Football: Collymore set to face new club inquiry

Liverpool's Stan Collymore faces a fresh club inquiry after his alleged verbal outburst during Saturday's reserve game with Sheffield Wednesday.

Collymore is reported to have run towards the Anfield press box and shouted obscenities in the direction of the media after scoring the first of his two goals in Liverpool's 4-0 win. But what could land him in deeper trouble is that the alleged volley of abuse may also have been heard by hundreds of schoolchildren sitting in that section of the stadium. Collymore was recently fined a substantial amount for missing a reserve game.

Liverpool were not in a position to take any action yesterday as neither the chief executive, Peter Robinson, nor the manager, Roy Evans, understood to be away on a scouting mission in Switzerland, were at the game.

Manchester United's Ryan Giggs, out for a month with a calf strain, came through a reserve comeback game at Nottingham Forest. Giggs, who set up the first two goals in United's 4-0 win, said: "The calf feels OK although it tightened up a little. I'll train this week and hopefully be available for selection next weekend."

United's latest Norwegian recruit, Erik Nevland, scored three times in the win over Forest. The 18-year-old is on an open-ended trial from Viking Stavanger and his fellow countryman Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: "I have to be honest and say that I don't know a thing about him, but he can certainly score goals."

Darlington yesterday sacked their manager, Jim Platt, just five months after he guided them to the play-offs at Wembley. Platt, who took sole charge after David Hodgson walked out on the club last December, has seen the Quakers lose five of their last six Third Division matches to drop into the bottom two in the table.

The Sunderland manager, Peter Reid, has spent his own money in an attempt to keep the Premiership newcomers out of the relegation zone. He has bought 2,000 shares, at a cost of pounds 300,000. Only the chairman, Bob Murray, the chief executive, John Fickling, and former chairman John Featherstone have a bigger stake. Reid has been promised substantial funds following the loss of goalkeeper Tony Coton and record signing Niall Quinn for the rest of the season.

"Peter sees it as an investment and I think when you get that sort of commitment from a manager in the Premiership, it makes a clear statement to everybody." Murray said. "He has a great feeling for the club and rapport with the public.

"The club is geared to running out in a new 41,500 all-seater stadium in August in the Premiership and we have the resources to overcome the injury blows."