DAVID Batty (pictured) has been cleared to make a sensational appearance for Newcastle United tonight in a situation which makes a complete mockery of the Football Association's disciplinary set-up.

Premiership leaders Newcastle have successfully exploited a loophole in the rulebook and are ready to hand their £3.75 million signing from Blackburn Rovers at least a substitute role in tonight's crucial showdown with Manchester United.

Good luck to Newcastle who have been cunning enough to work the rules to their advantage without doing anything wrong.

But the rest of football must be wondering just how a player given a two-match suspension for topping 21 disciplinary points with Rovers, in reality, only has to miss one game.

FA spokesman Steve Double said today: "When you start a suspension with one club you must finish it with that club.

"Consequently, the second game of Batty's ban co-incided with Blackburn's match against Manchester City on Saturday."

Yet Batty, who served the first game of the ban against Aston Villa last Wednesday, was not even available for Rovers on Saturday - he officially became a Newcastle player last week!

So, having been ineligible for Saturday's game at Maine Road, how on earth can it logically count towards his suspension?

Newcastle couldn't have waited until after the Manchester City game to sign him because, to be "available" tonight he had to be registered by Friday lunchtime; the last working day before the game.

Double added: "Newcastle had obviously done their homework and realised that even though the transfer was completed during last week when Batty was suspended he would be able to play tonight.

"Had he been transferred before his ban started he would have served his two-match suspension with Newcastle."

This latest twist doesn't affect Rovers in any way and Manchester United don't seem too bothered, preferring to concentrate on their own performance for a clash that will go a long way towards deciding the destination of the title.

Batty already has a championship medal from his time at Leeds but he did not qualify for one at Ewood, where he only started four games last season. He was a sub in two others, going on once.

There have been comments about Batty's influence on Rovers' title success, yet they lost three of the five games in which he was actively involved!

Rovers' draw at Maine Road on Saturday stopped the rot which had seen them lose three successive games, equalling their worst Premiership run.

Graham Cassin and Scott Hewitt scored the goals as Rovers B team defeated Everton 2-0 at Brockhall.

Marlon Broomes, who is injured, and Keith Brown, called up for Scotland under-16 duty in Portugal, will both miss Rovers' Lancashire FA Youth Cup semi-final against Preston North End at Deepdale (kick-off 7pm).

Rovers squad is: Williams, McCallion, Brewer, Chisholm, Worrell, Hope, Johnson, Staton, Beattie, Thomas, Duff, Owler, Stewart, Cassin, Taylor, McAvoy.

Admission charges at Deepdale are: Pavilion Stand (seating) adults £3, juniors/oaps £2; Pavilion Paddock (standing) adults £2-50, juniors/oaps £1-50.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.