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      in Soccer

      Football fan who ran onto pitch to punch Jack Grealish found dead

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      A FOOTBALL fan who was jailed for running onto a pitch and punching Jack Grealish has been found dead.Paul Mitchell, 32, was discovered at an address in Birmingham earlier this week and has been described by family as having “the kindest heart”.
      Paul Mitchell has been found deadCredit: Caters News Agency
      Paul punched Jack Grealish on the pitch in 2019
      Friends paying tribute on social media called the dad-of-three a “great lad”.
      Mum Debbie Drew said she was heartbroken, adding: “Our family loved him so much.”
      Cousin Lucy Mitchell told The Sun: “Paul absolutely adored his three children.
      “He always had a smile on his face no matter what. He had the kindest heart. He is sadly going to be missed by a lot of people.
      READ MORE ON MITCHELL
      “He was a very popular man. It won’t be the same without him here anymore.”
      She added that he seemed his “happy normal self” when others saw him on Saturday.
      Birmingham City fan Paul was arrested after running onto the pitch at St Andrew’s stadium during a derby game against Aston Villa in March 2019.
      He charged into then-Villa captain Grealish and punched him before officials wrestled him off the pitch.
      Most read in Football
      He was jailed for 14 weeks but was let out after just four.
      The Championship game had not even reached the 10-minute mark when England star Grealish was assaulted.
      Players from both teams as well as a steward then ran towards Paul and managed to get him off the pitch.
      Speaking about the attack after the game, Grealish said: “I was just unaware at the time.
      “I think we had a corner or a throw-in and I was walking into position and I just felt a whack around the side of the face.
      “There’s rivalry in football but I don’t think there is any place for that really.”
      And Mitchell said his time in prison was “the best month of my life”.
      He added: “It was hard being away from my family but everything was good.”
      Read More on The Sun
      When asked whether he regretted his actions, he said: “I’m not prepared to discuss that. I’m not apologising for nothing.”
      Last year he was sent to jail again for ignoring a ten-year football ban.
      Mitchell was escorted off the pitch after the attackCredit: PA:Press Association/PA Images
      He was jailed for 14-weeks but was let out after fourCredit: PA:Press Association
      Paul was arrested after running onto the pitch during a derby game, charging into then-Villa captain Grealish and punching him before officials wrestled him awayCredit: News Images LTD / Alamy Live News More

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      in Boxing

      Dramatic moment ‘really scared’ Amir Khan robbed of £72k diamond-encrusted watch at gunpoint as wife Faryal cries

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      THE dramatic moment Amir Khan was robbed of his £72,000 watch at gunpoint has been shown in court.The boxer, 36, was left terrified as a masked man allegedly ran at him and demanded he “take off the watch”.
      Amir Khan has a gun pointed at him in footage shown to jurorsCredit: Central News
      The boxer was targeted while out with his wife FaryalCredit: Central News
      Khan had been out for dinner with wife Faryal, 31, and friend Omar Khalid at the Sahara Grill in Leyton, East London, when the robbery took place.
      Ahmed Bana, Nurul Amin and Ismail Mohammed, all 25, deny conspiracy to commit robbery while jurors heard Dante Campbell, 21, has admitted to being the gunman.
      CCTV played to jurors shows the former world boxing champion smiling as he leaves the restaurant with his wife.
      He then crosses the road to get in a car driven by Omar when two men get out of a silver Mercedes coupe.
      Read more news
      A hooded man then runs towards Khan and raises his arm to point the gun at the boxer, who hands over his watch.
      Khan previously told Snaresbrook Crown Court how he was left staring down the barrel of the gun.
      He added: “I am a sportsman, a fighter, I have been put in the toughest situations but this is something different, this is really really scary.
      “When he put the gun to my face I couldn’t recognise him because he had a mask on. I looked away because I didn’t want him to pull the trigger.
      Most read in Boxing
      “I didn’t know what he wanted at first, then he said ‘take off your watch’. When he said ‘take off your watch’ that’s when he hit me straight away.
      “I took it off straight away and that’s when I handed it to him.”
      Khan also told how Faryal was left “screaming and crying” following the horror.
      Bana, of Hale Gardens, Tottenham, Amin, of Cavendish Road, Finsbury Park, and Mohammed, of Edmonton, all deny conspiracy to commit robbery.
      Bana also denies having an imitation firearm.
      Campbell, of Hornsey, has admitted conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.
      The trial continues.
      Khan can be seen smiling as he leaves the restaurant moments before the robberyCredit: Central News
      He said his wife was ‘screaming and crying’Credit: Central News
      His £72k diamond-encrusted watch was takenCredit: Central News More

