Briefs-Nottingham Forest appoint Davies as manager

Jan 1 (Reuters) - Sports news in brief from around the world:

Soccer - Nottingham Forest appointed former Derby County boss Billy Davies as their new manager on Thursday, with a three-year contract until 2012.

The former European champions, now languishing one place above the relegation zone in the Championship (second division), said on their website (www.nottinghamforest.co.uk) that Davies would officially start his new job on Monday.

Davies, 44, has been out of work since leaving Derby in November 2007 and takes over from Colin Calderwood who was sacked before Christmas.

Golf - John Daly is welcome to compete again on the Australian golfing circuit despite revealing that he had been suspended for six months from the U.S. PGA Tour, promoters said.

American Daly, who has had well-publicised problems with drinking, said on Wednesday that he had been banned from the Tour for "conduct that brought unwelcome publicity", telling journalists: "This is the lowest I've ever been."

(Editing by Clare Fallon)