Digital Features

Subterms

    Latest story

    275 Shares99 Views

    The stunning celebs you forgot were F1 grid girls – from I’m a Celeb legends to soap heartthrob and Ted Lasso star

    by

    THEY were the stunning models who lived life in the fast lane – both on and off the track.But after going on to become TV stars, reality TV bombshells and even the owner of an animal sanctuary, you might have forgotten these stunning celebs who once posed as grid girls.Katie paid tribute to Eddie who got her involved in F1 as a grid girlCredit: PAEddie was one of the driving forces behind the women being brought into the sportCredit: RexOn the grid, Katie was known as her alter-ego JordanCredit: GettyKatie said his death was a great loss to the paddockCredit: PA:Press AssociationThis week, Katie Price’s fans were stunned to see gorgeous throwback snaps of her with the late F1 boss Eddie Jordan, who has sadly died at the age of 76.The glamour model, 46, became a grid girl under the motor racing legend’s tenure back in 1998 when she was aged just 19.Eddie pioneered the introduction of the glamorous women, and Katie even did a stunt for his team Jordan where she straddled one of the F1 cars. Here, we have a look at the other celebs who gave their blossoming careers a boost as a motoring hostess.Nell McAndrewBack in the 1990s, Nell was known for her outrageous behaviour and incredible modelling shoots, so it’s no wonder F1 snapped her up. Eddie convinced the beauty, now 51, to pose for a sizzling series of photos with one of his F1 cars in 2004.In the snaps, she is seen sprawled out in a yellow bikini over the pricey motor, while in another she channels Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, swishing around with a sword and slick jumpsuit.It’s certainly a far cry from her days now as a marathon runner.Lizzie Cundy says being a grid girl was ‘the best job she ever had’ on Good Morning BritainFellow glamour model Nell posed for a photo shoot with one of Eddie’s carsCredit: GettyShe channelled her best Kill Bill vibes for the fun shootCredit: GettyJodie MarshKatie’s long-time nemesis Jodie Marsh made a special guest appearance as a grid girl back in 2003. The former glamour model, now 46, graced the paddock and track at Silverstone to promote Playstation 2 game Formula One.Jodie made a special apperance as the face of PlayStation 2’s new F1 gameCredit: GettyJodie also knew F1 legend Eddie Jordan from her brief stint as a grid girlCredit: ReutersShe opted to wear a driver’s jumpsuit tied at her waist rather than a classic skimpy skirt, and in her special guest appearance on the track, she planted a kiss on Eddie’s cheek.Nowadays, Jodie has traded her hard partying socialite reputation for a new life running an animal sanctuary. And this week, the down-to-earth star joked she’s “fat but happier than ever”.Keeley HazellKeeley also appeared briefly as a grid girl to promote a video gameCredit: AlamyShe posed for photos with F1 drivers Tiago Monteiro (L) and Christijan Albers (C)Credit: GettyThese days you’re most likely to recognise Keeley as Ted Lasso’s Bex but back in the day, she was a lads’ mag favourite who also turned heads on the F1 track.The 38-year-old made her debut as a grid girl in 2003 at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone – leaving fans delighted.Like Jodie Marsh, she turned up to promote PlayStation’s Formula One game, which saw her perch on the Midland F1 team car. It certainly was a gear change from her usual Page 3 shoots.Gemma AtkinsonGemma was named the face of the British Grand Prix in 2007Credit: GettyThe model told how she was a big fan of the sportCredit: GettyBefore Strictly Come Dancing fame, Gemma, now 40, was unveiled in 2007 as the ‘female face’ of the British Grand Prix.At the time, the Hollyoaks star said: “I’m a massive F1 fan and this is my first time at the British Grand Prix. I’m really excited to be here as the female face of the British Grand Prix.