EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION:David Cotterill is facing legal action from at least seven former team-mates after being accused of cheating them out of a combined total of almost £400,000.

While the Championship's promotion race is notoriously tight, this year's push for the Premier League is looking like it could be the closest for many years.

Swansea City's highly-rated coach Cameron Toshack is attracting interest from clubs in Portugal and the Championship. The coach has been hailed for developing young players.

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster on loan when the transfer window reopens in January. 

The Gunners dismissed Unai Emery a week and a half ago after a difficult start to the season and put their former midfielder Freddie Ljungberg in charge of the side on an interim basis.

But they face competition from Swansea, Bristol City and Nottingham Forest who all see the England under-17 World Cup winner as the missing piece of the jigsaw to seal promotion.

West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City have joined Burnley in the chase for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. The 19-year-old is expected to cut short his season-long loan at Charlton this month.

Yan Dhanda's first-half strike was enough to propel the Swans into the play-off places and seal a first win in three. Charlton are now just three points clear of the bottom three after a miserable run.

A Swansea fan based in Cardiff faces an absurd '200-mile round trip' to watch his team play their rivals in the Welsh capital after his request to travel independently was 'declined'.

The 23-year-old striker was spotted among the travelling fans at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday as he supported his old team Swansea during the South Wales derby.

In-form Rashford had plenty of superlatives for the Welsh international, who signed from Swansea for around £15million, heaping praise on his attitude since he stepped foot on the training ground.

Bostock, who was just 15 when he made his debut for Crystal Palace in October 2007, moved to Forest on loan from Toulouse last summer but has made only five first-team appearances.

JAMIE REDKNAPP: For a while, we thought Traore was all pace and no end product. He is a different player these days, and Nuno Espirito Santo deserves great credit for this transformation.

The Championship promotion race is shaping up to be a classic as we head into the final months of the season with as many as 10 clubs still fancying their chances of going up automatically.

Renato Sanches must have truly felt on top of the world after Portugal lifted the Euro 2016 trophy. But an assent to the lofty heights of the game can often be followed by a plummet to the bottom.

Bruno Fernandes has been backed to thrive in the Premier League by one of his most influential coaches, former Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin.

Oli McBurnie has received a letter in which he is threatened with having his 'face kicked in' after taunting Cardiff supporters during the Welsh derby with Swansea earlier this month.

Midfielder Ki Sung-yueng has left Newcastle after his contract was torn up by mutual consent, the Magpies have confirmed. The 31-year-old has made just four appearances for the club this season.

The 22-year-old Wales international has returned to Steve Cooper's starting line-up in recent weeks after recovering from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since October.

Ryan Giggs has backed Manchester United youngster Dan James amid growing concerns that the winger is suffering from burnout this season after a dip in form over the past few months.

The 31-year-old defender is the third senior player to extend his stay in a matter of days after midfielders Jonjo Shelvey and Matt Ritchie both signed contract extensions last Friday.

When your father has left Cardiff City to become Liverpool's centre forward and managed the great Real Madrid twice, it's fair to say taking on a challenge is in your blood.

Warren Gatland questioned whether England might have played their World Cup final a game early as Welsh interest in the Webb Ellis Trophy ended in Yokohama.

Eddie Jones went undercover in Yokohoma - disguising himself as a fan of the NFL's Houston Texans as he scouted Rugby World Cup final opponents South Africa against Wales. 

WILL KELLEHER IN TOKYO: The Boks might be boring, but their boss Rassie Erasmus does not care. South Africa have faced criticism for their limited, combative style at the World Cup.

WILL KELLEHER IN TOKYO: Warren Gatland joked Wales would rather play a drinking game against New Zealand than play the third-fourth playoff - but says his squad will be motivated to beat them.

Wales ensured they kept their distance from the haka in the build-up to their Rugby World third-place play off against New Zealand.

WILL KELLEHER AT THE TOKYO STADIUM: Gatland will depart having won three Six Nations Grand Slams and got to two World Cup semi-finals and he hopes his work will not be wasted.

WILL KELLEHER AT THE AJINOMOTO STADIUM: Tears, beers and cheers for departing stars of the game here in Japan, as several glittering eras all ended at once.

Gatland compelled his successor not to 'break his heart' and ruin his legacy after the third-fourth playoff defeat. The New Zealander has set a fine platform for his fellow countryman.

Edwards spent almost 12 years in a similar role with Wales and departed alongside head coach Warren Gatland following the side's fourth-place finish at this year's World Cup.

NIK SIMON - THE GAINLINE: Justin Tipuric is weighing up a £500,000-a-year offer from Bristol - but some of France's biggest clubs are also keen on the Wales flanker.

EXCLUSIVE BY WILL KELLEHER: Gatland confirmed the Lions have been to date knocked back in their attempts to convince the Premiership to move their final in 2021 by a week.

Centre Willis Halaholo and back-three player Johnny McNicholl are included in a 35-man squad for the November 30 match at the Principality Stadium as two of five uncapped players for the Welsh.

Williams' Saracens deal runs out in the summer and he faces a stark choice. With 62 caps now he could earn huge sums in France and still play for Wales.

The 100-cap former flanker, who won Grand Slams in 2005 and 2008, replaces the legendary Alan Phillips who is joining the British & Irish Lions as director of operations for the 2021 tour.

WILL KELLEHER AT THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM: The new New Zealander in charge of Wales won his first match, as his predecessor did, but this was a far less significant victory.

Sportsmail sensationally revealed that Howley had been sent home from Japan on the eve of the World Cup after a bookmaker, Betway, alerted the WRU of a rule breach.

The 28-year-old has been at English and European champions Saracens since 2017, but in 2020 the full back will rejoin the Scarlets where he will earn in the region of £400,000 a year.

Teen star Rees-Zammit can have an instant impact for Wales in the Six Nations according to new coach Wayne Pivac, who included the 18-year-old as one of five uncapped players in his squad.

If last week was hellish, Northampton were far more saintly in Lyon on Saturday - winning with a bonus-point to do all they could to make the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The 2020 Six Nations campaign will begin on Saturday, February 1 with a number of teams eyeing glory in this year's competition.

SPECIAL REPORT: On the Welsh beat Wayne Pivac, the ex-Auckland copper on the streets in the 1980s, is unlikely to feel the pressure his old day-job brought against Italy.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS FOY: It turns out that balancing on a rock perched above the waves of the Mediterranean, is not Shaun Edwards' natural habitat.

George North looks likely to line up at outside centre in Wayne Pivac's new-look Wales team to face Italy as Rhys Webb is set for a recall.

Louis Rees-Zammit missed out on his Welsh debut this week as he has hardly been able to train due to his English exile, according to coach Wayne Pivac. The teen isn't in the Wales squad to play Italy.

WILL KELLEHER IN CARDIFF: Wales often overachieved, pulled performances from nowhere... galvanised by Gatland they showed heart and fire. Now they face life after him with Pivac.

WILL KELLEHER AT THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM: PC Pivac's first job on the Welsh beat went without a hitch as the former copper's new side thrashed Italy easily in Cardiff.

BY WILL KELLEHER AT THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM: Wales will be ready for a rude awakening in Dublin on Saturday - aware that Ireland will not walk on to their punches as Italy did.

With England firing bombs at their Championship rivals each week, and Scotland responding with talk of 'hate', Wales coach Wayne Pivac is finding the pre-match mudslinging all a bit unnecessary.