PREMIERSHIP ASTON VILLA John Gregory is sure he can persuade Julian Joachim to sign a new long-term deal, even though the striker has just turned down Villa's most recent offer. "Julian uses the same agent as Savo Milosevic and when we met, we spent most of the time sorting out Savo's move to Real Zaragoza, the manager explained. "We never got down to anything too specific on Julian's contract and there's still plenty we need to discuss but I'm not worried at all." BLACKBURN ROVERS Goalkeeper Tim Flowers will miss the start of next season after being handed a two-game suspension for his bizarre sending off at Coventry. The England international was only a substitute for the match but was dismissed for shouting abuse at the linesman while warming up. BOLTON WANDERERS It will cost Bolton fans more money to watch Watford and Port Vale next season than it did to see the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in the campaign that just ended. The club have announced a £1 increase in the price of matchday admissions to compensate for an expected trading loss of around £2m following their relegation on the last day of the season. The most expensive season tickets will cost £361, a saving of £76 on match day prices. Chief executive Des McBain said: ''Increases have been kept down to the minimum.'' WEST BROM striker Bob Taylor, who had two loan spells with Bolton last season, is having talks about a permanent move to the Reebok. The Baggies have offered the out-of-contract marksman, who has scored 113 goals in six years at The Hawthorns, and manager Denis Smith said: "I have asked him to keep me informed." EVERTON Howard Kendall has moved to silence newspaper speculation that unsettled Leicester boss Martin O'Neill is about to replace him as manager, claiming he has had a second meeting with chairman Peter Johnson about his plans to shake the club out of their slump. ''I've been away for five days and naturally you pick up newspapers and there seems to be continuous speculation, he said. It's not nice to read. I had a chat with the chairman and he's not hinted at anything like that. I'm just getting on with my job and trying to plan ahead. I had a board meeting the day after the Coventry game. I explained what I would like to do before the start of next season. Hopefully, we'll be able to do that. We're targeting a few players but I don't feel we need many. We've made a lot of changes already and I think, with a couple extra, we'll be strong enough to make an impact next season. All I'm doing is planning ahead and I've not been given any indication of anything else.'' RANGERS full-back Alex Cleland has been to Goodison Park for a medical and is expected to join Everton when his contract with the deposed Scottish champions expires on June 30. NORWICH have asked for permission to talk to defender Dave Watson about becoming their new manager. The 36-year-old, who moved to Goodison from the Canaries in 1986, has been offered a new one-year contract but the Merseyside club wouldn't stand in his way if he wanted to go into management. MANCHESTER UNITED Striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly a target for Atletico Madrid and Valencia. But chairman Martin Edwards is determined to keep the 25-year-old, who signed a seven-year contract last year, at Old Trafford: ''We've not had any contact from the two clubs mentioned and I can only assume that it is speculation.'' FA CHIEFS still haven't decided on a kick-off time for the Charity Shield between United and Arsenal on August 9, three days before Alex Ferguson's side play the first leg of their Champions League qualifying tie. But a spokesman promised: We will set a time that is convenient to everybody.'' SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY Peter Shreeves, assistant coach under both David Pleat and Ron Atkinson, has been told that his job is safe despite Big Ron's departure. A club spokesman said: "Following a meeting with chairman Dave Richards, Peter has been informed that he will be an integral part of any future management set-up." SOUTHAMPTON Glenn Hoddle has blundered by leaving Matthew Le Tissier out of his World Cup plans says former Southampton manager Alan Ball. Le Tiss scored a hat-trick for England B against their Russian counterparts at Loftus Road last month, but isn't in the squad for Saturday's friendly against Saudi Arabia. "I can't believe Glenn has left him out," said Ball, now in charge at Portsmouth. "At that level, you need players like Le Tissier. If anyone is going to provide you with a killer pass or produce that bit of skill to give you a goal, it's him. If you've got a free kick 20 yards out there's nobody better in the country." TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR Long-suffering Spurs fans are facing a 12% hike in the price of season tickets for next season. And, according to some press reports, the club might scrap most of their concessions for children and OAPs to raise cash for strengthening the squad and improving White Hart Lane. Tottenham's most expensive season ticket will now cost £710 and the cheapest is £370 - £10 more than the lowest at London rivals Chelsea, whose fans have one domestic cup, one European cup and a team of high-profile players to show for their money. WEST HAM UNITED Former West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer has made a £10,000 donation to the cancer research fund set up in the memory of his 1966 World Cup Final opponent Bobby Moore. Moore's widow Stephanie said: ''It was most unexpected but a very touching gesture and a great mark of respect from one of Bobby's great friends. SCOTLAND RANGERS Striker Marco Negri is heading back to Italy. The 36-goal marksman was angry at being left out of the side for last weekend's Scottish Cup Final and told an Italian newspaper: "I will never go back to Scotland again - even when I'm dead. I would now prefer to come home."