“The atmosphere here at Silverstone is incredible! It is an unbelievable experience and I never imagined I’d get so close to the action. I’m so thrilled to be here.”Just a few months later, she was snapped up for I’m A Celeb and from there her star has continued to rise. Melinda MessengerMelinda doesn’t look back on her time as a grid girl in a positive mannerCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdShe posed up with drivers and fellow glamour model Katie PriceCredit: AlamyLike fellow Page Three girls Jodie and Keely, Melinda made an appearance at the British Grand Prix to promote an F1 video game. She wasted no time getting cosy with drivers Ralph Schumacher and Damon Hill in the pits during a practice run in 1998.Melinda became a regular fixture, but she doesn’t look back on the time positively. She told The Sun: “I was willingly exploiting myself, don’t forget. I was quite happy to go and get paid to look glamorous. So that’s a self-exploitation.”Lucy PinderLucy proved a big hit when she posed next to F1 cars back in 2005Credit: AlamyLucy posed up to promote a video game with pal Michelle MarshCredit: Getty Images – GettyLucy, 41, has turned her talents to acting in recent years, but at the height of her glamour girl fame she made a special appearance on the F1 grid.Alongside pal Michelle Marsh, she turned up at Silverstone in 2005.And even the drivers were fans of the beauties, with former F1 champ Fernando Alonso looking delighted while getting a picture with the girls. She also made appearances as a gird girl at the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport back in 2009. Michelle MarshOutsiding of posing for F1, Michelle and Lucy also appeared with bikes for RiskologyCredit: AlamyPage 3 blonde Michelle, now 42, turned up on the track alongside Lucy back in 2005. After being announced as the face of PlayStation’s F1 game, she posed for a series of photos on a F1 car, many showing off her ample cleavage. In a photo of her and Lucy with driver Fernando Alonso, the motor head is seen to peer down Lucy’s top. The pairing certainly proved a hit that year. Olivia AttwoodOlivia wasn’t an F1 girl, instead she posed for Monster at Motorsport eventsShe claims the job saved her life and put her on the path to fameOutspoken Olivia found fame appearing on Love Island back in 2017, but before then she was touring the world as a Motorsport grid girl for Monster Energy.Sadly, she never made it to the prestigious F1 paddock, but isn’t ashamed of her brolly dolly days, claiming it saved her life.Olivia blasted F1 bosses’ decision to axe the grid girls in 2018, saying: “They’re taking the fun, glamour, and extravagance out of absolutely everything – where does it end? If you got a mechanic to hold a brolly over the bike on the track, how boring’s that?”She later told The Sunday Times: “That job saved my life. I travelled the world, it gave me discipline, I met amazing people, so to me, it’d be pretty sad to think someone else wouldn’t get that opportunity.”Lucy Pinder and Michelle Marsh pose with F1 drivers at the British Grand PrixCredit: GettyMelinda Messenger, Katie Price and Emma Noble launched the F1 racing season for team JordanCredit: PA:Press Association More

