The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 18

18SPORTS NEWS THE GUARDIAN Friday January 15 1993 Soccer Warnock out. on his feet Stephen Blerley taken charge temporarily. Walker has been at Meadow Lane since 1980, when he gave up a teaching post to take responsibility for developing County's youth scheme. Derek Pavis, County's chairman, is keen that his team should play football more in the Forest mould. Among the early names unofficially mentioned yesterday as managerial possi FTER an cxtraordi-narily quiet and peace-jirul start to 1993, the annual managerial shooting season recommenced yesterday when Neil Warnock was fired by Notts County.

The city of Nottingham has been a haven in recent times for Brian Clough, who has lasted 18 years at the City Ground with Forest. During this time their First Division neighbours have been somewhat less tolerant, with eight managements since 1975, Jimmy Sirrel qualifying twice. Warnock, a chiropodist, might be said to have had the ground taken from under his feet, but the signs to Boot Hill have been obvious enough and were multiplied by Tuesday's FA Cup third-round defeat He joined County from Scarborough four years ago and took the team from the old Third Division to the First Recently he has been linked with Sunderland, the club that knocked County out of the Cup. Two years ago Warnock turned down a move to Chelsea and stayed at Meadow Lane. County were immediately relegated, however, and they are currently bottom of the new First Division.

Warnock's assistant, Mick Jones, was also dismissed and the coach Mick Walker has Anfield anguish Liverpool's manager Graeme Souness, flanked in the dug-out by Phil Boersma and Roy Evans, cannot bear to look as his side struggle PHOTOGRAPH OAVIDLOMAX failure leaves Liverpool in Power David Lacey on the facing Anfield's beleaguered manager Scots stalemate ing the end of his tether. Against that Souness has spent more than 12 million attempting to reshape the side, only to leave Liverpool looking more than ever like a builders' yard a stock of bricks here, a pile of tiles there and a clutter of thingamajigs which nobody knows quite what to do with. Souness has not bought bad players. But he has not bought players of a Liverpool type or quality and the departure of Dean Saunders to Aston Villa may turn out to have heralded an exodus of some of those he lias signed. Souness has described reports of an impending clear-out involving the likes of Wright, Thomas and Stewart as "not speculative but However, he has also admitted that some of his signings have failed to reach his expectations, and Liverpool, their finances tight, have to sell in order to buy.

McManaman. Marsh. Jones. Redknapp and Hutchison represent Anfield's hopes for a vows to battle on crisis of confidence the Second Division. Unfortunately they had been in the First for 50 years.

Welsh's term of office embraced a 1-0 FA Cup third-round defeat at Gateshead, then in the Third Division (North). Fog was a mitigating factor that day. On Wednesday night the only mist clouding the issue was the extent to which Sou-ness's latest setback could be put down to injuries as opposed to a muddled transfer policy. The team that faced Bolton invited disaster. Rush, McMan-aman.

Nicol and Wright were all unfit. Burrows. Molby, Whe-lan and now Thomas are long-term casualties. Grobbelaar had been dropped. Barnes alone represented the old.

self-assured Liverpool. The defence was an unholy mix of Danish and Norwegian uncertainty. Marsh has long since proved his miscasting as a fullback, and the goalkeeping of Hooper has acquired some of Grobbelaar's eccentricity but little of his elasticity. The biggest indictment of Liverpool's present situation is that, while Wednesday's result was a huge shock, it measured less on the Richter Scale than, say, their defeat by Wimbledon in the 1988 FA Cup final. After all, Souness's team had already gone 3-0 down at home to Ches terfield in the Coca-Cola Cup before drawing To be fair to Souness, the signs of decline were, there a year before he was persuaded to leave Rangers and-take over at Liverpool following the sudden resignation of Kenny Dalg-lish.

