The fact that these goals are mutually exclusive illustrates the magnitude of the problems ahead.Given these bare facts, an outside observer could be forgiven for surmising that the peace process is balanced on a knife edge. The population, one might think, must be in constant fear and trembling that at any minute the guns will open up again. Yet on the streets of Belfast and elsewhere, the prevailing assumption among residents and the province’s many recent visitors is that the violence is probably over for good.There are many reasons why people have, by various paths, come to hold that view Some simply hope and pray that the violence will not return. Sir Patrick Mayhew, the Northern Ireland Secretary, has been giving dire warnings about the IRA.

He recently told an American audience: “It is still in being, still maintains its arsenal, is still recruiting, targeting and training, still seeking funds.”

There is little reason to doubt that this is so. The IRA, one of the world’s most dangerous and long-lived terrorist organisations, still has a fearsome capacity to kill and destroy; so have the loyalist groups that carried out so many assassinations while the troubles raged.
Furthermore, neither set of terrorists has been given guarantees that the peace process will lead to what they want, a united Ireland or firmer links with Britain. In print, the car ads that run in women’s magazines stress safety over power, air bags rather than engines.The trend is set to continue, as advertisers, with their agencies, continue to target the female buying audience. Not just at Saatchi’s but elsewhere in the advertising business, the executives huddled around the chairman’s desk look more likely to be Laing clones than Maurice Saatchi lookalikes.. Out, or on the wane, are scenes of happy housewives gamely cleaning kitchen floors. The new breed of TV adverts features bright, powerful women of independence running their own companies, as in the Kenco coffee adverts. Sectors traditionally viewed as being male-oriented, like cars and petrol, are being promoted in a “unisex fashion”, says Kate Bruges, who handles the Esso account at JWT.

That reflects important social changes – for example, the fact that more women are working and working longer.Ads on TV in particular are beginning to reflect a different approach. Ms Rubenstein says: “Agencies began to realise it was a great advantage to appoint people to the team who intimately understood their target audience”.Clients have been convinced too. Yet until quite recently, 80 per cent of it was created and developed by men. Roughly 80 per cent of television advertising is targeted at the female audience.

Nobody is even sure where the name comes from – the most popular suggestion is that “morris” is a corruption of “Moorish” and refers to the practice of blackening the faces of some dancers.At its height in the late 1500s, morris dancing was suppressed by various acts of parliament and had almost disappeared by 1900, when the great morris revivalist movement began. Mark Vyvyan-Jones, of Bristol Rag Morris, explained that the earliest known reference is in a will of 1456 in which a woman named Alice bequeathed a bowl featuring an engraving of morris dancing. The spectators finished a close third with 22, thanks in part to their suggesting the best use of a stick: sell it to a dim-witted Australian as a straight boomerang.When questioned informally on what morris dancing is really all about, however, the winning side was less convincing. The two teams were required to answer questions on their specialist topics (morris dancing and not morris dancing, respectively), to prove their cultural credentials by completing a limerick beginning “A man who had bells on his knees”, to demonstrate financial control by transferring a pound coin from nose to mouth without use of the arms, and to find unusual uses for bells, sticks and handkerchiefs.The result was a complete vindication of morris dancing, their team emerging clear winners by 28 points to 221/2. He vowed to continue the unending battle of good against evil.The battle of morris dancers against abolitionists continued with a contest of wits. The opening polemic by Mr Braithwaite was roundly condemned in a stirring speech by Jonathan Knibs of Holt Morris, who accused Camda of representing “sinister forces in society” and being “a cankerous campaign hell-bent on world domination”.

When the poor fellow was dragged on to the green and forced to dance, however, his proficiency confirmed what most observers had suspected all along: Camda is nothing more than a front for the propagation of morris dancing.
Mr Braithwaite stoutly maintained his anti-morris position throughout the day’s events, but most of those present felt it was only be a matter of time before he was outed as a closet bell-jangler himself.The First Avon Morris Bashing Festival began with a display of dancing and ritual abuse before adjourning to the bar of The Dandy Lion for the main confrontation. Then a pack of outraged dancers pounced on his black-suited colleague, seized the flag from his grasp, and held him down while bells were buckled to his knees and his arms forced into morris garb. “I cannot be held responsible for my members if the dancing gets out of hand,” said Binkie Braithwaite, founder of Camda. “Shut up, I can’t stand it,” shouted the man in the black suit waving a huge Union Jack. “You’re vicious degenerates with no respect for British values.” The old-world charm of Bradford-on-Avon was disrupted last weekend by what had been billed as a cultural armageddon, the long- awaited confrontation between several groups of morris dancers and the recently formed Camda (Campaign for the Abolition of Morris Dancing Altogether). “Most people thought they wouldn’t see peace in their or their children’s lifetime The ceasefire has given us new hope It’s a lovely feeling.”. Niall, six, would ask: if the guns were bad, why did policemen carry them? Was it OK because they “shoot the baddies”?”I don’t support the IRA,” says Ms Ferguson “But I wouldn’t just want to say they were murderers.

