Football: Everton search in vain for video

DON HUTCHISON'S attempt to clear his name after being sent off for elbowing Martin Keown looks doomed to failure - because there is no video evidence to support an appeal.

Neither Everton, who have their own television station, nor the BBC Match of the Day cameras captured the incident during Saturday's Premiership encounter. An Everton spokesman said: "We've looked at all the angles and there's nothing that will help. No camera captured the incident fully."

Hutchison is likely to have the support of Keown if he does decide to appeal. The Arsenal defender said: "He did go up with his arm but there didn't seem much in it." However, the Everton man faces a three-match ban, ruling him out of the Easter Saturday derby at Liverpool and home games against Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City.

A Football Association spokesman said: "Any appeal would need to be backed up with new evidence for us to consider asking the referee to look again at his decision."

The FA is also set to stage the Graeme Le Saux-Robbie Fowler misconduct hearing after England's European Championship qualifier against Poland. The chances of the hearing being staged before the Wembley match on 27 March are now remote, so the two players - if they are chosen for international duty as expected - will have to spend next week together with a cloud still hanging over them, following their altercation during the Premiership game at Stamford Bridge on 27 February.

The Scottish Football Association has fined Dick Advocaat, the Rangers manager, pounds 1,000 and "severely censured" him for his touchline behaviour in a Premier League fixture against Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park last month.

Advocaat looks set to sign his compatriot Michael Mols, the pounds 4m-rated Utrecht striker, who arrived in Glasgow for talks yesterday. Sheffield Wednesday are also chasing the Dutch international.

The Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy is remaining on loan at his former club, Crewe Alexandra, for the rest of the season - despite interest from Ipswich Town. Another First Division side, Norwich City, want to sign Leeds United's Scottish striker Derek Lilley on loan for the rest of the campaign.

The Norwich forward, Keith O'Neill, is set to leave Carrow Road. The Republic of Ireland international is talking terms with Middlesbrough, after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee.

Watford have signed Guy Whittingham from Sheffield Wednesday on loan for the rest of the season. The experienced striker has scored seven goals in nine games for Portsmouth during a loan spell at Fratton Park, but Alan Ball's club were unable to pay his wages for the next couple of months.

Allan MacDonald, 47, was yesterday confirmed as Celtic's next chief executive. The Scottish champions have recruited MacDonald from his present post as managing director of British Aerospace interests in Asia and Africa. He will succeed Fergus McCann when the latter steps down from the post at the end of the season.