospective international partnership with Aherne.
Equally intriguing will be the line-out performance of the young London Irish lock, Neil Francis, who has been left out of the current Ireland squad.
Fortunately, Leinster's front five, which includes the experienced tight-head prop Des Fitzgerald, looks up to the task of scrummaging against the All Blacks.
However, real problems may arise once Leinster attempt to win the loose ball.
Leinster will be led by their third captain in as many matches, the centre Paul Clinch.
Leinster: F Dunlea; J Sexton, P Clinch (capt), B Mullin, P Purcell; B Smith, F Aherne; N Popplewell, N Kearney, D Fitzgerald, N Francis, B Rigney, P Kenny, K Leahy, A Blair.
All Blacks: M Ridge; J Timu, B McCahill, W Little, V Tuigamala; F Botica, B Deans; G Purvis, W Gatland, S McDowell, I Jones, G Whetton (capt), A Whetton, K Schuler, Z Brooke.
Racing: Scudamore nears Francome's record.
By Chris Hawkins
PETER SCUDAMORE is now only four short of John Francome's jumping record of 1,138 career winners after riding a short-priced double on Monaru and Huntworth, both trained by Martin Pipe, at Devon yesterday.
Monaru was bought in for a course record of 11,500 gns after winning the Carlsberg Selling Hurdle but Pipe had no complaints and said: ' People don't have to run in sellers if they don't want to.
I think there should be more of them. '
Huntworth, Pipe's only other runner at the meeting, provided Scudamore with his 71st success of the season when making all the running in the Happy Eater Restaurant Handicap Chase to make up for a string of disappointments.
It was only the third time Huntworth has got round in his last 13 races under Rules, but those three completions have brought three wins.
The biggest cheer in this race, however, was not for the winner, it was for Barry Wright, who finished last of the four on top weight Midnight Madness.
Barry was unseated at the fifth, but hung on to the reins, ran alongside Midnight Madness for a few strides and bounced back into the saddle to continue in pursuit.
Steve Cauthen rode his 163rd winner of the season on My Lord at Leicester, where ten races attracted a crowd of less than 600, and announced that he would not be riding again on the flat this season.
He also made it clear that he will not be participating in the all-weather racing.
Ray Cochrane has expressed similar sentiments.
Back to jumping and there is a divergence of opinion among the bookmakers about Saturday's Mackeson Gold Cup.
Hill's make Prize Asset favourite at 11-2 but Beau Ranger leads the market at the same price with Ladbrokes.
Beau Ranger, as expected, has top weight of 12st and must give 24lb to Prize Asset.
At Newbury this afternoon Richard Dunwoody, left behind with only 20 successes so far by the lightning Scudamore, should kick off with a winner on Atlaal, trained by John Jenkins.
Atlaal (12.30) has had an outing on the flat recently and should be fit enough, despite the fact that this is his first hurdles race since February.
Trainer in form, Josh Gifford, introduces a potentially high class recruit to the chasing ranks in French Goblin (1.0), who makes his first appearance over fences in the Cokethorpe Novice Chase.
French Goblin was a good staying hurdler last season and has the physique to do well over fences.
A similar remark applies to his stable-companion, Green Willow, who was even better over timber.
He makes his fencing debut in the Halloween Novice Chase but has a useful opponent in Young Snugfit (2.00), who may make experience tell, having jumped well and quickened impressively to beat Brave Defender by ten lengths at Kempton last month.
Reg Akehurst's horses are running very well and Solidasarock (1.30), ridden by Scudamore, should give the Epsom trainer his eighth winner from 13 runners this season in the Curridge Handicap Chase.
This chestnut was second to Royal Cedar at Newbury last month.
Any overnight rain will suit Duckhaven (3.30) in the concluding Chequers Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle over an extended three miles.
This heavy ground specialist beat Lord Mustard (winner yesterday) at Hereford on his final effort last season over three miles and a furlong.
All-weather racing is again popular at Southwell, where there are nine races.
