COLIN Todd called time on the Peter Beardsley affair today when he transfer listed the former England international and immediately loaned him out to Division One crisis club Manchester City.

The Wanderers boss admitted the £500,000 deal which brought the veteran Geordie to the Reebok from Newcastle in August "had not worked out".

The decision to transfer-list the 37-year-old follows a recent article in a national newspaper that was severely critical of Todd's handling of the international, who came to Bolton with an enormous reputation.

But when he revealed the surprise developments this morning, the manager made no reference to personal problems.

"I've had a chat with Peter and we both know it has not worked out," he explained. "It's been there for everyone to see.

"Unfortunately that happens sometimes and this is one of those occasions."

Beardsley, who joined Wanderers in a blaze of glory, made an immediate impact when he helped turn a 2-0 half-time deficit into a 2-2 result at Coventry in his first appearance. He scored his first goal for the club at Barnsley the following midweek and appeared to be set fair for a successful end to his career.

But a head injury suffered in training knocked him out of his stride and, although he has made 13 Premiership starts, he has made less of an impact on Wanderers fortunes than Todd had hoped when he brought him to to the club.

He was dropped to substitute, restored to the side and made captain for the day on his return to Newcastle last month but was left out of the squad altogether when Wanderers held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in their last Premiership game.

Beardsley has been repeatedly linked with moves to Fulham and Carlisle United but Wanderers have had no approaches from either club.

Manchester City's move came on the day when Blues' boss Frank Clark was given the hjard word by the Maine Road directors "Improve or else!".

Meanwhile, success for Mark Fish in the African Nations Cup means bad news for Wanderers.

The central defender helped South Africa beat Namibia 4-1 to qualify for the quarter-finals as runners-up in Group C.

The Springboks, nicknamed 'Bafana, Bafana' are next in action on February 22, which rules Fish out of Saturday's Premiership game at home to West Ham. If they progress any further in the knockout stages, it is highly unlikely he will be back in time for the game at Spurs on Sunday, March 1.

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