John Hall will now lead the side.The Ireland captain, Terry Kingston, who has had a rib injury, was passed fit in Dublin yesterday before he and his team travelled to Wales for tomorrow’s wooden spoon match. We’ve been getting better and we’ll have to improve still more if we are to do anything in the World Cup.”England will make a decision on the fitness of their reserve hooker, Graham Dawe, this morning and have Gregg Botterman of Saracens rather than the Bath flanker-turned-hooker Gareth Adams on stand-by. Dawe strained a calf on Wednesday and did not train yesterday.In South Africa the England A captain, Steve Bates, has withdrawn from the team to play Natal tomorrow and has been replaced at scrum-half by Matthew Dawson of Northampton with Bates’s Wasps understudy Andy Gomarsall being flown in to sit on the bench. “We shouldn’t get too excited just because we’ve had four wins this season. “The world will not judge us on how we do in the Five Nations,” Ken Milne said as the Scottish team flew from Edinburgh to Heathrow. But we’ve still progressed significantly as a team and in terms of the style of play we saw was necessary when we were there last year.”Never mind the Grand Slam, a senior Scot yesterday warned. Maybe in 1990 they still hadn’t earned it.” The change is such that England are realistic World Cup contenders, though this is not a thought Carling will allow until tomorrow’s final whistle.”Conditions haven’t replicated what we will come across in Durban so it’s been hard to play the kind of rugby we know we need to play out there.

Carling insists it is the events of last year rather than five years ago that have impinged on English preparations for tomorrow’s encounter.
His England have long since moved on: “Now in world terms England are viewed with some respect, which they have earned. Will Carling lay back and thought of Scotland yesterday and came up with this unarguable conclusion about tomorrow’s Grand Slam match at Twickenham: “I believe if we fulfil our potential, then we will win the game. We are good enough.”

But then the England captain was made to think of the previous Grand Slam match at Murrayfield in 1990 and so to think again. “We were good enough in 1990 and we didn’t win the game,” he said. The club are working on the premise that Graham Dawe, 35, cannot carry on for ever and Wood, who plays in Limerick for Garryowen, has already signed his transfer form.. Quite apart from the England man’s stature, the club is concerned about the future of their Scotland lock, Andy Reed, after a back operation.Bath’s recruitment extends beyond Bayfield to Keith Wood, who two months ago was the most exciting new forward in the Five Nations’ Championship but has since lost his place as Ireland’s hooker to Terry Kingston and has been carrying a persistent shoulder injury.

This means his signature is still awaited, which in turn means his availability for league and cup rugby would be delayed at least until November. In any case, with Northampton playing their fellow relegation candidates, Harlequins, a week tomorrow, the projected transfer is heavily conditional.
But if he did make the move, it would be a coup of the biggest significance for the champions, what with Bayfield standing 6ft 10in. “It’s true the club have been in detailed discussions with him,” a Bath spokesman said last night. Much to Bath’s satisfaction, the Lions lock, Martin Bayfield – about to win his 22nd England cap – has told them that if Northampton are relegated he will be joining them next season, writes Steve Bale. “It’s fine saying the pressure doesn’t get to you but I had an awful feeling that I’d be standing out here saying that another year had passed me by,” he said.”I felt if we got to Thursday night without a winner you would see me hanging on a rope from the top of the stands.” The only hanging to be done now, though, is with the black and yellow silks of Master Oats, which yesterday gloriously earned their place in the Festival Hall of Fame.Results, report, racecards,page 45. The trainer insisted all week that he did not have to prove himself after winning a Grand National, but his mind contained a different message. And it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”For Williamson, and Bailey, there had been no need for self-justification, but there was nevertheless a sense of intense relief in the camp.

“I thought it was crazy being sent to Yogi Breisner [the horse and jockey tutor],” the rider said “But I went. “From the moment you start riding a pony you want to win a race at Cheltenham and the peak is the Gold Cup.”Norman thanked Kim, and Kim thanked Norman, which might have been unthinkable for those who witnessed a conversation when the trainer first signed up Williamson as stable jockey He suggested he should go for a riding lesson. “The money could pay for a new hostel for the lads,” the trainer said.Williamson himself was incredulous after a dismount which suggested his saddle has an ejector-seat facility “This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life,” he said. “I’m shell- shocked and I really can’t believe it’s happened.”When the reality emerges, Bailey will have to remember to collect the money he has won on Master Oats and Alderbrook He backed them both ante- post at 50-1. Staff at his Upper Lambourn yard might like to hold him to the offer he made yesterday.