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      Ex-Premier League star sues surgeon for millions after ‘his career was ended by unnecessary operation’

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      AN ex-footie ace who says his top-flight career was ended by an unnecessary operation is suing a surgeon for millions.Former Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 36, underwent surgery after breaking a leg in 2013.
      Sylvan Ebanks-Blake says his career was ended by an unnecessary operationCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      However, Prof James Calder also performed a type of keyhole surgery to his ankle, partly to remove damaged tissue.
      High Court documents claim Ebanks-Blake, then 27, began to suffer pain and stiffness in his joint, which was previously fine.
      The Cambridge-born forward — on Manchester United’s books as a youth — moved to a number of clubs but never played in the Premier League again.
      He retired in 2019 after another leg fracture.
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      The size of his “substantial” claim against the London-based orthopaedic surgeon has not been disclosed, but the average top-flight salary at the time was £1.6million. More

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      in Soccer

      Fan, 24, who racially abused England striker Ivan Toney online banned from every ground in country in legal first

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      A FAN who racially abused England striker Ivan Toney online has been banned from every ground in the country in a legal first.Antonio Neill, 24, was barred from domestic matches for three years and will be stopped from going abroad to watch international games of any kind.
      Brentford FC said: ‘Ivan Toney has been subject to sickening racist abuse on a regular basis’Credit: Rex
      He was the first person to be banned under a 2022 law, which widened the scope for orders to be issued for online hate crimes linked to football.
      Police said they hoped the sentence would send a strong message that racism would not be tolerated.
      The player’s club, Brentford FC, added: “Ivan Toney has been subject to sickening racist abuse on a regular basis, and we want to see tough action taken against anyone found guilty of such abuse.”
      Neill, of Blyth, Northumberland, sent the racist Instagram message in October.
      Read More on Football
      Police tracked him down after Toney, 26, shared it online.
      He pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message when he appeared at Newcastle magistrates’ court in January.
      Neill apologised to the player, saying he was disgusted with himself.
      At the same court on Monday, he got a four-month suspended jail term along with the ban.
      Most read in Football
      Hate crime chief at Northumberland Police, Supt Scott Cowie, said: “Discrimination has absolutely no place in society.” More

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      in Boxing

      I was terrified as I stared down the barrel of gun while my wife cried when I was robbed of £71k watch, says Amir Khan

