Football: Brown targets Forest in bid for permanent job

NATIONWIDE LEAGUE

PHIL BROWN starts his campaign to become Bolton's manager on a permanent basis with the visit of Nottingham Forest in the Nationwide First Division today.

Brown, who stepped in on a caretaker basis when Colin Todd left, faces competition for the post from the former Liverpool manager, Roy Evans, and Sam Allardyce, a favourite with the Bolton fans from his days in the heart of the club's defence. Brown said: "Hopefully I can impress people enough in the games I have in charge."

Todd's departure was triggered by the sale of the Dane Per Frandsen to Blackburn and more players could follow as Bolton try to put their finances in order.

Birmingham can go top of the First Division if they win at home to Queen's Park Rangers, but Wolves, another of the promotion favourites, are still trying to recover from a poor start to the season. They have not won in the League since the opening weekend of the season, but their manager, Colin Lee, whose team visit Sheffield United today, remains confident: "The form of the team is OK - it's just the results which aren't so good."

"We were pleased with the way we played against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, just as we were pleased with the way we played against Huddersfield the week before, though we got nothing from that game. What we need to do is to turn our football into points."

While Wolves suffered in the Worthington Cup at the hands of Wycombe, bottom-placed Tranmere will have gained confidence from their victory over Coventry as they prepare for the visit of Charlton. "Our fans deserved the win in the Cup. Hopefully, we can start doing it regularly for them because they're certainly keeping me going at the moment."

Fourth-placed Huddersfield, who lost 7-1 at Barnsley last season, will have their 16-year-old goalkeeper Phil Senior on the bench as cover for Nico Vaesen when they visit Oakwell.

Unbeaten Fulham, in fifth, host a Crewe side buoyed by their midweek Worthington Cup victory over Ipswich, while next-to-bottom Swindon travel to Port Vale.

Portsmouth look to return to their fine early-season form when Grimsby go to Fratton Park, and crisis club Crystal Palace face a testing trip to unbeaten West Bromwich. In the First Division's other match sees Norwich, third from bottom, visit eighth-placed Stockport.