“She can still remember every stitch she was wearing that day,” said Mrs Gray But Aisling, too, has learnt to joke. Aisling still suffers trauma after she and her family were held hostage by republican terrorists when she was just four. They are particularly relieved for their children, Aisling, Anthony, 10 and Roslin, 7, who have all been caught in crossfire. “Time for peace, time to go,” reads the inscription.The Grays have survived the last 25 years by turning personal distress and tragedy into comedy. This week Mrs Gray joked that peace has simply brought a change of persecutor – TV licensing vans are venturing into estates that were once considered no-go areas.Like the Butlers, they say the greatest benefit of the peace has been the relaxed atmosphere. A few streets away, a freshly painted mural shows a comic-looking British squaddie being transported across the Irish sea by a dove. Around Ballymurphy neat slogans demand demilitarisation and the disbanding of the RUC.

“Have you seen them on telly?”Today the television news has delighted the Grays: 400 troops are pulling out of Ulster. She says she “nearly died” the first time she was driven through the heart of the other side’s territory to pick up a patient Now she makes the trip twice a week Without the peace, she would refuse Her friend Anne-Marie thinks she is mad even now “They don’t want peace you know,” she insisted. When his stomach ulcer burst at Christmas he was rushed to hospital in a loyalist part of east Belfast. Mrs Gray, her daughter Aisling, 11, and her sister Angela, 34, roared with laughter as he described again how nervous he had been about entering the area, even as a patient in peacetime.

“He’s lying in the back of the ambulance and I’m trying to get his Sinn Fein T-shirt off,” giggled Mrs Gray.Since peace was declared, Angela, a care worker, has made her first trip to the Shankill for more than 20 years. Sinn Fein supporters, like most of their neighbours, they still believe they need protection from “the other side”.To say that Mr Gray feared Protestants would be a monumental understatement. Outside Mr Gray’s living-room window looms a 15ft brick and metal wall, winding into the distance. It has been completed since the ceasefire.Rising above the ugly RUC barracks, across the road, the new peace line adds to the eyesore but Mr Gray, 33, and his wife Eileen, 37, are happy to have it. “There’s a ceasefire but terrorists are still there,” he said.A mile away in republican Ballymurphy, a few houses from where Gerry Adams was raised, Tony Gray, a father of three, expresses remarkably similar sentiments He cannot believe he will ever walk down the Shankill Road. Yet Mr Butler admitted it would be a long time before he walked the Falls Road. “The Unionist politicians have failed us badly.”Some Catholics have even ventured into the Shankill Road.

How else could they have been outside the moment Operation Navajo – the investigation into soccer bribery – swung into action? Grobbelaar, we were told in newspapers the next day, looked tired No wonder. But it hardly takes a moment’s thought to reflect on the reason the footballer Bruce Grobbelaar suffered the indignity of being arrested in front of a media throng on Tuesday morning. The police will deny it. The reporters, photographers and camera operators won’t tell (sorry, we can’t reveal our sources, old boy).

Which is of course why Sinn Fein and the IRA would presumably think very hard before bringing down the best friend they will ever have in the White House. And tonight in the White House, it’s going to be very friendly indeed.. The red-carpet treatment could enrage Unionist hardliners to the extent that they pull the plug on the entire peace process; or worst of all, the IRA could pull the plug on Bill Clinton by resuming the armed struggle, a disaster that would send Anglo-American relations into the ice age and probably destroy his presidency. It may even be claimed that Mr Clinton is actually helping Mr Major, by providing a target for Loyalist fire that would otherwise be aimed straight at the Prime Minister.But everything could go wrong. This time, they argue, he is being rewarded for a ceasefire now seven months old, but is being told that Washington expects swift progress on IRA arms decommissioning.

Of what other white ethnic group, of what other issue, can that be said?Mr Clinton is, however, taking a huge gamble on Adams the Peacemaker. The Americans may maintain that the first visa they granted Mr Adams enabled him to discover first-hand that the mainstream Irish lobby, a crucial source of money and moral support, was weary of the conflict – and provided him with the clout to deliver that home truth to his colleagues. And that approval could be worth its political weight in gold. The 40 million Americans claiming Irish ancestry are anything but a monolithic electoral block, and half of them may be of Protestant origin But on Northern Ireland they support him overwhelmingly. Unlike their British counterparts, American papers do not groan under massive analyses of the demise of the special relationship – indeed, Mr Clinton’s Irish policy is generally approved. The next day, Mr Clinton ordered the visa be granted.And if the Irish vote was important to Candidate Clinton in 1992, it may be no less important in his battle for re-election now – not so much to stifle any challenge for the Democratic nomination, but to appeal to the middle-of-the-road white voters, many of them “Reagan Democrats” who voted Republican in the 1980s before returning to Mr Clinton four years ago.As a news story in the US, the Gerry Adams affair is nothing special, usually confined to the inside pages. Over lunch that day in a Washington hotel, Sir Patrick sounded confident to reporters that Mr Adams would not be allowed to raise funds.

