The Independent from London, Greater London, England • 30

THE INDEPENDENT kirtrtt Monday 29 September 2003 athletics Itofat'tfMnMilymarf sinuliM nwithon rscoiifi NEE 25 SPORT GOLF DunhDI iMIht WMtwood scam biggest pay day Beckham's injury fear for Turkey showdown 30 FOOTBALL byjonCuixey the first day after the he said. "If hurting at the moment and well have to wait and see. But I natty dont know1 about the England game. Tm not sure if be fit for Wednesday, that's up to the doctors and me to decide, rve got a couple of days to recover -IhopeitwabeOKbutrmnot Sure. "Turkey Is two weeks away and we have got a lot of important games before men.

IH concentrate on them first before worrying about Turkey." After the Rxtotrfc Madrid haveaflx-ture against Espanyoi in the group and Qualify automatical ry for next year's finals, avoiding the uncertainty of a play-off. Beckham, who joined Real from Manchester United in June, has made an Impressive start for the Spanish champions and has looked particularly at home In his new central-mid-fteld rote, so much so that he made a thinly disguised hint yesterday that he would Hke to occupy a similar position in Eriksson's tactical thinking Tve enjoyed playing in the middle for Madrid and I hope to stay he said. "But you'll have to ask Mr Eriksson about England, rve enjoyed playing in the middle for Real DAvm' beckham wet alarm bells ringing far England's critical European Championship qualifier in Istanbul in a fortnight's time when he had to sit out Real HadricTs training session yesterday as a result of a toot injury suffered during Sat-urday evening's 2-0 defeat ii Valencia. The England captain played the full 90 minutes at the Mestalla stadium but was dearly In some discomfort when he appeared at a press conference at Bears Las Roaaa training complex yesterday. Chib doctors said that Beck-lmm hud acute frifliimiimtftm the sole of hie right foot and Madrid and hopehittyni cany on that position.

Tor the national teem I play a more right-sided rote and that's by me. Ifl move Into the middle that's great, but for the moment I'm happy just to be playing and enjoying it." Gossip continues to bubble about Beckham's private life amid reports that his wife, Victoria, is unwilling to move to Madrid, leaving the player to face a laaety existence living in a hotel suite. Rumours of a rift in the couplers marriage were not helped yesterday when pictures of Beckham chatting to a girl in a Madrid nightclub appeared in an English Sunday newspaper complete with analysis of the pair's body language taken from nine minutes of a dubgo-ert videotape. His Spanish-speaking per- TTT1 fTTtTtr1t. RfffeCtia TiOOS, was asked if she was the girl in the pictures, but replied: Tm a PA for David and Victoria but Tm not allowed to speak to jour-nansts." Beckham did not deny his presence In the dub, after the game against Malaga last weekend, fpiiiiifl that he was merely trying to wind down.

"I always sleep poorb after any game because Pm so hyped up," he said. "Last night after the Valencia match I dkint get to steep until six o'clock." Valencia took advantage of a woeful performance from Real to go to the top of the table. The '2008 came at Real with all guns blazing and were rewarded with an early goal by Mista, a former Real player. The home side reverted to a more defensive approach but idledtomake any headway, wkh Thwdhwi TMhim WnmlAi and Beckham suffering a collective off-day. Valencia soaked up pressure and hit Seal on the break, their second goal arriving after 71 minutes through OEveira.

Prafnlsnhip reports, pages 28-29 YESTDtfOTSPREMIERSHP RESULTS Blackburn 0 Fulham 2 Charlton 3 Liverpool 2 Everton 4 Leeds 0 Man City 0 Tottenham 0 with a groin injury before the Euro 2004 qualifiers against Mftujwia an IJyhfowiftylii but recovered to play, and the England coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, will hope his captain is strong enough to overcome this setback. England lead Turkey by a point but need to earn at least a draw to win their Prvnetn liga next Sunday. Beckham was si MOTOR RACING Ferrari driver needs one point from last race to secure record sixth title as penalty ends Montoya's challenge Rain master Schumacher on the brink of history would require physiotherapy and rest for an unspecified ported Be sustained the damage when he landed heavily on his right foot after the studs of his left boot caught in the turf as he tooka free-kick late in the game. Beckham fears he will miss Wednesday's Champions' League match against Porto in Portugal and admitted he is unsure about whether he win recover in time for England's vital Group Seven match on 11 October. "Ifs hard to tell because it's By David tkkmaxne in Indianapolis runners, but already Montoya wasmtroubteafterapoor start and then a clash with Rubens BarrlcheOo on the second lap.

The race stewards studied video of the incident and even-tuaUy levied a drive-through penalty on the OqjnrtiMaii on the 21st lap. By then he had also been delayed during hi pit stop on the 17lh lap as the fuel Docile nfusedtoengagecfeanfc losing him at least five seconds. Raikkonen had made the best of pole position to lead the first 19 laps until stopping for fueL Ran Schumacher's initial challenge soon evaporated as he refuelled on lap 15, by which time the track was drying again. Then the ram returned with a vengeance on lap 17, and these conditions clearly favoured Bridgestone's drivers. Five laps later Ralf crashed Ins BMW-Williams.

