SIR ALEX JOINS DEMENTIA FIGHT

SIR ALEX FERGUSON, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Gareth Southgate have joined forces to support football’s fight against dementia. The trio will take part in a one-off event to raise funds for research into the link between football and the disease — in conjunction with Sportsmail’s campaign — and support those suffering from dementia and their families. In an exclusive interview with Sportsmail today, former Manchester United boss Ferguson says: ‘It’s the right thing to do. Football has a duty to look at the situation and people like myself owe it to the game to see if there is something we can do about it.’

Ferguson will be joined by his old sparring partner and Liverpool icon Dalglish and England manager Southgate at a live, streamed fundraiser on January 15. Each football personality will be in their own home for the event, hosted by Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates, and fans who buy tickets via a donation can ask questions. Organisers say no subject will be off-limits at the groundbreaking event, which they are hopeful can raise close to £500,000. ‘If me and Kenny are on the same platform, sparks will fly,’ added Ferguson (left). In November, we launched our campaign calling on football to finally tackle its dementia scandal. The evening has been arranged by

under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s elite sport protocols. The exemption means that Premier League fixtures and FA Cup third-round matches, which begin on Friday night, can go ahead despite the presence of several sides from lower down the football pyramid. Three non-League teams — Marine, Boreham Wood and Chorley — remain in the FA Cup, but it is understood their ties can go ahead because the competition is classed as an elite one. Marine host Premier League side Tottenham, Chorley face Derby and Boreham Wood play Millwall. Divisions below the National Conference North and South will be halted, with training also prohibited. Meanwhile, the FA have no intention of punishing players who breach Covid regulations away from football. A host of high-profile footballers have been accused of flouting Government restrictions in recent days, leading to calls for the players in question to be formally reprimanded by the sport’s governing body. But the jurisdiction for punishment away from the sport does not lie with the FA but with clubs. An FA disrepute charge could trigger competitive suspensions for players. But while officials have taken a particularly dim view of some footballers’ behaviour in recent days, it is understood the breaches that have emerged do not fall within the organisation’s remit. At the weekend, Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy (below) apologised for hosting guests at a New Year’s Eve party in a Tier 4 area, while Tottenham players Sergio Reguilon, Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela, plus West Ham star Manuel Lanzini, were pictured together at another gathering in breach of the rules. Images of Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic celebrating together also emerged. All clubs involved have condemned their players for flouting the regulations. The top two tiers of women’s football will be able to continue during the lockdown, though Manchester City reported yesterday that four of their women’s first team had tested positive for coronavirus. City briefly closed their training complex last week due to concerns that an outbreak among the men’s team could spread. Championship clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County, who played each other on Friday, have both closed their training grounds after an outbreak. Derby said ‘several firstteam staff and players’ had tested positive and are understood to have closed their training ground until next Tuesday. Wednesday, who face Exeter in the FA Cup on Saturday, hope to reopen theirs on Friday after a fresh round of tests tomorrow.