    More stories

    • 250 Shares119 Views

      in Motorsport

      Maverick Eddie Jordan was cowboy who brought rock’n’roll to F1, made Katie Price a star and gave Schumacher his debut

      by

      EDDIE JORDAN was the Irish underdog who brought rock’n’roll energy to Formula One – and helped make Katie Price a star.The former team owner, who has died aged 76, draped the then 20-year-old glamour model over his trademark yellow cars at racetracks in his Nineties heyday.Eddie Jordan, pictured here with Katie ‘Jordan’ Price, was a true F1 rock starCredit: GettyJordan handed big breaks to a number of drivers in F1 including Michael SchumacherCredit: Getty’Eddie Mania’ was in full swing during the 1990sCredit: PA:Press AssociationJordan’s record of giving rookies their big break was second to noneCredit: AP:Associated PressWith glamour girl Jodie MarshCredit: ReutersIt gave The Sun’s Page 3 girl her first taste of global attention – and made everyone remember her alias, “Jordan”.At the time, the Jordan Formula One team was by far the most exciting name in racing thanks to Eddie’s trailblazing sense of fun.As well as making so-called “pit babes” part of the action, he painted menacing snakes on the noses of his racing cars and organised rock concerts after races, with himself on drums.While other teams seemed to care mainly about technical specs, he was all about passion, and his motormouth enthusiasm made that passion infectious.READ MORE ON EDDIE JORDANThe scrappy former Dublin street-trader also captured imaginations with his swashbuckling sponsorship deals – including one when he managed to convince delivery firm DHL to repaint their entire international fleet of white vans and planes with his famous “Jordan Yellow”.Eddie once recalled: “We were like cowboys in the Wild West, chasing around finding money.”He was also famous for what even back in 1990 was described as an “uncanny ability to spot young drivers and maximise their potential”.Those he gave big breaks to included Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, others to drive for him included world champion Damon Hill, Eddie Irvine, Rubens Barichello, Ralf Schumacher, Jean Alesi, Martin Rundle, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Rubens Barichello.Most read in MotorsportBut top drivers always ended up getting lured away to richer and more corporate teams, backed by huge car makers such as Ferrari and McLaren.Maverick Eddie ended up being the last independent owner in the sport.Brave Eddie Jordan’s final public appearance just weeks before his deathHe finally sold up in 2005, becoming a TV racing pundit and presenting Top Gear alongside Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc from 2016.Meanwhile the father of four threw his deal-making energy into the business world, including owning chunks of Celtic FC, Jazz FM and posh people’s bible Debrett’s.According to the Sunday Times Rich List, by 2020 he was worth £85million.But despite his success Eddie once admitted: “I want people to think I’m a bit of an Irish eejit.“I don’t want people to know whether I’m clever or not. I like them to think I just got lucky.”Edmund Patrick Jordan was born in Dublin on March 30, 1948, and first began wheeler-dealing in the playground with conkers: “I would be buying and selling constantly.”After a brief attempt at studying to be a dentist, he ditched university in 1967 to work as a bank teller.He bragged in 2004: “I was by far the best person at opening new accounts.”When a strike closed Dublin banks in 1970 he headed to work in Jersey where one Sunday he had a go in a go-kart at a local track.He wrote in his 2008 autobiography: “I had no idea that this sort of exhilaration existed.”The following year he won the Irish Kart Championship.Then in 1972, aged 24, came a crash that left him with an infected fracture that hit his nervous system and caused alopecia. Jordan was worth around £85m according to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2020Credit: PAJordan started out as a bank tellerCredit: GettyHe eventually fell in love with racing in 2008Credit: GettyJordan married Marie in 1983Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdFor the rest of his life he covered up his total baldness with wigs: he had three in different lengths that he wore on rotation.He then moved into car-racing, starting with the Formula Ford competition, then Formula 3 and Formula Atlantic.And to fund