The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 20

THE! GUARDIAN Saturday May 23 1992 SPORTS MEWS GoH Olympic Games Mister Modesty blazes John Rodda. David Davie at Wentworth MBafcik fall otherwise would be to deny the policy which the IOC sustained across the past 20 years. The simultaneous meeting between members of the republic's National Olympic Committee (Nocsa) and the IOC sports director Gilbert Felli in Lausanne comes because Nocsa has asked for an optimistic representation of 183 competitors in 18 sports; the IOC executive board, in acknowledging the need to cut back on the numbers for Barcelona, has offered 68 places. The snag is that a team cf that size, selected on merit, would be entirely white, according to one Nocsa member. Fulfilling the special needs of South Africa at this time is thus incompatible with the hardening IOC policy of having the elite only.

It was never Samaranch's intention for the minority racial group alone to compete at Barcelona. That would merely provide for a celebration by those benefiting from the inequalities of the apartheid system precisely the point of those who objected to South Africa's hasty return. Nocsa is clearly apprehensive, for it has already decided to send at least 25 "disadvantaged" non-white sportsmen and women to the Games as observers. There is already talk of some form of compromise over accommodation in the Olympic Village or perhaps outside it. I ODESTY forbade David I Gilford from saying so I but yesterday in the first round of the Volvo PGA Championship he really played rather well.

On one of golfs great tests, the Burma Koad, he got round in 64, eight under par, and he leads the season's mdst distinguished field by one shot. Jointly second are Mark Mouland and Peter with no tewer than seven in eluding Richard Boxall, Gordon Brand Jnr and the Australians Peter Senior and Rodger Davis jointly fourth on five under. But a sombre Severiano Bal lesteros took 76, four over, and he is simply not recognisable as the man who at this time last year was not only winning here but was as sunny as yesterday was long. The Spaniard has mystified friends and advisers with his scheduling since the latter half of last year. Not only did he in-.

crease his annual work-load by a sixth but the extra events he played were as far apart as Japan and Argentina, Bangkok and Jamaica. His travel commitments alone would have worn out any man, without the pressures of being one of the world's best golfers. He looks and sounds muerto as in dead-beat rather than dead. Nor were some of his Ryder Cup colleagues in much better form. On a day when a hat was vital to protect the pate and nothing so much as rustled the rhododendrons in the adjacent gardens, the scoring among the more recognised stars was steady rather than spectacular.

Ronan Rafferty, Anders Fors-brand and Craig Parry were one over; Ian Woosnam was level par; Jose-Maria Olazabal only one under; and Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo two under. Soccer gets ball and sand airborne to clear the bunker at the 4th on his way to a two-under first round lator. He had four birdies in either half and the nearest he got to exulting was to admit it was his lowest-ever round. Was there any particular reason for his success, he was asked. "Well," he said, "I suppose everything went right." Gilford, known to his colleagues as Old Macdonald on account of his farm near Stoke, was asked if he would buy some more cows should he make lots more money this week.

"No," he said. Well, what then? was the next, slightly exasperated, question. "I'll hoard it," he said, grinning. He did admit, under further intensive questioning, to being "disappointed" at not getting Colourful omens hint at fourth time lucky Mi ELSON MANDELA, leader of the African National Congress, is due to pay a courtesy visit to Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, at IOC headquarters on Monday which, providentially, is when talks in the same building in Lausanne could set limits on Olympic numbers that would mean the South African team competing at Barcelona being all-white. It was the sending of an all-white team to Rome 32 years ago that led to the republic's expulsion from the Olympic movement eight years later.

If it were to happen again it would be a triumph for the extreme right wing and their apartheid mentality, and would alarm other African Olympic committees. It is certainly not the outcome Samaranch had in mind when he began the process of bringing South Africa back four years ago. The coincidence of the Sa maranch-Mandela meeting is timely indeed; it will need to be more about business than was originally intended. They will have to work out a formula which sets aside the need to keep down the size of teams in Barcelona by accepting only the elite performers. To do Rugby League Starting Jack Rae in Goroka mOSmG the first team 1 of a tour is a tricky task aabut the Great Britain coach Malcolm Reilly has grasped the nettle well with his selection for tomorrow's game here against the Papua New Guinea Highland Zone.

