Joe Lewis, the majority shareholder of Tottenham Hotspur, had, it seems, suffered a blow on Tuesday even before his soccer team were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Manchester United.

Mitchells & Butlers, the British pub group in which Lewis is also the majority shareholder, yesterday removed his representatives from the board and appointed a new chairman, apparently in defiance of his wishes.

'Richard McGuire and Douglas McMahon, representatives of Lewis' investment vehicle, Piedmont, have been told by M&B to step down,' reports London's City AM newspaper. 'Simon Laffin, a former finance director at Safeway and M&B's senior independent director, has been appointed chairman with immediate effect.'

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'The move came after M&B said it would appeal to the Takeover Panel to rule on whether rebel shareholders were attempting to gain control of the group,' adds the newspaper.