Technical director Dan Ashworth is increasingly powerful at the FA

The Republic of Ireland have bagged themselves a prime Euro 2016 base

There were no interviews at the ceremony with FA, RFU or ECB chiefs

Tyson Fury's BBC Sports Personality of the Year interview was tense

Nevin alleged that Fabregas would 'rather lose than win' for Jose Mourinho

Cesc Fabregas will take legal action against Pat Nevin after his comments

Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas is taking legal action against pundit Pat Nevin for alleging he was the player who said he would 'rather lose than win' for Jose Mourinho.

Fabregas has authorised lawyers to send legal letters alleging defamation to former Chelsea player Nevin, who made his claim on BBC Radio Four's flagship Today programme last week.

It follows Today sports presenter Garry Richardson saying on his Sportsweek radio show in November that a senior Chelsea player didn't care about results under Mourinho.

Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas would rather have lost than won for Jose Mourinho, Pat Nevin claimed

Chelsea legend Nevin is now facing legal action following his comments on the BBC Today programme

Fabregas was the first Chelsea player to publicly thank Mourinho, posting on his Facebook page

Richardson brought up the 'rather lose than win' comment with Nevin, who said: 'Yeah, that was Cesc Fabregas, wasn't it?'

Fabregas's form has slumped this season but he remained in a faltering Chelsea team until Mourinho's last two games in charge.

The Secret Footballer website has had to apologise in a company statement for wrongly claiming that Fabregas was the leader of a dressing-room revolt against Mourinho.

Mourinho oversees his final training session in charge of Chelsea before being sacked on Thursday

Fabregas thanked Mourinho on Thursday, but has previously had to deny reports he was unhappy at Chelsea

The live interview with unpredictable boxer Tyson Fury was always going to be a tense moment on Sports Personality of the Year, with co-host Gary Lineker having no idea what Fury was going to say, nor why he twice apparently pretended not to hear the question about his abhorrent views.

Lineker believes Fury was giving himself extra time to compose himself before his on-stage apology.

Gary Lineker believes Tyson Fury tried to give himself extra time to answer questions on his abhorrent views

England football, cricket and rugby are the most important sports in the country — yet remarkably Sports Personality of the Year did not feature an interview or even a soundbite with anyone connected with the three men's teams.

And the FA, RFU and ECB, who normally have significant representation at the event, did not send a single leading figure to Belfast apart from the FA's grassroots chief Kelly Simmons.

All this in a year when England qualified for Euro 2016, the RFU hosted the Rugby World Cup and England won the Ashes.

Nonetheless, the audience and the number of Irish celebrities presenting or accepting trophies — Dame Mary Peters, Rory McIlroy, Michael O'Neill, Martin O'Neill, AP McCoy and Barry McGuigan — made for the best atmosphere in the 10 years SPOTY has been on the road.

Sky News kingpin Eamonn Holmes was even persuaded to be the humble warm-up man.

The Irish celebrities at SPOTY, including Dame Mary Peters (left), contributed to the best atmosphere in years

Martin O'Neill's Republic of Ireland were late entrants to Euro 2016 via the play-offs, but have still managed to bag one of the best bases in Versailles.

That was the choice of Holland, until they failed to qualify. And unlike England, who have to lay a new pitch at their Chantilly training camp, O'Neill is happy with the surface on their French training ground.

Martin O'Neill (left) is happy with the quality of the pitches at the Republic of Ireland's Versailles base

Gym chiefs under fire

There is considerable concern in gymnastics about how the ruling body has treated top acrobatics coach Neil Griffiths.

The 42-year-old, whose troupe Spelbound won Britain's Got Talent in 2010 and performed in the London 2012 Closing Ceremony, faced a year-long police inquiry around child cruelty.

This followed unspecified complaints from a handful of disgruntled ex-gymnasts or their parents. All charges — over excessive weight-monitoring and training — were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service last August because of lack of evidence.

Acrobatics coach Neil Griffiths (circled) is suspended by British Gymnastics even after charges were dropped

But Griffiths remains suspended by British Gymnastics, who are yet to tell him what charges he will face at a disciplinary tribunal.

Griffiths said: 'I've been treated terribly with no regard for my wellbeing. British Gymnastics have thrown me on the scrapheap when so many people in the sport have been so supportive.'

The dispute comes with gymnastics enjoying a bigger profile following the GB medal haul at the World Championships and Max Whitlock making the Sports Personality shortlist. He performed a routine on a piano at the Belfast event.

British Gymnastics refused to comment.

Griffiths' troupe Spelbound won Britain's Got Talent in 2010 and were at the London 2012 Closing Ceremony

Technical director Dan Ashworth is increasingly powerful at the FA.

After the 100-plus redundancies at the governing body, there are 12 new jobs being advertised.

Those in performance analysis, medicine and nutrition will all come under Ashworth's control at St George's Park.