Sporting Digest: Football

COCA-COLA is to sponsor the Scottish League Cup with pounds 3m over the next four seasons. All 40 Scottish League clubs will benefit directly from the sponsorship which follows a season without a backer after Skol ended their 10-year association.

STEVE HOWEY, the Newcastle United defender, is expected to return at the start of next season. Fears that Howey's career could be finished because of injury have been allayed after a persistent groin injury was examined by a specialist. SCARBOROUGH gained their third chairman in six weeks when the local property developer, John Russell, took control of the club yesterday.

CLYDEBANK and Dundee yesterday received a 'severe censure' from the Scottish Football Association after a pitch invasion during the third round Tennents Scottish Cup tie in January.