Chris Coleman says Wales are still hurting from the 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland that saw them dumped out of World Cup qualifying. James McClean scored the only goal in the winner-takes-all clash, meaning Ireland progressed to the play-offs where they face Denmark on Saturday. Wales are in Paris to play France on Friday in an international friendly, before returning to the Cardiff City Stadium to host Panama.

Sean Eardley has taken charge of Huws Gray Alliance leaders Caernarfon Town. The former Oldham Athletic player was assistant to Iwan Williams, who has been appointed manager of Welsh Premier League Llandudno Town. The two men were team-mates at Llandudno and worked together in a successful spell at Caernarfon. Williams, 32, replaces Alan Morgan, at […]

Head coach Paul Bodin is preparing his Wales team for the Uefa Under-19 Championship challenge. Bodin’s boys go to Antalya in Turkey for group matches against the hosts, Slovakia and Kazakhstan. Goalkeeper George Ratcliffe, Jack Bodenham, James Waite and Sion Spencer are the Cardiff City players in Bodin’s squad, while Swansea have had Brandon Cooper, […]

Chris Coleman has admitted he will never get rich – at least not in football terms – as manager of Wales, but it is long term spending on things other than his wages that will determine whether or not he remains in the job. “If you’re managing Wales, this is not where you make your fortune,” said Coleman on Wednesday after naming a 24-man squad for November friendlies against France and Panama after last month’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Coleman was not being flippant, but trying to emphasise what he believes is an “important crossroads” for the country as talks continue over whether he will remain as manager.

Chris Coleman has been urged to stick with the Dragonhood by born-again Welshman Neil Warnock. Coleman was among the bookies’ early favourites to become the new Leicester City manager and with Everton also seeking new leadership he could well find offers elsewhere as the merry-go-round unseats riders and opens opportunites. But Cardiff City boss Warnock reckons the man who guided his country to the Euro 2016 semi-finals should agree a new deal with Wales.

Newport teenager Luc Noble was Welsh team captain for their opening Victory Shield Under-16 match at Belfast’s Seaview Stadium. The centre-half, who plays for Bristol Rovers Academy, led Wales in a 1-1 draw at the home of Crusaders FC. Dan Malone scored a first half goal to put Wales ahead 1-0 at half-time, but the […]

Paul Merson has confirmed: “I’ll make my Caerau FC debut tonight.” The former England and Arsenal playmaker has committed to making his Welsh Football League debut at the Caerau Athletic Ground in Maesteg on Wednesday (October 18, 7.30pm). “Paul is in regular contact with us and he’s looking forward to playing for us,” said club […]

Wales will face France in a friendly in Paris next month, the Football Association of Wales announced on Tuesday. Chris Coleman’s side missed out on a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after finishing third in their qualifying group, their final game ending in a 1-0 defeat by Ireland.

Wales’ World Cup campaign is over. The autumn rugby internationals are about to begin. Which team – football or rugby – can now claim to be more in rhythm with the beating heart of the nation? Seimon Williams argues round ball and oval ball can roll along together just fine. Together, stronger, maybe? The current affairs website nation.cymru carried an interesting article on Monday morning entitled “Win or lose today, Welsh football has shown rugby what a national sport looks like”.  Its author, Ifan Morgan Jones – while confessing that he is primarily a rugby supporter – commented that “…when it comes to building a national team, the Welsh FA is showing the WRU how it’s done.  It has little to do with anything happening on the pitch, and everything to do with culture, attitude and national pride surrounding the team”.

The World Cup qualification campaign is over for Wales and the wait for another finals appearance – 59 years and counting – goes on. Mark Pitman (Twitter @markpitman1 from the blog http://www.markpitman1.com) says manager Chris Coleman should stay on, but his approach needs an update. A frustrating campaign appeared to be finishing on a high as the youthful exuberance of Ben Woodburn and Tom Lawrence against Austria, Moldova and Georgia reversed the trend of dropping points in disappointing draws. Three wins and three clean sheets had put Chris Coleman’s side in a strong position for the decisive night of Group D football that would confirm the fate of Serbia, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, but in the end, it was not to be.

John Toshack has suggested Chris Coleman should step down now as Wales manager. Coleman is considering his position in the aftermath of Wales’ failure to qualify for the World Cup, following Monday night’s 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland. But Toshack – one of Coleman’s predecessors in the job – believes if the current boss was contemplating moving on after the finals in Russia, then he should go now rather than see out the remaining months of his contract until next summer.

Chris Coleman will reflect on Wales’ failure to make the World Cup finals before he makes a decision on his own future. The manager who guided Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 last year has come to the end of his current contract with the FAW. Coleman has previously declared the qualification campaign which ended with a 1-0 home defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Monday night would be his last.