EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES AND SAMI MOKBEL: Sacked Charlton board members have charged the cash-strapped club more than £575,000 in consultancy fees and expenses.

The Elland Road side sought to bring in a new striker during the winter window after Arsenal cut short Eddie Nketiah's loan spell, leaving Patrick Bamford as their only option.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Many of Birmingham's players have agreed to defer up to 50 per cent of their wages from April to help ensure all the non-footballing staff will be paid in full

EXCLUSIVE: EFL clubs want to access funds made available to business as part of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week.

A significant number of Championship, League One and Two players are borrowed from elsewhere, with a number of those approaching the end of their contracts at their parent clubs.

MIKE KEEGAN: The global game's governing body has recognised the current coronavirus crisis as a 'force majeure' - an unforeseen circumstance that prevents a contract from being fulfilled.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN AND DANIEL MATTHEWS: The crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak has made any likelihood of football being played at the end of next month impossible.

Huddersfield Town used Premier League parachute payments to agree last summer's takeover - leaving them behind a financial eight ball.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has said the union oppose a blanket wage deferral for players, fearing clubs will try to cash in on the coronavirus crisis.

The coronavirus lockdown could last for another six months and yet the football authorities are already discussing plans to restart. Our reporters have their say on how football should proceed.

Charlton have announced losses of £10.1million for the year ending June 30 2019, which matched what was lost for the same period the previous year.

EXCLUSIVE BY IAN HERBERT AND SIMON JONES: The PFA have dug their heels in over crippled clubs attempts to reduce their wage bill in the coronavirus crisis.

The Premier League and EFL have warned football supporters that there are 'no quick answers' as to how and when the season will continue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

EXCLUSIVE: Millwall furloughed a number of their non-playing staff last week - but have now informed their footballing personnel of their intention to place them on the scheme.

There is a clamour for footballers to cut their wages at the moment but not every one of us is an affluent millionaire. If you are playing in the lower leagues, you can't afford to take a wage cut.

MARTIN SAMUEL: Group administration would see every Championship club placed into administration on the same day. Staff would be temporarily let go. Players would become free agents.

Sportsmail reported last week that they would become the first Championship club to place their players on the government scheme designed to mitigate the impact of coronavirus.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: A host of Championship clubs could start next season with points deductions as a row simmers over how the coronavirus crisis should affect financial regulations.

Andy Holt suggests football clubs should go into 'protective hibernation' to safeguard their futures during this uncertain period and fears games may not be played in front of crowds for a long time.

The Scottish Professional Football League's contentious resolution is resting on just one Championship club that failed to vote by Friday's 5pm deadline. The body received 39 responses.

EXCLUSIVE: Football League clubs have put their squads on mandatory leave - but told their British players not to leave the country. EFL have confirmed training is suspended until May 16.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: The Championship club are at the centre of a battle after their crucial vote against voiding the season was not registered on time due to technical problems.

Chelsea will have to pay £5million if they want to sign 19-year-old Derby midfielder Max Bird, who impressed Blues boss Frank Lampard when he was manager of the Championship club.

SPECIAL REPORT - JACK GAUGHAN: The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the need for football to reboot. 'Sustainability' and 'reset' have become buzzwords over the past weeks.

EXCLUSIVE: Football League clubs are growing closer to voting for the introduction of salary caps to safeguard the futures of stricken institutions, Sportsmail can reveal.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: Sources have disclosed that a peace treaty is among a number of measures being discussed by various executives as the COVID-19 crisis continues.

EFL Chairman Rick Parry has described the coronavirus pandemic as football's most 'challenging issue' other than the two World Wars. He added that football could resume behind closed doors.

Championship strugglers Luton Town have dismissed manager Graeme Jones and three of his coaching staff as the coronavirus lockdown bites down on EFL football.

EXCLUSIVE: Out-of-contract players are going to clash with EFL clubs over plans to ask them to play through July without extra payment. Many are coming to the end of their contracts in June.

England's top football cop has said that playing football matches at their original venues would 'present challenges' to the police and has suggested that neutral venues be considered.

EXCLUSIVE BY IAN LADYMAN: After an EFL board meeting, club captains and PFA reps have been told to relay to their team-mates the very real possibility of no more football being played.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: Instead of closing on September 1 officials want the window to remain open 'for as long as possible' according to a confidential memo obtained by Sportsmail.

In a letter to the Football League's Championship, Leagues One and League Two clubs today Parry confirmed the EFL remain in talks with the government about a return date.

The EFL are locked in talks about how to resume the campaign behind closed doors amid the coronavirus crisis, which is threatening to bring an early end to the League One and Two seasons.

With drastic measures proposed, involving promotions without relegations and revised leagues with additional places, Sportsmail takes a look at how English football could shape up.

Meslier, currently on loan from French club Lorient, has made a huge impression after replacing Kiko Casilla while he began a suspension for using racist language towards Jonathan Leko.

Relegation is likely to apply when the Premier League resumes and the FA Cup final has been pencilled in for August 8 at Wembley as more details of football's Project Restart emerged.

SPORTS AGENDA: Big, unexpected news out of the BBC on Friday when, in an illuminatingly terse email, staff were informed that Radio 5 Live Sport editor Mike Carr had left the building.

EXCLUSIVE: The Football League are seeking to re-negotiate the controversial television contract with Sky Sports that came close to splitting the three divisions last season. 

EFL chairman Rick Parry has pleaded for a rescue package from the Premier League with clubs financially crippled by the coronavirus crisis. He also branded parachute payments 'evil'.

SIMON JONES: The ugly row behind Charlton Athletic's ownership has taken another twist after police were called in to recoup two club cars from former chairman Matt Southall.

The FA has the power to block any plans by the Premier League to axe relegation. Some clubs have insisted that they will only back Project Restart proposals if the threat of demotion is gone.

NASSER HUSSAIN IN CAPE TOWN: Ben Stokes is one of the best and most complete fielders in world cricket. I can only really think of Chris Jordan as someone who comes anywhere near him.

NASSER HUSSAIN IN CAPE TOWN: It is an English trait to focus on what a player is not quite so good at, but after his century it is best to concentrate on what Dom Sibley can do very well.

NASSER HUSSAIN: Former England captain and Sportsmail columnist sits down to talk to assistant coach and his former international team-mate Graham Thorpe.

NASSER HUSSAIN IN PORT ELIZABETH: When the ICC asked me to vote for my world cricketer of the year, it was an absolute no-brainer. I just ticked the box that said Ben Stokes.

NASSER HUSSAIN IN PORT ELIZABETH: Joe Denly has impressed me in his Test career and looks to have the game to be a No 3 in international cricket, but he clearly has to work on his tempo.

INSIGHT BY NASSER HUSSAIN: Yes, I know Kagiso Rabada already had thee demerit points and has been a serial offender. He has probably been warned time and again.

NASSER HUSSAIN IN PORT ELIZABETH: The young players are really finding their way under Joe Root and it does look as though it is the England captain who is moulding his side.

NASSER HUSSAIN: The England dressing room did not exactly need lifting anyway but if anything could lift any team it has been Mark Wood's performance here.