Wales will consider changing its name to Cymru on the international stage after the World Cup. Cymru – the Welsh name for Wales – is already used by the Football Association of Wales in its internal and external communications and by staff at the governing body’s headquarters in the Vale of Glamorgan. The FAW plans to speak to various stakeholders in Welsh football about the merit of changing the country’s name in international competition, while the PA news agency can reveal informal discussions have already been held with UEFA on the subject.

Swansea City aim to prove there are the high noon specialists when they visit Bristol City for another midday kick-off on Saturday. Having beaten rivals Cardiff City, 2-0, last Sunday, the Swans have already proved themselves top dogs in Wales and now they are anxious to take a bite out of their second-nearest neighbours in the West Country. Russell Martin’s side have established an astonishing dominance in the South Wales derby with three consecutive victories against the Bluebirds, and six wins out of the last eight meetings, during which they have scored 15 goals to the Bluebirds’ one.

Wales manager Robert Page has insisted Gareth Bale will wear a OneLove armband at the World Cup in Qatar – regardless of any threatened FIFA sanctions. Page has said the stance taken is one agreed by the players, including captain Bale, as well as the Football Association of Wales’ staff. Both Wales and England’s association officials have written to FIFA requesting they be allowed to wear the armbands in Qatar, but no reply has yet been forthcoming.

By Gareth James Former Wales manager Brian Flynn has paid tribute to John Toshack, for sowing the seeds that helped Wales’ incredible rise, from perennial underachievers to consistent major tournament appearances. To start the countdown to the World Cup, S4C will show a special film directed by Jonny Owen, called Cewri Cwpan y Byd (World […]

Nottingham Forest’s Welsh boss Steve Cooper has been charged by the Football Association over comments made about referee Thomas Bramall following his side’s defeat at Wolves last weekend. Cooper said Bramall was known for being inconsistent after the 1-0 Premier League loss at Molineux where both sides had a penalty awarded after VAR intervention, while there was another incident in the first half Ruben Neves scored Wolves’ while Forest’s Wales’ star Brennan Johnson saw his effort saved by Jose Sa.

Wrexham have been heavily criticised on social media for their decision to ban the boots of striker Paul Mullin. Mullin will not wear his controversial new boots which featured an X-rated message for the Conservatives. The 11-goal forward had posted an image on Instagram of the boots, with ‘f*** the Tories’ printed on the side of them.

Russell Martin has revealed he warned his players not to lose their heads before the South Wales derby because he believed a bare-knuckle scrap would suit Cardiff City more than Swansea. The Swans head coach insisted on cool heads prior to the club’s 2-0 victory on Sunday, which was another one-sided encounter from the moment Bluebirds striker Callum Robinson was sent off in the seventh minute. Martin – like his opposite number Mark Hudson – was at a loss to explain Robinson’s decision to throw the ball into the face of Ben Cabango from point blank range, but said he had  issued his own messages before kick-off.

Russell Martin was a Braveheart Scotland international and it’s bravery that his Swansea City defender Harry Darling reckons will prove decisive in the Welsh derby against Cardiff City this Sunday. Current Swans head coach Martin hails from Brighton and hardly fits the mould as a rugged, thistle-clad no-nonsense Scottish defender, but it’s not physical bravery that Darling is talking about. As a player, Martin was a more of a thinker than a thumper and his coaching buzzwords of “courage” and “bravery” are not about sticking your head in where it hurts.

Mark Hudson believes TV replays prove referee James Linington made a huge mistake that laid the ground for Cardiff City’s 3-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers. Caretaker Bluebirds manager Hudson was unimpressed by the decision of Linington to award QPR an early penalty and send off defender Jack Simpson. The controversial moment came just 18 minutes into the game when Simpson tangled with Sinclair Armstrong as the QPR forward surged into the penalty area.

Russell Martin saluted his Swansea City’s players’ courage and determination after they came from 2-0 down to beat Reading 3-2 to stay among the Championship pace-setters on Tuesday night. The Swans head coach was full of praise for his side who buried themselves in a deep hole, but managed to haul themselves out of it. It was a display of impressive character from a team that had lost 4-0 at Burnley just three days before.

