Football: Hateley's two-game penalty

MARK HATELEY and Rangers received good and bad news yesterday when they learned that the former England striker's European suspension had been doubled to two matches but that he would be free to play in the European Cup final if the Ibrox club reaches it.

Hateley's dismissal against Club Bruges 10 days ago appeared harsh but the Polish referee, Ryszard Wojoik, reported it to the Uefa disciplinary committee as a red card for violent conduct, which incurs an automatic two-match ban. There is no appeal.

Hateley will miss the potentially decisive European Champions' League match away to Marseille on 7 April and the game against CSKA Moscow two weeks later.

Having any team to put out is the worry for Barnet's manager, Barry Fry. He took his squad to Cardiff for today's top of the Third Division match amid allegations that all the players' wage cheques had bounced. 'The players decided to pay their own hotel bills in Cardiff but with this latest catastrophe, I don't know how we'll manage,' Fry said. The manager met Stan Flashman before departing and said that the chairman was prepared to sell the club.

The Middlesbrough defenders Alan Kernaghan and Chris Morris have been withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for the World Cup Group Three qualifier against Northern Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday because of injuries.

Lawrie McMenemy's England Under-21 squad is in ruins after six players pulled out of Wednesday's match against Turkey in Izmir. Rob Jones and Jamie Redknapp, of Liverpool, Manchester City's Garry Flitcroft and Mike Sheron, and Tottenham pair Darren Anderton and goalkeeper Ian Walker were the casualties.

Blackburn Rovers completed the pounds 2.5m signing of Kevin Gallacher from Coventry City after obtaining special dispensation from the Premier League to finalise the deal after the transfer deadline.

Kenny Dalglish, the Blackburn manager, agreed on Tuesday to pay pounds 1.5m for Gallacher with the unsettled striker Roy Wegerle making up the deal by moving from Ewood Park to Highfield Road. Rovers were granted an extension to the deadline because of a delay in receiving a written medical report on the player.

Dalglish's former club, Liverpool, have agreed a three-year contract with Mike Hooper, which could signal the end of Bruce Grobbelaar's Anfield career. The Zimbabwean is on loan with Stoke City, of the Second Division.