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      AMIR Khan told a court today how scared he was as he stared down the barrel of a gun before having his £71,000 watch stolen.The former boxing champion, 36, told how he was pushed, fell back on the car and saw the gun being pointed about a foot away from his face.
      Amir Khan told a court he was scared after being robbed by masked raidersCredit: PA
      The moment Amir was targeted by a gunman has been shown to jurors
      The masked gunman then allegedly told him: “Take off the watch.”
      Boxing champ Khan, wearing a pinstripe suit, told Snaresbrook Crown Court he heard wife Faryal, 31, “screaming and crying” during the incident, which was over in seconds.
      And he revealed how it was “totally different” to the tough situations he has been put in when fighting someone in the ring.
      He said: “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a gun in my face. It put me in shock straight away.
      Read more news
      “I didn’t want to look at the gun. I looked away. I literally saw into the barrel.
      “I was really scared. I’ve got three kids. My wife was next to me. I was really really scared.
      “I’m a sportsman, a fighter. I’ve always been put in the toughest situations when I go into the ring and fight someone. This was totally different. Very very scary.”
      Asked how close the robber was to him, Khan said: “Very close. He was really close.
      Most read in Boxing
      “I remember the gun – a foot from my face. I remember looking right into the barrel there, looking into the gun barrel.”
      The incident happened moments after he left the Sahara Grill with his wife in Leyton, East London, last April.
      Khan crossed the road and saw a man running towards him, initially thinking someone was messing about or playing a prank.
      He said he didn’t know what the gunman wanted originally but it then hit him that he was after the watch. Khan took it off straight away and handed it to him.
      He told the jury: “I still didn’t look at him. I looked down and handed it over. Handed him the watch.
      “When someone puts a gun to your face you think he’s going to shoot. I looked away and handed it over.
      “I saw them run off. That’s when people ran across to see what’s happening.
      “I could hear my wife screaming and crying. I looked around to see if she was OK. I went to Faryal.”
      He said he “didn’t want to be there” because it was getting busy but had to wait for the police to arrive to give them his statements.
      But he did say he felt more comfort when people ran over to him, adding: “During the incident I was on my own. When I went to my wife and saw people I felt a little safer.”
      He told the court that his rose-gold diamond encrusted watch, estimated to be worth £71,000, was given to him after he won a boxing fight.
      Friend of eight years Omar Khalid, who had dined with the Khans, had gone ahead to get the car.
      He told the court: “There were two guys walking towards the car. Amir was next to the car.
      “When I looked I thought they might be fans speaking to him, but I felt someone had been thudded into the car.
      “I looked towards the passenger window, and saw one of them had a gun.
      “I froze and thought, ‘What do I do here?’. He was an arms’ length away from Amir.
      “He had the gun to Khan’s head or face. I decided to get out of the car, and as soon as I got out of the car the gun was pointed towards me. It was a black handgun.
      “They were just walking off and got into the Mercedes.
      “It lasted, from when I first saw them to when it finished, it was about 30 seconds to a minute.”
      Defendants Ahmed Bana and Nural Amin, both 25, and Ismail Mohamed, 24, deny conspiracy to commit robbery. Bana also denies having an imitation firearm.
      Dante Campbell, 21, has previously admitted being the gunman during the hold-up in April.
      Hamza Kulane, said to be involved as one of three ‘spotters’, has not been traced.
      Read More on The Sun
      The trial continues.
      Khan was with wife Faryal at the time of the robberyCredit: Central News
      He said she was screaming and crying during the ordealCredit: Getty More

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      in Boxing

      I fought Mike Tyson, inspired him to get face tattoo, and sent to prison for attempted murder before becoming a painter

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      MIKE TYSON’S career was nothing short of a rollercoaster – but perhaps his strangest opponent was a man nicknamed “The Black Rhino”.Iron Mike was undoubtedly on a downward spiral in 2003 when he stepped into the ring on February 22 in Memphis.
      Clifford Etienne now has a new passion in prison after retiring from boxingCredit: Getty
      Mike Tyson knocked out the ‘Black Rhino’ in just 49 seconds in 2003Credit: AFP
      Iron Mike got his iconic facial tattoo just a week before what transpired to be his final victoryCredit: Getty
      Clifford Etienne was jailed three years later and became an artist on the insideCredit: AFP
      He faced fringe contender Clifford Etienne and knocked him out in just 49 seconds – despite claiming he had a broken back.
      The pre-fight was marred by rumours of the then 36-year-old’s fitness with allegations that he sacked off his training camp in order to party in Las Vegas.
      And he even took time out to get his now iconic facial tattoo just a week before the bout.
      Despite all of that, and “The Baddest Man on the Planet” cancelling the fight before changing his mind, the legend still claimed what would be his final ever victory between the ropes.
      READ MORE ON SPORT
      He filed for bankruptcy soon afterwards but the American has since gone on to bounce back with his highly-profitable cannabis farm, several Hollywood movie appearances and his comeback to the ring against Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
      But while he has rebuilt his life, his opponent that night also hit rock bottom but now has a new passion since being JAILED.
      Etienne, now 53, is serving a 105-year prison sentence in Louisiana for armed robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder of a police officer after being convicted in 2006.
      The ex-heavyweight, who retired with a record of 29 wins, two draws and four losses, discovered a love of painting while in the joint.
      Most read in Boxing
      JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
      Lynn O’Shea handles Etienne’s business affairs and she revealed to TMZ how art has saved his life behind bars.
      She said: “He’s amazing. He took painting serious inside and after he earned trustee status he was actually able to become the warden’s artist and sleep in his paint room.
      “That kept him away from all the drama in gen pop.
      “The city of New Orleans bought one that hangs in a district police department, if you can believe that.”
      However, life has not always been a pretty picture for the artist on the inside.
      Back in 2015 he was transferred to a new prison after he was attacked and nearly killed in in his paint room.
      O’Shea added: “Things slowed down after the attack. He used to make all his own canvas and stuff to paint on … but now he’s locked down.
      “I’m hoping some friends from his past life as a boxer can help him out.” More

