The likes of John Barnes, Ian Wright and Gianfranco Zola have joined the virtual club which provides coaching and support to help football fans and players stop smoking.

As well as the advice, footballers and fans who sign up for Smokefree United will receive "motivational emails" from Ian Wright encouraging them to stop smoking, as well as the chance to win prizes such as the chance to play a game on the pitch of the team they support.

New research on behalf of the NHS Stop Smoking Service says 41 per cent of male smokers in England play football and 82 per cent of them are concerned about the effect smoking has on their performance, and therefore want to quit.

Public health minister Gillian Merron said: "Stopping smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your game, your fitness and overall health.

"Quitting smoking is tough, but by joining Smokefree United you’ll get the motivation and support you need to stop for good."

With medical research showing smokers are able to extend the amount of time they can exercise only a week after quitting, Smokefree United and the Premier League are keen to highlight that quitters could show an improvement in their performance at their next game.

Former England midfielder John Barnes added: "I’d urge all football fans and players who have thought about quitting to sign for Smokefree United.

"Quitting smoking will have a huge impact on your game and you’ll immediately become more competitive because your cardiovascular fitness will improve, increasing the amount of time you’ll be able to spend on the pitch."

Grant, 54, returns to Fratton Park two years after leaving for Premier League rivals Chelsea to take up a similar position.

The Israeli coach will work alongside current Blues manager Paul Hart, who will maintain day-to-day control over team affairs including selection policy.

Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie said: "The club’s new owners want to appoint, with immediate effect, Avram Grant as director of football.

"Paul Hart remains as manager and Avram Grant will work alongside him and give him the benefit of his experience. Avram’s role is to help and advise Paul. Team selection matters will remain with the manager."

Storrie welcomed the appointment, saying the arrival of a second "very experienced" individual to join Hart in the team’s coaching hierarchy "will only benefit the club".

"Paul does not have an assistant but now has a director of football alongside him," he continued.

"The manager, director of football, chief executive officer and chief scout will all work together on the buying and selling of players."

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James, who is currently on duty with the England national side, welcomed the move.

He said: "I love Avram.

"When I first joined the club he was very active in the preparation for games.

"His football knowledge is extensive and on top of that he’s a very nice bloke. In my view it’s a good move."

Grant was sacked by Chelsea 18 months ago, despite taking over as head coach in difficult circumstances following the acrimonious departure of Jose Mourinho.

The former Israel national team coach led the Londoners to runners-up spot in the Premier League, as well as the finals of the League Cup and the Champions League.

However, he was sacked just six months into a four-year contract after failing to delivery any silverware.

The 17-year-old left Wolves on transfer deadline day, September 1st, for a reported £1 million.

Although a compensation package was agreed, the West Midlands outfit have lodged a complaint over what they believe to be a breach of Premier League and FA rules over unapproved communication with, and an illegal approach for, a player who was a scholar at the club’s academy.

Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey said: "We cannot allow the events surrounding the departure to pass unchallenged."

"We alleged that there has been a breach of the Premier League and FA rules in place to protect a club’s academy programme, maintain player contract-stability and prevent illegal approaches.

"It is not an issue about money or the level of compensation we received for a player we did not want to leave. It is about the protection of the club’s academy programme and its development of young players."

A Bolton spokesman said: "We are aware of the statement issued by Wolverhampton Wanderers but we have had no official contact from the Premier League or the Football Association, and have no comment to make."

The poster for UlsterTrader.com received 44 complaints claiming it was offensive as it objectified women, degraded them and was sexist.

The advert with the line: “Nice headlamps, what do you look for in a car?” also drew complaints it implied that women, like cars, were commodities to be bought and sold.

UlsterTrader.com countered by claiming the advert did not use language that could be considered offensive, nor was the image particularly “raunchy”.

The company claimed their brand was one that used humour and fun plus the tongue-in-cheek advert would be attractive to both sexes.

They disagreed with the contention that it implied that women were commodities to be "bought or sold", or that the ad was sexist for implying women would not need to buy or sell a car.

They also disagreed that the poster was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), however, noted complaints that the poster implied women could be bought or sold.

A statement released today declared: “We considered that the image of the woman’s cleavage coupled with the strapline ‘Nice Headlamps. What do you look for in a car?’ was likely to be seen to objectify and degrade women by linking attributes of a woman, her cleavage, to attributes of a car, the headlamps, in a way that would be seen to imply a woman, like a car, was to be selected for those attributes.

“We concluded that the poster had caused serious offence to some readers and was likely to cause widespread offence.”

As a result, the advertising watchdog ruled the advert should not appear again in its current form.

Yeung’s Grandtop International Holdings company earlier tabled a £81.5 million bid for the St Andrews outfit and the deal was confirmed on Tuesday.

Grandtop has now acquired over 90 per cent of shares in the Premier League club and will be offered the opportunity to purchase the remainder.

The deal marks the end of co-owner David Sullivan and managing director Karen Brady’s 16 years at the club.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish welcomed the news.

"It is exciting times and something I have great anticipation for. There is a buzz about the place," he said.