If ever one moment on the pitch marked tho downturn- in Liverpool's fortunes it surely arrived in the opening half-minute of the second half of their semi-final against Crystal Palace at Villa Park in 1990. Liverpool were leading 1-0, Alan Hansen's runs from the back having dominated the game up to that point. Then John Pemberton. the Palace right-back, set off on a post-horn gallop of a dash along the touchline. His centre was met by Mark Blight's left-footed volley and Crystal Palace ran out 4-3 winners after Liverpool had revealed the alarming frailties at free-kicks and corners which have dogged them ever since.

Both of Bolton's goals' on Wednesday were created by the sort of crosses which for more than two seasons have found Liverpool's defenders crumbling to dust like so many Christopher Lees. But for the crossbar, Ipswich or Portsmouth might have knocked them out last season. Dalglish left Souness a legacy of a squad whose average age approached 30 and the sort of signings (Specdie and Carter) made by a manager approach HE pretentious relabelling of divisions which has followed the formation of the Premier League spared Liverpool, the FA Cup holders, the full humili ating effects of Wednesday's 2-0 home deteat by Bolton Wander ers in a third-round replay. Not that anybody was tooled. Othcially Graeme Sounesss team have gone out to a Second Division side.

In reality Liver pool were, to use their manager's words, "outplayed and outfought" by a third division team who had been denied an emphatic victory in the original match at Burnden Park only through a series of unlucky ricochets. Yesterday Liverpool learned that Michael Thomas, carried off against Bolton, would be out tor the rest of the season with a snapped Achilles tendon. Sou-ness's misery seems complete and, as Anfield contemplates tne wreckage ot a season which began with the club's new spon sor Carlsberg announcing it was backing "probably the best team in the his future will surely be called into question. Only one manager, Don Welsh in 1954, has been sacked at Anfield. Welsh achieved with Liverpool what he failed to do at Brighton: he took them into Golf Patrick Glenn THE Super League clubs' revolutionary ardour cooled towards reconciliation yesterday, after the Scottish Football League management committee's proposals for reconstruction failed to attract enough support.

The nine Super League rebels closed ranks and were joined by Dundee, who had declared their intention on Monday. Surprisingly, moreover, one Second Division club defected from the establishment to produce a vote of 47 in favour, 39 against; a two-thirds majority was required. The leading lights among the insurrectionists, however, insisted that they had been in favour "from day one" of finding a solution to their problems within the SFL. A unilateral declaration of independence is now unlikely. "It could happen." said Campbell Ogilvie, the Rangers secretary-director, "but if the Super League clubs were honest they would all tell you they do not want possibly lengthy and costly litigation.

"There are reasons for opti Squash bilities were Martin O'Neill of Wycombe Wanderers and Grimsby's Alan Buckley. The West Bromwich Albion manager Ossie Ardiles is plan ning a move for the Republic of Ireland striker uomle Slaven, who has been given a free transfer by Middlesbrough, as a replacement for Simon Garner, who has a fractured ankle. Aston Villa's hopes of signing the Danish international midfielder Henrik Larsen have diminished; Pisa want a big fee if he joins the Premier League club for the remainder of the season. Larsen. who has played two reserve matches for Villa, said: "I'm very much afraid the deal will go wrong.

Before I went to England the Pisa president said it would be all right for Villa to borrow me for the rest of the season by paying my monthly salary. But on top of that he now wants an enormous sum." Nottingham Forest are to give a trial to the Polish striker Wojciech Kowalczyk, from Le-gia Warsaw. mism. We expect now to open new dialogue with the management committee very soon. Essentially we would prefer a Premier Division of 10 clubs, with one relegated and one Ian Donald, vice-chairman of Aberdeen, said there would also have to be a change in the voting structure which would give the top 10 clubs absolute power.

