FALLEN former WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison's hopes of having the suspension of his fight licence lifted today appear doomed.

British Boxing Board of Control chiefs are set to discuss the Cambuslang puncher in Cardiff.

However, SportTimes understands the best the 30-year-old can hope for is being given a date for a personal hearing at which he will be allowed to plead his case.

Harrison appeared to have cleared a massive obstacle to his hopes of climbing back into the square ring when he was cleared of a charge of police assault at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.

However, BBBC general secretary Simon Block confirmed: "There will be no definitive decision taken on Scott Harrison today.

"Although we realise Mr Harrison has had a charge of police assault against him dropped, we believe sentence has been deferred on the charges of breach of the peace and resisting arrest until next month.

"Obviously that is something we have to bear in mind with regard to discussing Mr Harrison's case. We are still waiting for certain items of correspondence from his legal representatives although we have had other articles in this respect.

"There is the possibility that a decision may be taken in asking Mr Harrison to attend a personal hearing on a specified date, but there will be no definitive decision taken on the suspension of his licence today."

However, it is believed the Glaswegian will need to provide more detailed documentation regarding his health and ability to pass the stringent BBBC medical that is a must before any fighter laces up.

But the news that Harrison's hopes will be further stalled, for at least a month, will come as a blow to the former British and Commonwealth champion.

Team Harrison had hoped of a return to ring action in March or April. It now seems certain the Scot is likely to be no further forward in his quest to mount a comeback until at least mid-March.

That would mean Harrison had been out of action for two-and-a-half years, and would provide an obvious challenge in his ability to shrug off ring rust.

However, former Commonwealth lightweight champion Willie Limond confirmed in SportTimes that Harrison had been in "brutal" form when the two sparred last week.

And, while the ex-world champ's need for warm-up action increases with every extra month of inactivity, the possibility of an all-tartan super-fight with Edinburgh's Alex Arthur and re-affirmed backing from British Boxing's most powerful figure, Sportsnetwork supremo Frank Warren, surely mean Harrison will return to the ring in 2008.