"I am ambitious and they are ambitious and, of course, if there is money to spend, we would welcome it.

"We are looking forward to a new era. The fans are anticipating another step forward."

David Gold is expected to continue as chairman of the West Midlands club.

Birmingham currently lie 14th in the Premier League.

The 34-year-old Bury-born defender won his last cap against Spain at Old Trafford in February 2007 and the right-back admits he wouldn’t be surprised if his 85th cap turned out to be his last.

Neville has fallen down the pecking order under Capello, with his United team-mate Wes Brown and Liverpool defender Glen Johnson the front runners for the full-back berth.

And Neville said: "To be honest, I am not looking at an England return.

"It doesn’t mean I would turn down the opportunity if it came but it is not something I am focusing on."

Neville made his debut for the Three Lions against Japan in 1995 and went on to feature in five major tournaments, including Euro 96 when he was an ever-present until being suspended for the semi-final defeat to Germany.

The veteran was last called up for England under Capello for the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra last June and made the bench in the second of those games, without getting called into action.

The 33-year-old yachtswoman, who hit the headlines in 2006 after setting a new world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the planet, said she will give up sailing competitively after spending two months on the remote south Atlantic island of South Georgia later that year.

"I still sail, I still love sailing and I’ll still sail for pleasure," she explained to BBC Radio 4′s Desert Island Disks host Kirsty Young.

"I sail for charity – the Ellen MacArthur Trust for kids with cancer, leukaemia.

"But as long as this [environmental] challenge is there to be communicated, will I invest four years of my life to sailing round the world?

"No. This new understanding for me has become far more important."

Since setting the record in 2006, Dame Ellen’s mark of 71 days and 14 hours was broken by French sailor Francis Joyon, who completed a full circle of the globe in less than two months.

And although she admitted there is "a part of me that wants the record back", she is prepared to give up the challenge in favour of a higher calling.

She said: "I never thought it was possible that anything in my life could eclipse sailing.

"But after being in South Georgia, learning these lessons, and the more I researched into it the more frightened I got.

"It has really scared me to the point that I can’t go back to sea and go around the world again because this really matters."

Dame Ellen currently champions a number of environmental causes and charities and is preparing to launch a nationwide campaign to promote sustainable living.

The Reds suffered a humbling 2-0 defeat against Fiorentina in the Champions League last week, followed by an away loss to Chelsea by the same scoreline at the weekend.

The club’s owners Tom Hicks and Gillett have come in for criticism from Liverpool supporters following the recent decision to shelve plans for a new stadium and apparently limit Benitez’s transfer budget.

However, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reports Gillett recently responded to the criticism in a discussion with a representative from a fans’ group.

"We have invested more money than our competitors, in keeping with the history of the club," he is reported to have said.

"In the last 18 months, we have invested £128 million on top of what has come in. That means it should be getting better.

"Now if it’s not getting better, it’s not Gillett and Hicks, it’s the manager, it’s the scouting. You have to make sure you balance out your analysis.

"There was plenty of money, so if you have any complaints, take a look at the ins and outs."

He added Liverpool were currently in a better financial condition than Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Only Manchester City and all their "craziness" had invested more, he added.

Liverpool currently lie sixth in the Premier League, six points behind the leaders Chelsea.

The soldier from 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards was on foot patrol near to Nad Ali District Centre in central Helmand province when he was killed in the blast yesterday morning.

Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, said: "It is with much sadness that I have to report the death of a courageous soldier in Helmand Province.

"Our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go out to his bereaved family, to his friends and to the many comrades of this proud and brave Guards soldier."

The soldier’s next of kin have been informed.

Since operation began in Afghanistan eight years ago, 220 British service personnel have been killed.

The chief executive of Britain’s biggest retailer said the company was "well-placed for the global recovery" and the store had been able to take on 6,500 staff over the six-month period.

Group sales rose 8.3 per cent (including petrol) to £30.4 billion, which Tesco said was an 11.4 per cent increase. Like-for-like sales grew 2.7 per cent.

Tesco said they were on target to meet their 5.5 per cent global reduction in CO2 emissions from existing stores and distribution centres, and added that 2,500 jobs had been created through local employment partnerships for UK business.

Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, said: "Tesco’s core strengths are even more important as we tackle successfully the challenges of recession.

"Our focus on the customer, the consistency of our strategy, an efficient business model, strong local management teams, and a spirit of innovation and knowledge-sharing, have enabled us to improve the shopping trip for customers – by investing in consistent value they can trust and in rewarding their loyalty through Clubcard – whilst at the same time delivering a robust financial performance.

"Our UK business is delivering solid growth and improving volumes. This progress across the group, combined with our strong financial position funding continued investment in new space and new businesses, means we’re well-placed for the global recovery."

In August this year the company announced the creation of 800 jobs in Scotland in their personal finance division.

The supermarket giant said the new customer service centre in central Glasgow received a £5 million grant from the Scottish government.

Some campaigners are currently calling for an appointment of a supermarket ombudsman to act as a watchdog over Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.