The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 55

SPORT 3 The Observer 25 May 1997 ouness, McMenemy quit Saints Stuart Pearce as player-coach, but the hot favourite is a former manager, Alan Ball, who raves over Le Tissier and achieved one of his rare triumphs against relegation while at The Dell. Southampton ask for nothing more. McMenemy, a former Saints manager himself, was apparently stunned by Souness's decision, and in a statement of his own to the Press Association, he said the decision to quit the Dell had come on the 'saddest day' of his career. He continued: 'Having been instrumental in bringing Graeme Souness to the club and sharing his hopes and ambi if Souness might have been disappointed in some way, either by the lack of promised financial support, or the slow progress the club are making towards moving to a new stadium, or even the failure to sign Neil Ruddock from Liverpool. At one time, Souness was thought to be interested in buying into, if not taking over, the Southampton club.

Last month, The Observer was told that Souness would quit at the end of the season and take up a new position in Japan's J-League. The first part of that prophecy having come true, we see no reason to doubt the second. There are other avenues open to the 44-year-old former Liverpool, Rangers and Galatasary manager, of course. A return to Italy, where he played for Sampdoria, is being suggested, fuelled by reports that he had talks with officials from Torino last week. There are also managerial vacancies in Merseyside and Glasgow, albeit in the 'wrong' halves of the cities, and any number of clubs in Britain and on the Continent would be interested to hear of his availability.

We understand, however, that insiders at Southampton have been aware of his imminent departure since February, when Souness offered his resignation after the Coca-Cola Cup defeat by Stockport. It is believed he was talked into staying at that time, but made contact with an unknown Japanese club. If this scenario is correct, Southampton will have had time to line up then-next manager. All the usual former players are in the frame, from the realistic Micky Adams, currently at Fulham, to the slightly less likely Kevin Keegan. Jimmy Case has been mentioned, as has Merrington, sacked the previous season.

But he stated that keeping the club in the Premiership was 'as big an achievement as I've ever had in management'. Soilness was in Norway scouting for new players only last week, and just a few days ago, he was urging Eyal Berkovic, the Israeli striker he brought to the club, to remain at Southampton. So his short, businesslike statement to the Press Association was unexpected in its timing. 'I saw it on Teletext and nearly dropped my cup of said defender Simon Charlton. '1 will go said Berkovic.

'Without Graeme, I do not want to stay at the Souness announced his resignation "with regret'. His statement read; 1 came to the club with high hopes and expectations for the future, but it is now clear to me that I am not able to take the club forward in the way that I would have liked. The players can be proud of their achievement in retaining Premier League status, and the club has enjoyed magnificent support from its supporters. I wish Southampton every success and would like to thank the chairman, the board, my staff and everyone associated with the club for their help and The first part of that statement reads as FINAL WHISTLE tions, now share his frustrations I am left therefore with no alternative than to tender my Later the club issued a statement of their own: 'The club understand that Mr McMenemy felt his resignation would be appropriate in view of the sudden resignation of Graeme Souness and the fact that there would have been three managers of the club within a relatively short period. The club fully understand Mr McMenemy feels the recruitment of the new manager will be made easier by his departure, and that he has been deeply hurt by some of the comments during the day from some of the Remember you read it here first.

manager Graeme Souness has a yen We hear that Southampton for the J-League and may be end ot the season, ao wnu-wiu said on 4 May TTTsTl Tl PLAY-OFES One up, two to go, in Wembley's sudden-death showdowns as Northampton make grade in Division Three final 77 HTI-o runner rallies GRAEME SOUNESS may have decided to quit Southampton as long ago as February, according to sources close to the club. His shock resignation yesterday, which was followed a few hours later by the departure of the club's director of football, Lawrie McMenemy, took players and fans by surprise. But reports that Soilness was dissatisfied at the club's reluctance to sanction 7 million for team strengthening over the summer may not tell'the whole story. In a brief statement, issued through lawyers, Souness gave no inkling of his next destination, but he is thought to be headed for Japan. Souness is possibly the only one of the eight Premiership managerial casualties of the 1996-97 season to resign for his own reasons rather than be pushed out by directors or become a victim of poor results.