"Today was important to us because it would have done no good for us to be locked into a structure we were not happy with," he said. Both men branded suggestions that an independent Super League would not be rec-ogniscd "premature" and claimed that Rule 51 of the SFL. which states that the players of any club ceasing membership would become the property of the management committee to be sold as that body determines, could be "got They refused to expand, but said that they were satisfied with QC's advice on the matter. Peter Donald, secretary of the Scottish Football league, said: "Only the SFA can grant independence, but the rules of the SFL determine departure." town of St Peter Port. She now seems likely to retire before then.

The absence of both the Guernsey women is a further blow to a tournament already blighted by the boycott of 17 leading men. The women's title may be fought out between the British national champion Sue Wright and the top-seeded Cas-sie Jackman. Jackman does not sound sympathetic to the boycott. "I think they were a bit hard with what they said about the prize-money," she said after beating Sarah Spacey for the loss of only two points. The other top seed, England's captain Phil Whitlock, beat Middlesex's Peter Gunter for the loss of only five points and also made criticisms of the absentees.

"Of course I have sympathy for them, but 1 feel cooperation and not confrontation is the right path," he said. "Now I cannot see the SRA backing down over selection policy." If Whitlock is right, England will be without a team worth the name for the world championships. other name in a pre-tournament match against a Birmingham International XII managed by the former England manager David Cawthorn. The Birmingham XII includes the Olympic gold medallist Imran Sherwani and four players Chris Mayer and the uncapped Amarjeet Degun, Jasbinder Chana and Kalbir Takhcr who should have been representing England outdoors this week at the postponed Indira Gandhi Cup in Bombay. Also on view this evening are Team Bada from North America, a combination of players from either side of the border who will play the Midlands Under-21s and are in an opposing group to Adanacs at the weekend.

Opie out and over? Hall on the road again after a late shock healthy future. But the trials of IMechnik look like denying Arsenal's George Graham the Lur-pak award for Worst Danish Signing of the Season. Tomorrow is unlikely to bring Liverpool much light relief. They visit Wimbledon, who knocked Everton out of tho FA Cup at Goodison on Tuesday. On either side of Stanley Park the quality of Mersey is looking a little strained just now.

And seldom have Liverpool supporters felt more like singing the blues. change that. People here, even so-called stars, can say they are fully committed and passionate about this club, but talk is cheap and we have a lot of good talkers here." Asked if he felt he had the backing of everyone at the club, he said: "The only backing I have to be concerned about is that of the players, because they are the only ones I have any influence on. "I have made mistakes, every manager does. But now is not the time to analyse everything that I have done or not done.

This is a far bigger job than I thought and I didn't need last night's result to tell me that." I Skiing Too warm for pleasure John Samuel at St Anton HIGH in Austria's Arlberg Pass, St Anton has bravely taken over the Hahnenkamm World Cup weekend irom a drenched Kitzbuhel, two hours to the east at a much lower level. The season's fifth downhill is programmed for tomorrow and a slalom at Lech for Sunday, the two together worth additional combined points, such is the importance of Austria's leading event in the World Cup programme. Even at St Anton, yesterday's downhill training quickly translated into a raining run, and the world's toughest and fastest racers retreated to their hotels under their brollies. Warm weather is now blighting a season that began with deep snow and high hopes. Wengen has already cancelled the Lauberhorn weekend which traditionally follows Kitzbuhel.

Three times in the Eighties Wengen suffered cancellation because of the weather. Two years ago it was abandoned after a crash killed the young Austrian Gemot Rein-stadler. This time the Valais resort of Veysonnaz near Verbier, one of the few Swiss centres with ample artificial snow, has grittily taken it over. St Anton meanwhile is banking on a colder weather forecast for the weekend and a new German chemical potion which, according to the men's World Cup director Karl Frchsner, worked wonders at chen, the lowest-lying resort oi ine wnite uircus. Garmisch managed two downhills, and Franz Hcinzer took the opportunity to win his first race this season.