it all, in his own words: “I was always a hustler.”That included flogging smoked salmon on Dublin’s streets, dressed in chef’s whites and standing under a sign designed to make the cut-rate fish look high-end: “Saumon fumé ici”.Meanwhile he did “brisk business” selling used cars from the car park of the bank where he still worked.He won the Irish Formula Atlantic Championship in 1978 and tested for McLaren’s F1 team but later admitted: “I was a little accident prone.”So in 1979 he moved to Britain and founded his team, Eddie Jordan Racing, letting other F3 drivers including, briefly, Ayrton Senna, take the wheel while he wrangled fees and sponsorship deals.By this time he had just married Marie McCarthy, a former Irish basketball international and his “absolute rock” for the rest of his life.He said he had first fallen for her because she was a “jeans and bacon butties” kind of girl.And to his amazement when, after his team had aced both the F3 and Formula 3000 competitions, she supported him when he told her in 1990 that he wanted to move into F1.By then, they had four children and £5m in the bank, largely from managing drivers’ careers.He wanted to spend it all on the high-risk venture and recalled: “I talked to Marie about it and she said, ‘You’ll never be happy until you do it. Let’s get on with it.”Jake Humphrey’s heartfelt tributeUtterly devastated.EJ has left us.Formula One won’t see the likes of Eddie ever again where a guy with a love for racing can hustle his way into the sport and end up winning races.More important than race wins though, he won hearts. I will never forget how his face would always light up whenever he saw a Jordan GP jacket, flag or cap… as we traveled the world together years after the team had been sold.His greatest achievements were Mikki, Zoe, Kyle and Zak. His incredible 4 kids who share his spirit. His wife Marie is one of the strongest, most wonderful women I have ever met.The 4 years we spent together hosting F1 on the BBC were greatest of my career. Wing-walking, scooter riding, car driving madness that I know he loved deeply.His incredible spirit and love of life lives on in me, and my children who were lucky enough to meet him and hear all about him.Eddie lit up a room whenever he entered it. That is a lesson for us all – be the light in the room.I was lucky enough to share one, final, cherished meal with him and his boys a few months ago. It was special. We talked about me doing one last interview with him. Sadly that will never happen.As I left his departing words were ‘I love you brother’.I love you. Brother.One of the 3 Amigos is gone. The world seems a little less bright this morning.Farewell friend. Play the spoons up there for meSo he renamed his team Jordan Grand Prix and gathered a crack design group that on a tiny budget built what is still regarded as one of F1’s most beautiful cars of all time: the Jordan 191.That first racing year, 1991, the team colour was green, after he “browbeat” a sponsorship deal out of 7UP then ran around signing up other sponsors associated with the same colour: Fujifilm and, famously, the country of Ireland.The Irish government coughed up £1m when he claimed he had painted the car green because “I felt so strongly about this being the first ever Irish F1 team”.Thanks to this, Eddie was an instant cult hero in his homeland; the rest of the world took notice when underdogs managed to keep up with and sometimes beat the big-name teams.Most spectacularly, in that first season he gave a young Michael Schumacher his F1 debut at the Belgian Grand Prix.The 22-year-old qualified seventh, considered impossible for a newbie.He was then swiftly poached by another team in a murky deal that led to Eddie denouncing his fellow owners as “the piranha club”.This off-track drama only helped raise the Jordan team’s profile and a so-called “Eddie mania” began to take off.He explained the attraction of his team this way: “We do things differently. We like entertaining, we like rock’n’roll.”From 1994 rock literally became part of the team’s image, when he began putting on gigs at Silverstone after the annual Grand Prix.A keen drummer since his teens, his band V10 – later called Eddie and the Robbers – became GP fixtures and were joined on stage over the years by everyone from Bono to Rod Stewart.Meanwhile in 1996 Eddie finally got his financial breakthrough, landing the deep-pocketed Benson & Hedges as a sponsor – and