By Southampton standards, the season was not a bad one. In narrowly avoiding relegation, keeping faith with Matt Le Ussier and recording one spectacular victory over Manchester United, Souness was perfectly aware he was only replicating the limited success of Dave NATIONWIDE LEAGUE To cap it all: Northampton striker John after Ms imMnd cat fertility Gayle celebrates his team's play-off victory. Frain breaks Swansea hearts by Paul Wilson ON HUTCHISON is not really a bad lad; Howard Kendall says so. The Sheffield United manager made the point to an FA disciplinary committee earlier in the month and they evidently believed him, allowing tlie Blades' record signing to with a minimum one-match ban, in spite of a total of 12 bookings for the season. Now Hutchison would like a few more people to take notice: particularly tlie Prenuership dubs who let him 'and thereferees.

As combative midfielder with a responsibility for whining the ball as well as using it, the 26-year-old has inevitably fallen foul of the stricter guidelines on tackling. But he also believes he is typecast. He cites a game against Manchester City this season as an example. 'I brought Kinkladze he said. 'I didn't mean to, I waited my moment and only put my foot in when I thought I could, but he was too nimble for me.

I knew what the ref was thinking: "Here's City's flair player on the deck and here's the guilty party, a defender who's out to stop him at all costs." Except I knew I'd been trying my best not to give away a free-kick. I was only guilty of not being as good as Kinkladze. I told the ref: "You've got to give him a bit of credit he's different class." He still booked me, but didn't do me for the full disciplinary points, so perhaps he knew what I Either that or the official simply admired Hutchison's cheek, which would make a change for a player who has been stigmatised since his outgoing nature was memorably exposed on two occasions three years ago. The Hutchison tackle which made the front page of the News of the World was not the sort to elicit a card from a referee, although Liverpool duly saw red. As a result of going a little bit further than Jamie Redknapp and Michael Thomas after a few too many beers on an end-of-season trip, a photographer in Cyprus became 10,000 richer and a promising Anfield career, which began under Kenny Dalglish and flourished under Graeme Souness, was effectively ended.

'I'm still bitter about it, but I know I can't blame anyone but he said. 'Liverpool were as good as they possibly could have been. They disciplined me, but didn't kick me out. Roy Evans told me I packing nis bags tor Japan at the Right on the button: What The Observer 7 "1 Photograph by Richard Saker reserves. Now I've scored a last-minute winner at Wembley, the stuff you dream about when you are kicking a ball in a park as a little he said.

can't explain the emotion I feel right The heavyweight elegance of Molby looked more and more likely to sway the play-off Swansea's way until the stunning finale. Molby helped Heggs produce a powerful sixth-minute strike that was acrobatically tipped over by Woodman, However, Swansea had a let-off when Molby's rare mistake allowed Grayson to release Parish for a low shot past Freestone, only for Edwards coolly to steer the ball off the goal-line. Swansea eclipsed the menace of former Wimbledon striker Gayle who, to his surprise, was substituted after 77 minutes for White and it seemed Swansea were on their way until along came Frain. Northampton: Woodman: Clarkson, Frain, Samson, Warburton. flennie.

Parrish. Grayson, Gayle, Lee, Hunter. Swansea: Freestone; Thomas, Moreira, Walker, Edwards. Ampadu, Heggs, Penney, Torpey. Molby, Coates Referee: Heilbron (Newton Ayclltte).

get too wrapped up in the atmosphere we've got to look at it as another The play-offs have given Brentford an opportunity to rescue a season gone pear-shaped. The incredible imbalance between their home and away record cost them dear. Results at Griffin Park resembled a team destined for relegation, not promotion, yet on their travels they notched up more victories than any club in all four divisions. Perhaps Webb should ensure the coach takes a long cut to Wembley a journey which would usually take minutes. The Bees couldn't manage a point or a goal in their last four League games.