It should be worth waiting for the last in which Mick Ryan's Les Amis (3.40) is well drawn and must be fancied on her two lengths defeat of Quinta Royale at Folkestone.
The Jockey Club will be taking steps next season to try and make quality jump racing more competitive.
So often in conditions races we see just a handful of runners competing for good prizemoney, a situation which has prompted a reduction in Pattern races from 139 to 101 in the 1990-91 season.
A new Jump Pattern has been worked out and some new races created specifically for horses whose optimum trip is two and a half miles, a distance not previously catered for at championship level both over hurdles and fences, although there will still be nothing for novice chasers over that distance at the Cheltenham Festival.
Racecourses have been advised by the Jockey Club to make their own security arrangements against the use of sonic binoculars of the type allegedly used to frighten Ile De Chypre at Royal Ascot last season.
Cricket: Wise counsel needed in SA talks on tour.
By John Perlman in Johannesburg
WHEN 20 representatives of the South African Cricket Union and the National Sports Congress sit down together in a Johannesburg hotel tonight it is to be hoped that among them is someone with the wisdom of Solomon.
Both parties are taking the talks seriously and a commitment to resolving their diametrically opposed views of next year's rebel cricket tour by an English team is evident.
But a gulf in perception will have to be bridged, leaps of faith made and a deal struck.
And to do that will require individuals with the ability to clarify the issues and an acute sense of when they might advance by retreating a little.
The eve-of-talks optimism of the Sacu president, Geoff Daikin, was not even dented by the state-run television, which quoted him as saying that Sacu would push for the tour at all costs.
' They didn't even speak to me, ' he said.
Daikin said he had indications from ' people involved in making a better South Africa ' that ' if the tour were not to take place there are certain advantages that may flow from that decision, a highly attractive package for young South Africans of the future that involves more than cricket '.
He would not go into detail on what he called ' sensitive issues and sensitive talks' but said: ' I would be a fool to hinder this by insisting on a cricket tour. '
He may first have to overcome the scepticism of some members of his own group.
Daikin believes that the two parties have an important starting point.
' We are all working for the same goal, ' he says.
But it will be crucial for them to move on quickly to those considerable differences  on politics, the boycott and the role of sport in social change  which have set them at odds and made tonight's meeting necessary.
' They must take serious note of the political dynamics taking place in the country, ' said the NSC's Krish Naidoo.
' It is an opportunity to spell out to them what these dynamics are. '
Naidoo reiterated that the NSC was expecting Sacu to come to a decision and could not ease it for them by offering guarantees of future tours.
' We are asking them to become part of a process of change.
And in being part of that process you have to show good faith.
They must decide whether they want to be part of the decaying apartheid system or part of a new South Africa. '
If Sacu is to choose the latter road, the NSC may have to give them a clearer idea of what they will meet as they travel along it.
Newport look for coaches to turn a falling tide.
By David Plummer
NEWPORT, who last week suffered the indignity of a record score by the All Blacks in Wales, are looking for two new coaches.
Keith James and Jim McCreedy, who had been in charge for an increasingly fraught 20 months, had their resignations accepted this week.
They made a verbal decision to go earlier this month after a 48-0 home defeat by Newbridge, and no effort was made to persuade them to stay.
James volunteered to stay on until the end of the season, and he remains in charge for tonight's visit to Cross Keys, but Newport are opting for a complete change.
The former Wales and Lions prop Charlie Faulkner, currently the Wales B assistant coach, who preceded James and McCreedy at Newport, has already announced his availability, though it is conditional on ' certain changes being made '  in other words, the resignations of those on the committee he fell out with two years ago.
Though one of Wales's traditional elite clubs, Newport, like the national team, have struggled through the Eighties with the exception of one season.
Matters are now coming to a head because of the advent of leagues next season.
Quietly, amid the fall-out of Saturday's defeat of Wales by the All Blacks, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Merit Table organisation meet on Monday night to discuss the issue.
Newport have lost 11 of their 14 matches this season, including the last eight.
Only Ebbw Vale have conceded more than their 431 points.
