Football: Beardsley seals his move to Fulham

KEVIN KEEGAN has signed his former Newcastle team-mate, Peter Beardsley, for Fulham on a free transfer from Bolton Wanderers.

Beardsley had been on a three-month loan deal at Craven Cottage, which expired last week. It had looked unlikely that a permanent deal could be agreed for the 37-year-old, with Keegan, Fulham's chief operating officer, originally saying they could not afford his wages. But the clubs have agreed a deal and Beardsley, who had seven months of his Bolton contract remaining, now becomes a Fulham player.

Halifax Town and Chester City are facing a stiff Football Association punishment after the referee Tony Leake confirmed he has included details of a mass on-field brawl that marred Tuesday's Third Division fixture at The Shay in his match report.

Halifax won the game 3-2 to move to the top of the table, but play was held up for five minutes as the home captain, Kevin Hulme, and Chester's Chris Priest exchanged blows and were joined by 18 other players.

Chester's manager, Kevin Ratcliffe, also left his dug-out to become involved, and Leake added that he had asked the FA to study the match video to ascertain Ratcliffe's involvement.

The Coventry City manager, Gordon Strachan, has used some of the funds generated by the sale of Dion Dublin to complete the signing of the Belgian teenager, Laurent Delorge.

The 19-year-old right-winger has joined the Sky Blues from Ghent for pounds 1.25m and has agreed a five-and-a-half-year contract. Delorge, a Belgian Under-21 international, said: "It has all happened so fast for me. I was playing in front of 500 people in the Belgian Third Division last year and now I am at a Premiership club in England.

"I think my strong points are that I am very fast and have good technique. I want to learn and hope the fans see me very soon."

Watford have signed the French midfielder, Alexandre Bonnot, for the remainder of the season. The 25-year-old started his career with Paris St- Germain.