An hour or two later, Senator Dodd made the case for Mr Adams during a round of golf with the President. The fate of Mr Adams’s fundraising mission was largely settled in the space of a few hours on 7 March. Another sibling, Jean Kennedy Smith, is the US ambassador in Dublin.And this is to reckon without Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, long an activist in Irish matters and now chairman of the Democratic party, de facto head of Mr Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign and one of the President’s closest political confidants. Hence his natural alignment with Teddy Kennedy, a long- standing leader of the Irish-American lobby, whose former foreign policy aide Nancy Soderberg is now at the White House shaping Irish policy from a senior post in the National Security Council. An Irish connection, moreover, cements Mr Clinton’s association with the Kennedys, that most magical of American political names, carried by a President on whom Bill Clinton has consciously modelled himself.

Wiranata appeared to be suffering with a calf injury and Susanto went on to win 15-12, 15-7.Results, Sporting Digest, page 47. Wright and Bradbury, who have reached No 3 in the world rankings after only six months of playing women’s doubles, trailed 6-12 in the final game against Lotte Olsen and Ann Jorgensen, a pair who beat them two months ago, and came back to win a startling match 15-0, 7-1, 5-12.
English chances looked to be disappearing when Olsen and Jorgensen took nine points in a row to take a six-point lead, but an improbable net shot from Wright, which rolled down the Danish side, earned the service back. This helped set up a six-point run on Bradbury’s serve included a remarkable retrieve from near the foot of the net by Bradbury that crept over at the tightest of angles and created a winner for Wright.That got English adrenalin pumping, and although the Danes twice won serve back at 12-all it was Wright’s perceptive interceptions and Bradbury’s mobility and smashing that secured a thrilling victory.Earlier, Mia Audina Tjiptawan became, at 15, the youngest All-England semi-finalist in history after saving two match points in the second game against China’s Wang Chen to win 10-12, 12-11, 12-11 in a 72-minute contest.A surprise later saw the second-seeded World Grand Prix title holder, Ardy Wiranata, beaten by his fellow Indonesian Hermawan Susanto in the quarter-finals. Joanne Wright and Julie Bradbury, England’s best hopes of an Olympic medal in Atlanta next year, produced a startling recovery to reach the semi-finals of the Yonex All-England championships at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham yesterday.

We think it’s sheer hypocrisy.”If the International Rugby Union Board, at its meeting in August, concedes some form of professionalism, it will find it harder to defend the ban on those allegedly tainted by “pay for play”.. It is at best a term of art and at worst simply bogus.”
The officials – who are investigating payments in rugby union – told the committee that players’ claims to be amateurs were “irrelevant” when it came to assessing whether they gained taxable earnings from the game. An official of the Personal Tax Division of the Inland Revenue refused to give specific instances, but mentioned the kinds of payment that would be assessed as taxable profits: money for loss of earnings, fixed expenses payments in excess of actual expenses, signing-on fees, and the provision of cars or housing. Mr Kaufman commented: “I take it that those examples all must exist somewhere for you to think of them so easily.”The committee heard “a plea for fair play” from Maurice Lindsay, chief executive of the Rugby Football League, who claimed that the rugby union ban on players who have played professional rugby league was “discrimination”.He described the recent concession – to allow rugby league professionals to play union after a “stand-down” period of three years, but only below national level – as “total balderdash”.All the members of the National Heritage Select Committee who spoke yesterday appeared to support his plea. John Maxton (Lab, Glasgow Cathcart) said: “Someone who has played American football at the very top can play rugby union, while someone who has played rugby league for money cannot.

