A little bit of women's football news.

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Manchester City have signed Liverpool Ladies defender Lucy Bronze.

Bronze has 15 England caps and has joined to "experience a new challenge".

Ed Powell:, external I'm guessing Geoffrey Boycott woke up this morning and wondered what he's done to have the World Cup named after him?

Well, stranger things have happened in the life of the Greatest Living Yorkshireman, Ed. Just last summer, for instance, his likeness was carved into a maize field in York. No, really. Look.

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Opener Tom Latham is approaching his second hundred in as many games as New Zealand reach tea on 160-2 on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai.

At the break Latham, who hit his maiden hundred in the 248-run defeat in the first Test last week, is 84 not out.

England's international with Samoa at Twickenham on Saturday will go ahead as planned after the tourists ruled out the possibility of strike action.

Samoa had threatened to boycott the game over concerns surrounding the administration of the Samoan Rugby Union, forcing the International Rugby Board and International Rugby Players' Association to step in as mediators.

"The game is proceeding as agreed upon. There is no threat and the boycott has been cancelled. It's all been sorted," Samoa team manager Sami Leoti said.

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The match has suddenly become a big one for England with head coach Stuart Lancaster facing a few questions after a fifth successive defeat, by South Africa, at the weekend.

Former FA chairman David Bernstein has sparked today's big debate by arguing that Europe's nations should band together to boycott the World Cup in order to force Fifa reform. Do you agree?

Alistair Smalley:, external Would love to see boycott, but can't see it happening. Could you imagine the Italians boycotting on corruption grounds?

Callum Taylor:, external Yes, Fifa is too caught up in its own corruption to put the good of the sport first.

Reece Smith:, external I'd back a boycott. Someone needs to stand up to Fifa and if more countries do the same, they might take note.

Keep your comments coming please. By the way, we have now had just about every possible variation on the joke about England boycotting the last World Cup. Thank you.

Southampton's head of recruitment Paul Mitchell has handed in his notice, BBC Radio Solent reports.

The 33-year-old is expected to link up with former Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.

Mitchell joined Saints in 2012 after doing the same job at MK Dons following his premature retirement as a player through injury.

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Sean Long has returned to St Helens as part of head coach Keiron Cunningham's backroom staff.

The 38-year-old former Great Britain scrum-half, who played for Saints between 1997 and 2009, has signed a two-year deal as an assistant coach.

Long won 11 major trophies during 13 seasons with Saints. He rejoins after coaching with Wigan, Salford and Samoa.

He says: "Saints are one of the greatest rugby league clubs in the world and to be part of the backroom team here was too good an opportunity to turn down. It was my chance to come home."

Should England and the other European nations boycott the World Cup, as former FA chairman David Bernstein suggests? Here's what you've been saying on our Facebook page.

Ben Wallcroft:, external UEFA should separate from FIFA and set up its own World Cup, to be played in the summer. No European teams want a winter World Cup, and Netherlands won't fancy a World Cup in Russia after the atrocity of the plane being shot down. As for England going it alone, history and politics should tell us not to trust anyone due to the underhand in it for yourself attitude of football today. We would be left out to dry for standing up for fairness and what's right.

Julian Hudson:, external Every nation that feels there has been wrong-doing should boycott it. The entire concept of the world's most important football competition taking place in a desert, and hosted by a nation with no footballing history or pre-existing infrastructure, and where workers (paid a pittance) have died is shameful. FIFA is a terminally ill organisation and needs to be put of its misery. A boycott would be the answer if nothing positive emerges very soon.

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Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has dismissed suggestions that he is set to leave the Spanish champions, having been linked with Manchester City and Paris St-Germain.

He tells Spanish newspaper Marca: "I feel very good at Atletico. I always want to continue improving, I'm never satisfied. I don't know what the limit of this team is. I will continue looking."

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Some sad news from the weekend ... leading Irish racehorse trainer Dessie Hughes, the father of champion jockey Richard, has died aged 71.

Dessie was one of jump racing's best-known characters, who enjoyed successful riding and training careers.

He won the 1977 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Davy Lad and the Champion Hurdle two years later with Monksfield.

