THE next fortnight could be interesting for Sheffield Wednesday, which is likely to be noted by those at Victoria Park.

A Middle East-based group that had been in talks over some sort of investment with Hartlepool United have got their sights on Hillsborough.

Discussions with the Owls are believed to be at an advanced stage and there could be an announcement soon.

It is believed the breakdown of discussions with Pools - where chairman Ken Hodcroft has since insisted that talks were only ever for a shirt sponsorship deal - were what led to the departures of director of sport Chris Turner and chief executive Russ Green.

But now the multi-national company, thought to be from Dubai, have turned their attentions elsewhere and Wednesday, Turner's former club, could soon have new owners.

Charlton Athletic, who confirmed this week that owner Richard Murray has completed his buy out of the club, have also previously held talks.

Wednesday, though, are calling.

WORD has reached Priestgate that Gordon Strachan is ready to boost the Tees Pride 10k run on Sunday, September 5 - and he is turning up late for press conferences to make sure he's there.

Earlier this week Strachan delayed his pre-match press call for the Millwall game by 20 minutes because he needed to freshen up after his fitness work in the gym.

The Boro boss has told Colin Cooper, the club's former first team coach, his troubled calf strain is responding well to training for the event, which he will run to raise money for the Finlay Cooper Fund.

Volunteers are being urged to join Strachan on the run and can sign up by visiting finlaycooperfund.co.uk or call 01325-354440.

IF England end up winning the battle to host the 2018 World Cup, perhaps one of the North-East's clubs will be able to claim, 'It was Sunderland wot won it'.

Or, to be more precise, it was the picture that hangs in the main reception area at the Stadium of Light.

Thomas Henry's evocative oil painting of a match between Sunderland and Aston Villa in 1895 caught the eye of Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the head of the FIFA delegation.

According to the Chilean, it gave "a clear impression of what football has meant since those early days as part of England's history." For the FA , who have been keen to avoid any suggestion of 'football coming home', it was a perfect fit.

AS disclosed last week, Jonathan Woodgate has handed a contract to Middlesbrough's former fitness coach Nick Allanby in an attempt to find a solution to his long-term injury problems.

I have been asked to point out, though, that he was not released by Boro, he instead took the decision to team up with Woodgate himself rather than stick with the Championship club.

You see, it's not just footballers who can demand transfers.