'We were almost a certainty for automatic promotion, but we didn't take that says Anderson. Inspiration was restored in the semifinals against Bristol City, thanks to the enigmatic Robert Taylor, who has rediscovered his form after a season best described as indifferent. Last time Brentford were promoted, four years ago, they sunk straight back down. Crewe, a tidy team well organised by Dario Gradi, are probably better equipped to handle the challenge. But will the Bees have more staying power this time? 'We'd say to ourselves "Get ready for another says Anderson.

'My main aim is to be positive. Whatever happens. I'll keep smiling Souness: Mystery departure phoned Whitey for advice, and he told me I had to take the chance, because Howard Kendall was the best manager I would ever work for. 'If someone phoned me now I would tell them exactly the same thing. I have played for some great managers I used to go to Kenny Dalglish's house with Jamie Redknapp, we were both in digs and he would invite the pair of us round to watch football on his telly but I have never known anyone so in tune with the players as the gaffer here.

It's difficult to put into words, but everyone enjoys playing and training for him and Viv Busby. But for a dismal away record this year, the Blades would have been in the Premiership already, a point forcibly made when the club chairman, Mike McDonald, appeared in the dressing room to complain about the lack, of effort. 'That was something new, having to take stick from the Hutchison said. 'I couldn't say he was wrong, though. He was concerned, because everything at the club is geared to playing in the Premiership.

We have the stadium and the supporters, and we're on the stock market. But only the players can take us there, and the chairman thought we weren't doing our bit. We didn't think it was all that unusual, that's the sort of club we United's last chance appeared to have gone when they were held by Ipswich in the home leg of their play-off semi-final, and even Hutchison saw the Premiership receding when George Burley's side took the lead at Portman Road: 'I thought we'd blown it When we went 2-1 down. 'But Andy Walker suddenly shouted that it was only like being level, because we just needed one goal to see us through, and then we got it. That was a great booster for us, because Ipswich had beaten us twice in the League, whereas we have beaten Palace twice.

That doesn't make us favourites for the Wembley game. It's a complete one-off, and the side who want the Premiership most will probably win. But I doubt whether Palace want to go up as much as we It is doubtful whether, anyone in the whole of Sheffield wants to go up quite as much as Hutchison. He still maintains close contact with Redknapp, who joined Liverpool at the same time but was slightly more sensible in Cyprus, and only has to pick up a newspaper or switch on the television to be reminded of the extent to which their careers have diverged. He still follows Liverpool's results, and knows that an Anfield priority appears to be a forceful, scheming midfield presence who can get into the box and score goals.

He still gets out occasionally, too, though on the morning of our meeting it was his girlfriend Debbie and agent Rachel Anderson who were nursing the (mild) hangovers. 'They went out, I stayed in with the Hutchison said. 'Imagine that in print: Don Hutchison, home power game line, and if anyone got in his way, he'd knock him Hopkin's 'long game', McGraw adds, was nothing if not exciting. 'He was all about long passes, long throw-ins, long crosses even most of the goals he scored came from shots outside the Not surprisingly for someone of his physique, his touch in tight areas and in the closer passing patterns of Hoddle's Chelsea set-up proved more problematic. 'I had been there for almost two years before Hoddle came, and thought I was doing quite well.

But Hoddle introduced a Continental system, which meant that Chelsea's play became less direct, geared more to possession than it had been under Porterfield. I considered my game was more about getting forward, a bit of hurly-burly. I'm not complaining I learned a lot at Chelsea but the way Palace play has suited my style The same could be said of Palace's decision to switch him to a contra! mid-field role the making of him as far as McGraw is concerned. 'He's a much hotter player now. much McGraw said.