finally getting his trademark yellow cars.Jordan blasted his fellow team owners as the ‘piranha club’ after Schumacher was poached from himCredit: GettyJordan landed a financial breakthrough in 1996 to get his trademark yellow carsCredit: PAJordan started putting on rock concerts at Silverstone every yearCredit: PAJordan has been a keen drummer since his teensCredit: GettyInitially that year the vehicles were painted gold to match the cigarette brand’s packaging, but after a single race everyone realised the sponsorship logos did not “pop” well against that shade.So tests were done and the team found that the best background colour for logos was what became known as “Jordan Yellow”.That was a breakthrough: the Jordan cars were instantly by far the most eye-catching racers on the track.It was then Eddie realised that Jordan was a “brilliant brand” – whether or not his cars actually won was not the point.He went even further with the following year’s model by adding a snake to the paintwork. It was dubbed “Hissing Sid” and Eddie later said it had “a colossal impact”.There had been nothing like it in F1 before.Eddie also decreed that he wanted his team to be “sexy”, so in 1998 he brought in a handful of glamour models to events and races.They included Melinda Messenger and Katie Price, who had adopted the name Jordan when she first posed for The Sun in 1996.Jordan was the breakout star, and was soon being referred to in the Press as “Eddie Jordan’s pit girl”.She wrote in her autobiography: “I was definitely on the way up.”That same year, 1998, his team had its first win, when Damon Hill triumphed in the Belgian Grand Prix.Eddie danced a jig all the way to the podium.By this stage, the team was so popular that its bright yellow merchandise outsold Ferrari’s.At the end of that glorious year, unable to resist a good deal, Eddie sold 49.9 per cent of team to private equity firm Warburg Pincus for £40m.But costs for designs and drivers were rocketing as more big money came into the sport, and Eddie was still always scrabbling for sponsors.He later admitted: “We were insolvent most of the time.”It was because he was still “desperate for the money” that in 2002 he wrangled one of his proudest deals, with delivery firm DHL.They were interested in being sponsors, but balked when Eddie refused to repaint his cars white with red trim to match their company colours.So Eddie demanded a meeting with the board, then handed out a picture of a street full of boring white delivery vans.He followed that with a picture of a street full of boring white delivery vans plus one in Jordan Yellow, and his point was made.They rebranded, repainted their entire fleet and sponsored the team.Eddie boasted in 2023: “To this day they pay me a tiny royalty.”The team went on to have four wins in total, the last in 2003.But by then the Irishman was tiring, especially after he lost a £150m court case against Vodafone in 2003.He had claimed the phone giant had reneged on a sponsorship deal; the judge branded him “a wholly unsatisfactory witness”.In early 2005, Eddie sold the team to the Midland Group for £47million and walked away.He thought he would miss it, but later wrote in his autobiography: “To my surprise it did not matter at all.”He threw himself into TV commentating, golf, cycling and raising money for child cancer charity CLIC Sargent, as well as into other businesses.In March 2023 Eddie, who was awarded an honorary OBE in 2012, celebrated his 75th birthday by zooming down a black-run ski slope in a bright yellow Jordan jacket, holding dozens of yellow balloons.Twelve months later Eddie was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder and prostate, which was “quite aggressive” and quickly spread.Revealing his diagnosis on his Formula For Success podcast in December 2024 he said: “Everybody listening to this – don’t put it off. “Go and get tested, because in life you’ve got chances.”As he had said a few years earlier: “We need to get people to believe.”And that’s the key word in life, and it’s the biggest word I’ve ever used.”READ MORE SUN STORIESBut he also admitted he had plans for what he wanted done with his body when he did die.He revealed happily: “I’m going out in flames.”Jordan wanted his F1 team to be ‘sexy’Credit: GettyEddie Jordan has four children with his wife, MarieCredit: GettyHe was good friends with Sir Rod StewartCredit: GettyJordan attends the Monaco GP in 2022Credit: Getty More