With some of his men still nursing late-season injuries, Reilly has opted to give a run to players who look automatic choices for the Test against PNG a week later in Port Moresby while also blooding some who might be needed if the walking wounded do not recover. -u Thus he rests Martin Offiah and Ian Lucas (calf strains) Daryl Powell and Les Holliday (ankle injuries), Ellery Hanley (foot) and Andy Gregory (groin). Even so, the team looks more than adequate. Reilly's starting 13 include seven Wigan players, beginning with Steve Hampson at fullback and going on to a scrum-half and pack of which only one member is not from Central Park. The scrum-half selection of Shaun Edwards is a little puzzling, given the presence here of Featherstone's Deryck Fox, and must be considered a stop-gap until the return of Gregory who was last seen in a buoyancy jacket, running on the spot in the hotel swimming pool to speed his recovery.

Garry Schofield is Edwards's half-back partner and captains the side, but these two are the links to a distinctly thin-looking threequarter line of John I Boxing Benn takes on AFTER Colin McMillan's superb world championship victory last weekend, Nigel Benn brings the other face of boxing to the ring at Birming ham's National Indoor Arena tonight, when he continues the pattern of fighting men beaten by Chris Eubank, Britain's World Boxing Organisation champion, writes John Rodda. In February he made a better job than Eubank of beating Dan Sherry; tonight Sugar Boy Ma-linga of South Africa is the tar get. Eubank could manage only a split points decision over Ma-linga but that was his first fight or be in five successful Ryder Cup sides, you know what he would say. And I think most golfers are like that." Mouland's 65 was living proof of the adapted adage that says if at the hrst you don't succeed, keep trying: he had three putts at the 1st, then needed only 22 more for the remaining 17 holes. "I've done a Sandy Lyle," he said, "and gone cack-handed.

I'd been panicking over every putt, I'd even thought of packing it in. But putting this way makes for a much smoother stroke." Another happy man was David Feherty, recovering from his adder He got round in 73 and said afterwards: "I'm so play, then we could get out and play but, whenever we came up against teams that are more direct and forceful, we struggled -a bit. So I brought a bit more steel into the side. Now we've got a better team and stronger characters." Not surprisingly for someone who has seen so many near-misses, Green is not a fan of the play-off system, but. his team has the advantage this time of approaching them on a winning run: they have won eight and drawn two of the last 10 games.

"The final will be a difficult game," he says. "I respect Billy Ayre and Blackpool; and one thing they will never do is throw the towel in. But we won't be overawed I hope." Scunthorpe fans hope so too. United have never won at Wembley when they have been overawed. three-day event not shattered Stockport's confidence.

Their Player of the Year Jim Gannon says: "We had the chance to take in the atmosphere last week. Now it's time to play some football. We learned plenty in our first visit; it's up to us to put that into practice." Precedent points to Stockport after Tranmere failed and then succeeded in similar Wembley visits last year. But recent knockout pedigree favours Peterborough after removing Wimbledon, Newcastle and Liverpool in the Rumbelows Cup. Athletics Martin Thorpe on why can break their play-off CUNTHORPE United sup-1 9 porters are looking for omens.

So in the days leading up to today's play-off final against Blackpool it did not go unnoticed that the most recent winners at Wembley also wear claret and blue stripes; and that exactly 30 years ago United walloped Blackpool, Matthews and all, 6-2 in the FA Cup. And when the League was last reorganised, in 1958, Scunthorpe also won promotion to the Second Division. In fact they have been reigning champions of the Third Division North ever since. Scunthorpe fans like omens because experience has taught them that, when it comes to big games, the team needs all the help it can get. Take last season, for instance.

They were in the Fourth Division play-offs then too for the third time in four years, and for the third time in four years they were knocked out at the first hurdle still without achieving a win in a play-off leg. The close season refreshed hopes, until the first game. A 4-0 defeat at Gillingham sent United to the bottom of the Fourth Division making them the first club to be 93rd in the newly enlarged Football League. Scunthorpe's entries in the record books are less than inspiring. In November they became the first team to go out of Basketball "It was relief and exhaustion when we got through and happiness for Tony Daws and Paul Longden who have been through it as long as.l have." The striker and the full-back are the only survivors from the teams of past failures as Green has consciously restructured the side's personnel and style.