'He is getting in the box more, so, apart from his spectacular goals such as the left-foot half-volley which gave Palace their semi-final play-off win over Wolves ho is also getting the tap-ins as A little tap-in would suit Palace and Hopkin nicely tomorrow. could stay, but I would have to lie low in the reserves for a while; maybe six months, maybe a season. Which is how I ended up at West Ham, who at least put me in the first team. All that is in the past. What bothers me now is that I'm not going to be allowed to forget it.

Because it's never Don Hutchison the decent footballer, it's always Don Hutchison the prat in Cyprus. The only way I can think of to put it behind me is to get attention as a footballer, though I don't imagine for a minute that would stop people dragging it up. If I ever win anything or achieve something, the picture will come out to haunt me. I was young and daft. I was playing for Liverpool and acting like I was still at Hartlepool, and I had no idea how the press worked or how devastating the consequences could be.

I do There are worse offences in football than dropping your shorts on holiday, and some of the worst offenders have recently been playing for England. But as long as Hutchison remains in the First Divisipn he will be deemed to be serving a penance for his misdemeanour, hence his determi- Wembiey programme Yesterday (Division 3 play-off) Northampton 1 Swansea 0 Northampton promoted Today (Division 2 play-off) Brentford Crewe Alexandra ko 3pm not alt ticket Tomorrow (Division 1 play-off) Crystal Palace Sheffield United ko 3pm Live on Sky Sports 3 nation to get back into the Premiership. Should United succeed against Crystal Palace at Wembley tomorrow, Hutchison can at least look forward to competing on level terms with the best in the country. His desire to get back where he belongs, he explains, is not unique at Bramall Lane. 'There are a few of us with points to prove, the gaffer seems to have specialised in lost causes.

He signed a whole batch of us when he first went to the club David White, Michael Vonk, Mark Patterson and myself and told us we were going back into the Premiership. That was quite hard to believe at the time, as we were bottom of the First Division and heading down. But sure enough, we put 15 wins together and only just missed the Hutchison was impressed with the man who parted with 1.2 million for his services, and remains so, despite noises from within the club that Kendall might lose his job if promotion is not achieved. 'It didn't seem a great move, to go from West Ham to a team struggling to stay out of. the Second Hutchison admits.

'So I tion year; and the man most capable of preventing that nightmare is clearly Hopkin. Peter Nicholas, the Palace coach, summed it up by describing him as 'a sort of Mr Do-It-AH', explaining that 'his all-round strength is phenomenal he is just so powerful all over the Of particular significance to Palace not to mention Leeds United, who have already made a 3 million bid, and Scotland's coach Craig Brown, who is considering his international call-up is his scoring prowess. His total for the season stands at 16, a tremendous achievement for a midfielder and a record which goes some way towards offsetting Palace's concern about the absence tomorrow, through suspension, of Dougie' Freed-man, their prolific Scottish striker. Hopkin's rise to prominence may well be a sore point with Chelsea, even though they made a 500,000 profit on the deal when they sold him to Palace for 850,000 in July 1995. But the transfer was, perhaps, inevitable when considering the contrasting methods of Ian Porterfield, the manager at Stamford Bridge when Hopkin was bought from Morton in 1992.

and his successor, Glenn Hoddle. McGraw hardly paints a picture of a sophisticated, Hoddle-type player when referring to the 6ft, 13-stone Hopkin's style of play as that of a Morton winger: 'He used to just run up and down that lan Gibb at Wembley Northampton Town Fran 3D Swansea Alt 45,804 WE HAD fireworks, a gospel choir, massed cheerleaders, balloons and two national anthems, all for a Division Three play-off final that hardly did justice to the build-up or Wembley's turf. Yet such was the drama of John Frain's 33rd-mtnute free-kick winner, which sent Northampton and their 31.000 followers into ecstasy as well as the Second Division, that all the pre-match hype was overshadowed. It was even a twice-taken free-kick, the ball having come back off Swansea's midfield man Coates, who was booked for encroaching. Then as Frain prepared a retake, referee Tern" Heilbron moved the ball a foot.

