Graham seeks space for Cadete

George Graham has attempted to add quality to the Leeds' attack with a pounds 4m bid for the Celtic striker Jorge Cadete, according to reports in Portugal. But the Glasgow club is reported to have rebuffed the offer.

The Portuguese striker is quoted as saying: "There are some English clubs interested in me, but I am enjoying staying with Celtic and will probably honour my contract until 1999."

It adds Cadete, who scored the equaliser in last night's 2-1 victory at Raith in the Scottish Premier League, is in the middle of negotiations to extend his contract with Celtic until 2001.

Graham, desperate to bolster Leeds' blunt attack, watched Cadete score a hat-trick against Kilmarnock last Wednesday. It had been thought the Leeds manager was watching Celtic's unsettled Pierre Van Hooijdonk. The Dutchman has since been linked with a move to West Ham. Celtic would not let both him and Cadete leave.

Cadete has scored seven goals in his last three matches. His season's tally now stands at 20 goals despite missing several games.

The freezing weather wrecked havoc on fixtures in England last night. Thousands of furious Manchester City fans made a fruitless trip London when their FA Cup third-round tie at Brentford was called off just two hours before kick-off. To add to the chaos, Manchester City directors in London for the game only found out on the radio.

The club secretary, Bernard Halford, said: "No one informed us that the match was off. We heard it on the radio and apparently it was a late decision."

Mick Fletcher, the match referee, was driving from his Midlands home to Brentford unaware the pitch was freezing as temperatures plummeted. He admitted: "Brentford officials were apparently trying to contact me in the afternoon. I was on my way but I don't have a mobile telephone. I left my home at 3pm and apparently I was told the pitch was playable then.

"I don't think Brentford were anticipating the temperature would drop so severely. Nobody contacted me and I didn't know anything about the pitch inspection until I got to the ground. It's up to the club to get in touch with me. At 5.30pm I had a look at the pitch and one side of it was badly affected by the frost. I appreciate the fans had travelled a long way but we have to take note of the weather conditions and players' safety is first on the agenda."

City fans were still outside the ground an hour after the match was called off, demanding an explanation of the situation.

In Kent, Gillingham's match against the Premiership club Derby County also fell victim to the rapidly falling temperatures. A frozen pitch caused the FA Cup third-round tie to be abandoned after 66 goalless minutes.

Elsewhere, the match at Vicarage Road between Watford and Oxford was called off minutes before kick-off. The freezing pitch had deteriorated since the final inspection.