Hibs torment over future of Calderwood set to go on

Hibs' torment over the future of boss Colin Calderwood is poised to drag into a third week after Birmingham City chief Peter Pannu flew to Hong Kong, where club owner Carson Yeung is facing five charges of money laundering.

Pannu left for the Far East after the Easter Road club rejected a 300,000 compensation offer for Calderwood, who was assistant to Birmingham's new manager Chris Hughton at Newcastle when they won the Championship title.

Hughton is anxious to be reunited with the 46-year-old former Scotland defender in the Midlands and wanted him to be at his right hand when the Blues squad report back for pre-season training on Monday.

However, it appears that deadline won't be met despite Pannu, a former policeman in Hong Kong, declaring it was business as usual at St Andrew's, even although he will be absent for an unknown period.

While, of course, negotiations can continue by telephone or e-mail regardless of Pannu's whereabouts, the time difference and the weekend are likely to mean nothing will be concluded until the start of next week at the earliest.

Hibs supporters will be dismayed by the continuing saga, the vast majority of them convinced Calderwood will be moving on after barely eight months in charge at Easter Road and anxious that the cloud of uncertainty which has engulfed the club disappears as quickly as possible with the start of the new SPL season only three weeks away.

Speculation regarding the future of the Hibs manager, the club's eighth in only ten years, began a fortnight ago when it became known new Nottingham Forest manager Steve McClaren wanted him as his No.?2, Calderwood having previously been in charge at the City Ground.

The rumour and gossip gathered pace when Hughton was unveiled as Alex McLeish's successor at newly-relegated Birmingham and Calderwood himself fanned the flames a week ago when he refused to dismiss the notion of a return to football in England, the former Spurs and Aston Villa stopper talking instead of keeping his options open.

Although Birmingham made their move earlier this week, Forest are now also said to be in talks with Hibs, with some claiming Calderwood would prefer a return to his former club. As things stand, though, Calderwood is expected to be in the dug-out for Hibs first pre-season friendly at Berwick later today.

Whether he occupies the away dug-out at Livingston on Tuesday night is another question.