Swansea City assistant coach Matt Gill insists no lasting damage has been done by the club’s 4-0 thrashing away to Burnley. The Swans return to action on Tuesday night at home to Reading, just three days after suffering their heaviest defeat of the season, a loss which has also cost them Joel Piroe for the next three matches. Piroe – the club’s leading scorer so far this season and last – will be missing after the club decided not to appeal his red card.

Merthyr Town’s reward for their 2-1 home win over Folkestone Invicta in the final FA Cup qualifying round last weekend is a trip to Buxton in the first-round proper next month. The Martyrs, ball No. 79 in the hat for the draw made at Alvechurch FC, were drawn to face the National League North side on the weekend of 5 November and will be gunning for another famous victory. You have to go back to 2005, when they lost 2-1 to Walsall, for the last time Merthyr had reached the first round.

Mark Hudson insists Cardiff City’s minds are on their midweek trip to Queens Park Rangers, rather than the looming derby at Swansea City Hudson suffered his first defeat in caretaker charge of the Bluebirds at the weekend – a 1-0 home defeat to bottom-placed club Coventry City. It leaves Cardiff back in 18th position, five points above the relegation zone but still only four adrift of the play-off places in a congested mid-table.

Perry Ng used to throw up before matches – but now he only feels sick if Cardiff City don’t win. There are no more sleepless nights before games, or vomiting in the dressing room ahead of kick-off, for the Bluebirds defender. When he was coming through the ranks at Crewe in League Two, Ng used to have nightmares about the giants he would have to face the next day, but those early years in the lower ranks toughened him up.

The champagne bottles may have long been emptied but Trethomas Bluebirds will be hoping the drops that soaked the boots of Levi Rees can work some more magic this weekend. Rees was the goalscoring hero for the Ardal League club last week when they knocked JD Cymru Premier club Haverfordwest out of the JD Welsh Cup, 2-1. It was a notable win for a club not short on ambition. Not only do the Ystrad Mynach-based outfit have desires to one day make it to the Cymru Premier themselves, but they aim to grow their fan-base as a community-serving club, just north of Caerphilly.

Gareth Bale has been told by World Cup chiefs to leave his “One Love” captain’s armband in the dressing room. Wales captain Bale and his England counterpart Harry Kane were both planning to wear the rainbow-coloured armbands in Qatar when they lead out their respective countries at the tournament. It was intended to send a message against discrimination of any kind at a host country which has repressive laws that make same-sex relationships a criminal offence.

Swansea City, Cardiff City and Newport County fans could be able to watch their teams perform live on their screens every Saturday afternoon within a couple of seasons. Lifting the Saturday 3pm blackout is one option the English Football League could consider in the sale of its next television and media rights. The league confirmed on Wednesday it had issued a Request For Proposal (RFP), inviting interested broadcasters and media companies to come forward and suggest new ways of presenting the league on television and streaming platforms from the 2024-25 season, when its current deal with Sky Sports expires.

By Paul Jones Gemma Grainger believes Wales will use the pain of their heart-breaking World Cup near miss to fuel a successful mission to reach the finals of the 2025 Euros. The head coach admitted Wales’ World Cup exit was “incredibly tough to take” after Switzerland’s last-gasp winner had prevented a penalty shoot-out in Zurich. […]

If you’re left wanting more after bingeing through Welcome to Wrexham, there is good news – another Wrexham documentary series will be hitting the screen very soon. S4C has a behind-the-scenes documentary series of its own which recounts the story of Wrexham’s stunning takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, through the eyes of the fans and the people of Wrexham. In a new three-part series which starts on Wednesday 12 October, Wrecsam…Clwb Ni! (Our Club!) will look at the impact of the takeover on the club, the town and the community.

Newport County have “reluctantly” decided to sack manager James Rowberry. The club’s board made their announcement on Monday, claiming they were grateful for the 37-year-old’s “passion” and commitment” but stating they will now begin searching for a successor. Rowberry’s team lost at home to bottom club Rochdale last weekend – a result that left Newport 18th in League Two and just three points above the relegation zone.