SPECULATION OVER CITY APPOINTMENT [30/06/07 05:44:41]

The Stock Exchange was bracing itself for the news today that former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (right), who succeeded in acquiring a majority shareholding in the ailing club on Thursday, was close to making the appointment of ADCC Head of Secret Police John Stockbridge to fill the managerial vacancy.

It is understood that Shinawatra, ousted in a bloodless coup from his country last year, has been involved in clandestine talks with Abberton's security expert and personal terms are close to being agreed.

Stockbridge, whose commitment to his highly paid job at The Brow has recently attracted criticism, was described by one long time club member last night as a "total waste of space". Another labelled his performance as "disappointing". Unusually for him, the diminutive chainsmoker was available for comment and said Shinawatra, sought on corruption charges in homeland, was "my type of guy, he's from Phuket".

One local bookmaker thinks the City job may be a 'done deal' and is already offering odds on Stockbridge's replacement at Abberton. He goes: 11/4 Big Lil (Paul Welton's bitch), 4/1 John Everett, 5/1 John Ward, 6/1 Stuart Pearce, 8/1 Sven-Goran Eriksson, 10/1 Patience Pig (the mother of Perry and Percy), 14/1 Tony Blair, 25/1 Cherie Blair, Liam Everett, Marian Ward, 33/1 Bar.