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      in Boxing

      Thug ran towards Amir Khan, pointed gun at his face and demanded ‘take off your watch’ in terrifying armed robbery

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      A ROBBER ran towards boxing champ Amir Khan in the street, pointed a gun in his face and demanded he hand over his watch, a court heard yesterday.He snatched the £72,000 custom-made Franck Muller timepiece before turning the imitation gun on Mr Khan’s pal.
      Amir Khan was targeted by armed robbers while with wife FaryalCredit: Getty
      Amir is being held up outside the restaurant in Leyton, East London
      The robber and an accomplice were then driven away in a silver Mercedes.
      Mr Khan, 36, his wife Faryal, 31, and friend Omar Khalid were targeted outside a restaurant by a gang who used spotters to track their victims’ movements and relay them by phone, it was alleged.
      The Khans had gone with Mr Khalid to eat at the Sahara Grill in Leyton, East London.
      Prosecutor Philip Evans KC told the court: “Mr Khalid had parked his car up on the other side of the road and, as the Khans left the restaurant, Amir stopped briefly to greet some people outside the restaurant who wanted to say hello to him.
      Read more news
      “He then proceeded to cross the road with Faryal following a few steps behind him.
      “As Mr Khan approached Mr Khalid’s car he looked back to see where Faryal was and the next thing he knew, a man with a gun was running towards him.”
      They had been followed into the restaurant by Nurul Amin, Ismail Mohammed, as well as Hamza Kulane who then phoned Ahmed Bana and Dante Campbell, it was alleged.
      CCTV was said to show Bana, Campbell and an unidentified man leaving Bana’s home and arriving in the Mercedes at a road near the restaurant.
      Most read in Boxing
      Mr Evans said they met Mohammed, who picked them up in his Astra, and drove them round the block and past the restaurant, in which Mr Khan could be seen.
      Mr Evans told Snaresbrook crown court: “The people in the restaurant had taken them to observe the person who was going to be the target of the conspiracy to rob.”
      He added that as the couple left the man pointed the gun at the former world champion’s face and said: “Take off the watch.”
      He added: “Mr Khan, unsurprisingly, took off his watch and handed it to the gunman who ran away immediately and as he did so pointed the gun towards Mr Khalid, who was nearby.
      “A second male had also run towards Mr Khan and he, too, turned and ran away with the gunman once the watch had been taken.”
      The court was told the robbers fled in the Mercedes, driven by Bana.
      Bana and Amin, both 25, and Mohammed, 24, deny conspiracy to commit robbery. Bana also denies having an imitation firearm.
      Campbell, 21, has previously admitted being the gunman during the hold-up in April. Kulane has not been traced.
      Read More on The Sun
      The trial continues
      Bespoke Franck Muller watch made for AmirCredit: PA
      Khan is seen leaving the Sahara Grill restaurant shortly before the horror
      His wife was just a few steps behindCredit: Instagram / @faryalmakhdoom More

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      in Soccer

      Ex-Prem ace banned from driving despite claiming it might cost him chance of life-saving transplant

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      FORMER England star Kieron Dyer has been banned from driving — despite claiming it might cost him the chance of a life-saving transplant.The 44-year-old, who was fourth on I’m A Celebrity in 2015, admitted taking a phone call while at the wheel of his Audi.
      Kieron Dyer has been banned from driving — despite claiming it might cost him the chance of a life-saving transplantCredit: Rex
      But he argued in court he would face exceptional hardship if stripped of his licence under the totting-up points procedure.
      The former Newcastle United and Ipswich Town midfielder, who won 33 England caps, has a chronic liver disease.
      He told the court he needed to be able to get to hospital within two hours if a donor organ became available.
      Magistrates in Ipswich expressed sympathy but said he could afford taxis.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      They banned Dyer, who lives in the town, for six months, along with a fine and costs totalling £836. More