Gerald Kaufman, the Labour chairman of the select committee examining the issue, told Inland Revenue officials: “What you have revealed in answer to my questions is that the word `amateur’ is simply not accurate when applied to people who play rugby union. The noose appeared to be tightening around the neck of rugby union’s amateur status yesterday as MPs gave a sympathetic hearing to rugby league’s complaints against its rivals, and questioned tax officials on the nature of payments to rugby union players. The best of enemies.HILTON’S FIVE-STAR YEAR19944 Mar Bath v Rugby (H) L 11-2112 Mar Bath v Wasps (H) W 24-826 Mar Bath v N’cstle Gos (A) W 29-52 April Bath v Harlequins (A) W 26-259 April Bath v Leicester (H) W 14-623 April Bath v Harlequins (H) W 32-137 May Bath v Leicester (Twick) W 21-928 May Barbarians v Goshawks (Mutare)W 53-92 June Barbarians v Matabeleland (Bulawayo)W 35-233 Sept Bath v Barbarians (H) W 23-1810 Sept Bath v Bristol (H) W 18-917 Sept Bath v Northampton (A) W 32-1624 Sept Bath v Orrell (H) W 32-138 Oct Bath v Wasps (H) W 12-915 Oct Bath v West H’pool (A) W 20-1822 Oct Bath v Leicester (H) D 20-209 Nov Scot A v S Africa (Melrose) W 17-1519 Nov Bath v Coventry (A) W 45-1026 Nov Bath v Loughboro’ S (H) W 65-73 Dec Scot Ex v S of Scot (M’field) W 25-910 Dec Scot Ex v Glasgow (M’field) W 34-1317 Dec Bath v L Scot (A) W 31-621 Dec Scot Ex v Scot N (M’field) W 41-1324 Dec Scot Ex v E’burgh (M’field) W 19-1619957 Jan Scotland A v Italy (Perth) W 18-1614 Jan Bath v Northampton (H) W 26-621 Jan Scotland v Canada (M’field) W 22-64 Feb Scotland v Ireland (M’field) W 26-1311 Feb Bath v Orrell (A) D 6-618 Feb Scotland v France (Paris) W 23-2125 Feb Bath v Northampton (H) W 26-64 Mar Scotland v Wales (M’field) W 26-13. These days he packs down in a front row also occupied by Victor Ubogu – and it is Ubogu, his own week-by-week comrade-in-arms who will pack down against him tomorrow.

Cuddle her when she cries, get her to discuss her problems with you. You will probably find that your daughter’s friend will corroborate her story. You must then go to the school and insist on action.In our case the problem was solved by a very sympathetic teacher who discussed bullying with the perpetrators. It seemed that they, too, had many problems.It took my daughter a while to recover her confidence, but now she is firing on all cylinders and has regained her happy composure.Anon, BelgiumN E X T W E E K’ SD I L E M M ADear Virginia,I survived being 30, I survived being 40, but next month I’m going to be 50. Even though I look remarkably young – miniskirts, good legs and virtually unlined face – suddenly I’m well and truly middle-aged.When I suggested a party my husband, who’s 55 but is rarely asked his age, was incredibly reluctant to go along with it. He said: “Why tell everyone what age you are when you look so much younger? Fifty’s the time to start lying.” I’ve never lied about my age, but I could always avoid answering directly.

Does anyone else have any advice about fudging the age figures? I’m nervous, both about lying and, frankly, admitting the truth.Yours sincerely, DianaAll comments welcome, and everyone quoted will be sent a Dynagrip 50 ballpen from Paper:Mate. I was at my wits’ end until, one night, my daughter finally spilt the beans.She had been subjected to cruel bullying, which had used every psychological trick in the book, including “If you tell anyone, we’ll make it worse for you.” My daughter wept as she told me what she had been going through The poor thing was terrified.Pat, talk to your daughter. I know my parents feel a bit guilty even now for “not doing enough” but really they were fabulous: I just had to deal with it in my own way.Anon, LondonThe mother who got involvedSome while ago, my daughter began to suffer sleeplessness at night, unwillingness to go to school, cold sores in her nose and, above all, silence Repeated visits to the school uncovered nothing. Although I didn’t let them help me in any practical way and pushed them away when they tried to comfort me, knowing that they would have done anything they could to make me happy kept me alive long enough to sort my life out.If Suzi does not feel she can accept Pat’s help, then Pat cannot help her, but help is not the same as support, and support is everything. I didn’t think they could help me – I couldn’t bear to admit my “failure” to them – and I wanted to be left alone.The only reason I didn’t kill myself was because I knew my parents would be devastated and I couldn’t bear to hurt them that much. My parents knew I was having a rough time but when they asked if everything was OK or if there was anything they could do, I muttered that I had a lot of work and escaped.

Do something.Elaine Murray, EdinburghThe daughter who coped aloneI became very depressed during my A-levels, not through bullying but through pressure of work, and I was convinced I was having a mental breakdown and would end up in an asylum I spent hours in my room crying, pretending I was working. I still feel sorry for that girl, and feel the school let her down, as it did my daughter.The sight of my daughter that afternoon haunts me – that was the physical manifestation of the pain and terror she had been going through for months. I still can’t forgive those at the school who deliberately misled me because they couldn’t deal with a particularly difficult child. But I couldn’t bring myself to do that.I still feel guilty, 10 years later, that I didn’t interfere more strongly. She had a history of choosing one victim at a time to harass and terrorise.The advice the school gave me was to have this girl charged by the police. Finally, her friend’s mum brought her home.This kind woman had cleaned my daughter up but couldn’t hide her cuts, bruises, tears and swollen, bloody face. The other girl and her friends had thrown my daughter into a muddy puddle and beaten and kicked her almost unconscious.When I reported this to the school I was finally told the truth The “bully” was a girl who had very many problems.

