Sporting Digest: Football

The First Division champions, Nottingham Forest, have given their 31-year-old French utility player, Thierry Bonalair, another one-year contract.

Middlesbrough want the former Manchester City and Nottingham Forest manager Frank Clark to take charge of their new pounds 6m youth academy.

The Port Vale coach and former Aston Villa winger, Ray Graydon, is expected to be named as Walsall's new manager later this week.

The Vicenza coach, Francesco Guidolin, whose side were knocked out of the European Cup-Winners' Cup by Chelsea, announced yesterday that he is leaving the Serie A club.

Swindon have signed the Welsh international defender Gareth Hall from Sunderland on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling.

Sheffield Wednesday have released the midfielder Steve Nicol and the on-loan Austrian striker Christian Mayrleb.

Leicester City's chairman Tom Smeaton has resigned after nearly two years in the job, due to "other outside commitments."