FA chairman Greg Clarke facing quiz over £1million pay-off to former England manager Sam Allardyce 

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FA chairman Greg Clarke is going to face questions on Wednesday about the £1million payout to former England manager Sam Allardyce, who resigned after only 67 days.

Clarke patted himself on the back both in his speech in the Wembley Suite before Saturday’s Malta game and in the match programme about the ‘swift, decisive and entirely appropriate’ way he and his colleagues reacted to Allardyce’s loose talk to undercover reporters about evading FA regulations on third-party ownership.

But a number of FA councillors, while supporting Clarke over Allardyce’s departure, were talking openly at England’s World Cup qualifier about their annoyance at the size of Allardyce’s settlement, given that he lasted less than 10 weeks in the job. 

FA chairman Greg Clarke is set to be questioned over Sam Allardyce's £1million pay-off

A number of FA councillors were annoyed at the size of Allardyce’s settlement package

The FA Council meeting this week gives the disgruntled blazers the perfect opportunity to quiz their new chairman about the seven-figure severance package.

Allardyce’s tenure would have been only 63 days had FA betting partner Ladbrokes had their way. Ladbrokes, who took over from William Hill in the summer, requested his appointment be delayed so the publicity pictures could be taken with their backboard rather than William Hill’s. 

Ladbrokes, interestingly, don’t believe it is appropriate for them, in their official capacity, to have a betting market on the next permanent England boss.

Meanwhile, that England sponsors’ backboard is looking increasingly cluttered, with Ladbrokes, Vauxhall plus their GetIN hashtag, Nike, Marks & Spencer, Mars and newcomers Lidl all having to be accommodated. 

FA betting partner Ladbrokes can be seen on the backboards at every press conference

Irritant football pundit Stan Collymore has been active on Twitter boasting about berating your Sports Agenda columnist in front of 15 colleagues ‘for transparency’ reasons in the Wembley press room about Saturday’s item on his acrimonious departure from talkSPORT.

This is the same Collymore who blocks his critics — including myself and a number of talkSPORT staff — from reading his tweets.

Former talkSPORT host Stan Collymore responded to comments made in this column

There seems to be a potential conflict of interest in the Jockey Club’s appointment of race commentator Richard Hoiles to the Wincanton board and the expected selection of racing presenter Alice Plunkett to a similar position at Cheltenham. 

Both are part of the new ITV team. Clare Balding has also joined the Epsom board but her personal involvement in TV racing ends at Ascot on Saturday.

Clare Balding is on the Epsom board but she is not involved in TV racing beyond Ascot

The busy DCMS select committee have called FA chairman Greg Clarke to be questioned on football corruption and governance issues. 

This is the umpteenth time the FA have faced questioning that never seems to lead anywhere apart from giving politicians like rent-a-quote interim chairman Damian Collins a publicity platform. And Clarke has only been FA chairman for a couple of months.

Bad timing from Irish

The grand opening of the new Windsor Park was seen as a spectacular success, well organised by the Irish Football Association. 

But was it really a good idea to give VIPs, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino, yet another watch after the trouble caused by the Parmigiani timepieces given to FIFA executives by the Brazilian confederation? 

At least the IFA-branded one was worth no more than £20, rather less than the £5,000 Rolex another guest, Rory McIlroy, received as a Ryder Cup present.

Rory McIlroy and Gianni Infantino (top right) witnessed Northern Ireland's win over San Marino

An American football franchise in London has come a significant step closer with the Indianapolis Colts beating the Chicago Bears on Sunday. 

It was the first time an NFL team who had played in London were scheduled back in action seven days later, so the Colts’ victory will ease travel concerns.

Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday as a London franchise moved closer

The brutal England rugby training session that left three players with serious injuries and brought understandable club v country conflict has sparked calls for an independent chairman of the Professional Game Board that oversees relations between professional teams and RFU.

At the moment leadership alternates between Twickenham and the Premiership but an outsider makes far more sense. 

And with five captains of industry on the short-list for the vacant chairmanship of PRL, there will be four possible candidates for the PGB position.

England wing Anthony Watson broke his jaw and is set to miss the Autumn internationals