I believed the school’s version.My God, I wish I had trusted my daughter more.One afternoon my daughter failed to come home from school. When she continued to complain I wrote to the school.I was told it would be dealt with. I was told there was a problem with my daughter and the girl she claimed was bullying her – that both were causing the trouble. Very poor GCSE results and an emotionally battered child (bullying can cause lasting emotional damage); or, at very worst, no GCSEs at all and a funeral.For helpful leaflets and an information pack on bullying, send two first-class stamps and an sae to Kidscape, 152 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9TR.The guilty parent of the bullied childIf your teenage daughter is crying alone in her room, she is very unhappy – please try to help her.When my daughter complained of bullying I sympathised and gave her advice. While still only children, they’re faced with decisions about drugs, sex, boyfriends, contraception, as well as the stress of the changing structure of gangs at school. If Suzi has any sympathetic schoolfriends, now’s the time for Pat to ring up their parents and enlist their support in asking Suzi over.Without help, there are only two likely outcomes.

The fee equals the highest sum paid by a British club, although Andy Cole was valued at pounds 7m at the time of his move from Newcastle to Manchester United, the deal also involving the pounds 1m-rated Keith Gillespie.Ferdinand’s decision to join Newcastle disappointed Aston Villa, the only other club who agreed to meet Rangers’ asking price. I’ve signed a three-year contract and there’s no reason for me to go. It’s such a great club – the lads are fantastic and you’ve got everything here in Manchester.”Inter say they expect the transfer to go through today but a spokesman admitted: “The deal has not been officially completed yet because the player himself has not yet signed.”Ferdinand’s signing of a four-year contract at Newcastle followed hard on the heels of the capture of Wimbledon’s Warren Barton – on whom Keegan lavished a Premiership record for a defender of pounds 4m. Ince, who signed a three-year contract last year, had played down prospects of an Italian move in an interview in the club magazine only last week.”I think if I was going to Italy I would have gone last year when I had the contract dispute with the club,” he said “Now I don’t think about it. Mark Draper, valued at pounds 4m by Leicester, is earmarked as Ince’s replacement if the midfielder accepts Inter’s terms.Inter had a pounds 3m offer for Ince turned down earlier this week, but were given permission to talk to him last night after a meeting with United’s chairman, Martin Edwards. “However, there are still a number of details to be resolved,” Edwards said.

FOOTBALL

BY PHIL SHAW
Kevin Keegan continued his unilateral assault on the transfer market yesterday, taking Newcastle’s outlay to pounds 10m in the space of 48 hours when he paid Queen’s Park Rangers pounds 6m for their England striker, Les Ferdinand.Another comparable transaction may take Paul Ince from Manchester United to Milan, officials of Internazionale having last night agreed a fee for Ferdinand’s international colleague. No cash admission will be allowed.ENGLAND (4-4-2): Flowers (Blackburn); Barton (Newcastle), Cooper (Nottingham Forest), Pallister (Manchester United) or Scales (Liverpool), Le Saux (Blackburn); Anderton (Tottenham), Barnes (Liverpool), Platt (Sampdoria), Beardsley (Newcastle); Shearer (Blackburn), Sheringham (Tottenham).SWEDEN (probable; 4-4-2): Ravelli (IFK Gothenburg); Sundgren (AIK Solna), Lucic (Vastra Frolunda), Bjorklund (IFK Gothenburg), Kamark (IFK Gothenburg); Alexandersson (Halmstads), Thern (Roma), Erlingmark (IFK Gothenburg), Gudmundsson (Halmstads); Larsson (Feyenoord), K Andersson (Caen).Referee: L Mottram (Scotland).. A near full house is anticipated but 10,000 tickets remained unsold yesterday afternoon – they will be available until 4pm today. Only Majid Abdullah, whose 147 appearances for Saudi Arabia have recently been ratified by Fifa, is ahead of him.As this is England’s first home game outside Wembley since 1966, when they drew with Poland at Goodison Park, there will be much interest in the crowd. The IFK Gothenburg goalkeeper will win his 126th cap tonight, surpassing Peter Shilton’s record. Now 28, he has impressed in the Premiership with Nottingham Forest though Venables has long rated him – he revealed he had considered buying him for Tottenham.Sweden, dispirited and under strength, are probably the ideal opposition for England at the moment. Only four of the side that lost in the World Cup semi-finals to Brazil will be playing but it does include Thomas Ravelli.

