Otto in drugs arrest

ADAM SZRETER

Ricky Otto, the Birmingham City player, was arrested yesterday after police found cannabis in his car. The 28-year-old winger was stopped on suspicion of drink-driving by police in Hackney, East London.

Otto, an pounds 800,000 signing from Southend last season, passed two breath tests but was arrested when a small quantity of cannabis was discovered in the vehicle. He was released without charge after being cautioned.

The Football Association has asked Birmingham for their observations on the incident but, because the player has not been charged and has not failed any test, their powers may be limited. "We're expecting a report from the club," Clare Tomlinson, for the FA, said. "Depending on what that says we might have to refer the matter to our medical people. We take any incident involving drugs seriously, but before we can consider taking any steps we need to know the full facts."

Birmingham made it clear they will not be taking any immediate action of their own against the player, although it is not yet clear whether he will play in tonight's Coca-Cola Cup tie at Plymouth.

The Danish international, Brian Laudrup, is out of Rangers' European Cup tie against Anorthosis Famagusta in Cyprus tomorrow. Laudrup has failed to respond to treatment for an ankle injury. Three other injury worries, Stuart McCall, Gordon Durie and Alan McLaren, all trained yesterday.

Leicester are optimistic that the Department of Employment will reconsider their decision to refuse their Australian goalkeeper, Zeljko Kalac, a work permit. The DoE has denied Kalac a permit because he had not made enough "competitive" international appearances - a decision against which the First Division club immediately appealed.

Ghana defeated Brazil 3-2 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Sunday to win the Under-17 World Cup - the second time the Africans have won the event. Argentina beat Oman 2-0 for third place.

Bobby Robson, the former England manager, was discharged from hospital yesterday after an operation to remove a nasal cyst.

n British football lost one of its best-known voices yesterday with the death, aged 76, of Len Martin, after a short illness. Martin spent 37 years reading the Saturday results on Grandstand. Born in Australia but based in Britain since 1953, he joined the BBC programme for its first broadcast on 11 October 1958 and, up to this season, had not missed an opening-day appearance.