His third place in the second race put him top or the downhill heap again. Willy Bcsse is second on 216 and a third Swiss, Danny Mahrer, winner of the second Garmisch race, is fifth on 150. Souness GRAEME SOUNESS yesterday reacted to the defeat by Bolton with scathing criticism of his players and a refusal to resign. He accepted part of the blame and admitted he had made mistakes since taking over as manager almost two years ago, but said: "The only way I know how to respond is to roll up my sleeves and battle on. "Too many of my players have no instinct or love for this club.

They don't see playing for Liverpool as the pinnacle of their careers. They are only interested in getting another move or another lump of money, and "and now I try to give little importance to any round even though I want to go on competing at a high level." However, he would still welcome a little help from old friends, particularly one John Cook from his home town of Bristol. "If he wants to jump on a plane and come out he can caddie for me." said Hall, who pulled his own clubs. Chapman, the former Walker Cup player, is another with New Year resolutions after keeping his hand in during the winter by playing regularly against Sam Torrance, Barry Lane and Richard Boxall at 2- 9. 9-3.

9-6. Graham (Esso) bt Duller (Kent) 9-5, 7-9. 9-4. 9-2. Cha)onr (Lines) bt Thwniie (Cumbrra) 9-fe.

10 8. Cui (Esse) bt Clarke (Wilts) 9-7. 9-1. 9-0. Oxly (Notts) bt Watson (Hants) 90 9o 9-, Lord (Ches) bt Teale (Hants) 3-i.

9 0. 9 2. Walling a (Suss) bl Margrave IDerbys) 9 10, 3-. 7-9 9-. 3-2.

A Toaa (Yorks) bt Leach (Warks) 6-9, 10-8. 3- 9, 9-3. 2-0 ret, Allen (fcsse) bl Greensladc (Dor) 3 3 -1. 9 6, Rannia (Ches) bt Lord (Ches) 3-A b-9, 9-2. 9-1, Bodimaad (Berks) bt Power (Lanes) 3-9.

3-3. 3-. 3-0 Women. Jackman (Norfolk) bt Spacey (Hants) 9 2. 3 0, 3 0.

Macraa (fcssex) bt Boddinqton (Kent) 9 9 6, 9-1. Homir (Yorks) bt Boom (Essex) 9-2, 3-3, 9-2, Maeflo (Surrey) bl I Brown 9-3. 3 3. 3 2 Matt fcS5o) bl Marriott (Lines) 9 2. 9 3.

9 6. She ton (Stalls) wo Opie Poola (Staffs) bt A Wray (Yorks) 9 3 9 4, B-IO 10 Char-man (Sussex) bt Perason (Yorks) 9 -1. 9 1. 3-3. Nlchoil (Durham Clove) bt Anderson (Yorks) 9-3.

9-0. 3-3, Macfj (Surroy) bl Roberts (Chos) 9-2. 9 3, 9-0. Sou Her (Gloucs) bt Ford 9 1, 3 3 2 Martin (Northumb) bt Meak.ns IBodSI 9 1, 9-0, 3-2. Geavea (Gloucs) bt Hoppe (Beds) 3-3.

9-0. 9-5. Wright (Kent) bt Tranfiold (Yorks) 9 6. 9-0, 9-0. Vardy (Nolls) bt Downhill (Middx) 9-b, 10 8.

9-1 Skating EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (Helsinki) Woman's final: 1. Bonaly (Fr) 1 5pls, 2. Baiul (Ukr) 3 5, 3. Kidman (Gor) 4 0 Alaoi 19. von Sahor (GB) 26 5 Cricket WORLD SCRieS CUP (Sydney) Australia 260-8 (D Boon 50.

Taylor 50. Waugh 64. Waqar Younis 3-55) bt Pakistan 237-6 (Ra-rnenz Raja 67. Asit Mujtaba 47no) by 23 runs Final BtandlnQW 1. Australia (P8.