If Pallister’s rib injury reacts badly to yesterday’s training John Scales will play.Cooper was a left-back at Middlesbrough, and it was only after he moved to Millwall that Mick McCarthy turned him into a central defender. Compared to Stan Collymore, who has been dropped, the Tottenham striker lacks pace and power, but he does have a far greater understanding of how Venables wants to play the game.This was evident as soon as he replaced Collymore against the Japanese. While Collymore had waited in vain for the ball, with the result that England’s forward moves became clogged by lack of movement, Sheringham dropped deep to create space for himself, and for midfielders to run into.Sheringham is one of six changes, including the entire back four where Gary Pallister is expected to be fit to play alongside Cooper, a former team-mate at Middlesbrough. Barnes, though unlikely to inflict bone-jarring tackles, is capable of, as he says, “getting a toe in”.To do this he will need movement around him, far more than England had against Japan on Saturday This is where Sheringham comes in. Barnes, not previously known as a fearsome tackler, assumes the mantle of Paul Ince and David Batty as the midfield anchorman.It is not as daft as it sounds, Barnes has filled the role with success for Liverpool and it could be the saving of his England career.England traditionally reserve this post for scrappers rather than passers but players who look good in the Premiership, where possession is always transitory and loose balls proliferate, struggle against opponents with a good first touch and an ability to pass the ball around them – like Romania or Brazil.Neither do they contribute much creatively. BY GLENN MOORE

A team designed not to lose was one assessment.

But a slight recurrence of the Achilles tendon injury which nearly ruined last season has left him with a few doubts to clear.Dennis Mitchell, America’s 100m bronze medallist behind Christie at the last Olympics and World Championships, expressed surprise that he would be in a separate 100m to the one in which Christie is racing in tonight. “There are areas of my hurdling that I can still improve on,” he said.John Regis, who has recently returned from winter training in California with John Smith’s group at UCLA, opens his grand prix season in the 100m and 200m alongside Linford Christie. This year Jackson, 28, believes he can threaten his own world record of 12.91sec, given the right conditions. But in the 110m event, the Welshman has not been beaten since just after he won the world title in August 1993 when he was third in Berlin behind another American, Jack Pierce, and the Olympic champion, Mark McKoy.Since then, he has recorded 29 straight victories, including successful defences of the European and Commonwealth titles. Also in the line-up is his fellow Welshman, Paul Gray, who broke through last summer with a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games behind Jackson and Tony Jarrett.Not present is the man who ended Jackson’s unbeaten run indoors this year – albeit with the same time – America’s world indoor champion, Allen Johnson.

When I asked him why, he said: ‘It’s better for them to experience it than read about it’.”Those facing the Jackson Experience tonight include the 6ft 7ins European silver medallist, Florian Schwarthoff of Germany, and America’s world indoor silver medallist, Courtney Hawkins. “He didn’t know on Monday if all the other main hurdlers would be in Rome,” Arnold said yesterday “But he said he hoped they were out there. All indications are that he will serve emphatic notice of his intention to retain the world 110 metres hurdles title this summer.Jackson, who returned to Britain 10 days ago after three-months’ training in Florida, is in fine shape, according to his long-time coach, Malcolm Arnold. As for the late fun, Connor struck six boundaries and then removed Darren Maddy for a duck and Briers for one..

ATHLETICS

BY MIKE ROWBOTTOM
Colin Jackson makes his outdoor debut at the Golden Gala in Rome tonight, the opening European grand prix of the season. John Stephenson, though, who had contributed 43 to a partnership of 56, took a six off Parsons to go to his half-century.Parsons gained his revenge the very next ball while Hampshire continued to do things by halves, Nicholas reaching his second fifty in successive innings and Giles White top scoring with 62. Terry, pushing forward, then became a disgruntled legbefore victim against the bowling of Gordon Parsons.When Paul Whitaker, who had marked his first-class debut last year by helping himself to 94 against Leicestershire, became the first of five scalps claimed by the wicketkeeper, Paul Nixon, Hampshire were 91 for 3. Here, the bulk of the run-making consisted of three steady half-centuries and a late blast from Connor in evening sunshine to bring up the 300 in the 97th over.Conditions early on had favoured the seamers, Sean Morris taken at slip off the shoulder of the bat in Alan Mullally’s second over and Paul Terry struggling for over half an hour prior to getting off the mark.

On the one hand, win or lose, they have had plenty of opportunity to put their feet up, even if season-ticket holders may have grumbled about being short-changed.Of the five matches each have played prior to their meeting at May’s Bounty, only Leicestershire, on just one occasion, had experienced a fourth day’s play but then, thanks to Cardigan Connor, they appeared to be treading a well-worn path.Still, there should be plenty of scope for prolonging the action on this compact ground upon which Hampshire and Nottinghamshire shared over 1,300 runs last season and Mark Nicholas and Nigel Briers are in a positive frame of mind right now, the sides they lead on a roll and looking to complete a hat-trick of Championship successes.Hampshire’s batting had been their downfall until they feasted on Sussex and cleaned out Glamorgan. I know that several of my friends will be coming and they’ll be right behind me It will give me quite a buzz.”. BARRIE FAIRALL