Newport have also been embroiled in allegations, by Glamorgan Wanderers and Penarth, of poaching.
The latter rumpus, still going on, emphasises Newport's plight: they were grateful for players from Welsh rugby's traditional whipping boys.
The danger after New Zealand is that players may want to leave.
The Wales B wing Damion Griffiths was refused a permit to play for Cardiff tonight.
At the heart of the matter is the direction Newport are to take.
Conscious of their tradition, they have jealously preserved the game's amateur ideals.
With the walls collapsing around them, however, many are urging that Newport forget history and get into the market place  or accept perpetual mediocrity.
World Cup fever comes to Trinidad and Tobago.
THEY were jostling in the streets of Trinidad and Tobago yesterday as 29,500 tickets for the decisive World Cup qualifier with the United States went on sale at six outlets nationwide  and sold out within two hours.
However, those who emerged empty-handed from all the pushing and shoving that went on should be able to see November 19's game on giant video screens which the government is hoping to install in three different locations.
The rush for tickets was sparked by Sunday's goalless draw between the US and El Salvador which left Trinidad needing only to draw against the Americans in the National Stadium to qualify for next year's finals.
AC Milan's Marco van Basten, in great form since his return from injury, is set to lead the Dutch attack in the decisive World Cup qualifier with Finland in Rotterdam on November 15.
The European Footballer of the Year, who came on as substitute in Holland's last qualifier against Wales four weeks ago, has been named in the squad and is certain to start the Group Four match as the Dutch seek the point they need to qualify for the finals.
Missing is the injured PSV Eindhoven striker Wim Kieft, his club colleague Adick Koot and the Roda JC striker John van Loen.
But Adrie van Tiggelen, the Anderlecht defender who missed the Wales game because of suspension, has been recalled to a 16-man squad which also includes AC's Frank Rijkaard.
But the European champions will again be without their injured captain Ruud Gullit, their third AC Milan player, who is still recovering from knee surgery, and the PSV midfielder Gerald Vanenburg, who has damaged knee ligaments.
Gullit is expected to play again in late December.
Portugal, who beat England 1-0 in the last World Cup, need to do a bit more than that next Wednesday to deny the Czechoslovakians a place in next year's finals  they need to win by four goals.
To add to the degree of difficulty in Lisbon, the Portuguese are without their outstanding striker Paulo Futre, banned for two matches after being sent off in an earlier game.
In an attempt to restore some threat on goal, the Portuguese have recalled to the squad Antonio Pacheco, billed as' a speedy winger ', and Antonio Sousa, billed as' a free-kick specialist '.
PSV Eindhoven's striker Romario, seems to have sorted out his problems with the Dutch champions.
Romario scored five goals in five days for PSV then said he was unhappy.
The Brazilian complained that some team-mates shunned him and criticised him behind his back, with Soren Lerby and Kieft the chief culprits.
But after talks with the coach, Guus Hiddink, and Lerby, differences were patched up.
Said Hiddink: ' He hardly speaks Dutch and that leads to misunderstandings from time to time. '
Littlewoods Cup third round replay: Bolton 1, Swindon 1 (aet) Shearer's instant reply forces third meeting.
By Cynthia Bateman
THE town of Bolton has just announced it is to make its football idol Nat Lofthouse a freeman of the borough.
Seven minutes from the end of this Littlewoods Cup third-round replay, it was beginning to look as though they should accord the same honour to the current Wanderers' manager, Phil Neal.
After 113 minutes of attacking football that had Second Division Swindon reeling from the start, Third Division Bolton finally took the lead through Brown.
But with only five minutes left Swindon equalised with a fine header from Shearer to force a second replay.
A toss of the coin  the Swindon manager, Ossie Ardiles, not knowing his heads from his tails  ensures Bolton will again have home advantage.
Ardiles's side were not sure whether they were on their heads or their tails as Bolton, still smarting from a refereeing decision they believed had denied them victory in the tie at the County Ground, swept forward.
