The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 10

THE GUARDIAN Tuesday January 3 1989 Soccer Queen's Park Rangers 1, Norwich City 1 Falco mars Taylor's striking return Arsenal 2, Tottenham Hotspur 0 Spun irs mnadle ft pay Hlhe peroaDIfy 10 SPORTS NEWS David Lacoy fan Malln comeback to top-level football started last summer. "He just turned up for training as he's building a house in the area," said Stringer. "He's played very well in the reserves so I gave him a chance." Taylor slotted into a side whose players work as hard for each other as a chain gang. Norwich may have stuttered on Saturday but yesterday they mounted attacks with their old verve and composure. They relied on quick breaks as Stein, Falco and their player-manager Francis indulged in intricate patterns for Rangers.

Francis was the pick of the attack but his angled shot six minutes before the interval dribbled wide and summed up their first-half efforts. Putney and Fleck replaced the flu victim Linighan and Rosario after the.interval and there were soon ominous signs for Rangers as Gordon spurned the chance when he miskicked in front of goal after a swift break by the substitutes. Taylor's goal was followed by waves of attacks by Rangers, but Norwich's goalkeeper Bryan Gunn made three marvellous saves. The third, 12 minutes from time, saw him stretch to touch Allen's close-range header on to the bar. Francis said afterwards that Dennis would be staying at Rangers despite enquiries from his first League club, Birmingham.

The full back, completing his suspension, was absent from a sweeper-less defence in which McDonald and Parker again caught the eye. Stringer said of his striking selection: "If Fleck felt aggrieved he was not playing from the start, it was good for him and for everybody." QPRi Seaman; McDonald, Pizarrtj, Parker, Law. Maddlx. Falco, Francis, Stein (Kerslaka, Barker, Allen. Harwich CKyt Gunn; Culverhouse, Sovran, Buflerworth, Linighan (Putney, 45), Crook, Gordon, Taylor, Rosario (Fleck, 48), Phelan.

Townsend. NORWICH City had yet another draw snatched from the jaws of victory yesterday after the 35-year-old Alan Taylor had put them ahead in his first full appearance tn the First Division for eight years and eight months. Taylor's strike, in the 54th minute, was reward for his selection ahead of Robert Fleck but this reannouncement of his scoring skills was neutralised in the 89th minute when Mark Falco headed in Paul Parker's cross at the far post to give Queen's Park Rangers the point they deserved and add to the two goals he scored in injury time on Saturday. Despite the loss of another two points, Norwich returned to the top for a couple of hours as North London awaited Highbury's 5pm kick-off. And at Lof-tus Road, Dave Stringer's side showed they can continue to defy their critics and logic in 1989.

Rangers' fans jeered derisively about tractors and farmers, but Norwich, 10 points ahead of Liverpool in this morning's First Division, are a street-wise bunch. They absorbed constant home pressure and looked like registering their seventh away League win after Taylor's opportunistic goal. The nomadic striker found space in the sandy deserts of the penalty area after shots from the second-half substitutes, Fleck and Putney, had been scrambled away. With the ball careering around in pinball fashion, Taylor scored from close range to bring back memories of his two ruthlessly taken goals that won the FA Cup for West Ham 14 years ago. Taylor, given away by Bury last summer, was yesterday selected to spearhead the attack after his improbable in RSENAL put the clock riw back at Hiehburv yes- terday and began 1989 arasAas they had finished 1988, leading the First Division witn only Norwich City in close pursuit.

Herbert Chapman's timepiece, now crowning the new executive coxes, bore witness to the fact that Norwich's return to the top of the table alter tneir draw at fciueens Park Rangers was only a matter of time difference. By early evening Arsenal had displaced them yet again, defeating Tottenham 2-0 at Highbury in front of a crowd of just over 45,000, their biggest League gate of the season, and the second biggest in the League anywhere. Whether they like it or not Arsenal are now sitting pretty. Norwich are two points behind and have played a game more. Millwall, lying third, are seven adrift and the nearest big club, Everton, are 10 points to the rear.

