Football: Durie is charged with misconduct

Gordon Durie, Tottenham's Scotland striker, was yesterday charged with misconduct by the Football Association for allegedly feigning injury - the first case of its kind in professional football.

The charge is based on the report by the referee, Dermot Gallagher, stating that Durie tried to get Coventry's Andy Pearce sent off during their game at White Hart Lane last Wednesday by pretending that Pearce had head-butted him.

The FA has studied the report and has decided that there is a case to answer. Durie has 14 days to reply and is certain to request a personal hearing, possibly with the aid of the video evidence which he has claimed will clear him. Doug Livermore, the Spurs team manager, said: 'We have looked at the video and it is clear that Pearce made contact with Durie.'

The FA spokesman, David Bloomfield, said yesterday: 'The charge is being brought on the referee's official report of the incident. The allegation that the player feigned injury is the first case of that nature we have dealt with.'

Both Durie and Pearce were shown the yellow card after the incident which ended with the Spurs player flat on his back after the head-to-head confrontation.

Tottenham were furious when Gallagher was quoted two days later, saying that Durie had feigned being head-butted in order to have Pearce sent off. They made an official complaint to the FA Premier League, criticising the referee not only for his comments about the Durie incident but also about his remarks over Spurs' performance in general.

Spurs issued a statement yesterday, saying: 'The club will strenuously defend the charge on behalf of the player. The club will call upon the evidence of a video of the game which clearly shows Pearce making physical, facial contact with Gordon Durie.'

The Middlesbrough physio, Mike Nile, has been charged by the FA with misconduct after allegations that he 'manhandled' a linesman at the end of the 2-1 defeat by Coventry at Highfield Road on the opening day of the season. The incident was reported by the linesman, Uriah Rennie, to the referee, Howard King, who reported it to the FA.

David Speedie, the Southampton striker, is to be charged with assaulting a fan after a match last season at Derby County while he was with Blackburn Rovers. The Crown Prosecution Service recommended Speedie be charged after studying papers sent to them by Derby police.

Yugoslavia's World Cup qualifying match in Reykjavik against Iceland, in European Group Five, has been postponed. Fifa has yet to reach a clear decision on the future of the divided nation.

Germany's World Cup-winning captain, Lothar Matthaus, has moved to Bayern Munich from Internazionale for pounds 3.15m.