Sporting Digest: Football

MICKEY LAWSON has been appointed manager of Meadowbank Thistle following the resignation, for business reasons, of John Brownlie. Lawson, a former player with the club, has been given a two-and-a-half-year contract.

THE playing staff at Hartlepool United have implemented a training strike after their salaries were not paid, for the second time this season. However, they will turn out for tomorrow's Second Division fixture at Bradford City. 'We have a cash-flow problem,' a club spokesman said.

DUNDEE and Clydebank were last night ordered to replay their Scottish Cup third-round tie at a neutral venue - Stirling Albion's Forthbank Stadium - on Wednesday, after a pitch invasion in the first match at Clydebank's Kilbowie Park last weekend.

MARSEILLE were yesterday banned from using their stadium for one match, after a battery was thrown at a television cameraman during their League match against Monaco last Friday.

SPANISH CUP Quarter-final second leg: Barcelona 0 Real Betis 1 (agg: 0-1).

FA TROPHY First round: Postponed: Worthing v Marlow (playing Monday). First- round second replay: Colwyn Bay 2 Stalybridge Celtic 1 (aet).

TRANSFERS: Warren Aspinall, midfielder, Portsmouth to Bournemouth ( pounds 25,000); Neil Gregory, striker, Ipswich to Chesterfield (loan); Sami Yla-Jussila, midfielder, HJK Helsinki to Colchester (trial).

WEDNESDAY'S LATE RESULTS: International friendly (Oakland, Calif): Russia 4 (Borodiuk 4, 45, 56, Radchenko 37) Mexico 1 (Garcia Aspe 25).

ENDSLEIGH LEAGUE Manager of the Month awards: First Division: Graham Turner (Wolves). Second Division: John Ward (Bristol Rovers). Third Division: Steve Wicks (Scarborough).