W5. Plsll). 2, West Indies (ft-5-10), 3. Pakistan (8-1 -3) Fixtures 30 unless stated) Soccer BARCLAYS LEA QUE: Flrat Division! Trun- mern Oxford Utd COMBINATION. Flrat: Wallord Swindon Rugby Union INTERNATIONAL, fcngland France (Lot coster J.

that is totally unacceptable. "A successful football career used to be about winning things but today it is about how much money you end up with. You can have players with all the ability in the world but, when they go out not wanting to run around and fight for the ball as much as other teams, then you arc going to lose. "It is beyond me why, when facing a workmanlike team like Bolton, we arc not prepared to match them." Warming to his theme, Souness added: "I have to fill the team full of people who want to play and fight for the cause. We don't have enough winners here and I have to call Sunningdale.

He has been toning up in the gymnasium, has lost weight and feels super fit. Seven birdies propelled him towards an overdue first Kuro-pean victory in his 12th season on tour. Pepper the Pin. a racehorse he co-owned with England's Dunhill Cup captain Jamie Spence last year, has also gone. Now they have a new animal called Per Quod which will shortly make its debut as a hurdler.

Denmark's Ole Eskildsen was the only other player to master the difficult greens, claiming five birdies in a 68. U-21i Scotland Ireland (2 0) CLUB MATCHES Bedford Leicoster. Bristol xotiT 115). Cheltenham Lydnoy (7 0), Ouilermline Currie IO). Gloucester Nottingham tOl.

Haick Dungannon I 0). Northampton Harrogate. Stirling Co Portadown 15), Uoroughmijir St Marys College IO). Musselburgh Jedloresl. Kilmarnock Claikston (0).

MillheadJordan-hill Selkirk. Museley Ldn Irish. Plymouth Weston -s Maro 15), Bath vClttton 15) HEINCKEN LEAGUE: Flrat Diviflton: Swan-soa Llanelli if 20) Rugby League STONES BITTER CHAMPIONSHIP! Castle-ford Warrington Sport in brief Motor Racing Martin Bruncile will join his fellow British driver Mark Blun-dell in the French team Ligier for this year's world championship, Ligicr's new president Cyril de Rouvre confirmed yesterday. Brundle finished sixth in last year's championship but was dropped by Benetton. He had been expected to follow Nigel Mansell into InriyCar racing in the United States.

Golf Lisa Hackney won a car for a holc-in-onu and Dale Reid blew the lead with a hole-in-nine at the 111th in the KRP World Classic in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Karen Lunn of Australia finished as the first-round leader with a thrcc-undcr-par 69. Hackney was the best-placed Briton two shots behind. contingent of Ryder Cup aspirants who have journeyed to Portugal's Atlantic retreat in the hope of easy pickings from a 250,000 prize-fund. Hall, now 35.

is best remembered for travelling the byways of Europe in a converted charabanc with his Spanish wife Pia. He now leads a more conventional life as head professional at the Punta Ala club on the Italian coast some 60 miles south of Piza. This week he was on holiday in Marbclla with his wife and children Robert (10), Natalie (four) and Stefan (18 months) when he learned he had been Results Soccer PONTINSt Flrat: Liverpool 2. Stoko 1 Second! Middlesbrough Blackpool I COMBINATION! Flnfc Ipswich t. Mrllwall 4 Leegua Cupi Birmingham 1.

Bristol Rvrs 2 Rugby Union CLUB MATCHES! Ayr 22. Glasgow Acads 10. Kelso 27. Stewart's Mel FP 24 Rugby League Huddarafidd 118) 30, Carllale (14) 34. HudderetieM! Trtee: Chapman 3.

Thomas 2 Pucill. Holltiwell Ooals: Hellowull 4 Car-Hale! Triaa: Clarke 2. Hibberd. Guorgoallis Pape Ooala: Clarke 2 (1,30) ALLIANCE! Flral: Warrington 24. Castlelord ti Tennis N8W OPEN (Sydney) Mam QuarteMlnare: Muater (Aul) bt Svonsson (Swo) fi.

