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Birmingham City have appointed former Manchester United transfer chief John Murtough as their director of football.
The Championship club say Murtough's remit will include football strategy, recruitment and squad building for Birmingham's men's team.
He had been working as Atalanta's director of global development but the Italian club confirmed they reached a mutual agreement to terminate his contract.
Murtough left Old Trafford in April 2024 after Sir Jim Ratcliffe took charge of football operations to make way for the new leadership structure.
United's biggest signings during Murtough's time as football director include Antony (£86m), Jadon Sancho (£73m) Rasmus Hojlund (£72m) and Casemiro (£70m).
Other notable signings under Murtough included Cristiano Ronaldo (£19.9m), Mason Mount (£60m) and Andre Onana (£47.2m).
Luton and Barnsley have both been charged following a mass brawl at the end of their game on Tuesday.
The FA allege 'both clubs failed to ensure their players and/or technical area staff did not behave in a way which was improper and/or provocative after the full-time whistle.'
The two sides have until next Tuesday to file their responses.
Luton won the game 2-1 at Kenilworth Road, leaving Barnsley third-bottom of League One.
Latest from Sky Sports News' Peter Smith:
Crawley have made an approach to Steve Morison to become their next manager.
League Two's bottom side sacked Colin-Kazim Richards earlier this week with Kevin Blackwell made interim boss.
Former Wales striker Morison previously managed Cardiff in the Championship before spells at Hornchurch and Sutton United.
Sheffield Wednesday are a “rocket ship” with the potential to be one of the country’s top 10 clubs, chief executive David Bruce has said.
While many Wednesday fans celebrated the end of Dejphon Chansiri’s deeply unpopular reign as owner on October 24 last year, it was also a day of huge uncertainty over what would come next.
An American consortium, Arise Capital Partners, led by David and Michael Storch along with Tom Costin, ultimately took control of the club in May of this year, crucially managing to avoid a 15-point deduction to ensure they started life in League One with a clean slate.
One of their first moves was to bring in Bruce, formerly the chief business officer at Sunderland and a Major League Soccer marketing chief previously.
He grew up at a time when Wednesday were a Premier League force and a challenger for domestic cups, graced by star names such as Chris Waddle, David Hirst and John Sheridan.
He sees no reason why, with responsible leadership and patience, the club cannot reclaim that status.
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“This club was always a top 10 club in this country, and it can be a top 10 club again. This club is like a rocket ship,” he said.
“One of the first things [new sporting director] Simon Wilson said in his interview for the job was, ‘Sheffield Wednesday is probably the OG of sleeping giants’, and he’s right.
“This is about having a go, but doing it in the right way. I can’t think of another club like Sheffield Wednesday anywhere in Europe where there’s this opportunity to get your hands on it, try and shape it in a way which hopefully is going to be incredibly beneficial in the long term for so many people.
“As English people we have this tendency not to talk about the journey till it’s really almost done, and let’s wait until it’s formed or it’s almost out in the world. But I’ve worked so long in America, and the owners are Americans. They want to talk about journeys as soon as an idea is out of their mouths. And Americans are so good at that, and I don’t see anything wrong with that.
“We need to articulate to people, ‘it’s going to be bumpy, but it’s going to be fun as hell’.
“And it definitely isn’t going to be linear, because football is not linear. It’s full of ups and downs and all kinds of unknowns. But it’ll be amazing, and we’ll always intend to do the right thing by everyone.”
Sky Sports football journalist Dan Long explains how West Ham could, on current form, break the Championship scoring record.
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Explained: How West Ham could break the Championship scoring record
Explained: How West Ham could break the Championship scoring record
Sky Sports football journalist Dan Long explains how West Ham could, on current form, break the Championship scoring record.
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22 Oct
Sim is joined by Andy Hinchcliffe on this week's episode of Essential EFL to take a look at the big talking points in the Championship.
They discuss West Ham and Birmingham's form towards the top of the table - could both sides find themselves back in the Premier League next season?
They also chat about the recent struggles at Derby and Preston and analyse whether either team can turn things around and move out of the bottom three.
Plus, Hinchy makes his predictions for the four games you can watch live on Sky Sports over the weekend - Bolton vs Middlesbrough, Charlton vs Norwich, Portsmouth vs Millwall and Sheffield United vs Derby.
22 Oct
Here's the League One Team of the Week for Gameweek 12, according to the Sky Sports Power Rankings!
22 Oct
Watch Bolton vs Middlesbrough live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm on Friday night; kick-off 8pm
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Andy Hinchcliffe on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast:
Having seen Will Lankshear play for Oxford last season in a struggling team, I was impressed by how he played, not just the goals he scored, but also his attitude. He wanted to stay there and see the season out, so he's got a great attitude and a great work ethic.
