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      Frank Lampard releases eight Coventry stars after gut-wrenching Championship play-off defeat to Sunderland

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      COVENTRY have released eight players after falling short of promotion to the Premier League.Frank Lampard, who landed the job in November, led the Sky Blues on an incredible surge up the table to finish fifth.Coventry have released eight playersCredit: PAJamie Paterson has left after just eight gamesCredit: PABut they remain in the Championship after conceding a 122nd minute winner to Sunderland in the play-off semi-final.Coventry have announced their release list following the end of the season with Jamie Paterson the biggest name departing.The 33-year-old was at the club for three months and managed eight appearances.But he has not been offered a new contract and will join League One side Plymouth Argyle.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAcademy graduates Jack Burroughs, Ryan Howley and Cian Tyler have also been shown the exit door.Burroughs, 24, joined Coventry at the age of seven and went on to make 21 senior appearances.But he has spent recent seasons out on loan at Lincoln, Kilmarnock and Ross County.Howley, 21, played eight times in total and was with Scottish Championship side Ayr United on loan last season.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKTyler, 23, is another who has been at Coventry since he was a schoolboy, but he never managed a first-team game.Under-21 quartet Aston Ellard, Daniel Rachel, Kain Ryan and Jayden Smith have also left the club.Coventry have decided to trigger one-year extension options in the contracts of midfielder Jamie Allen and goalkeeper Luke Bell.Allen, 30, has been in the squad for the last six seasons and he has featured 151 times for the club.Bell, 21, joined from Wolves three years ago and is their youth-team keeper.Jamie Allen will remain with the clubCredit: Shutterstock Editorial More

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      Championship club to hold talks with Tottenham coach Ryan Mason to take over as manager after Tony Mowbray sacked

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      TOTTENHAM coach Ryan Mason is in talks to become the manager of Championship outfit West Brom, according to reports.Mason, 33, is said to be the No.1 target for the Baggies this summer.Ryan Mason is in talks to take over at West BromCredit: PAMason is part of Ange Postecoglou’s coaching staff at Spurs who were crowned Europa League championsCredit: ReutersWest Brom chiefs sacked previous boss Tony Mowbray in April.That decision came after a disastrous run of one win in four games at the end of the season saw them miss out on the play-offs, ultimately won by Sunderland.Mason has been a coach at Tottenham since 2018 after retiring with a serious head injury, initially starting out in the youth ranks before he moved into the senior side.The former midfielder has outlasted a number of big name bosses at the north London club, namely, Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMason was also a key part of the backroom staff of current manager Ange Postecoglou, who guided Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years with the Europa League.According to The Telegraph, West Brom want their new boss in place well before pre-season and have held talks with several candidates over the position.However, the Hawthorns outfit were set to offer Mason the job after Spurs’ final game of the Premier League season against Brighton – which ended in a 4-1 defeat.Mason secured his Uefa Pro-licence two years ago and has been linked with managerial posts at Anderlecht and Swansea.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKBut his only experience as a top coach has come as an interim manager at Spurs, managing 13 games across two spells.West Brom are searching for their third boss since February 2024, which is when Florida-based businessman Shilen Patel took over the club.Inside Tottenham’s wild Europa League open-top bus parade as 200,000 fans greet heroesThe summer recruitment drive is being led by sporting director Andrew Nestor.West Brom made the play-offs by finishing fifth in the Championship last year under Carlos Corberan, though he left the club in December 2024 to join La Liga outfit Valencia.Mowbray was then appointed as his permanent successor for his second spell in charge of the team but lasted just three months.The club were last in the top flight in the 2020/21 season which came after they earned automatic promotion by finishing second in the Championship. More

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      Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh ready to buy ex-Premier League club – but rules out crisis side Sheffield Wednesday