    • 263 Shares127 Views

      in Soccer

      How 3 MILLION dogs are being slaughtered ahead of World Cup with executions & poisoned food… but Fifa is doing nothing

      by

      AGAINST a backdrop of pained barking, an emaciated pooch hobbles over to a dirt-covered animal pile, which it licks, bites and then tugs at — eager to pry off any flesh to stave off starvation.It’s a haunting moment now regularly seen in Morocco, stray dogs are resorting to cannibalism to survive after a terrifying “street cleanse”, while others are killed in ghoulish ways and left to rot. Animal rights campaigners claim stray dogs are being rounded up and then killedCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)One dog has resorted to cannibalism, as seen in footage supplied to The SunCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)They claim dogs have been shot, beaten with weapons, poisoned and stabbedCredit: ‘International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)A design of Morocco’s upcoming 2030 FIFA World Cup venue set to be built in CasablancaCredit: Courtesy Populous/Oualolou + ChoiThe north-west African nation is allegedly in the midst of a mass butchering spree to eradicate three million homeless dogs in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup – despite vowing they’d ended the killings.Horrifying videos released by animal rights campaigners expose the horrors being unleashed on the streets of Morocco on the canines.Heartbreaking footage shows dogs being stabbed with poisonous sticks, violently impaled with hooks, left to bleed out from gunshot wounds and abandoned in pounds without food or water. It flies in the face of FIFA’s Bid Evaluation Report, which claimed Morocco had “outlined its commitment to the protection of animal rights” and since August had ruled “the culling of animals is prohibited in the country”.READ MORE FROM FEATURESHere The Sun refutes that with a damning dossier of evidence obtained on the ground through the International Animal Welfare Protect Coalition (IAWPC), which was also presented to FIFA.They say Morocco has violated their vow and lied to the footballing body. And that means their implementation as a host nation – alongside Spain and Portugal – is a “sham” and they must be stripped of their duties, campaigners say. The campaign calling for action from FIFA has been backed by celebrities including Downton Abbey star Peter Egan, music legend Gary Numan, conservationist Chris Packham and world-renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall.Most read in FootballChariots of Fire actor Peter tells The Sun: “Football is regarded as the ‘beautiful game’ and for it to be celebrated in such ugly circumstances is a betrayal of all ethics. FIFA must act now.“I’m absolutely appalled by the situation and the football-loving public will be too, the majority of people who love the beautiful game cannot endorse such cruelty by knowing about it, ignoring it and supporting the World Cup. “It’s almost impossible to get one’s head around why any country would choose to brutally slaughter millions of animals just to ‘tidy their streets’ for a football match. It’s inconceivable.“They choose the cheapest way of destroying these poor creatures too, often this is starving them to death or bludgeoning them with a weapon. It’s absolutely shocking.”Dog that mauled man to death ‘attacked schoolboy days earlier’ in East LondonOne stray dog being shot on the streets in MoroccoCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)One stray was dragged along the ground for a lengthy amount of time to cause injuryCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)’Absolute evil’The new footage, shot in the coastal city of Kenitra, shows animals waiting in dark and damp spaces to starve to death and canine cannibalism.Les Ward, President of the IAWPC, tells The Sun “absolute evil is going on in Morocco” and that cruel dog catchers are being dispatched to the streets to round up strays for slaughter. He explains: “The Moroccan Government hasn’t even got a clue what animal rights means. “They are setting up ‘dispensaries’ and ‘clinics’, which are killing stations to eradicate dogs, not help them.“At these killing pounds the dogs are thrown into a mass of frightened animals. They don’t feed them, they don’t give them water. If they do feed them it’s with poisoned bait that kills them.“Cannibalism is occurring. These dogs are being starved to death and as a result, start to eat one another. “Others are being killed, shot and poisoned and then thrown in the bin.”They don’t die immediately, they thrash around, crying as blood pours out of themLes Ward, IAWPC PresidentAnother heartbreaking clip shows several emaciated pooches cower in their alleyway-like prison, some lifelessly looking up at the camera, while others could be seen with wounds. A few had given birth.An IAWPC campaigner, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid persecution, told us: “The dogs are starving and dying. “It is a tiny space with up to 400 dogs cramped into it and they are living in their own waste. “Some of them die from sickness or poisoning, the others eat them because they are starving… the dogs are kept next to a slaughterhouse which uses them as food. “It is inhumane and unbearable.”World Cup ‘horror’Moroccan authorities are estimated to be killing 300,000 homeless dogs each year, despite it being ruled illegal since 2019.Supporters claim it will end rabies, which kills roughly 80 people a year, but campaigners argue culling won’t work.Instead, they insist their Trap Neuter Release (TNR) programme, currently being implemented by volunteers, is the only way to succeed. Previously it helped Goa, in India, become a rabies-free state.A poison-tipped stick that’s used to kill strays in MoroccoCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)A dead dog moments before it was feasted on by a starving strayCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Animals filled a narrow alleyway in a ‘kill