Arsenal found Tottenham in rather better shape than they had done in winning 3-2 at White Hart Lane in September. Spurs, their balance improved and their confidence restored, provided much of the initiative in an open and often enjoyable north London derby. Nevertheless they have now lost four successive League encounters to their neighbours. Arsenal's second goal, scored in injury time, was almost an afterthought and irrelevant to the general pattern. For much of the last hour Tottenham looked well capable of saving the game, having fallen behind midway through the first half.

Yet they created chances and failed to take them, they missed the injured Gascoigne's ability to run at the heart of a defence, and their own defenders lacked Arsenal's all-round competence. The most consistent performance of the evening came from Winterburn, the Arsenal left-back, who supported Mar-wood throughout and still managed to rescue some awkward situations near his own goal. Tottenham came to Highbury beaten only once in nine League matches, a run which had seen them move up from the bottom of the First Division to a position of relative safety. Basketball his shot past Fairclough for the first goal and Arsenal return to the top of the First Division will have looked at the television replay of the incident and wondered if this is going to be the year of the Gunner. There were moments in the second half when the ball appeared to stay out of the Arsenal net through unseen forces.

Shortly after the interval Waddle met a well-angled centre from Walsh and saw his header first beat Lukic, then hit Mitchell Thomas, but it was going wide anyway. Other scoring efforts flew high or wide and with three minutes remaining another perceptive ball from the persevering Walsh found Stewart well placed to equalise. Round-up Old scorers in the right groove Manchester City 0, Leeds United 0 Wind of attrition blows a withering bite Murray's mint Russell Thomas A GLUT of goals greeted the fans who turned out in force for the last programme of the holiday and the first of 1989. And the colourful cocktail was laced with a liberal dash of nostalgia as some strikers of seasons past showed that old scoring habits die hard. Neither 28-year-old David Speedie nor Kerry Dixon (27), once striking team-mates at Stamford Bridge, may be everyone's idea of a Golden Oldie but the Chelsea player evoked memories of glorious individuals past by equalling, then surpassing Jimmy Greaves's tally for the club with two goals in the 3-2 victory at Oxford.

Speedie went one better on the day with a hat-trick for Coventry in the 5-0 defeat at Highfield Road of sagging Sheffield Wednesday. AH the Scot's goals came from headers, as did Sedgeley's opener, with Kilcline scoring a penalty in a task made easier when the visiting Icelandic midfielder, Jons-son, was dismissed for aiming a punch at McGrath. Dixon's strikes, in the 32nd and 73rd minutes, took him to 14 for the season and 133 Chelsea goals in all, but his club were overtaken at the top of Division Two by West Bromwich. Brian Talbot's resurgent team crushed Shrewsbury 4-0 at The Hawthorns to go ahead on goal difference. Blackburn rediscovered their touch to move into third place but gave their supporters some heart-stopping moments before taking a 4-3 win over Stoke.

