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Football

Crystal Palace yesterday signed Gareth Davies, a Welsh Under-21 international defender, for pounds 120,000 from Hereford United.

Jim Smith's first buy as Derby County manager is Russell Hoult, a goalkeeper from Leicester City, for pounds 200,000.

The Konica League of Wales club, Ton Pentre, will play both their home Intertoto Cup fixtures - against the Dutch side Heerenveen this Saturday and the Portuguese team Uniao Leiria on 15 July - at the Cardiff RFC club ground at the Arms Park.

Sean Devine, a 22-year-old striker who scored 39 goals for the London club, Fisher, in the Beazer Homes League last term, has agreed a pounds 20,000 move to the Cypriot club, Omonia Nicosia, who will be playing in the Uefa Cup next season.

Rinus Michels, the coach of the Netherlands team which won the European Championship in 1988, has accepted an invitation from the Scottish Association to join a six-man independent review commission set up to examine all aspects of football in Scotland.