Football: Palace promote Smith as Barnsley recruit Anderson

CRYSTAL PALACE and Barnsley appointed new managers yesterday, the board at Selhurst Park opting for the familiar in Alan Smith while Oakwell turned to the untested in Viv Anderson.

Smith gains his chance at Palace after three years as No 2 to Steve Coppell, who resigned last month in the wake of relegation to the Football League.

In the First Division next season, Smith will run into Anderson, Barnsley's new player-manager who has left Sheffield Wednesday taking Danny Wilson as his No 2. The 36-year-old ex- England full-back said: 'I have only been to Barnsley once before to play in a reserve game, but I know one or two of the players and David Hirst (ex-Barnsley) has told me a lot about the place.'

Anderson arrives on a free transfer, Wilson for pounds 200,000: both have signed three-year contracts. John Dennis, Barnsley's chairman, said: 'We felt the time was right for the club to inject a little bit of glamour.'

Andy Goram, the Scotland goalkeeper, has been told by surgeons in California that he will require surgery on both his injured legs. Donald Cruickshank, Rangers' doctor, said in Santa Monica: 'We won't know until after the operations whether Andy will be out for a few weeks or six months.'

Fifa, the game's global governing body, is proposing a remedy to the age- old club-versus-country controversy. The Zurich think-tank has suggested making all nations play internationals on a set number (probably between six and nine) of fixed dates. A working party will report to the next executive meeting in December. Fifa also decreed that from 1996, bucket-style seats would be compulsory at all World Cup qualifiers - a decision that will demand plenty of rebuilding work world-wide.

Professional referees moved a step closer when Fifa agreed a policy towards their introduction 'over the next few years'. Fifa praised Spain, Germany and Italy for their growing success with 'semi-professionals' - referees whose primary income is from the game.

Alan Sugar and Terry Venables, whose legal tug-of-war for Tottenham returns to the High Court on Tuesday, were pulling together yesterday - promoting the Makita International, the curtain-raiser to the season's curtain- raiser which kicks off next month. 'Irrespective of events at the club, everyone at Tottenham wants this tournament to be a success,' Sugar said. 'The Makita tournament is the most important thing, not one individual.'

The focus will be on individuals at the two-day jamboree from 31 July-1 August, notably Paul Gascoigne (with Lazio) and Glenn Hoddle (with Chelsea) - if, as mooted, the ex-Spurs playmaker leaves Swindon for Stamford Bridge. Ajax are also on the guest list.