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      SAUDI ARABIAN boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is reportedly interested in buying one of two English clubs.It was claimed last week that Alalshikh had taken part in talks with Championship side Millwall ahead of a potential bid.Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh is reportedly considering a takeover of SouthamptonCredit: GettySouthampton is one of two clubs he is currently keen onCredit: PAHowever, the Lions denied that discussions were held.Officials also insisted the club was not for sale.With a bid for Millwall understood to be off the table, talkSPORT presenter Simon Jordan revealed that Alalshikh has now turned his interest to recently-relegated Southampton.Jordan also admitted that he put the idea of buying Sheffield Wednesday to him amid unrest over the club’s current ownership.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, the Saudi boxing mogul refused.The talkSPORT presenter explained: “No it’s not talk, they are interested because they’ve told me.”I’ve told him and tried to talk him out of Millwall because I don’t think it’s a proper football club, but that’s a different discussion.”But it is Millwall, and he likes Southampton. I suggested Sheffield Wednesday to him. He doesn’t want Sheffield Wednesday.Most read in ChampionshipCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”He doesn’t want a club in the north. He wants a club in the south. And Millwall and Southampton are the two clubs that he thinks are interesting to him.”It is understood that several English clubs have sounded Alalshikh out over a potential takeover.Turki Alalshikh working on astonishing fight in Alcatraz prison and vows to hold bout inside Rome’s iconic Colosseum The 43-year-old has become a prominent figure in the boxing world in recent years, brokering some of the biggest fights in the sport.His role as chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority means he has varied business interests.Having recently sold LaLiga 2 side Almeria, he is now looking to buy a club in the Premier League or Championship.Southampton were relegated from the Prem this season after finishing 12th in the table.The Saints appointed Will Still as their new manager at the weekend.Will Still was appointed as Southampton’s new manager last weekCredit: Getty More

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      Why Jude Bellingham’s brother Jobe requested NOT to have surname on Sunderland shirt for Championship play-off final

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      JOBE BELLINGHAM spent this season with his first name on the back of his Sunderland shirt. Bellingham – younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude – helped Sunderland gain promotion back to the Premier League. Jobe Bellingham spent this season with his first name on the back of his Sunderland shirtCredit: Shutterstock EditorialAnd he did so wearing the No.7 with Jobe on his shirt – opting not to wear his surname as is usually the case for players. According to the Daily Mail, the reason being is that midfielder wants to create his own identity away from that of his older brother.Players can ask for “appropriate variation” on the back of their shirt – should they wish at the start of the season.Older brother Jude joined Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023 and has won the LaLiga title and Champions League in Spain. READ MORE IN footballHe has also become a regular for England – scoring six times in his 42 caps so far. Like Jude, his younger brother also came through Birmingham’s academy before joining Sunderland in 2023. This season, he made 40 appearances with four goals and has attracted attention from across Europe. Dortmund – who helped Jude make his name – are believed to be rivalling Eintracht Frankfurt for his signature. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBellingham wanted to make a name for himself with Sunderland – and achieved that alongside the rest of his team-mates at Wembley. The Black Cats saw off Sheffield United 2-1 thanks to a last-minute Tom Watson winner. Bellingham, 19, said: “I’ve been part of this great team so every player has made a name for themselves here. So really proud.”Jobe Bellingham takes swipe at Sky Sports pundits in live TV interview before awkward moment with panel at Wembley More

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      Charlton 1 Leyton Orient 0: Nathan Jones leads Addicks back to Championship with huge win over London rivals at Wembley

