The south Londoners have held talks with representatives of Walt Disney, which wants to forge links with one or more football clubs similar to the agreement the film company has with the Atlanta Braves baseball team.
The Braves play warm-up matches and hold out-of-season training sessions at the Wide World of Sports facility at Walt Disney World in Orlando, which Celtic used during Scotland’s winter break this year, playing a friendly against Tampa Bay Mutiny. A Celtic spokesman confirmed: “It was a very good trip, and there was talk of a link-up, though I don’t think it’s been taken any further.”According to Disney officials, a football club would benefit from warm-weather training amid impressive facilities, while the corporation would hope to tempt supporters into holidaying there. “We have five pitches and we cater for more than 30 different sports,” a spokesman said. “We would like to attract more high-calibre teams to our facility.”Whether a side that only avoided relegation to the Second Division in the final few minutes of last season comes into that category has yet to be decided.

Palace’s own Lion King, the ambitious chairman Simon Jordan, does not lack faith, however, in either himself or his club, having promised as they flirted with relegation: “I know I will have a Premiership club on my hands in a very short space of time. It will happen.” Yesterday he said: “Disney are looking to link up with a British club and we are just seeing if it could be us.”The Football Association has dismissed suggestions that a Great Britain team might contest future Olympic Games’s. The Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, had said that a united team competing in Greece would not affect the influence held by England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the world governing body, but the FA’s spokesman, Adrian Bevington, said yesterday: “This proposal is not under consideration.”Alan Shearer, the Newcastle United striker, is to visit a specialist on Friday. The former England captain, who collected his OBE from Buckingham Palace yesterday, has not played since March after surgery on tendinitis in his knee, but he is confident the injury is finally beginning to heal.. Alan Kelly, the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, was set to sign for Tottenham yesterday for £600,000. Kelly, 33 next month, agreed personal terms in talks with the north London club last week.

Alan Kelly, the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, was set to sign for Tottenham yesterday for £600,000. Kelly, 33 next month, agreed personal terms in talks with the north London club last week.
Kelly joined Blackburn from Sheffield United in August 1999 in a deal worth £675,000 when Tim Flowers left Ewood Park for Leicester.Rovers have confirmed an interest in Liverpool’s French left-back Djimi Traor?but may be put off by Liverpool’s valuation of £4m, which is £1m more than Rovers want to pay.Everton finally unveiled their £4.5m striker Thomasz Radzinski yesterday, and also disciplined their rebel midfielder, Alex Nyarko, for failing to turn up for training again. The Ghanaian who went Awol last season after he was verbally abused by a fan on the pitch at Arsenal and then claimed he was retiring, was expected back for pre-season training on Monday but has not turned up.Everton will fine him two weeks wages – around £30,000 – and continue to try to sell and recoup as much as possible of the £4m he cost.Derby County have agreed a two-year contract “in principle” with the Lazio striker Fabrizio Ravanelli. The 32-year-old former Middlesbrough player has flown back to Italy to discuss the proposed deal with his advisers and Lazio after talks at Derby over the past two days.Middlesbrough confirmed they have agreed a £3.5m fee with Greek side Olympiakos for Christian Karembeu.Ipswich Town have signed the Hartlepool United midfielder Tommy Miller.

The 22-year-old, who has signed a four-year contract at Portman Road, was rejected by the Suffolk club as a 16-year-old because he was considered too small at only 5ft 3in; he is now 6ft 1in. The undisclosed fee, to be paid over two years, is reported to be about £1m in total.Hartlepool have made a fourth summer signing, the former Sheffield Wednesday striker Richie Humphreys on a free transfer. He finished last season at Cambridge United.Sir Alex Ferguson has banned alcohol from Manchester United’s 12-day tour of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. There will be no mini-bars in their hotel rooms and the ban will apply to room service.St Johnstone have signed the French midfielder Rachid Djebaili on a free transfer, with the 26-year-old agreeing a two-year deal.Wolves are pushing their bid for Preston’s former Manchester United striker Jon Macken up to a record £4m. Preston have already signed Richard Cresswell and have a £1.8m offer in the pipeline for the American Brian McBride.A consortium including former Leicester directors has withdrawn its takeover bid. They offered 80p per share, valuing Leicester City Plc at £26.4m.Eintracht Frankfurt have called off today’s pre-season friendly against Millwall because of security fears. Millwall’s manager, Mark McGhee, said yesterday: “It appears that although both clubs were determined to get the game on we have been overruled by the police.