An 18-year-old player at Motherwell Football Club has become the first British professional footballer to face criminal charges of racially abusing an opponent during

An 18-year-old player at Motherwell Football Club has become the first British professional footballer to face criminal charges of racially abusing an opponent during a match. Steven Hammell will appear at Perth Sheriff Court later this month to answer allegations that he aimed abuse at an African international striker, Mohammed Momo Sylla of St Johnstone. The off-the-ball incident is alleged to have happened during a fiery Scottish Premier League match on 23 December at McDiarmid Park, St Johnstone's home stadium in Perth. Hammell, a defender, was reported to match police by three supporters who claim to have heard racist comments.A spokesman for Tayside Police said: "The charge is one of racially aggravated breach of the peace."Sylla, a Guinean international who joined St Johnstone this season, is currently on holiday in France, but he is understood to have been interviewed by police after the match. Both Hammell and Sylla were bookedby the match referee, David Somers.The charge against Hammell, tipped as a future Scottish international after breaking into the Motherwell team this season, came as a report was released warning Scotland's police forces that they had to make greater efforts to improve race relations.William Taylor, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, stopped short of saying there was institutionalised racism in Scotland's forces.

But he said there were cases where police racism did "unwittingly" occur.The report, "Without Prejudice", was ordered by Scotland's Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, after the murder of a Lanarkshire waiter, Surjit Singh Chhokar - known as "Scotland's Stephen Lawrence scandal". Three white men were cleared of stabbing Chhokar to death at two separate trials, leading to allegations that the state prosecution had been seriously bungled.Tayside's Chief Constable, John Vine, speaking after Hammell had been charged, said: "Racism in Tayside is being tackled vigorously, with particular efforts being put into tackling repeat offending and victimisation."Racism is an insidious form of crime which divides the community. There is a needto translate words into action."Before the Sylla incident, many other black footballers in Scotland had been subjected to racist abuse. The Former Glasgow Rangers forward Mark Walters told how opposition fans made monkey noises and bombarded him with bananas, coins, golf balls and even darts. "Everyone remembers the bananas," said Walters, now a Bristol City player..

The Ipswich striker David Johnson's £3.5m transfer to Nottingham Forest has provided a boost for financially threatened Bury. The Ipswich striker David Johnson's £3.5m transfer to Nottingham Forest has provided a boost for financially threatened Bury. Johnson left the Shakers for Ipswich in an £800,000 deal in 1997 but a sell-on clause means Bury will receive £380,000 from the sale. The Second Division side are currently surviving on hand-outs from fans after the majority shareholder's business collapsed and the club is up for sale."The Johnson money will keep us going to the end of the season," admitted Bury's player-manager, Andy Preece.The Blackburn Rovers full-back Simon Grayson has joined Stockport County on a three-month loan deal. The 30-year-old former Leicester man is expected to fill the problem right-back position for Stockport boss Andy Kilner, with Sean Connelly still not fully recovered from injury.Marc Keller could be in line for his debut when Blackburn attempt to keep their Premiership push on track at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

With both Mark Hughes and David Dunn suspended, Keller could well get his chance straight away.The Wednesday keeper Kevin Pressman is still out with a thigh injury and Chris Stringer continues to deputise. The former Wednesday goalkeeper Marlon Beresford is at Hillsborough on a month's loan from Middlesbrough as cover. Gerald Sibon is suspended.Nigel Spackman returns to front-line football for the first time in three years, relishing the prospect of his Barnsley side facing promotion-chasing Birmingham at Oakwell. The former Sheffield United manager landed the Tykes job on Monday when the club named him successor to Dave Bassett.Spackman will hope Matty Appleby and Mitch Ward recover from calf and thigh injuries respectively in time to face Trevor Francis' Blues.Francis is likely to keep faith with the players who gave a good performance against Ipswich in the Worthington Cup semi-final, first leg.The striker George Ndah is available for Wolves as their manager, Dave Jones, prepares for his first home game in charge against Portsmouth. Ndah twisted an ankle and missed the FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest, but has trained with the rest of the squad this week. The youth team goalkeeper Aaron Kerr is on the bench, with Michael Oakes the only fit senior stopper available.Injury-hit Pompey hope their crisis will ease with the return of the first-choice goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan, Scott Hiley and Terry Hughes.The Fulham defender Kit Symons will continue as captain against Norwich tomorrow in the absence of car-crash victim Chris Coleman. Symons said: "Obviously I've been desperate to play games, but certainly not at the expense of my best mate."The Fulham manager, Jean Tigana, hopes his side will be unchanged as they bid to bounce back from last week's surprise defeat at Stockport.

Norwich are without suspended defender Malky Mackay but have no new injury worries.The Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce, makes wholesale changes as his side face Tranmere at the Reebok Stadium. Colin Hendry, Gudni Bergsson, Robbie Elliott and Bo Hansen are all back after being rested for last week's FA Cup win over Yeovil. But Dean Holdsworth is out after needing 25 stitches in a facial wound he sustained during last week's game. Tranmere welcome back Jason Koumas from suspension and Nick Henry from an ankle injury, while Des Hamilton is available after joining on loan.. A frown creased the face of the most prolific and lionised goalscorer in Wolverhampton Wanderers' history when he heard the club's latest centre-forward discovery being hailed as "the new Bully". For one thing, he felt Adam Proudlock should not be burdened by such labels.