Football: Bassett rejects the Blackburn millions

DAVE BASSETT has turned down the chance to become the new manager of Blackburn Rovers, and is staying at promotion-chasing Barnsley.

Bassett emerged as the top choice from a shortlist of candidates because of his impressive record of success at First Division level, however, despite the possibility of money to spend and a lucrative new deal, Bassett has opted to remain with the Yorkshire club.

Last night the Barnsley chairman, John Dennis, confirmed that Bassett would not walk out on his contract and revealed that he has been given an improved deal at Oakwell. "We've had a chat with Dave and tweaked a few bits and pieces in his contract. As far as we are aware he is happy to stay," Dennis said. "All of the Blackburn talk has been unsettling. Now we've gone through a few things with Dave and he's delighted, and things are going well."

Blackburn are rapidly running out of alternatives. They may now resurrect an interest in Steve Bruce at Huddersfield, but Bruce has just become a director of the First Division club and would be reluctant to leave.

There is a growing possibility that the club's caretaker-manager, Tony Parks, will have an extended stay as the muddled thinking at Blackburn continues. They may revert to Colin Todd or look at other alternatives as their season goes from one disaster to another. The Scotland captain, Colin Hendry, says he would jump at the chance to return to the club as a player while helping out on the coaching side, but would not want the highly pressurised job of manager straight away.

Hendry's current club, Rangers, have eased their goalkeeping headache with the capture of Everton's Thomas Myhre on a one-month loan.

The Norwegian international trained with the Rangers squad yesterday and looks set to go straight into the first team for Thursday's Uefa Cup clash with Borussia Dortmund. Having got the go-ahead from Uefa to sign an emergency goalkeeper before the third-round showdown at Ibrox, manager, Dick Advocaat, and chairman, David Murray, contacted Walter Smith at Everton.

Leicester made a loss of nearly pounds 6.2m in the last financial year, the club revealed yesterday. This was despite an appearance in the Worthington Cup final and a 24 per cent rise in turnover to pounds 23.8m from pounds 19.2m in 1997-98. Wages for the playing and managerial staff increased by 49 per cent to pounds 12.5m in the 12-month period, while the number of season tickets sold for the current season was 11,000 - down by 2,000 on 1998-99.

Meanwhile, Leicester's striker Tony Cottee is set to be offered another contract at the age of 34 which would keep him at Filbert Street until the summer of 2001. Cottee's current contract ends in June but his manager Martin O'Neill said: "He has been terrific."

The Tottenham manager, George Graham, is trying to snatch the Gillingham striker Robert Taylor from under the noses of Manchester City. Spurs made contact with the Second Division side yesterday about Taylor and are prepared to match City's latest pounds 1.5m offer. Taylor is expected to move by the weekend, but may now have to choose between being a Spurs squad player or City's spearhead for promotion.

The Bolton assistant manager, Phil Brown, is to take legal action against the former Wanderers defender Andy Todd following a training-ground incident which left Brown needing surgery for facial injuries.

Brown's solicitor, Alan Walsh, said his client was to take "action through the courts" and as such all involved parties would be unable to comment further.

Bolton's chief executive, Des McBain, said: "Our prime concern is that Phil is given the time to make a full recovery, and he and his family will receive the full support of the club to this end."

Exeter had their dreams of a bumper FA Cup pay-day dashed yesterday when the Football Association refused to let the Third Division club switch their third-round tie with Everton to Goodison.

The Grecians wanted to play the match on Merseyside because their St James' Park ground, which is being redeveloped, has a reduced capacity of 6,100. Everton will receive an allocation of just 1,200 terrace tickets for the 11 December clash against a side that currently lies 16th in the Third Division.