Football: Portsmouth ring changes

Portsmouth were yesterday put up for sale, because of the worsening health of their chairman, Jim Gregory. No price has been put on the First Division club but Gregory's son, Martin, has said they are looking to recoup their multi-million pound ou tlay and added that there have already been "one or two approaches".

A statement from the Fratton Park club, who were recently refused permission to relocate to a site at Farlington, said: "Mr Gregory's health has severely deteriorated over the last 12 months and because of this his family have come to the conclusion thatit will be in the best interests of the future of the club if a purchaser can be found for their shareholding.

"However, until this occurs the club will continue to be run and managed as it has been for the last six years."

Gregory, 66, became a self-made millionaire through the motor trade and in 1965 he bought control of Queen's Park Rangers. He sold out for £5.8m in 1987 before suffering near- fatal heart trouble. He recovered and came out of retirement a year later to buy out Pompey's long-time chairman, John Deacon, after they had been relegated from the First Division. Deacon's son, David, is the club's vice-chairman but he has ruled out trying to buy it back.

Martin Gregory will step down with his father and he said: "A new broom will want to do things his way."

The situation will be closely watched by Jim Smith, who was appointed by Gregory as manager in 1991 and who recently has been able to reverse the team's fortunes after a poor start to the season.

Debt-ridden Gillingham have been put up for sale. The receivers, called in because of mounting cash problems, are hopeful the club will attract potential buyers, and have compiled a prospectus ready for interested parties.

The Leicester youth-team coaches, Tony McAndrew and Kevin MacDonald, have added to Mark McGhee's problems at the Premiership's bottom club by resigning just five weeks after his appointment as manager.

The pair took charge of the first team for three matches following the dramatic departures of the manager, Brian Little, the coach, John Gregory, and the assistant manager, Allan Evans, in November. All three are now with Aston Villa. However, MacDonald insisted he and McAndrew had left on good terms. He said: "We just felt it was time for us to move on and look for something else."

A third Premiership club, Coventry, have looked to Eintracht Frankfurt to bolster their squad. The Sky Blues yesterday signed a central defender, Jochen Kientz, on two weeks' loan from the German club with a view to a permanent signing.

The West Bromwich Albion chairman, Tony Hale, has vowed to make Tottenham pay up in his long-running dispute with his counterpart at White Hart Lane, Alan Sugar. Albion are still attempting to secure compensation from Spurs for appointing Ossie Ardiles as their manager in June 1993.

Ardiles has since been sacked by Sugar but Hale is determined to fight on. "Some people may think that it is time to forget about the whole thing," he said. "But I'm in this game to fight for West Bromwich Albion and for what I believe is right. Alan Sugar may have battered the FA twice in winning back the six points and the FA Cup place, but he will not get the better of us."

Albion are waiting for a date when they will be able to put their case to an FA panel.