HIBS NO.2 BLOW

HIBS caretaker boss Mark Venus looks set to follow Tony Mowbray out of Easter Road to link up with him at West Brom

Mogga, who quit his post with the Leith club on Thursday, agreed personal terms with Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace yesterday and will be officially unveiled as manager at The Hawthorns on Wednesday.

And it seems increasingly likely that Venus, who was No.2 at Hibs, will rejoin his close pal.

Venus will take charge of the Easter Road team for tomorrow's crunch home Edinburgh derby against Hearts before heading south to join Mowbray.

Former Middlesbrough, Celtic and Ipswich defender Mowbray, 42, will keep a watching brief over his new charges during West Brom's next two fixtures, at Ipswich today and away to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

Albion have been without a boss since Bryan Robson left the club on September 16 after 22 months in The Hawthorns hotseat.

Caretaker manager Nigel Pearson will remain in charge of Albion's first-team affairs until after their midweek trip to Palace.

Mowbray's first game in charge will be the home Midlands derby against Wolves next Sunday - and he says he can't wait to get started.

He said: "This was a chance I could not turn down. West Brom is a club steeped in tradition and I felt I was ready for the challenge.

"I had two and a half good years at Hibs and we really got the club moving in that time.

"I am very grateful to them for giving me the chance to move into management in my own right after my spell as a coach at Ipswich Town but as I have said before I feel I am now ready for the next move in my career.

"The talks with the Albion board went very well. I think that it is important when a new manager joins a club that the fit is right and I think that is the case here.

"West Brom are an extremely ambitious club and I am a very ambitious person. I can't wait to get started."

Taken from the Daily Record