Rovers were 3-2 down at half-time but Kennedy and Hildersley struck within two minutes to turn the game round. Watford, going down to a last-minute goal by Summer-field at Plymouth, and Manchester City, held 0-0 by Leeds in front of the Second Division's highest crowd of the Stephen Blerley JANUARY may have begun unseasonably mild, but it was a cold wind of attrition that blew across Maine Road. With no outstanding team in the Second Division, and neither of these two in that category, the promotion chase will surely remain tight Tight, or at least a little merry, was undoubtedly the best state to be in yesterday afternoon, for there was little enough to cheer the soul on the pitch. Leeds, with maximum points from their Results BARCLAYS LEAGUE First Division Arsenal ID 2 Merson Thomas Coventry (2) 5 Sedgley Speedie 3 Kilcline (pen) Luton (21 Harlord 2 Black. Wegerle 2 Hill Middlesbrough (0) 1 Davenport Millwall (0) 1 Thompson Newcastle (0) 30.555 Nottm Forest (1) 2 Parker Gaynor qpr (0) 1 Falco 12.410 West Ham (1) 1 Rosenior Tottenham (0) 45.129 Sheffield Wed to) 15.191 8.637 Man Utd 10) 24.411 Charlton (0) 17.025 Derby (0) 1 Wright Everton (0) 26.000 Horwleh (0) 1 Taylor Wimbledon (1)2 Wise Rosenior (og) 18.346 PHOTOGRAPH: FRANK BARON Arsenal's manager George Graham, speaking about the penalty incident afterwards, said: "It looked one from where I was but we have had bad luck with penalties ourselves this season." He added: "Spurs looked the better side in the second half and missed some good chances, although it's nice for us to win 2-0 while we have not played as well as we know we can.

Araanali Lukic: O'Leary, Winterburn, Thomas, eould, Adams. Rocastie. Richardson (Davis, 75 min). Smith. Merson, Mar-wood (Groves, 61).

Tottenham Hotapurt Mtmms; Butters, Thomas, Fenwick, Fairclough. Mabbutt. Walsh, Berfjsson, Waddie, Allen. A Seville (Birmingham). Dibble making a fine save from Sheridan and Gayle scrambling off the line.

With four minutes remaining Morley suddenly emerged in an unexpected clearing, shaking off a Leeds defence that had kept its shape immaculately all afternoon. But his shot carried no real threat. It summed up City's afternoon. Leeds had made their point. Manchester Cityi Dibble: Seagraves, Hinchclilfe, Gayle, Brightwell, Redmond.

White, Lake (Morley. 46 min), Beckford (Gleghorn. 71), McNab, Biggins. Laeds Unitadi Day: Aspin, Snodin. Aizlewood, Blake.

Rennie. Whitlow, Sheridan. Baird (Pearson. 86), Davison, Hilaire (Batty, 71). Refereei Vanes (Warley).

Fourth Division Crawe (1) 1 Fishenden Doncastar 2) 3 Robinson Robinson Rankine Grimsby (2) 2 O'Kelly Alexander 4.472 Halifax (2) 5 Allison 2, Watson Matthews. Robinson Hartlepool (0) 1 Grayson 3.337 Hereford (I) 1 Slant 2.356 Rochdale (0) 2,036 Stockport (2) 4 Caldwell. Colville Cooko (pen) Hancock Trartmere (1) 2 Steele Martmdale Wrexham (2) 3 Russell 2 (1 pen) Preece 6.016 York 10) 2 Smilh Dixon Carlisle (0) 4,626 Scarborough (1) 1 Adams 3.053 Colchester (1) 2 Walsh Allinson Scunthorpe (0) 1 Hamilton 2.650 Rotharham (0) 1 Williamson Torquay (0) 1 Loram Layton Orient (1) 3 Harvey 2 Juryeif Exeter (0) 2.936 Burnley (0) 1 Bntton 7.974 Darlington (1) 3 Hyde, Hynd Wortbington Lincoln (1) 1 Smith 3.589 A Pta 7 4 30 21 40 9 3 8 4 7 5 42 30 30 36 18 38 36 27 37 26 21 35 28 25 35 5 Torquay 22 10 Exeter 22 10 Scunthorpe 22 8 Doncaster 22 9 LeytonO 22 8 Lincoln 22 9 Stockport 22 7 Burnley 22 8 Halifax 22 9 Cambridge 21 8 Hartlepool 22 8 Peterboro 21 7 Rochdale 22 7 5 7 3 9 33 34 33 6 34 35 32 8 29 36 32 7 7 38 24 31 4 9 32 31 31 9 6 30 21 30 6 a 26 23 SO 2 11 46 38 20 5 8 32 33 20 5 9 22 30 20 6 8 23 28 27 6 9 29 35 27 5 10 30 37 28 7 9 31 36 28 7 9 30 36 28 7 10 24 31 22 10 10 27 43 1 8 6 13 25 46 1 5 York. Qrimaby-. 22 6 Hereford 22 6 OarfJnoton 22 Ccecheater.