Crucially; his elder brother stopped for rain tyres that lap, having already refuelled on lap 20 and gambled on staying on dry tyres. That gave Mark Webberabrief moment of glory leading a lap for Jaguar, but then he spun and crashed. David Coulthard also lasted a lap in the lead, but the Scot was still on dry weather tyres and soon dropped back calamitously. That promoted Jenson Button to the lead for the first time the BARHonda. Behind him, Heinz-Harald Frentzen was chasing hard for Sauber-Petronas, but Schumacher was catching them both.

THE MONDAY Ferrari's Michael Schumacher salutes his victory in the FOR 17 laps of the United States Grand Prix here yesterday, Mphj Schumacher was the 2003 world champion, Once he had taken the lead from Jenson Button on lap 38, on the way to the 89th victory of his career, and his rivals Kknl Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya had stumbled, be was on course to score the points needed to win a record sixth crown and move clear of the legendary Junn Manuri Fangkx However, when Raikkonen moved up to second ptece on tile 55th lap, the points deficit came down to nine and the Finn gained sufficient respite to carry the fight through to Japan In a fortnight It was yet another diffnang-en 2003 style, but though there were plenty of clouds the only one for Schumacher was the 1jgptVf1 tHft tllagqlly passed OthierPanis for third place under waved yellow flags on the fifth lap. Martin Scorsese could not have written atetter screenplay after qualify lug; the third-placed driver in the championship fight, Raikkonen, an pole position, the second-placed man, Montoya, fourth and the leader, Schumacher, onry seventh. ThayHj to fltffllpfiPSjto fofoflff further, there wasahaustorm20 minutes before the race, and though the trade was dry for the Start it rained again by the second lap. The eatty laps were thus a kafeUoscopic mish-mash of overtaking moves. Schumacher had leapt from seventh to third at the start, but fell back as me light rain favoured Mlchefiirs Frentzen offered only token resistance on lap 33, and soon the gap to Button shrank from 6.5sec on lap 33 to 0.245 on lap 87.

At the start of lap 38, Schumacher pushed through ahead Oaf ttlC fiuiflllXIlfill fflfl lllK Getty Images "We lost the race because we were unlucky with the weather. What can you do? Raikkonen said "Things are a lot more drfflcutt, but at least we are still In the But only just, Raikkonen's chances are on life support Drivers' standings. Digest, pafs 21 toil ft O'Neill says move to Spurs is 'not an option' BY MASK FKRSON MARTIN rNEHXi appears to have ended speculation over his managerial future by commit' ting himself to Celtic, CNem admitted that he did meet the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, in the summer when Celtic returned home from Seville following their Uefa Cup final defeat against Porto, but revealed that his secret assignation in London was to discuss Spurs' interest in buying Henrik Lars-son and the up-and-coming striker Craig Beattie. "The subject of a Job for me at White Hart Lane was never discussed," O'Neill said. "There was a substantial amount of money offered for Craig but I turned it down.

No concrete offer was made for Henrik, certainly not the Sm I have heard talked about "I told David Pleat that I couldnt prevent them from making a bid for Henrik. But I also made it deer to David and Daniel Levy that, whatever they offered, I would recom-mendto the pk: board that they reject the bid." If anyone was still questioning his loyalty to Celtic, O'Neill had further words to dissuade them. "I dotft earn as much as you think, believe it or not, and funnily enough, I earned more at Leicester. "How many times do you want to ask the same thing? How many times do you want to be wrong?" Cattle, paga 26 THAT 5 0. 9 card.com I rt lM US Oat mat kMutta mm I 10 IvUiMf Old UNITED SKIES GRAND rTODEDULS fanteam scan the first corner, and that was that White it lasted, it had been an impressive and confident performance from the BAR-Honda driver, but sadly it came to an end on the 42nd lap when his engine let him down.

lyokiMkpt. 1SIVnu0Mli) MhadHM-Mtapi; 11 a Mm (Dm) TfORnhmitvolkKilSMWWtelfcai BMW21iRBniiB)Fimila MIUNi USrtmu 1iimi.l7mi, CoSmlDrf fllMShMjK 1 Fmri 147pk; SJordnlSiMMMidO. by Victor 1 BdHaaadr KM FMl1hrSSnhSS.9aiki IKHniima ffto) MdJuiMuiiln-HSJ 4JMSM IWSMd (Qtt) SlrHam IBM UPBimnW DMW1 nrtltum i- r.Hii a 3B) T- Jaauv9N CROSSWORD OVERMAfT RATE TO CARD at Indianapolis yesterday "This was a very important outcome for my position for the championship, Schumacher said with great understatement TM so pleased, ifs such an emotional day today, so fantastic, after not a great qualifying performance, a great start and then falling back on slicks, then back on weta. There was everything in it lb win tins one at such a crucial stage meant a lot And those yellow flags? He had a sharp retort to the allegations: 1 knew where they started and passed Funs well before them." Panis, however, was adamant. "Michael passed me after the flags, and dkm't lift off," he said.

