League Two club Barrow have cancelled the contract of striker Offrande Zanzala by mutual agreement.

The 25-year-old was then-manager Mark Cooper's first signing when he joined the Bluebirds from Carlisle in the summer of 2021.

He arrived on a two-year contract and scored five goals in 27 games before being loaned to Exeter City.

Zanzala netted on his debut for the Devon club and made 15 appearances as they won promotion to League One.

Bobby Hope has passed away, aged 78.
In my mind - and most others' - he was the best Albion player of the 60s (and most other decades), an absolute gem to watch, no exaggeration.
Jeff will give him a big welcome. He should do, as he created half of his goals. An absolute gentleman on and off the pitch, and we'll struggle to see a better skill down The Hawthorns.

Burnley captain Ben Mee has been released after 11 years with the club.

The 32-year-old initially joined the Clarets on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City in 2011 before signing permanently the following August.

He twice helped the team win promotion to the Premier League and ended last season assisting caretaker coach Mike Jackson as they were relegated.

Aaron Lennon, Phil Bardsley, Dale Stephens, Erik Pieters and James Tarkowski are also leaving.

England international Tarkowski, 29, is in talks to join Everton.

The Turf Moor side are in talks with midfielder Jack Cork, 32, and striker Matej Vydra, 29, about extending their deals.

Under-23 players Joel Mumbongo, Richard Nartey, Anthony Glennon, Ethen Vaughan, Sam Unwin, Anthony Gomez Mancini, Calen Gallagher-Allison and Harry Allen have all been let go as the club prepare for their first season outside the top flight since 2015-16.

Cardiff City's longest-serving player Joe Ralls has been offered a new contract by the Championship club, who have released eight players.

Wales international Will Vaulks has been released, along with Leandro Bacuna, Isaac Vassell, Ciaron Brown and Josh Murphy.

Alex Smithies, Aden Flint and Marlon Pack had already said they would leave.

Captain Sean Morrison will continue his rehabilitation from a long-term knee injury at the club.

Morrison, 31, has not played since February when he was carried off during a game at Barnsley after which manager Steve Morison said he expected the centre-back to be sidelined for nine months.

Morrison arrived in south Wales in a £3m deal from Reading in 2014 and went on to make 295 appearances, including 34 in the Premier League.

Ralls has made 308 appearances since joining the club as a teenager in 2011,

The duo are the last players left at the club who featured in Cardiff's promotion to the Premier League under Neil Warnock in 2018.

Bale move to Cardiff City would 'make sense' - Wales boss Page
Bacuna and Murphy also featured in the top flight under Warnock, though the former has not played since receiving a red card - and criticism from boss Morison - against Bournemouth in December 2021.

The 28-year-old Vaulks, capped seven times, but omitted from the Wales squad for June's international fixtures, leaves after three years at Cardiff.

He featured regularly in 2021-22 and made 117 Cardiff appearances in total, scoring 11 goals.

Murphy, an £11m signing from Norwich in 2018, leaves after 99 appearances, having spent the past season on loan at Preston.

It's a guessing game re Steve Clarke's starting line up for this match. Some players rested after that vg victory v Armenia. So others will come in to "take the fight" to Ireland. I'd like to see our strikers scoring goals. Has to be Adams "up top" again. John McGinn professing in today's Sky Sport interview that he wants to score more goals and should've scored v Armenia. Do it John!! Lets get another win in Dublin and keep winning these NL matches!!

Defender Michael Mancienne has signed a new one-year deal with Burton Albion.

The versatile 34-year-old former Chelsea centre-back has made 41 Burton appearances since moving to the Pirelli Stadium in February 2021.

Brewers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said Mancienne, who also previously played for Nottingham Forest and Hamburg, is "a rock" for his side.

"He is somebody that, off the pitch and on it, leads by example," Hasselbaink told the club website.

"It's very important for us to be able to keep him. He wants to play - he knows he's not going to play every match but he needs to help us with the younger players, and he's happy to do that.

"His role is very important. He's got tons of experience, he's a really good character and I'm really happy that he's signed."

Mancienne said signing a new deal with the Brewers was a "no-brainer".

"Hopefully we can push on and do good things next season," the defender added.

Striker Billy Waters has joined Barrow, reuniting with boss Pete Wild.

The 27-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal, scored 21 goals last season for FC Halifax, where his contract expires this summer.

He is Wild's first signing since the manager left Halifax to take over at League Two Barrow following the Shaymen's defeat in the National League play-offs last month.

Waters has also had spells Crewe, Torquay, Cheltenham and Northampton.

"It's a huge statement - and it's the first of a few statements we would like to make," Wild told the club website.

"The way Billy plays is a reflection of how I want my team to play. A lot of the goals he scored and the chances he created last season came through his own endeavour and hard work, and he's just an infectious person on and off the pitch.

"In all honesty, it was just a no-brainer for me to try and bring him to the club and I'm delighted he's signed."

Republic of Ireland winger Callum O'Dowda has signed for Cardiff City on a three-year contract.

The 27-year-old will become a Bluebird on 1 July after he comes out of contract with Championship rivals Bristol City.

The last of O'Dowda's 23 caps came against Wales in November 2020.

"I'm delighted. It's been a long process, from meeting the gaffer and going around the training ground, to... putting pen to paper," he said.

"The intent and the passion the manager showed, and also the business that the club has been doing in the transfer window, was something that I want to be part of.

"I'm at a stage in my career where I'm hungry, I want to achieve as much as I can, and I feel as though I could be hitting my prime now. So, it's all about kicking on with the right team, the right manager and a fantastic club."

O'Dowda - who can also operate as a left wing-back - joined Bristol City from Oxford United in 2016 and scored 10 goals in 176 appearances.

He played played 21 times in the 2021-22 season, scoring once, as the Robins finished 17th in the table - a place above Cardiff - but has been troubled in the past couple of campaigns by hamstring and knee ligament injuries.

Cardiff manager Steve Morison added on the club website: "It's been a long pursuit. We made contact a while back, he had a lot of options and he chose us at the end of it, so it's credit to all the hard work that everybody has put in.

"He fits the bill in all departments. He brings that quality in the final third and he's a really good athlete. He can score goals, he can make goals and we've just got to get the best out of him.

"I showed him the plan, explained how he would fit into that plan and showed him what we want to do. We want players who want to be here and be part of it and I'm really pleased to have him on board."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61655224

This was a pleasing victory from a revamped Scotland team, after the disappointment of losing the WC semi play-off v Ukraine, with a back three of Robertson, Souttar and Ralston all comfortable in a side that was thankfully playing a lotta good footie v a team that had previously beaten ROI, the surprise result of the first round of NL group matches. 2-0 was good, but there really should've been more goals in the second half from the likes of Che Adams and John McGinn and noticeable that defenders, McKenna and Ralston, scoring well taken headed goals. Ralston also the MOTM. We need more goals from our strikers! Anyway, we move on to a testy fixture v ROI on Saturday and hopefully another victory for Scotland.

Court being given the club's approval to be interviewed by Rijeka officials and it looks like a big reward for Court after a fortuitous season managing United (note: Dundee United not listed on the Scot Prem Sb board) to a Euro footie qualification position for next season. So United probably looking for a new manager. I wonder if Jack Ross may fancy this gig or Shaun Maloney (after turning down their rivals "across the road")?