22 LEADING SCORERS. First rMvtaioni 10, MelnaHy (Aston Villa); 17, Smith (Arsenal): 13, Saundera (Derby): 12, Huohea (Man Utd): 11, Caaearlno (Millwall), Cottaa (Everton). La Tiaelar (Southampton); Sherlngham (Millwall). Second Division: 10, Tynan (Plymouth); 14, Dixon (Chelsea), Garner (Blackburn). Wright (Crystal Palace); 13, Oavteon (Leeds).

Edwarda (Hull), Goodman (WBA), Wilkinson (Watford): 12, Bunn (Oldhaml, Foyle (Oxlord). Gabbladlnl (Sunderland). Gayle (Blackburn). Third Division: 27, Bull (Wolves): 17, Agana (Sheltield Utd). Deana (Sheffield Utd): 18, Robirtaon (Bury); 18, Crown (Southend).

MaakeH (Hudderslield); 14, Cadette (Brentford). Paul WUco' pools gukto wHI appear tomorrow Crcwe 22 11 Wrexham 22 10 Rotharham 22 10 Scarooro 22 10 Tranmere 22 9 Top gun Merson squeezes Their disappointment at losing to Arsenal was exacerbated by the knowledge that they should have had a penalty three minutes before half-time. Waddle, sprinting throuch a gap, pushed the ball past the advancing 'Lukic who then brought the Tottenham player down with a sliding tackle. "If that wasn a penalty then I haven't seen one," said Terry Venables, the Spurs manager later. But the referee, Alan Seville, did not see one either.

Maybe Norwich City, remem bering the penalty decision against them that cost them a win at Everton in November. American guard, on to Young and had Christoph Korner playing inside Vic Fleming's vest. "Then we got a little bit tired," Kelly said. "I wish we could have stayed with that defence a little bit longer." When he took Korner away from Fleming, the Livingston guard sank a three-pointer. Soon the Scots were back in control and a spinning Fogerty lay-up put them IS points up.

The Olympic gold medal-winners returned home with a slightly-tarnished bronze. Five players, one young reserve and an assistant coach made some kind of restitution for the Soviet Union's Sunday night loss to Murray by beating Aris Salonika 98-71 in yesterday's third-place play-off. Three of their leading players, all Lithuanians, had not turned up, and yesterday they were without their coach, Uri Selikov, who had to return home before being allowed a visa to visit Salonika next Thursday in the European Cup. David Last, the WICB tournament director, also complained after their New Year's Day defeat: "I think some of them were out on the town. I know they were." But if the Soviets had made him see red, there was little sign of it yesterday.

Sunday's peace talks concluded satisfactorily: the Soviet Union kept their appearance money in return for an offer to play in a tournament in England under Last's direction before the European Championship Finals in June, and CSKA Moscow will play in the next WICB. for consistency of upsets, two expected semi-fi-nalists, Nicky Mason and Sky-let Andrew, were both beaten by teenagers. Andrew, the England No. 4, lost to Matthew Syed, a rarity in the modern men's game, a defender. Mason, the England No.

5, lost to Bradley Billing-ton, another Chesterfield player and one of Cooke's sparring partners. The firm favourite in the women's event, Alison Gordon, was also brought down. Her. semi-final conqueror by in-21, 21-8 was mona Eiuot, tne England No. 3, who had lost to the title-holder, Lisa Lomas, in her group but who went on to cause another surprise by avenging herself on Lomas in the final 21-17, 22-20.

flicked on and somehow Merson managed to squeeze a shot past Mimms his sixth goal in nine matches even though he was going away from the net and the angle was bad. Merson provided the pass for Michael Thomas to complete Arsenal's triumph in the last minute, by which time Davis had reappeared for the first time since his nine-match suspension. No doubt the TV audience en-joyed their second rousing game in 48 hours, but after that it was back to serious business Coronation Street and the aftermath of Deirdre's ordeal. spring beckoned. It seems hardly likely that Wilkinson will allow such a withering.