-6 Sampraa IUS1 bt Kulti (Swo) 6-4, 6-2. 6 Cemporeie (It) bt Ferrcira (SA) 4 o. 6 3 6- 4. A Mansdorf (Isr) bt Whoalon (US) 6-1. Womam Second round! Capriati (US) bt Fatrbank-Niditfer (SA) 6-7 7- 5.

7-5. A Frailer (US) bt 0 Monami (Bel) 7-6. 6-3. A Sanchai-Vlcarle (Sp) bl Hot-tier (Noth) 6-1. 4-6.

6-2, A Huber (Geo bt Wiesner (Aut) 6-4. 6-2. fllO CHALLENGE (Adelaide) Round-robbl! Red Oroupi Woodbrtdge (Aus) bt Stlch (Gor)6A 7-6 Blue Group! Edberg (Swe) bt McEnroo (US) 6-3, 7-5 AUSTRALIAN OPEN IMelbourno). Mem Flrat qualifying round! Broad (GB) bt A Bolobraidic (Aus) 6-36-3. Bailey (GB) bt Koss (US) 7-5, 6-1.

Dyke (Aus) bt Pet-choy (GB) 6-0, 6-0 Golf MADEIRA OPEN (GB and Iro unless stated) Flrat round! 65 Hall 07 Chapman OB Lskildsen (Don) 00 Brand Jnr. Godin 70 Smylh. A Hunter. McGmloy. Oavis.

Torrance. Ames (Tri) 71 Richardson, Jamos. Payne. A Sorensen (Oon), Jones. Mitchell.

Brand, Charnley. 72 Brondhurst. A Binaqhi (It), Hall. Struver (Ger). Gales, Fulko (Swe).

Hawks-worth. Coo. Krantz (Swe). Mason. Tinning (Den).

Spence. Ft Ooiall. Williams; McLean. McHonry; Ralph. promoted from the Madeira reserve list because of withdrawals.

He had failed by only one shot to regain his tour card at last November's qualifying school, hut he insisted: "My game is better now than it ever was. I understand my swing much more, and during my time away from the circuit I have worked on improving my attitude and confidence." That showed in an outward 30 on the chilly mountain course during which the longest of his six birdie putts was from 10ft at the short 8th. "Tournament golf is no longer life or death to me," he said, WOMEN'S CLASSIC (Kuala Lumpur) Flrat round (GB and Iro unless stated) OS Lunn (Aus) 70 Maritz-Atkins (SA) 71 Hackney. Dibnah (Aus). Panton-Lewis.

Las-ken (US) Alao: 73 Fairclough 74 Forbes, Soulsby. Barnard. Held, New. A Shapcon. Hast 70 A Nicholas.

Davies 7 Johnson 80 Douglas SOUTH AFRICAN PGA C'SHIP (Johannos burg) Flral round ISA unless staled) OS Frost 04 McNulty (Zimb) 85 Hobday (Zirnb). Foherty (GB). van Vuuren. James OO A Bossert (Swiu). Hobday.

A Roesloll. Ashcralt (US). Price (Zimb) Motor Sport PARIS-DAKAR RALLY: Ninth ataoe (Atar. 224km) 1, Auriol (Frl Citroen 2hr 40mm aflsec. 2.

Lartigue (Fr) Citroen at 37sec 3. 8 Saby (Fr) Mitsubishi at 2min 20sec Overall: I. Saby tShr 38mm 25sec. 2, Lartiguo at I 39 05, 3. Auriol 4 30 10 Motorcyclea: 1.

Marmiroli III) Gilera 4hr 23sec Overall: I. Peterhansel (Fr) Yamaha 43hr 42mm 27scc Badminton JAPAN OPEN (Tokyo) Selected aecond round: Men! Hall Ifcngl bl Wiiekoon (S Lanka) 15-3. 15-2. Wu Wenhai IChin.D bt A Nielsen Eng) 15 8. 15 to Ice Hockey NHLt Detroit 5.