"The play-off games become very tense and it has been a test of character and determination rather than football," he says. "We had ketft the same squad together for three of four years, we failed to win the play-offs and I thought it was time for a change of personnel. If they haven't done it for you with so many attempts, the chances are they are not going to do it at all." The top goalscorer Andy Flounders had had enough any Workhorses will Russell Thomas MEMBLEY's three-day vv event, otherwise known as the play-off finals, opens this afternoon with the contestants aware that fear can be the prime barrier to promotion. Both Peterborough and Stockport believe tomorrow's Third Division decider will bring out the best in teams trusting in the direct approach. Peterborough's captain Mick Halsall approaches his club's first Motor Cycling ROB GALLAGHER full of dope that if you stood next to me with a headache, it go away." Homage to Ballesteros has helped the Filton 18-year-old Caroline Hall extend her fine run in the English Women's Championship at St Anne's Old Links, where yesterday she beat Andover Anson MacDon- ald 2 and 1 to set up a final today with Joanne Hockley of Felixstowe Ferry.

Hall, the only Curtis Cup player to reach the quarter-fin als, says she has made a nightly pilgrimage to nearby Royal Lytham's 18th fairway, where the Spaniard chipped to within a couple of inches on his way to victory in the 1988 Open. Beresford in two minds about Anfield move GRAEME SOUNESS's pur- V4suit of Liverpool's first summer -signing suffered an embarrassing setback yesterday when Portsmouth's John Beresford had second thoughts about moving to Anfield, writes Russell Thomas. After three hours' talks with Souness over a 700,000 move and a successful medical, the 25-year-old left-back said he wanted "another 48 hours" to think over the switch just a half-hour before a scheduled press conference to announce his signing. Beresford then left Anfield for further talks with Trevor Francis at Sheffield Wednes day, who have matched Liver pool's 700,000 bid. Wednesday can also offer European football next season and the Sheffield- born player could well prefer a return to Yorkshire.

Meanwhile Chris Waddle has confirmed that Wednesday are "probably favourites" to take him back to English football after revealing he had received a written offer from Hillsbor ough "a good Waddle is available at 900,000 from Marseille and said Newcastle, after talks on Wednesday, must convert their interest into a firm bid it they are to pip Wednesday. "I love Newcastle United, he said, 'and I always be willing to listen to them, but the ball is now in their court. They have to sit down and decide how ambitious they want to be." Kevin Keegan has been pledged 2 million for new players. 9.90sec and beat Carl Lewis in the Games. Tomorrow they are in action again in the Columbia University Stadium, though this time not in opposition.

Burrell, who lost his record to Lewis in the World Championships, faces Dennis Mitchell in the 100m and will have to run as fast as he did 12 months ago to surpass the current season's standard. Three sprinters in the United States have dipped under 10 seconds this season. Lewis is tackling the long jump, one of the four events he is contemplating for the Olympic Games, and in which he was defeated at the World Championships. His opposition comes from Larry Myricks and the rising talent of Llewellyn Starks, who has jumped 8.37 metres this summer. Lewis has lost only one long jump in 11 years.

Already this season Roger Black, Britain's medal hope for 400 metres, has seen unequivocal evidence of his task, with six Americans dipping under 45 seconds. Among them is Steve Lewis, the Olympic champion, who faces Andrew Valmon, Roberto Hernandez and the Trini-dadian Ian Morris. of 70 Blasting Bernhard Langer It was left to Paul McGinley, a member of last year's Walker Cup team, to provide the day's oddity when he eagled the long 4th and followed it by eagling the short 5th lor figures ot 3, but no special prize. Vnav Singh came close the oddity stakes, though, when he hit his first two drives at the long 17th into the gardens on the left. His third effort, which made him five off the tee, was straight and long, so was his sixth, a three-wood to 30 teet, and so was the putt, which fell in for an eagle off his third ball and a seven on his card.

Gilford does not deal in such pyrotechnical. extremes, being more the anonymous accumu Scunthorpe think they jinx at Wembley today the FA Cup in a penalty shootout, beaten by Rotherham in the first round. But then, oh miracle: a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the playoff semi-final at Crewe and a 2-0 win at home in the second the first goal not coming until seven minutes from time, though and Scunthorpe were on their way to Wembley for the first time in their 88-year history. The club reacted in the way any hard-up club would react: they ordered an immediate batch of celebratory tee-shirts, scarves and hats. Overall they stand to net about 40,000 from their big day, which for a club that always sells its best players to keep afloat is very good news.

