Ridsdale quits Leeds to pursue new career

Peter Ridsdale, the former Leeds United chairman, has severed all links with the club. Leeds said in an announcement to the Stock Exchange yesterday that Ridsdale was leaving the club's plc and football boards.

"Peter has other business interests that he wishes to pursue and we have agreed that it is in the best interests of both parties that he stands down from the board of Leeds United and of the football club," the new chairman, John McKenzie, said.

Ridsdale resigned as chairman two weeks ago after admitting that the club was £78m in debt. He came under fire from fans following the sale of several key players as the team languished near the foot of the Premiership table.

The Football Association is poised to overturn its self-imposed ban on players representing England in friendlies when they are serving domestic suspensions for violent conduct.

An FA spokesman said: "We no longer feel it's fair that domestic suspensions should be carried over to the national team when this is not the case in other countries. Obviously, we want to provide the England coach with every opportunity to field his strongest side."

Uefa has extended by four days the FA's deadline to reply to disciplinary charges following crowd disturbances at England's match with Turkey in Sunderland on 2 April.

The European game's governing body will make its decision on whether to punish England on 1 May. It is possible England will have to play their Euro 2004 qualifying match against Slovakia at Middlesbrough's Riverside stadium behind closed doors.

The Republic of Ireland manager, Brian Kerr, has named the Bohemians striker Glenn Crowe among his squad to face Norway in a friendly in Dublin later this month.