Football: Howe offers to become England adviser

DON HOWE yesterday offered his services to the Football Association as an adviser to the next England manager. Howe, who was Bobby Robson's right-hand man, confirmed he did not want the job, even on a caretaker basis.

But he said: 'What I would be only too happy to do would be to help out if, for example, somebody like Bryan Robson or Ray Wilkins was doing it. I would be happy to spy on the opposition and be around during the matches and join the preparations before them.

'There would be an experienced shoulder to lean on if they wanted one. There is no way I want to be in the firing line as any sort of England manager, even if it was offered to me. That is a young man's job.'

Howe was yesterday contributing to one of a series of coaching sessions staged by a new body, the Association of Football Coaches and Teachers. Howe is on the association's committee, along with Gary Lineker, Gordon Strachan and Bob Wilson.

He said: 'We are not in competition with the FA or anybody else. But there has been a dwindling of good new football coaches over the last two or three years and this is a step in the right direction.'

Terry Cooper, the Birmingham City manager, has offered to resign in the wake of his team's fourth consecutive defeat. 'We had an amicable chat but Terry is still manager,' David Sullivan, the Second Division club's owner, said yesterday. 'I don't wish to comment further until we see what happens in the next few days.' Cooper is expected to discuss his position further this morning with Sullivan and Karren Brady, the chief executive.

The Norwegian international, Tore Pedersen, has until noon today to save his pounds 500,000 move to Oldham from collapse. That is the deadline the 24-year-old centre- back has been given by Oldham's manager, Joe Royle, to sort out a dispute between his two former clubs, SK Brann and IFK Gothenburg, over their share of the fee.