McNab prodded and prompted City into some early life, but Leeds quickly applied a tourniquet and the blood drained out of City's play. Biggins, challenging Day, did have the ball in the net from Beckford's corner in the 44th minute, but a free-kick was given to Leeds. The second half remained heavy on midfield stodge. City replaced Lake and Beck-ford with Morley and Gleg-horn, but fared little better. Leeds, tight and controlled, edged ever forward, with Third Division Aldershot (0) 2.768 Blackpool (1) 2 Cunningham Coughlin (pen) 4,199 Bolton (0) 4.935 Bristol City (0) 23,191 Fulham (2) 3 Scott Davies 2 8.120 Hudderefletd (1) 3 Masked Bent.

Byrne 6.403 Northampton (1) 1 Thomas Port Vale (0) 1 Beckford Sheffield Utd (1) 1 Agana 15.769 Swansea (0) 2 Wade, James Wlgan (2) 3 Hamilton Entwistle Hilditch Wolverhampton (3) 3 Gooding Bull, Mutch Cardiff (0) 1 Curtis Bury (0) 2 Robinson Elliott Mansfield (0) Bristol Rvra (0) 1 Penrice Brentford (2) 3 Sintan Godlrey Cadette Southend (0) 2 Crown McDonough Preston (0) 4.219 Notts County (0) 7.084 Chesterfield (2) 3 Bloomer Morris 2 Reading (0) 6.772 Giningham (0) 3.090 Chester (1) 1 Johnson 21.901 A Pta 5 3 52 26 47 4 4 45 20 43 2 7 4 7 28 38 8 4 32 25 30 7 5 39 28 37 6 6 36 35 38 5 7 36 30 35 7 6 36 30 34 4 8 34 34 34 6 7 27 25 33 5 8 36 33 32 7 7 31 29 31 10 5 25 26 31 4 9 28 33 31 6 9 31 29 27 7 6 24 28 28 9 8 28 27 24 6 11 29 43 24 8 8 23 26 23 7 11 28 32 22 1 14 31 37 22 1 15 19 36 10 6 12 17 40 IS 3 14 17 51 15 Brlatol City-Readlnu Brentford 22 Mansfield 22 Hudderefkt 22 Bolton 22 Cardiff 19 Blackpool 22 Southend 23 Notts Cnty 21 Wlgan 23 Northmptrt 22 QUI Ingham 22 ajdersnot 21 Cheaterfld 21 BEAZIR HOMES LEAOUeL Premier Wv- Islom Ashford 3, Wealdstone 2: Bath 1. Alva-church 0: Bromsgrove 2, Moor Grn 1: Burton 4. Redditch Cambridge 2, Crawley 0: Corby 3, Bedford Dartlord 1, Dover Gos-port 1, Dorchester Leicester Utd 1, VS Rugby 2: Waterlooville 3, Fareham 0: Waterloo 3. Merthyr 1. Midland Division! Alher-stone Utd 2.

Nuneaton Bor 1: Bridgnorth Tn 1, Forest Grn Rvrs 0: Dudley Tn 1, Sutton Cold-field Tn Gloucester 2, Stourbridge Halesowen Tn 4. Bilston Tn Kings Lynn 0. Granlham Tn 2: Mile Oak Rvrs 3, Ashtroe Hlghiield 2: Spalding Utd 2. Tamworth 1: Wellingborough Tn 1. Rushden Tn 1.