When you hear him interviewed, he's got a love of the game. He loves playing for Middlesbrough and he loves scoring goals.
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He reminds me a lot of Harry Kane in many ways, in terms of his adaptability. He can score different types of goals from different positions.
If you spend that type of money on a player, he's going to lead the line for you in 99 per cent of your games.
They've got so many attacking options that they're going to have to give Lankshear a rest at times. He's such a physical striker who covers a lot of ground. He can't play every single game because it's such a tough league. He'll reach a point where he'll run out of steam.
This is why having that squad depth, particularly in attack, is so important. They've got other players who can play that position, and teams might be a little surprised when it's not Lankshear leading the line. It could be Conway or Joseph, and suddenly defenders are dealing with a different type of game.
Then you can send on someone like Lankshear, who's a regular source of goals late in a game. He might end up playing two roles, leading the line from the start or coming on for the last 20 or 25 minutes to win games.
He'll understand why that happens because it is a tough league to play in every single game. Middlesbrough bought him to play the majority of their games and be their top goalscorer, but there will be times when he's left out to benefit his game.
They might rest him for the last 20 minutes of one game, or they might not need him at all and give him a complete rest before the next one. They want him fully fit and firing for as many games as possible.
It's about managing his workload in matches and training, not overloading him or overdoing it. I'm sure they're looking closely at how he trains and plays, as they will with the whole team, but particularly with him.
If they keep him fit for the season, I'm not saying Middlesbrough are a one-man team by any means, but if he gets them 20-plus goals, they've got every chance of finishing in the top two.
22 Oct
Andy Woodman has left League One side Bromley after 'mutually terminating his contract'.
It brings an end to his five-and-a-half year spell at Hayes Lane, with former Ravens captain Byron Webster taking charge on an interim basis.
It comes after a tough start to the season for Bromley, who have won just two league games since promotion from League Two last season. They sit in 23rd place, a point from safety.
Woodman oversaw the most successful spell in Bromley's history.
He guided the side from the National League to the Football League for the first time. He then earned promotion to League One - his second in three years - as well as victory over Wrexham in the FA Trophy in 2022.
Owner and chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves added in a statement: "I would firstly like to offer my sincere thanks to Andy for all he has achieved during his time with us.
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"It's no surprise that this club has reached new heights and Andy has been fundamental in helping us achieve that.
"I would like to reassure our supporters that we will be entering this new chapter with the same ambition and determination to keep moving this football club forward.
"On a personal note, Andy has been a pleasure to work with, and I wish him all the best for the future."
21 Oct
Former Premier League and England player Ryan Bertrand is leading a consortium looking to become minority investors in AFC Wimbledon.
The proposed minimum £87m investment has been put to the Dons Trust, as per the club's 50.01 per cent fan ownership model.
The vote will take place from October 21 to November 17.
Omar Mir, a British tech leader, is the sole investor via investment vehicle Sloane Street Capital (SSC), while football, property and business expertise will be added to the club through Bertrand and colleagues.
SSC would invest £16m on completion for a minority 34 per cent of the shares in AFCW PLC, the company that runs the club.
The remaining £71m would be spread over five seasons to the 2030/31 campaign.
If the deal is successful, SSC would oversee football operations, led by Bertrand as senior football advisor, but work within budgets and processes agreed by the AFCW PLC board.
The Dons Trust currently own 50.01 per cent of the voting shares of AFC Wimbledon, which was designed to ensure the club remains fan-controlled.
21 Oct
Lincoln defender Deji Elerewe has had his red card at Millwall last Saturday overturned and he'll be available for Saturday's home game with Burnley.
He was adjudged to have brought down Millwall's Zak Lovelace as the last defender but contact appeared minimal.
Elerewe is Lincoln's only outfield player to have started every match in the Championship this season.
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21 Oct
Richardson discusses Marriott, celebrating a year in the job and wanting to be 'consistently consistent'
Watch Reading vs Leyton Orient live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 7.30pm on Wednesday night; kick-off 8pm.
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By Dan Long
What a difference a year makes.
At this point in 2025, Noel Hunt's Reading had won just two of their first 12 League One games and were lingering around the relegation spots.
Fast-forward to the present day and the Royals - now managed by Leam Richardson - have won four of their first 10.
Richardson was named Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month for September after his side collected 10 of the 15 points on offer.
"We've had quite consistent performances. We could've gone unbeaten and scored more goals, but you can always do things better,” he told Sky Sports.
