Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England • 71

EVENING STANDARD TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 1996 71 SPORT Bassett has got over Bramall Lane blues Newcastle can still grab goals says Lee the luxury of having money to spend not the mega-millions of the Premiership elite but enough to enable him to reinforce his front line with Neil Shipperley for £1 million earlier this month Finances have improved considerably at Sheffield United following the arrival of Howard KendalL Only four players Alan Kelly Roger Nielsen Dane Whitehouse and Mitch Ward remain from the Bassett era at the dub With the new-found wealth has come a drastic improvement in results When they played at Palace last season they were 23rd Now they are fifth makes it very interesting but no more than said Bassett who will give fitness tests to David Hopkin and Kevin Muscat before finalising his line-up tonight is only November very early days Meanwhile Palace who are keen to secure their long-term fhtures at Selhurst Park have opened talks with strikers Bruce Dyer and Dougie Freedman about new contracts CRYSTAL PALACE manager Dave Bassett found it difficult to resist a wry smile when news reached him of Sheffield ultimately abortive £4 million bid for Paul Gascoigne the eight years that I spent at Bramall Lane we afford Jimmy Fivebellies never mind said Bassett who took over at Selhurst Park in February after leaving United by what he insists was mutual consent had been there since 1988 and I had become stale and said Bassett admit that I had got them in the Premiership but they have the necessary ambi-tion Last season we both knew me and the club that we had reached the end of the road Because of what had gone on it was time for me to first game as Palace manager was ironically against his old club at Selhurst Park It finished (VO Bassett will be disappointed if there is a repeat of that stalemate at Selhurst Park tonight by STEVE STAMMERS when the two teams resume hostilities Palace were 15th in the First Division when Bassett assumed control and they finished with such a flourish that they were deprived of a Premiership place only by a last-second goal from Steve Claridge in the play-off final at Wembley The improvement has spilled over into this season and Palace are second in the table and looking a safe bet for an automatic promotion spot They have shown resolve throughout the campaign That was illustrated on Saturday when they played table-toppers Bolton at Bumden Park They were two goals down in 20 minutes but recovered to draw 2-2 It was no surprise to Bassett showed great character to come back but I have got used to them doing that since I have been at the he explained expect it to Bassett is also benefitting from Dave Bassett "stale and bitter ROB LEE is confident Newcastle's goal supply wont dry np despite the absence of Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand for tonight's UEFA Cup clash with Metz in France Newcastle's £21 million strike force is missing for the third round first leg but Lee believes Newcastle still have enough firepower to provide the platform for a smooth passage into the quarter-finals in the return leg at St Janies' Park We always believe we're going to score goals the way we play and even without Alan and Les I think well still cope" predicted Lee might not have our two best strikers but got plenty of players who can come in and do a good job and get goals for us a lot of managers who'd be happy to have Tino (Faustino Asprilla) and Peter (Beardsley) up front and we've got other options Paul Kitson hasn't figured much this season but he's been looking very harp In training- Lee marked Newcastle's last away win in Europe with a hat-trick of headers in the 5-0 victory over Royal Antwerp two seasons ago but would settle for a more modest victory tonight "It's always possible the way we play that going to beat someone by a lot of goals away from home in Europe but as long as we get a good result well be happy and fancy ourselves in the return leg" Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan is confident his side can avoid a third away defeat in this season's competition despite the absence of Shearer and Ferdinand As heavy rain fell he orchestrated a 45-minute workout on a pitch that had a light covering of snow Shearer only took part in the warm-up and Keegan said: "Alan be involved in any way shape or form" Keegan sees tonight's tie as a test of his strength-in-depth got to have replacements and very fortunate that although without Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer we've still got Tino Asprilla Paul Kitson and Peter Beardsley" he said Ferdinand is facing up to a month on the sidelines recovering from a successful i depressed suffered during 1-1 draw at home to West Ham Shearer has been earmarked for a comeback at Chelsea on Saturday just one month after a groin operation That leaves Keegan to ponder his formation and faced with the prospect of wet and heavy pitch he may abandon the 3-5-2 formation favoured in the last three matches and revert to 4-4-2 with Steve Watson slotting in at right-back and Beardsley and Asprilla forming the spearhead TV: BBC-1 800 live TERRY VENABLES has accepted accept the task of turning Australia into a World Cup force in time for the finals in France in 1998 David Hill the chairman of the Australian Football Association said the man who steered England to the Euro 96 semifinals was keen as to take on the job could never say Terry Venables lacks enthusiasm for anything he does" added HilL very upbeat about it Hill who had called a midday news conference appropriately at Scribes West dining dub in Kensington was convinced he would get his man and that Venables would also be free to carry vlure on his role as director of by WILLIAM KINGS football at First Division Portsmouth deference Vl goalkeeper nOjOOOmore than England home are probably in the second division of world Hill was still not taking anything for granted but talking to Radio 4's Today riST1 bSTta still canvassing options but I The £200000 salary is likely to be of secondary con-that we are pretty advanced sideration however because since he walked away from the England setup Venables has been linked with almost all the top jobs in discussions with Terry In other words barring any last-minute problems Venables will soon be working with players like Aston Australian gaol-keeper Mark Bosnich at international level as well as Martin Allen Jimmy Carter and Co at Portsmouth Hill said that one of the main issues the Australians want to resolve is the two jobs Portsmouth and Australia but he added: have any reservations about him doing both forget the majority of the Austral- We still need lottery cash going in the Premiership this season and he could probably have also had his pick of several dubs abroad He said: Euro 96 a lot of offers have been made to me but this was the one that interested me most of alL It is a chance al wanted to be involved World Australia have much to do to reach the last 32 in France Even if they are successful in the Oceania quali- $amaqi by CHRIS JONES would still ian squad are already over- tying group they have to meet a top Asian team in a play-off to make the finals "Because of the Wimbledon profits there is a perception that we are as a sport loaded with money What the profits allow us to do is help find the balance when dubs ask for grants This ability to lend money should help secure lottery ftmds to boost tennis" Peacock has been delighted with the efforts of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski He added: is reasonable to be upbeat about British tennis" BRITISH tennis chiefs believe their £29 million windfall from this year's Wimbledon championships could undermine attempts to win lottery money for the sport The increased revenue from the biggest Grand Slam event £291m compared to £279m in 1995 enabled the Lawn Tennis Association to announce profits of £54m for the last financial year That profit was made after pumping £123m into British tournaments and nearly £10m for new facilities Ian Peacock who leaves the LTA chief executive's role in Janaury said: "Over the last 10 years thanks to the success of Wimbledon the LTA have been able to rebuild the infrastructure for tennis in this country 1986 there were 216 indoor courts and by next year there will be 800 require Venables to spend little as 40 per cent of per cent of seas anyway The Australians would as his time in Australia because the main brief would be to monitor the top Aussie stars while they are playing for their European dubs a Grand Tour with a CHESS SOLUTION Chess No 5809:1 OW5 (threat 2 Q-Q3) QxQ 2 P-B4 or Q-R6 2 P-B3 or RxJQ ch 2 QxR or R-K3 2 I0-K3 or R-KB3 2 KMGT.