Classic Times Fantasy Football is back. Sign up for £3 a team or 3 for £6

Sunderland have £8m bid for Ferdinand accepted

West Ham United have accepted a bid from Sunderland for Anton Ferdinand, according to Alan Curbishley, the manager. The 23-year-old defender is reportedly considering the offer, thought to involve a fee of about £8 million.

“The board have accepted the bid – he’s not renegotiated his contract – and the decision was taken out of my hands,” Curbishley, whose side lost 3-0 to Manchester City yesterday, said. “I don’t know where Anton is in terms of signing for Sunderland – but once the club accept the bid, it moves on.”

Now there are TWO ways to feed your fantasy

We have built on last year's success of PlayTheGame by offering fantasy football managers double the fun this coming season

Ferdinand’s present contract is set to end in 2010. Curbishley, meanwhile, is hoping to sign a defender before the transfer window closes on September 1. “We are thin on the ground,” he said. “If we lose another defender we will have to react to that.”

West Ham were plagued by injuries last season and the club’s treatment room is almost as packed this season. Danny Gabbidon, James Collins, James Tomkins, George McCartney and Jonathan Spector, all defenders, are presently injured.

Ferguson asked by Prime Minister to lead Team GB

Gordon Brown confirmed last night that Sir Alex Ferguson has been approached to manage a Great Britain football team at the London Olympics in 2012. The Prime Minister, who is determined to see a Britain team in the men’s and the women’s football tournaments when the Games come to the capital, said that Lord Coe, the chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, had spoken to Ferguson about the role.

Brown has been holding talks with Sepp Blatter, the president of Fifa, in an attempt to ensure the autonomy of the home nations is protected if there is a Britain Olympic team. “We will see who wants to be part of this and then we will get a manager that everybody will be happy with,” Brown said. “Alex Ferguson has been approached by Seb Coe and I have spoken to him about it.”

He said that the 66-year-old manager had yet to be formally approached and it was “up to him to decide”. Brown hopes that the lure of a final in London would encourage the football associations to overcome their reservations about a joint side.

Defensively challenged Bullard must wait for deal

Jimmy Bullard has not been offered a new Fulham contract because his manager is concerned that he does not pull his weight in midfield. Bullard was the man of the match during his team’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday, but he could leave Craven Cottage this week if Bolton Wanderers increase their offer for the player by £1 million, to £4 million. “You can’t have midfield players who go missing when there is defending to be done,” Roy Hodgson, the Fulham manager, said. “We have worked hard on this. He is not a born defender.”

Keegan will back Barton

Kevin Keegan has confirmed that he will appear on Joey Barton’s behalf at an FA disciplinary hearing on September 5. The Newcastle United midfield player requested a personal hearing after pleading guilty to a charge of violent conduct in the wake of a training-ground incident with Ousmane Dabo, his former Manchester City teammate. “I will go and support him,” the Newcastle manager said. “It wasn’t a decision I made on the spur of movement.” Newcastle have denied reports that Derek Llambias, the managing director, is to leave the club.

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football