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      MACAULAY GILLESPHEY curled home the sweetest of free-kicks to fire Charlton back into the Championship.It has been five long years for the Addicks in League One but the defender came up trumps with a 30th-minute effort to earn Nathan Jones promotion in his first full season as boss.Charlton are back in the ChampionshipCredit: Shutterstock EditorialMacaulay Gillesphey’s free-kick proved decisiveCredit: PANathan Jones celebrated in typically wild fashion at full-timeCredit: Shutterstock EditorialCharlton return to the second tier for the first time in 2020Credit: Shutterstock EditorialCharlton have been out of the Premier League since 2007 and this has been their fifth season in League One and eighth out of the last nine.But since Nathan Jones took charge in February 2004 things have been on the up at The Valley – steering clear of an unimaginable relegation battle before a third-place finish this season.The game started at a great pace.And ref Andrew Kitchen decided to keep the card in his pocket when Lloyd Jones clattered Dan Agyei as the Orient striker looked to break into the Charlton half.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLRight-back Ethan Galbraith, who Wellens said is a “future Premier League footballer”, dragged an effort wide.Ollie O’Neill had a chance to shoot when the O’s caught Charlton on the break but Kayne Ramsay threw himself to block the effort.Leyton Orient came close to breaking the deadlock when Agyei played a peach of a cross from the right but Jordan Brown just failed to connect.And Charlton ruthlessly punished them down the other end when Tyrese Campbell was brought down 25 yards from goal.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSUp stepped Macaulay Gillesphey to curl a wonderful free-kick past Josh Keeley despite the keeper getting his fingertips to it for his sixth goal of the season.It was so excellently executed and sent the sold-out Charlton end into a frenzy of jubilationWhat had been so frustrating for Orient is that in the first half their top-scoring Charlie Kelman did not get a single kick inside the Charlton box.Wellens sent his team out early for the second half and Galbraith managed to get behind the Addicks on the right flank but his cross was jumped on by Will Mannion.And Orient went mighty close to levelling when Jack Currie saw his effort deflected by Tyreece Campbell barely an inch wide of the right post that had Mannion beaten.The O’s fans, who had gone a little quiet, now found their voice again, having belief that they might be able to claw themselves back into the game.The bar then came to Charlton’s rescue when Currie drove forward, played a pass into Kelman, who let fly a 20 yard effort that flew over Mannion but rattled back off the woodwork.Charlton did not concede in their three play-off gamesCredit: Shutterstock EditorialIt was Gillesphey’s sixth goal of the seasonCredit: GettyAlex Gilbert took out Jamie Donley on the edge of the box before the O’s player dusted himself off but fired his shot into the wall.Conor Coventry saw an effort tipped over by Josh Keeley after he was played in by Karoy Anderson.Ref Andrew Kitchen was having issues with his communications kit and there was a long delay while he got kitted with a replacement.Read More on The SunChuks Aneke saw a snap shot pushed around the post by Keeley.After 11 minutes of stoppages it was finally all over and the Addicks are back in the Championship. More

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      Southampton ANNOUNCE Will Still as new manager one hour before final game of the season vs Arsenal

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      SOUTHAMPTON have tasked Will Still with leading them back to the Premier League.Saints have confirmed their appointment of the Belgian-born English coach, 32, on a three-year deal and the young boss has already targeted promotion.Southampton confirmed Will Still as their new managerCredit: GettySaints put the announcement on the big screen at St Mary’s before facing ArsenalCredit: GettyThe announcement – which included a woman at a bar putting sparkling water away to keep the still out – came just an hour before kick-off in their final game of the dismal season at home to Arsenal. Russell Martin led the south coast side up through the play-offs last year but was dismissed in December, with Southampton going on to be relegated earlier than any club in Premier League history.Southampton had been targeting their former assistant Danny Rohl, who will leave Sheffield Wednesday this summer.But there is competition for the German who is taking time to make a decision on his future, causing Saints to move elsewhere as SunSport revealed the move for Still.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLStill, who wanted to become a coach after playing the videogame Football Manager in his youth, recently announced his decision to leave Lens in France where he also managed Stade de Reims as the youngest manager in Europe’s top five leagues.He said: “I’m extremely proud and excited to have joined Southampton.”There is huge potential here and we have a great opportunity to do something special.“The project that has been laid out to me is very impressive and, all together, I believe we can build a clear identity and a very positive future for the team.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“I can’t wait to meet you, the fans. I look forward to hearing you in voice, and feeling the energy and belief at St Mary’s and beyond.“I’m eager to get to work this summer and start building a close-knit group that can make everyone proud and ultimately get us back to where we belong; in the Premier League.”Will Still goes public with Sky Sports girlfriend Emma SaundersStill will be in attendance at St Mary’s for the home clash with the Gunners alongside Sky Sports presenter girlfriend Emma Saunders.Saints’ new technical director, Johannes Spors, said: “Will is a young, innovative manager who has already gained significant experience throughout his career, and we have been extremely impressed both by his track record and our conversations with him.“What was very apparent in our discussions was the clarity of his philosophy and the identity he wants his teams to have, but also his willingness and ability to adapt to different situations as they present themselves, which will be an important quality in the Championship next season.“We were very impressed by his personality and his values, and we feel he will be an excellent fit for the culture we are looking to build at Staplewood.”Still went public with Saunders during Euro 2024 after watching an England game together.But he wanted to move to England to be closer to his girlfriend following her cancer diagnosis.Read More on The SunSaunders was treated for thyroid cancer at the start of the season and also overcame brain infection encephalitis.Still revealed she was in a coma and had to leave her hospital room to manage his team in France. Simon Ruskhas been in interim charge assisted by Adam LallanaCredit: PAStill is dating Sky Sports presenter Emma SaundersCredit: Instagram / @wrstillThe couple were in attendance for the Arsenal match togetherCredit: GettyWill Still’s managerial recordLierse 6 October 2017 to 2 December 2017 – P9 W7 D1 L1 GD+7 Win % 78Beerschot 19 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 – P15 W6 D2 L7 GD+2 Win % 40Reims 13 October 2022 to 2 May 2024 – P65 W25 D19 L21 GD+11 Win % 38Lens 10 June 2024 to 18 May 2025 – P38 W17 D8 L13 GD+6 Win % 45TOTAL P127 W55 D30 L42 GD+26 Win % 43 More