"When I came in last year, there were many challenges to overcome and this season, one thing we wanted to be was consistently consistent.
"If your performances are at a good level, you'll get more positive results than negative and that's what we keep chasing. That's what we're craving."
Next week will mark the first anniversary of Richardson’s appointment, when he will become only the fourth Reading manager to reach the milestone in almost 14 years.
"It's gone very quick. If I were to choose one word, it would be 'fantastic'. I've made some really good connections with players, with staff.
"This is a place where the owners want the manager to run the football club, push the departments together, push the club in the right direction with recruitment, the playing philosophy.
"It's something I got my teeth into quite quickly and I do feel there's been a massive, massive turn in my short time here.”
One challenge Richardson is currently faced with is the absence of Jack Marriott, who scored eight in his first seven league games of the season, but has not played since September 26 due to injury.
"It's frustrating for him because he wants to play every game and, in the last few years, he hasn't played as much as he'd have liked to.
"He worked really hard over the summer with the strength and conditioning team and got himself into a really good place, then it's a bit of an innocuous challenge and an innocuous injury.
"It's disappointing, but knowing Jack, he'll work as hard as he can to get back as quick as he can because he loves football and he loves the club."
Thankfully for him, Marriott’s absence has not been felt too hard so far. At MK Dons on October 10, three players scored in a 5-1 demolition.
A promotion push seems to be in the offing – but Richardson will not call it that publicly just yet.
"We always have our own private conversations with staff and players. We know what success looks like,” he added.
"We don't want to get carried away and want something yesterday or reach for it too quickly.
"We're going in a really positive direction - and there's a lot more left in them as well."
21 Oct 21 Oct
Championship predicted table
Here is the latest Championship predicted table, according to the Sky Sports supercomputer!
21 Oct 21 Oct
League Two Team of the Week
Here's the League Two Team of the Week for Gameweek 12, according to the Sky Sports Power Rankings!
21 Oct 21 Oct
League Two's bottom side Crawley have sacked boss Colin Kazim-Richards after Tuesday's 3-2 home defeat to Shrewsbury.
The Red Devils are six points from safety and without a home league win in nearly seven months.
Their dismal form has seen the ex-Sheffield United striker sacked by Crawley.
The 40-year-old has been dismissed after just seven months in charge, after he had guided Crawley to League Two safety last season.
Kazim-Richards' assistant Julian Gray and director of football Erdem Konyar have also been sacked.
Speaking after last night's home loss to Shrewsbury, Kazim-Richards said: “If I’m given time I definitely feel I can turn it around.”
Crawley fans called for Kazim-Richards to be sacked after the game and the former Brighton forward added: “Fans are impulsive, fickle.
“Fans have been through hard times and it’s a continuation of that.”
Crawley will now search for Kazim-Richards' successor with their next game on Saturday at home against Tranmere.
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20 Oct 20 Oct
Stockport climbed top of Sky Bet League One after second-half goals from Mamadou Jobe and Kyle Wootton sealed a 2-0 win at Doncaster.
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The Hatters are level on points with Huddersfield, who thrashed Robbie Savage’s Peterborough 4-1, but Jim McNulty’s side sit at the summit courtesy of goals scored after securing their fourth straight league win.
Huddersfield have lost just once in the league this season under Martin Drury and Joe Taylor’s double, sandwiched by goals from Ilias Bronkhorst and Bali Mumba sent Posh crashing to their first defeat under Savage.
Bradford slipped to third after being held 0-0 at former boss Gary Bowyer’s Burton, one point above Cambridge, who fought back from 2-0 down at home against Wycombe to draw 2-2 and extend their unbeaten run to eight matches.
Goals from Will Alves, John Lundstram, Luke Thomas and Emil Riis eased the pressure on Leicester boss Russell Martin in a 4-1 win at Bromley.
Sheffield Wednesday striker Jamal Lowe was sent off in his side’s 2-0 defeat at Notts County and Plymouth slipped to back-to-back defeats, losing 3-0 at Stevenage.
Defender Mads Andersen scored against his former club as Luton beat Barnsley 2-1 and Wigan’s Fraser Murray was sent off in his side’s 2-1 defeat at Oxford.
Michael Smith struck a first-half double in Mansfield’s 3-0 win at AFC Wimbledon and Blackpool secured their first league win in seven matches, 2-0 at home against MK Dons.
In League Two, Salford opened up a four-point lead at the top as they won 2-1 at Bristol Rovers – a sixth straight league win for Peter Cklamovski’s side.