Bill Green was involved in all the play-off excursions, twice as assistant manager and twice as manager. "I didn't know what to say to Dario Gradi, Crewe's manager after beating them because I knew exactly how he felt," recalled the former West Hani player. "It was very difficult to say, 'oh hard lines, I'm sorry', when you've got a big smile on your face knowing you're going to Wembley. "We've suffered that disappointment more times than anyone. It is hard to accept.

I said to my assistant before that game, I just couldn't contemplate losing the play-off semifinal again and how I would feel. Cadle does not want to juggle with extra players. "More than 12 is dead weight," he says. That did not seriously handicap him at Lilleshall on Tuesday when, even without Alton Byrd.his oversized squad crushed the University of Nebraska 82-69. "If we'd had a little more patience on offence," the coach said, "they wouldn't even have scored 60." The British had more trouble with the corn-fed American boys on Thursday, when their winning margin was a mere six points.

For all his surplus players, Cadle looked undermanned at off-guard, because Mark Hubbard has injured his thigh and Iain MacLean did not turn up at Lilleshall until after the tip-off. The arrived, in Lon don yesterday. Nick Galis, known to journals more excitable than this one as "the Greek God of was not among them. He has hurt his knee. OR8AT MITAINi Baker, Hubbard (bom Worthing), Brown (Leicester), I ham, Hanisn, Man, MUler (alt Klnga- 1 IWiiu, IDJf (Stuttgart); Obaaakl (Thames Valley).

8 Robeon (UC Santa Barbara). SoantUbury (London), Bucknall (Atlanta Eaglea). invitations to either the US Masters or the US Open and he thought that maybe the Europeans should be treated in the United States as Americans are over here, in golfing terms. That would involve more than 40 Europeans playing in the US majors which, as Gilford and everyone else knows, is simply not going to happen. As a last desperate throw by the press, he was asked about his Ryder Cup week when he was ignored by Faldo in the foursomes and left out of the singles.

"It was," he said, "a very unenjoyable week. I'd much rather do well as an individual and if you asked Faldo if he'd rather win another Open way and, under freedom of contract, moved to Rochdale though he had no luck there either; they just missed the play-offs. Green replaced hihi with Ian Helliwell from York, a different sort of striker, "fornix dable in the air and with a decent touch, he holds the ball in well and is no slouch on the He scored both goals in the 2-2 first-leg at Crewe. "I think the turn-around of players meant we had no negative thoughts before the playoffs because most of the lads had no bad memories. And the central defender Elliott, on loan from Torquay, his memories of Wembley are only good because he won there with Torquay last year in the play-offs." Green has changed the team's style too.

"In the past we've always been a team that, if the other, side allows us to relish Wembley's Wembley apppearance with a confidence based not only on belief in his team-mates' abilities but also on high fitness. "Wembley will suit our style," he says. "It's a nice big pitch and we've got the pace up front. We can run all day and hopefully run Stockport into the ground. "From what I saw of Stockport in the Autoglass Trophy last Saturday, they looked drained.

But they won't want to lose at Wembley twice running. We've got to impose ourselves." But Autoglass defeat has Though frustrated to be unusually low on the leader board, Doohan was not too annoyed. "We'd hoped that this afternoon's session was going to be dry and set the bike up for that," he said. "When it started to rain we only had the tyres that we used in the wet this morning so there wasn't much chance of pulling in some good times. Anyway I'm still on the front row." Gardner was taking things easy and was only 16th fastest.

"I'm being very careful, I've still got to remember that really I've got a broken leg," said the Australian, who was riding with a light cast. "I just want to have a cautious ride here and next weekend in Barcelona before I push it a bit harder." The former world champion said his problems were mdre mental than physical. "In the wet, riding is not too stressful on the leg. The biggest problem I've got is in my head, telling myself that the tyres will grip and the bike won't fall down, that's something I've got to get over and I'm about halfway there." mixture Devereux and the three Pauls, Newlove, Loughlin and Eastwood, who muster 24 full caps between them compared with the aggregate of 50 won by Schofield and Edwards. The pack is a Wigan five of Neil Cowie, Martin Dermott and Andy Piatt in the front row, Denis Betts in the second and Phil Clarke at loose forward with the odd man out being the St Helens second row Sonny Nickle.