shelter’ in Kenitra, MoroccoCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Les tells us: “Morocco’s approach will exacerbate the problem because rabies-infected dogs will continue to breed and more will move into the area. Killing is not the solution, it’s a horror.”Campaigners claim the culling has been ramping up since the 2023 Club World Cup, which was a ‘trial event’ from FIFA officials after Morocco lost an unprecedented five main tournament bids.Some oppose the slaughter – in 2022, a judge fined the Governor of the Nador Province 6,000MAD (£490) after discovering they had killed strays.The judge labelled it “uncivilised” and stated the brutality “which dates back to ancient times, are no longer acceptable”.In 2023, hundreds of strays and tagged dogs were killed in Tangier, which the founder of SFT Animal Sanctuary insisted was “because of FIFA’s visit” for the Club World Cup.She claimed the orders came “from the governor” and that all tagged dogs had to be “removed… from the posh areas around the stadium where FIFA will be”.’Inhumane killings’Now a World Cup host for 2030, campaigners allege the butchery is increasing and often the barbaric street killings are taking place in front of children. IAWPC footage shows men of the attacks by men in orange suits, including one who stuck his fingers up at the camera.Using “tong-like” implements, which have a painful debilitating effect, they pick up dogs the size of German Shepherds and throw them into vans pile with other dogs. One ‘dog catcher’ flips up his fingers at a cameraCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)They then use giant tongs to pick up a German Shephard and chuck it into a vanCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Dead dogs being taken to the tip to be disposed of alongside rubbishCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)They are then taken to ‘holding’ centres where they are starved to death or “inhumanely killed”, we are told.One day is seen with blood trickling down from the midriff due to being cruelly dragged along the streets and beaten.Les says: “Some of the dogs are left to decompose on the street. Young children are seeing this. That’s traumatic for them and there are links between regularly seeing traumatising things and becoming violent in adult life.” Some dogs are killed with a stick that holds a syringe containing poison at the end, others are fed deadly bait by hand – both practices cause “considerable pain, suffering and lingering death”.Les explains: “Any vet will tell you killing a dog by strychnine is a cruel and lengthy process. They lure the dogs close by getting unsuspecting members of the public to tell them the dogs’ names.”Gun squads allegedly “shoot dogs around the clock with rifles and pistols” but cruelly they are “rarely killed outright” and left to bleed to death on the streets.he was banging on the door so hard and she was left standing in the street screaming as he was driven away. Louise Smith, victim of dog catchersLes adds: “These aren’t bullets that pass through they lodge in the body of dogs, meaning they don’t die immediately, they thrash around, crying as blood pours out of them.“I recently saw a harrowing photo of a dog seconds after its face was obliterated with a shotgun. It’s all extremely cruel.” Dog catchers Many of the animals are being rounded up by groups of dog catchers – and some seized them because they “know owners will bribe them to get their pets back”. Among them is Scottish mum Louise Smith, 46, who has paid to retrieve her six-year-old daughter Salma’s dogs “multiple times” but more recently she notes they are “all about killing.”“I tried to bargain with the dog catchers,” she says. “Salma was beside herself, she cut her knuckles. She was banging on the door so hard and she was left standing in the street screaming as he was driven away.”Dog catchers collect the animals and transport them to ‘kill centres’Credit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Six-year-old Salma was devastated when her dog Bingo was taken by dog catchersCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)One man shoots a dog in the streetCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)FIFA ‘betrayal’Pressure is mounting against FIFA to take action – celebrities to join the campaign include Dr Jane Goodall, who’s famed for her work with wild chimpanzees. In a letter, she demanded urgent intervention, writing: “If you fail to act, however, FIFA will be known for its complicity in a horrific act of barbarity – on your watch.”There is simply no excuse for the awful campaign of cruelty that is being executed in football’s name.” Les says the IAWPC has sent letters to FIFA every week, supplied photo and video evidence as well as written testimony, only to receive “no reply, nothing whatsoever”. He says: “Absolute evil is going in Morocco and FIFA and its associations should know better. In the UK, anyone found shooting, poisoning, starving or clubbing a dog would be thrown in jail, because it’s a criminal offence. “This World Cup is being built on three million dead dogs and god knows how many traumatised children, that’s a blood scandal and raises the question of whether we should be sending our football teams there at all.“Allowing Morocco to host the World Cup has greenlit their killing groups to pick up and murder as many dogs as they can, as quickly as they can before 2030. “FIFA is complicit by maintaining the wall of silence. They are not stopping the government from killing their dogs, so they are party to it and complicit.”READ MORE SUN STORIESThe Sun contacted FIFA, officials in Morocco and the Moroccan embassy but received no response.Find out more about the IAWPC here or sign their petition.Dog catchers using metal tongs, which cause immense pain, to pick up poochesCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Morocco is preparing to host the 2030 World CupCredit: AFPFIFA President Gianni Infantino has been slammed by animal rights campaignersCredit: EPA More