As a trainer, Hughes secured the big Cheltenham hurdle in 2004 and 2005 with Hardy Eustace, while Black Apalachi was second in the 2010 Grand National.

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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is preparing to move to AC Milan in January according to the Daily Mirror, while the Daily Mail reports that more people watched the BBC quiz show Pointless than tuned in to ITV for England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia on Saturday.

That and a whole lot more on today's Gossip page.

And England's one-day and Twenty 20 matches against South Africa will take place on the following dates:

3 February 2016: First ODI, Bloemfontein

6 February 2016: Second ODI, Port Elizabeth

9 February 2016: Third ODI, Centurion

12 February 2016: Fourth ODI, Johannesburg

14 February 2016: Fifth ODI, Cape Town

19 February 2016: First T20 International, Cape Town

21 February 2016: Second T20 International, Johannesburg

For those of you who like to plan ahead, and already have a 2016 desk diary in your possession, here are the England Test dates for that South Africa tour.

26-30 December 2015: First Test, Durban

2-6 January 2016: Second Test, Cape Town

14-18 January 2016: Third Test, Johannesburg

22-26 January: Fourth Test, Centurion

Some reaction to the announcement of England's 2015-16 South Africa tour dates from Paul Downton, the England and Wales Cricket Board's managing director.

He says: "Any tour of South Africa is special and as the Proteas currently set the benchmark in Test and ODI cricket, it will be a real challenge which our emerging team will relish.

"We can be assured of fantastic support in South Africa from the thousands of loyal supporters who always follow us around the country - particularly at the Boxing Day Test in Durban and the New Year Test at Newlands in Cape Town."

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England will play four Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches on their 2015-16 winter Tour to South Africa.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has ironed out the dates for the tour, which will begin with a Boxing Day Test in Durban.

For England - coached by Peter Moores and captained at Test level by Alastair Cook - it will be a first tour to South Africa since 2009-10, when they held their hosts to a 1-1 draw in the Test series.

Should England and the other European nations boycott the World Cup, as former FA chairman David Bernstein suggests? Here's what you've been saying on our Facebook page.

Grant Bell:, external Hopefully it would start a domino effect that would see other big footballing nations follow suit. I would be happy to see one World Cup ruined for the purpose of sending FIFA a wake-up call. It would be worth it for the future of the competition.

Andrea Marshall:, external All of Europe need to get behind this. If it eliminates corruption, I'm all for it.

Chris Thackham:, external International football is doomed as long as Blatter and his cronies stay in charge. Domestic football is dominating the game and we are becoming less interested in what goes on with our national teams. Boycott the World Cup, a few other countries may follow and then finally we may get a governing body that sorts out the mess Blatter has created.

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Roy Keane believes Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill should meet Everton boss Roberto Martinez to discuss ongoing fitness issues around James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman.

McCarthy has missed the Republic's last three Euro 2016 qualifiers and Coleman sat out last month's game in Germany.

Coleman and McCarthy played for Everton four days after the Germany game.

"There has to be, I think, some sort of sit-down conversation," says Republic assistant boss Keane.

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An investigation into the Indian Premier League has cleared Indian and world cricket chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan of corruption.

"This individual was not involved in match-fixing activities, this individual was not involved in scuttling investigations into match-fixing," said a report by an investigative panel released to the Supreme Court.

Guardian football writer Amy Lawrence, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Your Call, adds that a World Cup boycott could only work as a collective act.

She says: "I don't think it's something that one country could do alone. But several countries acting together is a fascinating idea. There could be another European Championship while the World Cup was on."

David Bernstein's call for a European boycott of football's World Cup in order to prompt Fifa reform is the topic of debate on BBC Radio 5 live right now.

Guardian football writer Amy Lawrence tells Your Call host Nicky Campbell: "It's a complicated matter. The FA's heart might say one thing - to abandon Fifa to escape the unhappy relationship between the pair, but the head will think of the finance.

"Not having the finance that comes with playing in the tournament wouldn't just affect what happens with the national team, but would filter down to grass roots football. It's a lovely idea, but getting enough people on board to shock Fifa is difficult to envisage."