Three perfectly placed corner kicks in the first 15 minutes had the Swindon goalkeeper, Digby, throwing more punches than a boxer as he beat out volleys, headers and rebounds, and his defenders helped clear off the line.
But Bolton, playing attractive passing football, with their two full-backs bringing the ball forward to give the strikers excellent service, were unable to capitalise, mainly due to the efficient marking by Gittens and Calderwood.
The home side were equally decisive in defence and it was a full hour before White suddenly found an opening.
His shot hit the upright but Swindon, encouraged, at last began to make an impression and Bolton survived a narrow squeak as Simpson's powerful effort was tipped over by a leaping Felgate.
Bolton refused to lie down and in the last kick of normal time a shot from Philliskirk cannoned off the crossbar.
Extra time was deadlocked until well into the second period when both Bolton full-backs moved up, Cowdrill passed square to Brown and a powerful long-range strike hurtled past Digby.
Almost before the home supporters in the crowd of 11,533 could catch their breath Swindon equalised with a powerful header from Shearer five minutes from the end.
Ardiles said afterwards: ' It was a great game of football.
I enjoyed and suffered at the same time. '
Swindon's right-back Hockaday went off with a fractured cheekbone just before half-time.
Bolton Wanderers: Felgate; Brown, Cowdrill, Comstive, Crombie, Winstanley, Henshaw (Came, 90min), Thompson, Reeves (Jeffrey, 108), Philliskirk, Darby.
Swindon Town: Digby; Hockaday (Cornwell, 44), Bodin, McLoughlin, Calderwood, Gittens, Jones, Shearer, White (Hunt, 107), MacLaren, Simpson.
Referee: K Redfern (Whitley Bay)..
Boxing: Penalosa flies in.
By John Rodda
AT a time when there are searching questions about the medical aspect of the sport, it may seem unfortunate that a man who suffers from a disability is fighting for a world title.
Dodie Penalosa from the Philippines, who challenges Dave McAuley for the International Boxing Federation's flyweight title at Wembley Arena tonight, suffered from poliomyelitis when he was a child and has been left with a weak left leg and restricted mobility.
This does not seem to affect his boxing, however, for he won the title for which he challenges tonight twice, and he held the light flyweight championship through three defences.
His championship-winning days began in 1983 and he lost the flyweight title two years ago, since when he has remained unbeaten.
There has been almost a hush about tonight's event.
Penalosa did not arrive in Britain until the weekend, apparently because of visa problems, while McAuley is disgruntled because he wanted the fight to be in Belfast, where it was originally arranged until he suffered an injury.
Penalosa's lack of mobility is counter-balanced by his southpaw stance and hard punch.
He may be surprised at encountering an opponent in this weight division who stands 5ft 8in and has something special in body punches.
One hopes he has properly overcome jetlag.
The London middleweight Rod Douglas, who has been in hospital since being beaten by the British champion Herol Graham two weeks ago, is expected to leave hospital ' in a week or so ', according to his manager Mickey Duff, who said last night: ' He is going to make a complete recovery.
A second head scan was perfectly OK, thank God. '
Jim McDonnell left Charing Cross Hospital in London yesterday after his defeat by Azumah Nelson in their world super-featherweight title fight on Sunday.
Sports Politics: Aid for Universiade John Rodda on a 3 million boost for the student games.
UNIVERSIADE GB, the company organising the World Student Games at Sheffield in 1991, will today make room on its board for a new director.
That is the deal it must accept as a condition of a 3 million grant from the Sports Council.
It is the biggest influx of support it has had.
In the Nelson Mandela room at Sheffield town hall yesterday Peter Yarranton, the chairman of the Sports Council, handed an envelope to Peter Burns, executive director of the organisation.
It did not contain 3 million but it was, Yarranton said, a token of the Sports Council's commitment to make the games' a success story for Britain '.
Burns will tell his board today that the Sports Council wants a non-voting member watching over the way the cash is spent.
The Sports Council already provides the Sheffield organisation with on-the-ground technical expertise in the area of sports organisation and architectural advice.