South-em Dhrisleru Baldock Tn 4, Bury Tn 1: Buckingham Tn 0. Dunstable 2: Burnham 1, Ruis-lip 1. Chelmsford 3, Gravesend Northlleet 0: Erith Belvedere 3. Tonbridge AFC Hastings Tn 4, Canterbury 0: Houns-low 3. Witney Tn 1: Poole Tn 7.

Andover 0: Salisbury 2. Trowbridge Tn Sheppey Utd I. Corinthian Thane! Uld 0, Folkestone 1 Wolves 22 14 Port Vale 21 13 Shelf Utd 21 12 Swansea 22 10 Bristol 22 10 Cheater 22 10 Bury 22 10 Preston 22 9 Fulham 22 10 22 9 22 9 only for Lukic to save his predictable shot. Stewart had had some good creative moments but this was his main chance and he blew it. Arsenal's capacity to make the most of narrower opportunities won them the game.

Once they had absorbed an early attacking spell by Spurs they began to open up the left wing, with Winterburn and Marwood giving Bergsson, Tottenham's Icelandic international defender, a chance to show his undoubted qualities. In the 25th minute, however, Marwood's centre found Smith's head, the ball was two previous holiday games, were resolutely intent on avoiding defeat, while City found no inspiration. City's banana-clutching fans may take comfort from the fact that their side avoided those bizarre errors that have so often afflicted them in times of frustration. They, and Leeds, must still fancy the First Division. Howard Wilkinson's team have now lost but once in 15 League matches.

At this time last season, when Billy Bremner was in charge, Leeds also entered the New Year in splendid shape, only to crack and crumble as Second Division Bamsley 10) 9.879 Birmingham (0) 5.998 Blackburn (2) 4 Atkins Gayle (pen) Kennedy Hildersley Bournemouth (0) 2 Blissett Newson Bradford (0) 1 Leonard Crystal Palace (3) 4 Wright Bright 3 Ipswich (1) 2 Linighan Milton Man City (0) 33.034 Oxford (1) 2 Foyle Hill 11.427 Plymouth (0) 1 Summerlield Portsmouth (0) 11.681 WBA (0) 4 Goodman Moves (oa) Hull (2) 2 Edwards 2 Oldham (0) Stoke (3) 3 Saunders 2 Atkins (og) 11.654 Brighton (1) 1 Nelson 10.627 Sunderland 10) 12.106 Walsall (01 9,352 Leicester (0) 14,037 Chelsea (2) 3 Oixon 2 Wilson Watford (0) 12.142 Swindon (1)2 Geddis Shearer Shrewsbury (0) 18.411 Albiston. Robson A Pta WBA 43 21 44 47 26 44 40 35 42 35 23 41 33 23 41 28 26 37' 32 31 38 37 30 35 34 31 35 34 27 34 28 22 34 32 30 34 29 37 34 32 30 33 30 33 32 31 36 32 25 28 31 29 35 20 38 37 27 36 40 24 33 41 24 20 35 22 16 46 18 19 38 1 4 Chelsea. Blackburn 24 13 Watf ord 24 12 erly. 24 11 Boumemth 24 Bamsletf- 24 10 6 8 Crystal Pal Portsmth Sunderlnd 23 9 8 6 24 9 8 7 24 8 10 6 24 8 10 6 24 10 4 10 24 9 7 8 Leeds Ipswlcl stoke- Swindon 23 Leicester 24 Plymouth 24 Bradford. 24 HuB OM-VAUXHAU.

CONFERENCE. Allrinc ham 1. Macclesfield 3: Barnet 2, Enfield Boston 1, Kettering Chorley 1. Runcorn Kidderminster 1. Telford Newport 0, Cheltenham 1: Stafford 0, Northwlch 1: Sutton Uld 1.

Maidstone 1: Welling 3. Fisher 1: Wey. mouth 0. Yeovil 2: Wycombe 1, Aylesbury o. Leading atandingsi 1, Kidderminster (P26, PIS48I: 2.

