Football: Ardiles refuses to quit

On the morning after the nightmare before, Tottenham insisted it was 'business as usual' with no board meetings or statements planned concerning the future of Ossie Ardiles, the manager.

Spurs' exit from the Coca-Cola Cup at the hands of the First Division's bottom club, Notts County, effectively ended their season unless Alan Sugar, the club's owner, is successful in his appeal against the ban from this season's FA Cup for financial irregularities. The six-point penalty also imposed has left them facing a struggle for survival in the Premiership.

Steve Hodge, the Leeds and former England midfielder, joined Queen's Park Rangers yesterday for pounds 300,000. The 32-year-old should make his debut tomorrow at one of his former clubs, Aston Villa.

One man who will not play is Stan Collymore. The Nottingham Forest striker injured a hamstring at Wolves on Tuesday, and will miss the match against Blackburn.

Gavin Peacock is likely to be out for four weeks after injuring his ankle during Chelsea's defeat by West Ham on Tuesday. Robert Lee, however, Newcastle's England midfielder, comes back from a groin injury to face Manchester United on Sunday.

Lionel Pickering, Derby County's owner, won control of the club last night following a boardroom battle with chairman Brian Fearn. Pickering used his 78 per cent shareholding at an extraordinary general meeting to take the chair from Fearn.

Dr George Waterhouse, the Nottingham Forest director, was suspended last night pending a call for his resignation. His future will be resolved at an EGM on 28 November. Dr Waterhouse was alone in refusing to approve the club's accounts, which showed a pounds 2.9m loss for the last financial year.

Kilmarnock confirmed yesterday that talks are underway with Celtic to settle the dispute over compensation for the departure of manager Tommy Burns.

Celtic have decided to pay the pounds 100,000 fine imposed for poaching Burns, who took over at Parkhead in July.