The Sports Council will await Universiade GB's concurrence with the deal before nominating their man, but it ought to be one of their members with business acumen  which means either David Simon of BP, who is most unlikely to have the time, Raymond Michel, formerly with a distillery, or Norman Jacobs, a partner in one of Britain's largest firms of solicitors.
While the construction of arenas bounds on  an enormous amount has been accomplished in the past month  the organisation side does not seem to show the same urgency.
That should change with the decision reached two weeks ago that Sheffield will have to pay for the host broadcasting operation of television.
The hope that the BBC or ITV would move into this job as they would for Commonwealth or Olympic Games was never realistic but it has taken Sheffield a long time to come to terms with the fact.
Now they hope to contain the basic costs of providing coverage of most of the 10 sports to 1.4 million.
They will offer package programmes at minimal cost, in the hope of recovering their outlay and, most importantly, providing an inducement for a sponsor to put up 6 million for world-wide exposure.
The BBC, Sky and BSB have all indicated that they want programmes.
That will help the marketing.
Densu, the largest advertising agency in the world, has asked to handle the entire marketing operations for Japan, where the World Student Games are more popular than anywhere else in the capitalist world.
The breakdown of an estimated 30 to 35 million for the organisational costs goes roughly like this: 18 million from official suppliers, in kind, such as computers, copiers and clothing; 6 million from ticket sales; 3 million from the Sports Council and 6 million from advertising.
The main events arena, yet to be named, is the source of one anxiety in the building programme, which is handled by Sheffield Council.
The negotiations with the American company that will run the facility after the Games have taken an inordinate amount of time by British standards, though not by American, and the completion date is now May 10, 1991, barely two months before the opening ceremony.
Manchester's attempts to stage the 1996 Olympic Games are being hindered by British sport's two-faced approach to South Africa, said Sam Ramsamy, chairman of the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee, at a civic reception in Manchester yesterday, writes Michael Morris.
Rick Parry, director of the Manchester Olympic bid committee, commented that the city should overcome this difficulty by its record of opposition to apartheid, which already includes staging anti-apartheid festivals.
Egerton ready to fill Richards void.
DAVE EGERTON has the chance to emerge from the shadow of Dean Richards when England begin their Five Nations Championship campaign against Ireland at Twickenham on January 20.
Bath's No.8 is the favourite to take over from the British Lion after Leicester confirmed yesterday that Richards would miss the rest of the season.
Richards, injured in Leicester's Courage Clubs Championship game at Wasps in September, had an operation on his injured right shoulder last week.
Richards will have to rest the shoulder for at least four months following the operation to tighten up ligaments.
Egerton was impressive in England's win over Fiji last weekend and, with Wasps' Dean Ryan recovering from a broken arm, the Bath player is now the only realistic candidate for the No.8 position.
France's fly-half Didier Camberabero will undergo a knee operation next month and may also miss the start of the Championship.
Nick Farr-Jones, the Wallabies' scrum-half and captain, and Hugo Porta, the 38-year-old former Argentine stand-off, have been paired at half-back for Stanley's XV in the annual match against Oxford University.
STANLEY'S XV (v Oxford University, at Iffley Road, November 22): I Williams (Kobe Steel and Australia); A Underwood (Leicester), B Mullin (London Irish and Ireland, capt), T Hosokawa (Kobe Steel and Japan), R Vessey (Kew Occasionals); H Porta (Banco Nacional and Argentina), N Farr-Jones (Sydney Univ and Australia); A Everett (Univ of Capetown), P Coombes (Richmond), T Willis (Narbonne), J Howe (West Hartlepool), D Cronin (Bath and Scotland), G Taylor (Loughborough Univ), G Bertrand (Narbonne), C Sheasby (Harlequins).
Ice Skating.
Identical twins, Jason and Simon Briggs, completed a unique family double at the Skate Electric British championships at Basingstoke.
Jason, born eight minutes before his brother, collected the junior pairs title with Kathryn Pritchard.
Simon, a reserve for the world junior championship this month, won the junior men's event.
Sailing.
Lawrie Smith's Rothmans has moved into second place in the Whitbread Round the World Race.
