Sport in Short: Football

BARRY VENISON, the Liverpool and former Sunderland full-back, signed for Newcastle United yesterday for pounds 250,000. Venison said: 'If you leave Liverpool you are generally considered to be going downhill, but I think Newcastle is on a level with Liverpool. They are one of the biggest clubs in the country.'

TWO GOALS from Mark Bright and another from John Salako - fit again after the knee injury that sidelined him for much of last season - gave Crystal Palace a 3-2 win over the South African side, Kaizer Chiefs, in the first of their two friendlies in Johannesburg, watched by a 50,000 crowd.

TOUR MATCHES (Johannesburg): Kaizer Chiefs 2 (MacGregor 17, Khuse 21) Crystal Palace 3 (Bright 10, 78, Salako 65); Orlando Pirates 3 Mbabane Highlanders (Swaz) 1.

FRIENDLY MATCHES: League of Ireland XI 0 Celtic 5 (Galloway 30, Coyne 60, O'Neill 67, Nicholas 72, Morris 86); Raith 1 Hearts 2; East Fife 0 Hibernian 3; Buckie Thistle 1 Partick Thistle 3; Fraserburgh 1 Kilmarnock 1; Inverness Caledonian 2 Falkirk 7; Inverness Thistle 2 Motherwell 6; Brechin 0 Dunfermline 5; Nairn County 0 Aberdeen 6; Meadowbank 1 Arbroath 1; Stranraer 0 Ayr 3; Dunbar 1 Dundee United 6; Hawick Royal Albert 0 Alloa 1; Evesham 0 West Bromwich 4; Forfar 2 Raith XI 1.