Triesman steps down

Lord Triesman is to step down from his ministerial role to be the first independent chairman of the Football Association. The Minister for Students has been nominated for the three-day-a-week job and will leave his current role once his appointment is approved by the FA Council on January 16. The 64-year-old's CV apparently includes a spell on the youth team books at Tottenham Hotspur, the team he has supported all his life. Lord Mawhinney, chairman of the nominations committee, said: "He combines excellent managerial and leadership skills with a lifelong passion for the game."