MEANWHILE SOMEWHRE IN LITTLE ENGLAND.............

Last updated : 12 October 2003 By Editor

From The Sunday Mirror:

Birmingham City are set to heap more embarrassment on the FA by demanding that last week's game against Manchester United is replayed.

The Midlands club feel that Soho Square's stance over Rio Ferdinand following his failure to take a drugs test should have been extended to Premiership matches.

Steve Bruce's men are set to argue that when United picked Ferdinand to play in last week's 3-0 Old Trafford victory over the Blues, he was technically an ineligible player.

And by axing the defender from Sven Goran Eriksson's England squad during the week, the St Andrews hierarchy believe the FA added their weight to their complaint.

Birmingham now want the game to be replayed at Old Trafford. And they will also demand gate receipts from any replay game, arguing that United should not profit from the situation.

United have played three games since Ferdinand failed to take a drugs test on September 23 - against Leicester, Stuttgart and Birmingham.