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Football: Sheffield United rate Kendall's loss at pounds 1m

Alan Nixon
Wednesday 25 June 1997 23:02 BST
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Sheffield United are to demand pounds 1m from Everton to compensate for the departure of Howard Kendall to Goodison Park. The Yorkshire club's chairman, Mike McDonald, who hired Kendall as manager 18 months ago, said yesterday: "I feel I have been kicked in the teeth."

McDonald, who is now in talks over recompense for Kendall with his Everton counterpart, Peter Johnson, added: "Everton value Howard Kendall enough to hand him control of their club. How do you put a figure on experience, know-how and a success rate?"

Kendall's first target when he begins his third tenure at Everton may be the England midfielder, Paul Ince. Johnson is believed to have guaranteed Kendall pounds 20m to rebuild the squad at Goodison Park and the signing of Ince, valued at between pounds 4m and pounds 6m by Internazionale, will be a priority.

"If I am going back to Everton I want the best," said Kendall yesterday.

Sheffield United drew up a managerial short-list last night headed by Bruce Rioch, the former Arsenal and Bolton manager. The First Division club have sounded out possible candidates, including Lou Macari and the former Republic of Ireland manager, Jack Charlton, but Rioch is emerging as the likeliest replacement for Kendall. he is not under contract as the assistant manager at Queen's Park Rangers, and there would be no compensation to pay if he left.

Other managers confirmed in new jobs yesterday were Jupp Heynckes, who signed a two-year contract with Real Madrid, John Toshack, who joined the Turkish side, Besiktas, and the former Danish international, Jan Sorensen, who took over at Walsall.

Bill Fotherby last night stepped down as Leeds United's chairman, to be replaced by a long-standing director, Peter Ridsdale. The club announced Fotherby's decision during a sponsors' evening at Elland Road.

Fotherby replaced Leslie Silver as chairman just over a year ago. He and Silver backed the club's takeover by the Caspian group last summer, and Fotherby was reputed to have made pounds 5m from the deal.

Ridsdale has links with the Burton Group, which was involved in past sponsorship deals with the club.

Fotherby's decision to step down is the latest event of a turbulent summer at Elland Road, where the chief executive, Robin Launders, also parted company with the club recently. He had quit as Manchester United's finance director following the Caspian takeover and his arrival was hailed as a coup. His brief was to transform Leeds' finances - but he did not live up to expectations.

The former Italian international forward Roberto Baggio has announced that he is to leave Milan. The club's newly-appointed coach, Fabio Capello, who has returned to San Siro from Real Madrid, has told Baggio and Dejan Savicevic, the Yugoslav international striker, that there will be no places for them next season.

The Cambridge United winger Paul Raynor, 31, is to join the Chinese club Guang Deong Wen Yuan. The former Nottingham Forest apprentice has agreed a one-year deal with the Cantonese side, who will pay a transfer fee of around pounds 20,000.

Dick Knight, the chairman of beleaguered Brighton, has insisted that the club will pay a pounds 500,000 bond to the Football League and avert expulsion. Knight has also completed a groundshare agreement with Millwall for next season.

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