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Portsmouth turn to Grant

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 27/11/2009
Football betting

Avram Grant is back in management after being handed the reins at Premier League basement dwellers Portsmouth.

Pompey sacked Paul Hart on Tuesday after he guided the club to just two wins from 13 league games this season and director of football Grant was widely expected to step into the breach.

The 54-year-old former Chelsea manager returned to Fratton Park in October in a director of football advisory capacity.

Grant, who has been awarded a work permit to take charge of the first team, will be in the dugout for the first time when Pompey host sportsbook favourites Manchester United on Saturday.

Can Avram Grant save Portsmouth from the drop? - Latest Football Betting

Elsewhere, Everton have been sent back to the drawing board after their proposal to build a new 50-000-seater stadium in Kirkby was rejected.

The Toffees had hoped to be given the green light on the £400million stadium and shopping centre partnership with Tesco as they moved closer to leaving their historic Goodison Park home.

However, following a four-month public inquiry, Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham has rejected the proposal after citing the possible harmful effects on the 'vitality and viability' of local communities.

Roy Hodgson has revealed he has verbally agreed a new contract to stay on as Fulham manager.

The 60-year-old Englishman would have been out of contract at Craven Cottage next summer but has now reached agreement with club owner Mohamed Al Fayed over staying on following what he

claims were straightforward talks.

In golf, Ireland duo Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell scored a superb 14-under-par 58 in Thursday's opening round fourballs to surge into a three-shot lead over Argentina at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in Shenzen.

The pair were just one shot away from equalling the World Cup fourballs record after recording 12 birdies and an eagle.

Argentine duo Rafa Echenique and Tano Goya impressed with a 61 while Japan's Hiroyuki Fujita and Ryuji Imada were on ten-under with Italy, Canada, Korea and defending champions Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson of Sweden six off the lead.

China and South Africa are on seven-under while England's Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher were eight shots behind the leaders on six-under as were Wales' Stephen Dodd and Jamie Donaldson.

In rugby union, Ospreys have been forced to bolster their squad by signing South Africa scrum-half Ricky Januarie on a two-month emergency contract.

Boss Andrew Hore has brought in Januarie for the months of December and January as Mike Phillips, Jamie Nutbrown and Tom Isaacs are all out through injury.

In order to secure the services of the 27-year-old, the Ospreys had to receive special dispensation from the WRU, as his signing breaks the club's quota of non-Welsh players.

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