It proved to be vital and was enough to offset Swansea's defensive wall as Frain curled the ball into the left Anderson seeks promotion fairytale Hopkin switches on the comer of the net beyond the nailing dive of keeper Freestone. There was just enough time to kick off again before the final whistle that signalled Swansea's players to drop in black-and-white dejected heaps all over the pitch. Player-manager Jan Molby, three times a Wembley winner with Liverpool, was less than impressed with referee Heilbron and in his understandable bitterness he said: Tf they hadn't scored from the second one, the referee would have let them take it again. My players are distraught There is no crueller way to lose at Wembley than that. 'Realising we've got to go back to places like Darlington and Hartlepool again next season is what really hurts.

We've got all summer to realise that we are still in Division Three and that is hard to Yet for even' shattered Wembley loser there is an emotional winner, none more so than 10-year Birmingham veteran Frain, who is now out of contract after having signed on deadline day following a loan spell. 'Six months ago I was rotting away in Birmingham's look back and think "We should have gone Well, Luton should have gone up, but we won't go into that again. As it is, Brentford's whole season is about to be rolled into one nerve-jangling match. Anderson, a happy soul isn't anxious in the slightest. He is simply looking forward to it.

He fives his life with a permanent smile and optimism to match. Perhaps this is because he has seen more clubs than Peter Stringfellovv had at 21 in order to make the grade as a professional footballer. An apprentice with Tottenham, he was released by Ossie Ardiles and stopped off at Charlton, Chelsea and Southend before he was offered first -team football at Griffin Park. There's been a lot of shuffling about; that's how football he admits. 'I've had my setbacks, but I kept trying to play welL train hard, hoping someone would spot something.

David Webb gave me the chance. went straight into the first team, which was a shock, but 1 was determined to use it and to He has already had a couple of Premiership spies on his case. has been to Wembley only twice, taken by his mum to watch a local side, and with his school on the stadium tour. Last weekend, watching Chelsea and Middlesbrough the FA Cup Final got his spine tingling again. I was really thinking deep down about Wemblev But we can't Division Two showdown IN THE good old days when football were football my lad Luton Town would have been in the First Division and Brentford and Crewe would have been on holiday.

But along with Sky and shiny seats and sponsored vests, the play-ofis have become the acceptable face of football. You don't even hear the team who finished third fin this case, poor Luton) whingeing about the unfairness of it all any more. Slarrin Lange. chairman of Brentford, was a major player when the idea of the play-offs was first mooted. Two years ago.

he was well aware of the unfairness of it all when the Bees lost a play-off final on penalties to Huddersfield. This afternoon. Brentford play Crewe and have the chance to bury the past. hah Anderson, an accomplished 21-year-old Dying to pass his way through the hurly-burly of Dhision Two. gets a kick out of setting records straight For example.

Brentford were beaten by Crewe home and away this season. "Hopefully they'll look at that as an advantage and they'll get spanked'" he laughs. "We'll be looking to go at them from the start You ve got to go for it You don't want to Relying on Mr Do-It-All IT IS FPTE years since David Hopkin left Greenock Morton for English football, yet Allan McGraw, his manager at Cappielow Park, a(lmits to still being surprised at the maturity he now sees in the 26-year-old Crystal Palace midfielder. 'Hoppy always liked a bit of McGraw recalled, 'but you could never get a word of conversation out of That comment was given an ironic twist on Thursday when Hopkin, the star attraction of the media afternoon that Palace had arranged to offer their thoughts about tomorrow's Wembley date with Sheffield United, took it upon himself to be conspicuous by his absence. This did not immediately endear him to those wielding notebooks and tape recorders, but Hopkin's decision to make a quick getaway after training, to see his doctor about a throat infection, will have been appreciated by the Palace management and the club's fans.

Palace anticipate that a second successive play-off final defeat would have disastrous consequences. They fear it would be followed by the additional loss of their best players to Premiership clubs, as happened in their 1995 relega.