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      Wrexham’s millionaire Hollywood owners set to be hit hard in the pocket as they try and build Championship squad

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      WREXHAM are learning there is a financial downside to their dramatic rise up the divisions.Phil Parkinson’s Championship new-boys are offering huge deals to new players — but they are also stuck with older ones who have just picked up hefty pay rises for being promoted.Wrexham finished second in League One this termCredit: APRob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have now inspired Wrexham to three promotionsCredit: GettyThe likes of striker Paul Mullin are on even larger salaries than before,  making exits difficult so that Dragons may have to pay some to leave the Racecourse on loans or frees.Wrexham finished second in League One on 92 points, five above Stockport and 19 behind runaway champions Birmingham.Upon the end of the season, the Red Dragons announced exits for eight players.Steven Fletcher, Mark Howard, Josh Adam, Jordan Davies, Harry Dean, Brad Foster and Liam Hall were all released.READ MORE FOOTBALLWhile Sam Dalby snubbed a new deal in January and will also be leaving.Wrexham have offered Callum Edwards a new deal.While an option to extend Aaron James’ deal by a further year has been triggered.Wrexham have already been linked with several players since earning promotion.Most read in ChampionshipBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKThe Red Dragons are reportedly in talks with Fulham captain Tom Cairney.Cairney, 34, is out of contract and available on a free transfer.Wrexham stars celebrate in iconic Las Vegas casino and hijack luggage cart after Hollywood owners splash £500k on partyBut the former Scotland international would command hefty wages.Wrexham are believed to be in the market for experienced players, with Cairney fitting the bill.Tom Cairney has been linked with a move to WrexhamCredit: Shutterstock Editorial More

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      Jobe Bellingham takes swipe at Sky Sports pundits in live TV interview before awkward moment with panel at Wembley

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      JOBE BELLINGHAM took a swipe at the Sky Sports pundits who doubted if Sunderland’s youngsters had the minerals for promotion.The Black Cats came into the Wembley showdown off the back of horror league form losing five on the bounce. Jobe Bellingham took a swipe at the Sky Sports punditsThey saw off Frank Lampard’s Coventry in the semis to face Sheffield United the play-off final.And Bellingham & Co had to come from behind to win 2-1 with academy graduate Tom Watson scoring a 95th minute winner. Regis Le Bris has put trust in his youthful squad this season, with Bellingham only 19, Chris Rigg, just 17 and Eliezer Mayenda, 20.It had led to questions over their experience – but the players did their talking on the pitch. READ MORE IN football And Bellingham said: “I always believed, you have to believe. “When you’ve got supporters like this and a group of lads like that, you always have to believe.”I always believed and I know people doubted us and that’s understandable, we lost a few games, people talk about momentum.”But I think we did enough, we showed enough throughout the season for people to at least give us some credit going into the play-offs.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”The typical “inexperienced” by all the ex-pros that speak on Sky but we’ve just proved that don’t matter.”You need experience, of course, with youth like at Sunderland you play loads of games you get that experience. Sky Sports forced to apologise as Sunderland star swears on live TV after last touch for club earns them promotion”You get experience by failing and we failed together so many times and in the end we come good.”Sky pundits Curtis Davies and Jobi McAnuff then probed Bellingham on what ex-pro criticised them. But he said with a smile: “I didn’t say criticising!”Sunderland are now back in the Premier League for the first time since 2017. And Bellingham said: “I’ve been part of this great team so every player has made a name for themselves here. So really proud.”Bellingham celebrates with the play-off trophyCredit: Getty More