Football: Kendall facing Everton exit

HOWARD KENDALL will be sacked as Everton's manager today after three weeks of waiting for a decision. The club chairman, Peter Johnson, has returned from a holiday on his yacht in the south of France to break the news to Kendall that has been an open secret since the board voted him out.

Johnson is under pressure from fellow directors to replace Kendall after a year of his third spell in charge at Goodison. Johnson tried to have a manager ready to step in, but Martin O'Neill stayed at Leicester and Manchester United warned him off Brian Kidd.

Sheffield United will today unveil a management pairing of Steve Bruce and Steve Thompson. Bruce will leave Birmingham City to take up his first managerial appointment and Thompson, the former caretaker manager, will work with him.

Kevin Hodges has resigned as coach of Torquay United and returned to his former club Plymouth Argyle as manager, taking Steve McCall with him as his assistant.

Neil Redfearn is leaving Barnsley to join the Premier League newcomers Charlton in a pounds 1.3m transfer.

n Barnsley have been cleared of blame for their fans' pitch invasion during their home Premiership match against Liverpool last season.