Aussie fails to rule as Royce row rolls on

Inside Lines

The current vogue for importing all things Australian to influence our sport (not so much a case of "C'mon, Aussie, c'mon" as "C'mon over here, Aussie'') does not seem to have rubbed off too well on British hockey. After the contro-versial demotion and subsequent suspension of the successful if volatile Jon Royce, the surprise Lottery-funded appointment of Trish Herberle, formerly the video analyst with the Australian set-up, as women's head coach continues to be the subject of some debate. Her track record hardly suggests she is in the Rodney Marsh mould and so far, under her stewardship, the women have won only two of their 11 matches. This may be of some comfort to Royce, who had a 78 per cent win record (losing only eight out of 39), as he awaits a formal decision about his future. So far the promised inquiry following his summary suspension nearly five months ago has yet to materialise. The English Hockey Association are investigating complaints of "bullying tactics" made against him in a newspaper interview more than six months after the Sydney Games by the player he made captain of the underachieving Olympic team, Pauline Stott. The EHA's chief executive, Richard Wyatt, said last week he could give us no idea when this bizarre and increasingly bitter affair will be concluded. "The inquiry is ongoing," was all he would say. Neither did he seemed fazed by Herberle's inauspicious start, despite rumours of discontent within the camp. "Things are at an early stage. It is usually a case of trying new players and new ways of playing when a new coach comes in. We are still in a trial-and-error situation and we are not uncomfortable with that." However, with the World Cup qualification matches due next month, there is growing concern that Herberle's appointment may have been an error and that the "trial" of Royce has still to take place.

Will it be fair dinkum for Sport England?

Still on the the subject of Australiana, it is hardly surprising that the advertisement for a new chief executive for Sport England has found its way into newspapers Down Under as well as here. The Sports Minister, Richard Caborn, is keen on the idea of importing someone from overseas to head up the quango chaired by Trevor Brooking, who will be on the appointment panel. So will an Aussie replace Derek Casey, who swiftly moved out when Caborn moved in? Although the job is advertised at £100,000, Caborn says he is prepared to double Casey's £80,000-a-year salary "for an exceptional candidate" to oversee Sport England's £300 million budget and 500 staff. Likely Brits are thin on the ground. Patrick Carter, currently leading the review into Wembley, would be a frontrunner if he could be persuaded to give up his other business interests, and the choice of many in sport (though not necessarily in Sport England) would be the formidable Sue Campbell, chief executive of the Youth Sports Trust who was brought in by Kate Hoey as a special adviser on sport in schools. But might this count against her?

Howard's way ahead for sport's 'parliament'

The new chairman of the Central Council of Physical Recreation is Howard Wells, 54, who takes over from David Oxley on Tuesday. Wells is a former chief executive of UK Sport, and of Watford and Ipswich football clubs. It is a bold move by the traditionally conservative "parliament" of sport. The progressive Wells will certainly beef up the organisation, one of whose 200-plus members, the British Judo Association, have become the first governing body to elect a black chairman, the ex-international middleweight Densign White.

Sleaze and scandal are meat and drink in the litigious world of snooker, so the headline "Former WPBSA president jailed for perjury" in the magazine "Snooker Scene" seemed to indicate new messy droppings on the green baize. Until, of course, you read that it is actually dear old Lord Archer, who held the post for two years until November 1999.

He was persuaded, no doubt with a little bit of arm-twisting, to resign from the World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association when evidence surfaced about his false alibi in the perjury case that has resulted in his four-year jail sentence. Archer withdrew his candidacy for Mayor of London during the 1999 UK Championships and "Snooker Scene" now reflects on his presidency: "Archer was chiefly eager for the limelight and photo opportunities which snooker could afford him, and had little impact but for the suggestion that the WPBSA shorten their name to World Snooker Association." Snookered again, then.

Never mind Ryan Giggs and his tax-free back-pocket bonanza from Moneybags United. There's a much better cause for a spot of financial largesse on Wednesday with Bill Nicholson's testimonial match at White Hart Lane.

Italian club Fiorentina provide the opposition for Tottenham, who parade new signings Gus Poyet, Goran Bunjevcevic, Teddy Sheringham and Christian Ziege. Though suffering from Parkinson's Disease, at 82 Billy Nick has outlived some stars he managed in the Glory, Glory Years. He won't make a mint, even less a million, but it will be a welcome windfall. Tickets (£15 adults, £5 under-16s and over-65s) from Spurs ticket hotline 08700 112222.

insidelines@independent.co.uk

Exit Lines

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