Tampa Bay 3. Monlroat 7. Hartlord 3. NY Rangers 5, Washington 4. Toronto 4, St Louis 3.

W'pog 4, Edmonton 1 Basketball CAR LSI! ERG LEAGUE: Men's Flrat Div Won: Cheshiro 80. Birmingham 106 NBA: Boston 98, Washington 93. Detroit Dallas 96, Now Jersey 104, Clove-land 9o. Philly 129, Golden SlalO 122, S.in Anlonio H9. Minnesota 81.

Donvor 108. NY Kmcks 92 EUROPEAN CLUBS' CSMlPi Croup Virtus Bologna 109. Obona Zagreb 69. Jovontut Budalona 62. Maccabt Tul Aviv BO Group 0: Bayor Lovorfcuson 91.

Real Madrid 106, Bon-etton Trovi50 92. KK Zadnr (Cro) 71 Squash NATIONAL C'SHIPS (Manchester) First round: Mam WMtfcck (Chns) bt Guntnr (Middx) 9-1 I. MHIInnton (North-umb) bl A Harrison (Yorks) 9-3, 9 6. 9-1. Walth (Northumb) bt Fr.inkland (Surrey) 9-6.

10-8. 4-9, Taylor (Lanes) bt Brtars (Norfolk) 0-10, 9- 6. Gamr (Surroy) bt Dlanksby (Yorks) 9- 0. 0-0. 3-5, UHay (Yorks) bt Goinic (Bucks) 0-9, M.

Richard Jago LISA OPIE's surprising withdrawal yesterday from the national championships in Manchester has left England wondering whether they will lose two of their greatest-over players in the same year. The 29-year-old former British Open champion is still in pain with the groin and gluteal injury that kept her out for several weeks last year and has threatened her career for the best part of two seasons. Her withdrawal comes two days after Martine Le Moignan, with whom she grew up and travelled around the world for most of her career, announced her retirement. The 30-year-old former world No. 1 will end her career at September's World Open in Johannesburg and does not want to play for England again after the traumatic loss that ended her country's world title defence three months ago.

Opie had hoped to continue until next year, when the World Open may be held in her home Hockey Canada by any Pat Rowley CANADA, who were fourth in the first World Invitation Indoor Championship in Scotland two years ago, will be the main attraction at the sixth Birmingham International Indoor Tournament at Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre this weekend. Playing as the Adanacs they finished third at the Glenfid-dich tournament last weekend, beating a leading German club, Crefelder, for the bronze medals. Their team includes such well-known internationals as Patrick Burrows. Pat Caruso, Alan Brahmst and Pete Milkovitch. They have a run-out tonight David Henderson at Santa Cruz JEFF HALL gave up trying to compete on the European professional circuit four years ago because he found it too expensive to feed his ambition and a young family.

Yesterday he showed that the talent that won him the 1983 Jersey Open title is still intact, by starting the Madeira Open here with a record 65 containing eight birdies. That gave him a two-shot lead from Roger Chapman and temporarily eclipsed the strong Ice Skating Bonaly bounds to another title SURYA BONALY withstood a strong challenge from Oksana Baiul. a 15-year-old Ukrainian, to win her third consecutive European title. The 19-year-old Frenchwoman landed five triple jumps to win the free skating in Helsinki last night and improve on the lead she gained in the short programme. Baiul's programme was less athletic, more lyrical.

She fell twice, but three judges placed her first, good enough to move her ahead of Marina Kiel-mann into second place. Bonaly has had a traumatic year since she won the title last year. Amid public squabbles between her mother and her then coach, she finished fifth at the Olympics, then spilt with the coach and fell to 11th place at the world championships. She looks happier now under the guidance of France's former European and world champion Alain Giletti. "I am working hard on my choreography and I am getting better," she said.

Baiul began with a huge triple lutz but was in tears at the end of her programme. She was smiling again when she picked up her medal. "It's like a dream," she said..