NATIONWIDE ROUND-UP   BIRMINGHAM CITY Work has started on a new £4.1m stand at the Railway End of St Andrews which will raise the ground's capacity to over 30,000. MANCHESTER CITY Northern Ireland have won their tug of war with Wales for Manchester City midfield star Jim Whitley. Welsh boss Bobby Gould named the 23-year-old Zambian-born player in his squad for upcoming games against Malta and Tunisia even though he had previously been in the Ulster squad. However, Whitley's younger brother Jeff is already a Northern Ireland international and family ties proved too strong. The player said: ''The interest from Wales was very flattering. I have already been called up into the Northern Ireland team. I have not played but I had to make a decision and it's Ireland.'' MIDDLESBROUGH Former Boro goalkeeper Stephen Pears is rejoining the club as a coach. Ex-England star Peter Shilton will concentrate on working with the goalkeepers in the senior squad with Pears, who came to Middlesbrough from Manchester United in 1985 and made over 350 first-team appearances, looking after the kids at the club's new soccer academy. NOTTM FOREST Chief executive Phil Soar has reacted angrily to the news that Anderlecht could yet be allowed to participate in next season's UEFA Cup. The Belgian club were originally banned from Europe for a year after admitting that they bribed referee Guruceta Muro before their 1984 UEFA Cup semi-final against Forest. But a Court of Sports Arbitration has now told UEFA, European football's governing body, that their executive committee were not competent to rule on the bribery charge and overturned the ban. Soar, who has campaigned for his Division One champions to take the Belgians' place in next season's competition, said: "We find it inconceivable that those responsible might be able to avoid any sanction or punishment for acting in a way that undermines the whole ethical and moral base of the game of football." Whether UEFA decide to ignore the tribunal ruling or not, Forest will continue their fight for compensation. Soar added: "The club and the 14 players who appeared in the game are currently taking legal action in the Belgian courts against the persons responsible for the payments to the referee. We intend to pursue our claim with the utmost vigour. Nottingham Forest greatly sympathise with the current supporters and players of Anderlecht who are having to take the blame for the actions of a previous management." SUNDERLAND Prolific striker Kevin Phillips has been voted Nationwide Player of the Year after scoring 34 goals to put Sunderland within 90 minutes of an instant return to the Premiership. He needs one goal against Charlton Athletic in Monday's play-off final at Wembley to beat the post-war record set by Brian Clough in 1961-62 and become the club's top scorer in a season since Dave Halliday hit 43 in 1928-29. SUNDERLAND have won the FA's Fair Play award for Division One, with Watford and Notts County picking up the Second and Third Division awards. Each club collects £10,000. SWINDON TOWN Premier League side Leicester City will meet the Robins at The County Ground in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, August 1 (kick-off, 3pm). Swindon boss Steve McMahon said: It's a tough one for us, that's for sure. But we fancied a really good workout before the serious business gets underway.''

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