Royals axe Ince

Paul Ince has been sacked by Championship strugglers Reading after a dismal run of form.

The former England, Manchester United and Liverpool midfielder was appointed by the Royals on an interim basis in February 2022 and led them to safety last season with four wins in 14 games.

He took permanent charge in the summer but a 2-1 defeat at Preston on Easter Monday extended his team's winless run to eight matches and left them a point adrift of safety.

A club statement said: "Reading can confirm the contract of first-team manager Paul Ince has been terminated with immediate effect.

"Assistant manager Alex Rae has also departed the club.

"Our Under-21s manager and former Royals striker Noel Hunt has been installed as interim first-team manager until the end of the season."

Keep pushing

Vincent Kompany has challenged promoted Burnley to clinch the Championship title AND break the record for the division's highest points total. 

The Clarets secured their return to the Premier League with a win at Middlesbrough on Good Friday. 

And two goals from Johann Berg Gudmundsson saw them beat second-placed Sheffield United last night to leave them requiring five points from the last six games to go up as champions.

Kompany, who celebrated his 37th birthday with the win over the Blades, hopes that could be achieved as early as next weekend. 

But he also has his eyes on Reading's record points haul of 106 — set in 2005-06 — which Burnley can beat if they win all their remaining games. 

Kompany said: "If my maths aren't wrong we could be champions next weekend if things go our way. 

"To say this could have happened with five games to go, I don't think anyone would have hoped for it. 

"It's for us to set the bar even higher and see if there's something beyond winning the trophy. Can we keep that consistency for the next six games? 

"It's funny that our next trip is to Reading. We have always got to look forward to something."

Stateside action

Newcastle and Chelsea head a field of six Premier League clubs taking part in a pre-season tournament in the United States. 

They will be joined by Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton and Fulham in the inaugural Premier League Summer Series, which will be played in five East Coast cities between July 22-30.

Announcing the nine-match competition, league chief exec Richard Masters said: "We are delighted to be bringing six clubs to the USA in July for the first-ever Premier League Summer Series tournament. 

"Our clubs have incredible supporters in the US, who passionately follow their teams throughout the season. 

"We are currently enjoying one of the most competitive Premier League seasons of all time at both ends of the table and I am sure we will see some thrilling matches during the tournament."

The series kicks off with Chelsea vs Brighton at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on July 22. 

Not over yet

Phil Parkinson insists the National League title race is not over after Wrexham's 3-2 win over rivals Notts County yesterday. 

Parkinson's side moved three points clear of the Magpies with a game in hand after ex-England keeper Ben Foster sealed victory with a penalty save deep into stoppage time. 

But with four games left to play, the Wrexham boss is taking nothing for granted. 

He said: "It's a step in the right direction but there's a lot of work to be done. 

"The title race is not over until it's mathematically ours. We've got work to be done, we've got to keep going. 

"We've got to keep our feet firmly on the ground because we've achieved nothing yet."

New derby date

Arsenal's Premier League clash with London rivals Chelsea has been pushed back to May 2 at 8pm. 

The Matchday 34 encounter was originally scheduled for April 29 at 5.30pm but the Metropolitan Police asked for it be moved. 

However, the derby will still be broadcast live on Sky Sports.