Inside Lines: Sport's twin powers seek new game plan

It is no secret that Sir Rodney Walker and Patrick Carter, the ex-Wembley troubleshooters who are now the twin towers of the British sporting establishment, do not rub along together. Indeed, while they have no social contact, their paths crossed when the Government drafted in Carter to "salvage" the Wembley project while Walker was well on the way to doing the job his way. Last week Carter, Jack Straw's old school chum, began work as the new chairman of Sport England, despite his unfamiliarity with the smell of liniment. Walker, who has been running UK Sport for five years, is due to step down next July. In the past the two bodies have not seen eye-to-eye but Walker says he is determined to rectify this and a pow-wow has been arranged for this week following a call from Carter. "I've every intention of Patrick Carter and myself working well together," says Walker. "It needs to be so in the interests of sport. He clearly is a man who is held in high regard within Government circles. If he and I together can work out a convincing argument for why more money should be invested in sport, then perhaps he more than me can go and knock on the Chancellor's door. He certainly has the entree." Walker and Carter may well complement each other. Carter has friends in high places but ex-athlete and rugby leaguer Walker has the friends in sport. He will be a hard act to follow at UK Sport (though we hear Adam Crozier's name is being touted). But they could do worse than reappoint Walker, for sport needs his stabilising influence. Rules would have to be manipulated, but that shouldn't be a problem for this Government, should it?

Vann off the road for Hatton's next fight

A familiar face will be missing when Ricky Hatton defends his World Boxing Union light-welterweight title in Newcastle next Saturday. Referee Mickey Vann, who has been in charge of the Manchester boxer's last eight fights, has not been appointed to handle Hatton's meeting with American Joe Henderson. Instead it will be refereed by another Briton, Ian John-Lewis . Vann, arguably Britain's leading referee, was involved in a major controversy in Hatton's last defence in September against Stephen Smith when he was attacked in the ring by Smith's father-trainer Darkie, who has subsequently lost his licence. Smith claimed Hatton had "elbowed" his son and accused Vann of bias. The frequency with which Leeds man Vann handles Hatton fights has caused raised eyebrows in boxing circles but the Norwich-based WBO president Jon Robinson says: "It was simply that he was the best referee available to us." Not this time, though. Vann is on WBO refereeing duty in Russia, but the young John-Lewis is ably equipped to handle rough stuff. He's a Chatham prison officer.

Unfortunately, they can't be with us...

Barring a fix or a foul-up of Popstar proportions, Paula Radcliffe will run away with the BBC Sports Personalty of the Year award tonight, as she has with just about every other gong going. It seems a pity, then, that the one trophy she won't be present in person to collect is the one given by the Sports Writers' Association. Apparently, her husband Gary Lough feels she has been overdoing these "do's" and she is taking a break, much to the scribes' disappointment, especially as male winner Lennox Lewis, away in the United States, will also be a no-show at Wednesday's ceremony. Nothing unusual in that. He's snubbed them before. But it seems a shame the popular Radcliffe can't manage a final lap of honour.

Now here's a novel thing. A sporting body which is not looking for money, but actually wants to give it away. Well, we say sporting organisation but here's the rub. Or rubber, really, as it happens to be bridge.

What bridge is seeking is to build bridges with sport and become part of the sporting establishment, recognised by the Goverenment and the various sports councils. The English Bridge Union have managed to persuade parliament to consider amendments to the 1937 Physical Training and Recreation Act and re-define both bridge and chess, currently considered "mind games ", as sports. Although clubs could then apply for VAT and tax benefits, there is an element of altruism as affluent bridge says it wants to invest money in sports and leisure facilities. Currently the EBU are offering to bail out the cash-strapped English Hockey Association by leasing and sharing hockey's headquarters at Milton Keynes.

On the subject of financial largesse, it seems that sport has a bit of a windfall coming its way. We hope.

Answering a parliamentary question from the shadow spokesman John Greenway, the sports minister, Richard Caborn, revealed that his department had a total under-spend of nearly £5 million over the past three years on its sports budget. So what happens next? We are assured it will not be "lost" like the £3.5bn of Lottery money allegedly retained by the Government in a frozen slush fund. "It will go to sport," a departmental spokesman assures us. Good to know, but we must hope the cheque does not linger as long in the post as the £40m compen-sation promised to athletics for Picketts Lock.

insidelines@independent.co.uk

Exit Lines

I want to do some listening before I do some talking. New Sport England chairman Patrick Carter explains why he declines to be interviewed... I would suggest he did not bother. Princess Anne's response to the idea that Prince William should lead a London Olympics bid... He's hit the deck so many times he has a cauliflower arse. Frank Warren does not think much of Mike Tyson's next opponent, Clifford Etienne... I just have to get square behind him now. Liverpool's 'other' goalkeeper, Chris Kirkland, has a novel plan to help error-prone Jerzy Dudek.