Maccieslield (25-46): 3. Barnet (25-46). HFS LOANS LEAGUE Premier Division: Bangor 3, Rhyl Barrow 2. Horwich Buxton 4. Matlock Frickley 3, Gainsborough Hyde 2, Mossley 2, Gateshead 0: Shepshed 1.

Fleetwood 2: Liverpool 5. Caernarfon 1: Witton 1. Marine 0, Worksop 4. Goole 5. IRISH LSAGUE-Bangor 3.

Cliflonviile 1: Carrick 3, Larne 1: coleraine 2. Distillery 0: Crusaders 0, Ards 1: Linlield 2. Glenavon Newry 2. Ballymena 3: Portadown 2. Glen, toran 0.

7 10 7 Oltdrd 24 7 6 11 OMham 24 5 9 10 ShrewsbryZT 24 4 10 10 Birmln9hm 24 3 7 14 Walsalt 24 2 8 14 7 a Axcell (Southend). season, slipped up but at least they were spared the embarrassing home defeats suffered by Portsmouth and Barnsley. One of the Swindon goals in their 2-0 victory at Pompey came from Geddis, 30, while Edwards, one year his senior, struck twice in two minutes for Hull to ensure the same score-line at Oakwell. Bright for once outshone his striking partner Wright with a hat-trick in Crystal Palace's 4-0 beating of Walsall now bemoaning 13 successive setbacks while Blissett's ninth goal in eight Bournemouth appearances kept the 30-year-old striker's club climbing with a 2- 1 win over Brighton. Kenilworth Road witnessed the highest First Division score of the season as Southampton, beaten 4-1 by QPR on Saturday, went down 6-1 to Luton.

The Bull scoring story rages on, the latest chapter witnessed by Kenny Dalglish. England's top marksman struck his 27th goal of the season in Wolves 3- 1 win over Chester, watched at Molineux by Liverpool's manager and 21,000 others. But the Third Division's biggest gate of the day and season was at Ashton Gate, where 23,000 saw the Bristol derby. Crewe went back to the top of the Fourth Division last night by beating Carlisle 1-0. Wrexham, the previous leaders, could only draw 3-3 at home to Darlington, thanks to a Kevin Russell penalty in the 85th minute.

Millwall's chairman Reg Burr has attacked the Government's membership card scheme. After the Sports Minister's request for a meeting with all League chairmen, revealed in the Guardian two weeks ago, Burr said: "Such a scheme would not solve the problem of disorder which occurs away from grounds on match days. It is also an infringement of civil liberty. This from a Government which believes in the freedom of the individual." "It's nonsense," he said. "These men are all top professionals who work hard at the game." He is perfectly aware, however, that his side will have to reproduce something approaching the form which brought them a 5-1 victory in the first Old Firm meeting of the season, also at Ibrox.

With Walters back from suspension and John Brown available after injury, the leaders should field a stronger team than the one that disappointed in the victory at Hamilton. Billy McNeill, the Celtic manager, whose only injury worry is Paul McStay, waved away the suggestion that his players might still be carrying some wounds from that derby battering in August. "If anything, it may make them a little stronger," he said. "We are simply not the same side." Robert Pryco at Crystal Palace flfjURRAY LIVINGSTON, If Scots who laid the Wired threat to rest, collected their final reward at the World Invitation Club Championships yesterday. They beat Bayer Leverkusen 71-62 to become the first British winners of the men's competition here since Crystal Palace's victory in the first edition 11 years ago.

"We won it with defence, nothing but defence," said their coach, Ian Gordon, exaggerating slightly. Livingston lived luxuriously on the perimeter, from where they filled the Bayer basket with jump shots. Lewis Young's touch was ermine all of his 18 points came from three-point range. Closer in, the Scots were less effective against the likes of the 7ft 3in Gunther Behnke, though Tommy Collier punctuated the game with a couple of slam dunks and handfuls of huge rebounds and Jason Fo-gerty scored from an outrageous, spinning, falling first-halfheave. Bayer were more shot-shy.