After deliberation, McLaren and Williams dedded not to lodge a protest on the rocky road to going Ian McCeechen, the Scotland rugby union coach, on his sides World Cup prospects, TOP TEN RYDER CUP POINTS STANDINGS LVfManodCEna) RJacquaaatm 384saiT A Jbnanaz (Sp) 3711061 32736257 30361.81 26101.81 348,766.26 ikO 232,64000 178,786.28 isasoooo WEATHER WATCH YMmII (NsartSoim raK unrantK nwiv GMnwm) Shawm Evening tcnapsratuiiB: 8C ON THIS DAY 29 SEPTEMBER John Cobby the holder of several speed reccnta, died in 1952 whan his boot Crusader disintegrated after hitting boatwake during a world water speed record attempt on Loch Ness. He became the fastest rnan on water at 2069rnph, but did not break the record as the accident occurred before he could complete a second run over the measured mse. Sports detffc: 020 7006 2847 eistl' aponirriapandantooLUk IPMIarrjag) DCJarhaOifeO MlaajbarOMIO DHowaKM) PHcttaayOIsp Simon (Swa) NFaaAOM United States Grand Prix "Ifs disappointing, of course," Button said as he watched the first porthim place of Ins career sup away yet again. "But the good thing is that an year I believe that rve driven to the very best of my ability and got the most out of the car. That's a good feehng that I can take away with me whatever happens." Now Schumacher had done enough.

Raikkonen was only fourth behind the two Saubers, Montoya was lapped in ninth place, out of the points. But the race was not yet over. As the track dried, Raikkonen caught the Saubers and the eight points for second kept him in the hunt Further back, Moe-toya eventually caught Gian-cario FMchella'a Jordan, but sixth place was one too tew. SUMMARY FOOTBALL 1ha striker DavU Banoau. has been called up by The Arsenal maragsr.Aisene Wanger, for tomorrows Crarnpions' League game at Lotamotiv Moscow.

CRICKET The Sussex fast bowler James lOroey is unlikely to make England two-Test series in Bangladesh as he has not yet recovered from a leg Injury. BACK-PAGE LEAD rHow Lions beat the pain barrier' The Age Melbourne reports on the injury-hit Brisbane sides unparalleled hat-trick of Australian Rules Grand Final victories following Saturdays win over Cdlingwood that required a travelling medical team of 13 and a special charter plane to fly at only 1S00 feet above sea level to reduce cockpit pressure, QUOTE UNQUOTE 'Other teams may have already planned their route through the tournament but we cant afford to do that rm not looking at the quarter-finals; I just want to get it right for the first game against Japari We cant afford to look past them, because if we assume anything than we will be (Ms urrtJ1 1 Marcri 2004 on transfers of overdraft, loan, credit card and store card balances (1244b APR variable). 04b until 1 March 2004 on new purchases (124 APR variable). Compere this to "First Direct authorised overdraft rate of up to (EAR 15.94b) and "Lloyds TSB's of up to (EAR IZMb). Add a second cardholder in September 2003 for a chance to win 5400.

1 5 3 3 5 5 1" I s- g- iio 33" TT 33" IT lis I Iff" 117 I 118 I 119 I 120 I 2T 122 1 2T 5T 25" pg NoJ288 Monday 29 September ACROSS I Zone taking a bit that should be marked cm relief map? 03,4) 8 Start with what burglar wants from church roof 9 Girt I shelter in porch (7) II Friend meets fate as sailor (7) 12 Servant drunk in pubs (7) 13 Old American safety recorded? (5) 14 Drowned Durham girl found here, in scanty clothing? (9) 16 Sponsor of film title rote (9) 19 I put on fur -from tins? (5) 21 Some turned back after fellow's threat to intruders C7) 23 Abrupt start from barrister with trick question thrown in (7) 24 FHer for Chekhov production (7) 25 A chap takes something -a mushroom (7) 26 Expensive costume for a once-in-a-lifetime give-away? (7,5) DOWN 1 See doctor, since spasm is unpleasantly severe (7) 2 End of meal -bring round hot German loaf (7) 3 Pat, sax that's easy to borrow from (4) 4 Raced up round front of green -that damages grass (5) i A Latin mistress in comprehensive 0,4) 6 Blow up in general explosion (7) 7 Sporting competition using a series of rings (7,5) Id One veteran surprisingly came era on balance transfer: until 1 March 2004 Anolv now at www.egg 19 Appeal to Join in barbarous campaign (7) 20 Discharges bill and resigns (7) 22 It holds power all across the countryside OS) six, never Q-10) 19 Ifs good to sink doubles and trebles here in pub (9) 17 Appointment to go round hospital department showing toothy appearance (7) A reason not to be sailing? (7) tlA ADA Bsc a sen 1 an. in ini wasaotsi iiinswiBad i mh smmiiifcM imii imisn mm namnisn sins cHMaMaiHLMBji tm m. wt Mi I tsirt new nyheswlftfcdatfssoartfcins SsctMtsWW4IOOi.AAWVD ootooo.