reports from Basingstoke
Hampshire 319Leicestershire 7-2These two, you might assume, would be well geared up for a return to three-day cricket, judging by the way things have gone for them thus far. I had one or two trials but they had Phil Carrick on the staff and another guy in the seconds and they wanted to give him a try.”It was disappointing but I realised there were other people from Yorkshire who had found success elsewhere and at the end of the day all I wanted to do was play first-class cricket.”I feel proud to play anywhere for England But to do it in Yorkshire is special. If a second chance in Test cricket excites him, to be given it here makes it special indeed.”I wanted to play for Yorkshire. And I’m probably a lot more street-wise than I was four years ago.”Curiously, given that the Leeds ground was the focal point of his boyhood aspirations, this will be his first first-class match at Headingley He was born in Greengates, barely five miles away. I still try to keep things tight; it is no good getting 5 for 150 and losing the game.

Laura Davies shrugged off a 10-day break from golf with yet another impressive display with a 68, four under par, in the opening round of the Evian Masters here yesterday, writes Bill Johnson from Evian.
“I am amazed how well I hit the ball after a rest,” said the swashbuckling Davies, whose only dropped shot was at the third where she drove into a bunker. He also has two mounts – the 11-year- old Loch Alan and Cosmopolitan, who is eight.Ian Stark, who was runner-up last year on Kilcoran, will attempt to go one better on the eight-year-old Forest Glen. The Scot is already short- listed for September’s European Open Championships.WORLD THREE-DAY EVENT RANKINGS (Standings in global section): 1 B Davidson (US) 311pts; 2 M Ryan (Aus) 181; 3 A Nicholson (NZ) 169; 4 M Thomson (GB) 146; 5 K Gifford (GB) 120; 6 K O’Connor (US) 108.. The New Zealander should get off the mark at Bramham, where he rode Aspyring to victory last year.

This time he has two nine-year-old mounts: Chesterfield and Darby.William Fox-Pitt, who was in the lead at Badminton until Chaka failed the last horse inspection, will be hoping for better fortune this weekend. Voinea, the 20-year-old Romanian qualifier who eliminated Boris Becker in the third round, had amused the crowd by waving his arms in the air in mock triumph, and they did not appreciate Chang’s reluctance to join in the fun.”I actually thought he was conceding the match,” Chang said, adding that he was not inclined to participate in antics which might break his concentration The result: 7-5, 6-0, 6-1.. EQUESTRIANISM

Blyth Tait, who won the global section of the Land Rover World Rankings last year, will be hoping to open his account for 1995 when he competes at the Toyota Bramham Three-Day Event which begins today in Yorkshire, writes Genevieve Murphy.
Having been forced to withdraw from the Badminton and Windsor three-day events because of problems with his horses, Tait has yet to acquire any points towards this year’s rankings. He declined to indulge in a handshake proffered by his opponent, Adrian Voinea, who had just halted a losing sequence of 13 consecutive games after failing to convert two set points at 5-4 in the opening set. “I thought he was going to default, so I stopped my legs, and he started playing well.”Chang also managed to fall foul of the crowd, by allowing professionalism to overrule a sense of humour.

If anything, the Italian’s physical problems had a bigger affect on Bruguera.”I saw he was hurt and I thought he couldn’t run any more, and then I relaxed too much,” the Spaniard said. “I thought he couldn’t run, and it was a sort of test,” he said.Furlan, who failed to convert seven break points in losing the opening five games, did not blame the nagging injury for his defeat. The Spaniard was greeted by boos from a section of the crowd, but the only other occasion he incurred further displeasure was when he played a drop-shot to win a point shortly after Norris had applied a support to Furlan’s injured left thigh.Bruguera explained that he simply wanted to explore the extent of his opponent’s problem, which seemed a sensible thing to do. Bruguera, the champion for the past two years, and Chang, who in 1989 here became the youngest winner of a Grand Slam men’s singles title (17 and three months), advanced yesterday to meet in the semi-finals, Muster and Kafelnikov having already made their appointment.Not least of their considerations is the mood of the spectators, who have become increasingly responsive to the behaviour of the players since Bruguera’s five-minute protest over a line call during his fourth round match against Magnus Larsson.Bruguera feared a hostile reception when he returned to the Centre Court yesterday, but he managed to negotiate a laborious win against the Italian Renzo Furlan, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2, with a minimum of jeering. “He told me, ‘I’m going to get back and ready for Wimbledon’. He’s really determined.”Determination is likely to be the deciding factor among the men Agassi left behind to finish the duelling here at Stade Roland Garros. “I don’t really know how fast his recovery time is from something like this.”A thoroughly depressed Agassi had an earnest conversation with Norris on leaving the court here after Kafelnikov had ended the American’s sequence of 18 consecutive Grand Slam wins from the start of last year’s United States Open through the Australian championships in January “He was close to tears,” Norris said.