John Johnson, an England international who has now taken his mother's German nationality, missed all his nine jump shots. He finished with two points. After his fifth miss, Collier canned one to give Livingston their longest lead, 40-20. After his eighth, tipped in by Behnke, Bayer had closed to 49-13. Jim Kelly, their coach, had switched Ricky Wilson, his Table Tennis Cooke rewarded Richard Jago ALAN COOKE, who became English national champion last year and England No.

1 last month, completed a hat-trick of major wins by taking the Stiga National Top 12 title at Clacton yesterday. The Chesterfield 22-year-old won the final 21-18, 21-19 against the holder, Carl Prean. Cooke's success, a reward for a more consistent top-spin attack and greater mobility, was revenge for a loss to the tactically imaginative Prean last month. After winning an all-important first game, Cooke always looked the likely winner throughout the second. Earlier in a tournament full Imports must sweat blue blood Arsenal 19 12 4 Norwich 20 10 8 Millwall 19 9 6 Coventry 20 8 6 Everton 19 8 6 Derby Cnty 19 8 5 Nottm For 20 6 10 Man Uld 20 6 9 Southmptn 20 6 8 Tottenham 20 6 7 Wimbledon 19 7 4 Middlesbro 20 7 4 QPR 20 6 6 Lutort 20 5 8 Aston Villa 19 5 8 Shaft Wed 19 5 6 Charlton 20 3 8 Newcastle 20 4 5 West Ham 20 3 5 A Pta 3 42 20 40 2 29 20 30 4 30 21 33 6 27 20 30 5 25 19 30 6 21 14 20 5 23 16 SB 4 26 23 28 5 25 18 27 6 33 37 28 7 30 30 28 8 23 27 28 9 24 31 25 8 23 20 24 7 23 23 23 6 28 30 23 3 15 26 21 9 19 32 IT 16 35 17 2 16 35 14 HO SCOTTISH LEAGUE First Division St Johnstone (1) 2 Jenkins Cherry Dunfrmllne 21 12 5 Alrdrie 21 10 8 Falkirk 21 12 4 Clydebank 21 9 6 SJohnatrw 22 10 6 Morton 21 11 3 Forlar 22 7 8 Clyde 21 5 8 Retch 21 7 4 Ayr Utd 21 6 6 Forfar (01 1 White 3.911 A Pta 4 37 22 20 3 36 18 28 5 37 22 28 4 43 29 28 6 33 22 28 7 29 28 28 7 30 28 22 8 24 30 1 8 10 23 31 18 9 30 40 1 8 9 23 34 1 8 10 18 25 10 12 28 38 1 5 14 21 45 ft Kilmsrnck 21 MeadowM 21 Partlck 21 Quean Sth 21 VAUXHALL-OPEL LEAGUE.

Premier Division: Bognor 1. Barking 0: Bromley 1. Oulwich 2: Carshalton 0. Leylonstoneflllord 0. Dagenham 0.

Marlow 2. Farnborough 2, Harrow 0: Hayes 2. Wokingham Hendon 2. Croydon Leylon Wingate 1, Bishop's Storl-(ord 0: Tooling 5 Mitcham 2, Kingstonian 0: Windsor Eton 3, Slough 2. Patrick Glenn GRAEME SOUNESS hopes his collection of English imports will demonstrate against Celtic today that they have blue' blood in their veins rather than greenbacks on their minds.

The Rangers player-manager still prickles with resentment at the "mercenary" accusations which came from some quarters every time he plunged into the southern transfer market. The innuendo is that they could not be as committed as those reared to the cause. Souness, who should have five English players Ray Wil-kins, Terry Butcher, Mark Walters, Kevin Drinkell and Gary Stevens in the side for the Premier Division collision at Ibrox, dismissed the notion..