On the bench Graeme Hallas and Billy McGinty both sport a Great Britain jersey for the first time. No PNG international will turn out in this game, as the current Kumuls are being road-tested in Queensland. The tourists should be more worried about the hard pitch and the humidity and the threat of crowd violence, which last year caused a game here against Australia to be abandoned. GREAT BRITAIN (v Highland Zone, Goroka, tomorrow)! Hampaon (Wigan): Davaraui (Widnes), Nawlov (Featherstone R), Loughlin (St Helens), Eaatweod (Hull): SchofleM (Leeds, capt), Edward (Wigan): Cowl (Wigan), Darmott (Wigan), Piatt (Wigan), Batta (Wigan). NIcMa (St Helens).

Clark (Wigan). SubaUtuUsi Connolly (St neiensr, Mcainty (wiganj, nanae (huh nrw, Skerratt (Wigan). Swinton, just relegated from the top flight, are to sell their famous Station Road ground, where they have played tor 63 years, and move in with the soccer club Bury six miles away for at least four years. Their chairman Malcolm White said: "Debts of 1.2 million have forced the decision. If we hadn't taken this action the receiver would have been called in and it would have been the end of the club." Eubank victim after the Michael Watson contest and Eubank had also been involved in a fatal car accident.

Another Eubank-Benn duel would be a big domestic attraction but, if it does not happen by autumn, then Benn's style and power can bring him more work in the US. Tonight's exercise should confirm that he is more concerned about fighting than hype. A decisive win over the South African ought to put him into contention for another world title, if Eubank wants to avoid him. A pair of tickets to the First Test at Edgbaston on Saturday June 6. That's the prize in the first of a series of easy to enter sports competitions giving readers the opportunity to attend top sporting events this summer.

To enter, answer the six questions that will appear in the Guardian starting on Monday. On Wednesday we will publish the final two questions and the address to send your entry to. Don't miss Monday's Guardian. Chandler and Schwantz get a grip as Gardner returns to the cast Three more Olympic roads will end with Greek games Harris withdraws from games after positive drug report Summer of Sport John Rodda DANNY HARRIS, the 1984 Olympic 400-metres hurdles silver medallist, who is ranked No. 2 in the world and No.

1 in the United States, has failed a drug test, according to a report in yesterday's New York Times. The newspaper claimed that he tested positive at a meeting early this year and was currently trying to overturn the findings. The Athletics Congress, the US governing body for track and field, would not confirm or deny the report. Harris, who is 26 and won eight major races last year, including the national championship, was due to defend his title in the New York Games this weekend. However, the meeting director Alan Steinfeld said the hurdler withdrew "because of personal He did not elaborate.

Six of the world's top 10 were scheduled to compete in the event, including Derrick Ad-kins, who has recorded 48.64 seconds this year. A year ago Leroy Burrell set a world 100 metres record of Robert Pryce GREAT Britain's Olympic preparations have only just begun but some of the players are already tiring. A full week of seven-hour-a-day practice has taken a toll of those accustomed to English clubs' less rigorous regimes. Kevin Cadle has also begun his cull. Jason Crump, the 6ft llin Bowling Green State freshman, has been assigned to the England Under-22 team.

And Richard. Scantlebury, who has been preoccupied by problems at home, has been released. Derrick Izilein, the unknown 6ft lOin London-bbrri was returned to California soon after he arrived. "He was a willing; worker," Cadle. said, "but.

he wasn't ready for this." Cadle will three more players after the, games against Greece at Crystal Palace tonight and tomorrow, and others are endangered by the late arrival of Spencer Dunk-ley, who is sitting exams at the University of Delaware, and Kenny Scott, who is required for a few more days' by his French third division club; Pater Clifford at Mugello IN slippery, wet and miserable conditions the Suzuki pair of Doug Chandler and Kevin Schwantz set the quickest times at the end of the first practice for tomorrow's Italian Grand Prix. Proving once more that their bikes work best in the worst conditions, the two Americans were a full second quicker than the reigning world champion Wayne Rainey on his Yamaha. This year's world championship leader Mick Doohan was fourth fastest on his Honda, a further second behind. His team-mate Wayne Gardner returned to racing following the broken leg he sustained at the Japanese Grand Prix in March. Chandler came in quickest of all, a second in front of his more experienced teammate, and admitted that, if the track dries for the final day of practice, he may not be able to hold on to pole position.

"I'd like to think that the bike will work as well in the dry, but I'm not sure.".