But the 80ft British sloop is still 68 miles behind the leader Fisher and Paykel, writes Bob Fisher.
A Finnish syndicate plans to make the country's first challenge for the America's Cup.
Sail Finlandia aims to raise 48 million markka  around 7 million  to fund the challenge in 1992.
Golf.
Three new tournaments and four new locations have been included on next year's PGA European Tour schedule.
The American Express Mediterranean Open at Las Brisas, Spain, on March 1-4, the Murphy's Cup at York on August 9-12 and the Austrian Open at Salzburg on October 11-14 push the schedule up to 45 tournaments.
Changing locations are the Volvo Open, to Florence on March 22-25; the Peugeot Spanish Open, to Madrid on April 26-29; the Benson and Hedges International Open, to St. Mellion on May 4-7; and the Lancia Italian Open, to Milan on May 17-20.
Snooker.
British Car Rental will sponsor the 1990 World Cup at Bournemouth from March 21 to 24.
England, whose three-man team comprises Steve Davis, Jimmy White and John Parrott, will defend their title against the best players from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Canada, Australia and the Rest of the World.
Boxing.
Paul Hodkinson will defend his British and European featherweight title in his home town of Kirkby against the No.1 contender, Italy's Salvatore Bottiglieri, on December 13.
Skiing.
A ninth women's World Cup slalom, at Hinterstoder, Austria on January 9, has been added to this winter's schedule.
The men's downhills at Chamonix, France, and Laax, Switzerland, have been rescheduled to February 3 and February 11.
Tennis.
Natalia Zvereva was defeated in the first round for the seventh time this year when the American Marianne Werdel beat the eighth seed from the Soviet Union 6-2, 6-3 in the Chicago tournament.
Ice Hockey.
Deeside Dragons, still searching for a point in the Heineken British League First Division, have released the Americans Tim McGee and Tim Caddo.
They have signed the Canadians Mark Harding and Marc White.
Athletics.
The Olympic hurdles finalist Jon Ridgeon has joined Belgrave Harriers following a move to South London.
Ridgeon, who missed most of the summer following an Achilles tendon operation, leaves for a seven-week training course at the Canberra Institute of Sport later this month.
Wright man for Gloucestershire.
By David Foot
TONY WRIGHT is to be the new captain of Gloucestershire in an attempt to foster a happier, more integrated dressing-room and lift morale.
He takes over from Bill Athey, who held the job for only one year.
Wright, the 27-year-old opening bat, is playing grade cricket in Australia.
He learned of his appointment in a telephone call yesterday from Phil August, the county secretary.
The other contender was Phil Bainbridge.
Gloucestershire will go into 1990, hoping for improved results on the field, with a new resolve  and very much a new look.
The chairman, Don Perry, is standing down (' I've had quite enough hassle ') and the county will shortly name their coach to succeed John Shepherd.
Middlesex have reappointed Mike Gatting and John Emburey as captain and vice-captain despite their involvement in the unofficial winter tour to South Africa.
It will be Gatting's eighth season as captain since taking over from Mike Brearley.
Lancashire's Andy Hayhurst is to join Somerset on a three-year contract.
The 25-year-old all-rounder missed most of the 1989 season with a badly bruised thumb but has recovered after an operation in the summer.
Lake's injury gives Simpkin a quarter-final place.
VALDA LAKE retired with a back spasm from the LTA Women's Challenger tournament at Swindon yesterday.
Lake, facing Anne Simpkin, suffered the injury when 2-1 down in the second set and had to retire in the third, giving Simpkin a place in the quarter-finals with a 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 victory.
Lake said: ' I was performing well and I am really disappointed as I have also had to withdraw from the doubles.
After some physiotherapy I hope to be fit to play next week in Telford. '
Simpkin will now face the No.5 seed, Lisa Gregory from South Africa, who beat Julie Salmon 6-2, 6-4.
Austria's Beate Reinstadler took three hours 15 minutes to beat the qualifier Tracy Moreton, of Australia, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.
