Bond gets Bournemouth job

Former Newcastle assistant boss Kevin Bond, who was fired by the Magpies last month in the fall-out from the Panorama programme on alleged corruption, has been appointed manager of League One side Bournemouth.

The 49-year-old, who made more than 100 appearances for the Cherries as a player, replaces Sean O’Driscoll after he quit to take over at Doncaster four weeks ago.

Bond, who was Harry Redknapp’s number two at Portsmouth during the time of the Panorama investigation, joined Newcastle in July but had his contract terminated after the BBC programme recorded him allegedly saying he would consider discussing payments from an agent.

Bond has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and announced he will take legal action.

In the meantime, he was interviewed twice by Bournemouth chairman Abdul Jaffer and has now landed his first league managerial role, taking over a Cherries side currently lying 15th in the table and without a win in six games.

The former England B defender beat ex-Derby boss Phil Brown and veteran Barnet midfielder Andy Hessenthaler to the vacancy after joint-caretaker bosses Stuart Murdoch and Joe Roach ruled themselves out of the running.