Football: Toshack endures turbulent homecoming: Controversy surrounding the departure of former manager threatens the stability of Wales' new regime

IF IT truly was the start of the 'honeymoon period' that all new managers are entitled to then John Toshack might conceivably have asked himself yesterday about the turbulent marriage that awaits him now he has been put in charge of the Welsh football team.

They could not find a room large enough in one of Cardiff's biggest hotels to accommodate all the media as Toshack was officially paraded as the Welsh technical director. It is a homecoming-of-sorts for one of the nation's most famous sons but the inauguration is being clouded by the continuing bitterness surrounding the Welsh FA's messy divorce from Terry Yorath.

That will continue now Yorath has decided to sue for unfair dismissal and it is an uneasy situation for Toshack to walk into. Initially the succession is not helped by the fact that he will be manager only from match to match during the forthcoming European Championship campaign and then only if there are no conflicting demands from Real Sociedad to keep him in Spain. Tactically, it was unfortunate that he was forced to miss last night's B international against Scotland because of club business.

Yet, if he felt vulnerable, the 44-year-old former Liverpool striker was not showing it, skilfully evading the strongest challenges from his questioners while expressing the wish that the Yorath controversy would be 'swept under the carpet'.

The new broom would not be employed, he explained, to sweep aside members of Yorath's team who have grown old and weary together in pursuit of the qualification prize in a major tournament which remains their quest.

Some of the elder statesmen had hinted they might not be happy serving another manager but Toshack recognised that Yorath inherited a similar situation and called on everyone to pull together for the sake of the national team.

'I don't come with any pre-conceived ideas and it is difficult for me to say that I shall change this or that. It would seem to me that the most recent Welsh sides have been a bit unbalanced because the skill they have in some areas is not matched in others. We don't have a big choice of players but those we do have are good professionals and for the older ones I still think there is football left in their boots.'

Sitting quietly alongside was Mike Smith, an Englishman who managed Wales during the second half of Toshack's 40-cap playing career and who is now his full-time assistant. As Smith goes about assessing the form of Toshack's chosen team, as well as those coming through from the lower levels, his contribution will be considerable.

'I can understand people's reservations about this set-up but I haven't suddenly woken up one morning and decided this was what I wanted to do,' Toshack said. 'I could only take on such an exciting challenge if Real allowed me to and if Mike was appointed on a full-time basis. But, you know, the more doubts there are, the greater is the motivation. Hopefully, both Real and Wales will get the best of me and at the end I can turn round and say 'look, it can be done'.'

Dundee and Clydebank have been ordered to attend today's inquiry into last weekend's pitch invasion during the Tennent's Scottish Cup tie at Kilbowie Park. The Scottish Football Association has taken prompt action following the brawl in which the Clydebank goalkeeper Alan Monaghan was attacked by Dundee fans.