Football: Beasant loaned to Grimsby

DAVE BEASANT, the former England goalkeeper publicly humiliated by Chelsea, has joined Grimsby Town on a month's loan and makes his debut today at unbeaten Newcastle United, who signed him for a club-record fee four years ago.

Beasant may be replaced at Stamford Bridge by Dmitri Kharin, CSKA Moscow's Russian international, who is having trials with the west London club. Kharin had three put past him by Scotland when playing for the CIS in the European Championships.

Millwall have paid Sunderland pounds 225,000 for their Republic of Ireland striker, John Byrne. Another international forward, Johnny Ekstrom, who caused England so much trouble when he came on for Sweden in Stockholm in June, is being sought by Southend. The tall 27-year-old IFK Gothenburg striker is valued at pounds 300,000.

Paul Williams, West Bromwich Albion's Northern Ireland striker, has joined Coventry City on loan with a view to a pounds 50,000 transfer.

Two deals finalised yesterday took Nigel Gleghorn, the Birmingham midfielder, and Dave Regis, the Plymouth Argyle centre-forward, to Stoke City for pounds 100,000 each. Stoke will receive pounds 200,000 from Barnsley for Wayne Biggins after a transfer tribunal yesterday.

Two intriguing friendlies have been arranged involving former Tottenham Hotspur luminaries. Paul Gascoigne's Lazio will travel to Munich on 11 November to meet a Bayern side including Sevilla's Diego Maradona. Gary Lineker's new team, Nagoya Grampus Eight, will play Leeds United at Elland Road in April.

Joe Lovejoy on Dino Zoff,

Diary, team news, page 46