Barnet and Crewe both lost for the first time in the league this season and sit second and third respectively.
The Bees’ club-record 18-game unbeaten run was halted in a 3-1 home defeat to Swindon and Crewe lost 2-0 at Exeter.
Walsall sit fourth after a 3-0 home win against Oldham despite the dismissal of Elicha Ahui and fifth-placed Cheltenham ended a three-game losing league run by beating Fleetwood 4-2.
Ollie Pearce headed a last-minute equaliser in York’s 1-1 home draw with Accrington and Josh Davison’s stoppage-time effort sealed Shrewsbury a 3-2 win at bottom-club Crawley.
Chesterfield were held 1-1 at home by Colchester, Rochdale and Grimsby drew 2-2 at Spotland, Newport hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Rotherham and Tranmere won 1-0 at Northampton.
In a later kick-off at Priestfield Stadium, tributes were paid to former player Doug Loft, who died last week, aged 39, and had spells at both Gillingham and Port Vale as the sides drew 1-1.
19 Oct 19 Oct
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Kieran Trippier admits he had offers to go abroad after leaving Newcastle, but wanted to test himself in the Championship again with Wolves.
“I could have gone abroad,” he tells Sky Sports. “Financially, it would have made sense for me to go abroad, but Wolves is a massive club.
“I wasn't frightened to go down to the Championship, as we say. I've played in the Championship many times in my career.
“I'm really enjoying it. It's a different environment, obviously, being in the Championship now, but I've loved it ever since I arrived here. Like I said, we've got a good manager, good players, and it's good to be here.”
It had been some adventure for Trippier in his 12 years since last playing in the Championship for Burnley, there have been Champions League finals with Spurs, major tounaments with England and a La Liga title win with Atletico Madrid.
He looks back fondly on his 54 England caps, all won under Sir Gareth Southgate.
“Me and Gareth had a really good understanding,” Trippier says. “I knew the competition I was up against at right-back or left-back, but every player who played with me, or manager who has coached me, knows what I'm all about as a character, whether I play or don't play.
“I've enjoyed every moment. To play in one game, never mind 54 games, was a dream. Every time I put the shirt on, it was a dream.”
And then there was the Spanish title, won under Diego Simeone in 2020/21.
“Winning the title on the last day of the season with Atletico Madrid was special,” Trippier says. “I didn't have anything to prove, but the amount of criticism I got when I moved there, shall we say, meant I think my move was justified in the end. I managed to win the title on the last day.”
Trippier turned 36 last month, and has started to think about what he wants next after playing.
“I still feel like I've got a good few years in me!” he says. “But coaching, 100 per cent. I'd like to coach young players and start at the bottom.”
19 Oct 19 Oct
This week in Player versus Gaffer we're heading down to the south-coast as Portsmouth's John Mousinho takes on his captain Marlon Pack, but who will come out on top?
19 Oct 19 Oct
By Simeon Gholam
“When you go out on loan, you've got to try and showcase yourself.”
One way to do that is scoring unbelievable goals, which is just what Oliver Irow has done in winning Sky Bet League One Goal of the Month for September for Plymouth Argyle.
“Doing things like that is obviously a good way to do it, but doing it consistently is something I'm definitely going to keep working on week in, week out," the winger on loan from Tottenham adds.
Overall it’s been an impressive start for the 20-year-old at Home Park, with three goals so far in seven starts for a side pushing high in League One.
He is relishing the chance to push on and prove himself, after spending the second half of last season on loan at Mansfield Town.
“The first thing I was told when I came in was that there would be a lot of competition for places,” Irow adds.
“I feel like that's a good, healthy thing. It's something that has to be earned, not given. The manager says you've got to earn your place in the team.
“It's something everyone in the team is fighting for week in, week out. There's no guarantee in football anywhere in the world, so you've got to earn your spot. I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing to maintain that place.”
Irow has been at Spurs since he was eight years old, and credits the club with making him the player and the person he is today.
As a boyhood Spurs fan, as well, he ranks Harry Kane and Gareth Bale among his heroes – as well as Heung-min Son.
“They are probably the main three,” he says. “They're the players I always looked up to, and whenever I got the chance to go over there, they were the ones I watched more carefully. Especially Son because of my position.
“There were quite a few times when I was able to watch him or be around him in training. It's the fine little details. He was so good at those, and it's something I tried to learn from whenever I was around him.
“He was probably one of the best at the game at that time as well. He was unbelievable, so it was even better to have someone like that so close to me.
“Playing at that level is definitely what I've dreamt of. I've just got to go out, show what I can do and hopefully one day go back and showcase my ability at the highest level.