League set to confirm victory for Albion

Paul Thompson, the West Bromwich Albion chairman and Football League board member, will not take part in today's Football League investigation into the events at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

The League is likely to confirm that the result – the match was abandoned with West Brom leading 3-0 – stands.

Gary Megson's men were 3-0 up on Saturday when the referee, Eddie Wolstenholme, was forced to abandon the game as United had just six players left on the field, after three red cards and two injuries.

Wolstenholme called a halt to the most explosive match of the season in the 82nd minute because a team must have at least seven players for the game to continue.

The Blades manager, Neil Warnock, and their chairman, Derek Dooley, have both since said the scoreline should stand, and the League's seven board members are thought to be of a similar opinion.

A League spokesman, John Nagle, confirmed it will be a six-man vote, saying: "Paul will declare a vested interest and won't take part. It's a scheduled monthly meeting to discuss all Football League matters and the board will decide whether the Sheffield United game will be replayed or if three points will be awarded to West Brom.

"We don't have the authority to impose fines or points deductions as the Football Association is responsible for all on-pitch disciplinary matters."

FA officials are mounting their own investigation which could lead to a charge of failing to control their players. The FA is also considering charges over an alleged incident in the tunnel after the game was abandoned. However, Warnock looks certain to escape sanctions as the referee did not mention the United manager in his report.

Megson had made serious allegations immediately after the game, claiming one person in the United dug-out told his players to feign injury, in an attempt to get the match called off.

Warnock claimed this week he had been branded the "Osama Bin Laden of football". In Saturday's farcical match, the United goalkeeper Simon Tracey was sent off early in the first half for a deliberate handball outside his area. But the game disintegrated when the Blades substitutes Georges Santos and Patrick Suffo were both dismissed within a minute of coming on – Santos for a two-footed tackle on Andy Johnson, and Suffo for head-butting the Albion captain, Derek McInnes, in the mêlée which followed Santos' challenge. United had already used their three substitutes, so when Michael Brown and Rob Ullathorne came off injured, Wolstenholme had to abandon the game.

The Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce, wants to sign Manchester City's Scotland defender Paul Ritchie on loan for the rest of the season and hopes to tie up a deal today.

The City and Northern Ireland midfielder Jeff Whitley has joined Notts County on loan until the end of the season.

Barnet yesterday moved closer to realising their dream of building a £12m 9,212-capacity stadium. The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and the Greater London Authority have granted approval to Barnet for their plans for the stadium which will be sited to the south of their present Underhill ground.