    • 238 Shares91 Views

      in Motorsport

      Meet F1 2025 rookies including star gifted first go-kart by Michael Schumacher and Brit teen who’s already a millionaire

      by

      FOR the first time since 2010, SIX rookies will grace the Formula One grid this season.The 2025 F1 season is sure to have it’s fair share of dramatic narratives.The F1 2025 grid has six rookies this year, the most since 2010Credit: GettyThese will range from Lewis Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari, McLaren’s bid to win a drivers title for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri and how Red Bull will recover from their poor season last time out.However, six rookies coming to the grid is one of the most interesting storylines in itself with each of them having bags of talent shown throughout their careers in the junior categories of motor racing.However, they are also as diverse as they come, with some stepping into huge shoes at top teams and others already having F1 racing experience behind them.Below we take a look at each of F1’s 2025 rookies.READ MORE IN F1Kimi Antonelli – Italian born 2006 – MercedesKimi Antonelli is named after F1 royalty and has the nigh-on impossible task of replacing Lewis Hamilton at MercedesCredit: RexKimi Antonelli is the son of former racing driver Marco and was named after former world champion Kimi Raikkonen. He joined the Mercedes junior programme at the age of 11.The teen – who will run the number 12 and says his spirit animal is a lion – only passed his driving test in January of this year, but has impressed in the junior categories. This included a stunning wet Silverstone F3 test which saw him run four seconds quicker than any of his rivals. But his first test in an F1 car during last season’s Italian Grand Prix saw him crash into the barriers.Mercedes have handed Antonelli more than 5,500 miles of private testing to boost his preparation for a move into F1 after being asked to fill the boots of Hamilton at the team.Most read in MotorsportCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsOllie Bearman – Brit born 2005 – HaasOllie Bearman is already a millionaire after three successful sub appearances in F1 in 2024Credit: RexOllie Bearman became the first Brit to race in the Scarlet Red of Ferrari in the 21st century when he finished P7 on his super-sub debut at last season’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.He later made two more substitute appearances for Haas before securing a permanent seat based off of those appearances, although he endured a torrid time in F2 when not showing his pace in an F1 car.Moment Toto Wolff gets set to break Lewis Hamilton promise in behind-the-scenes clip on Netflix’s Drive to SurviveBearman turns 20 in May but is already estimated to have a net worth of more than £1m, as estimated from figures of his firm OBR Management Ltd.He joined the Ferrari academy at the age of 16 and races under the number 87. Bearman also astonishingly failed his driving test the first time he took it. His spirit animal is suitably a bear.Gabriel Bortoleto – Brazilian born 2004 – SauberGabriel Bortoleto is one of only four drivers to win back-to-back F3 and F2 championshipsCredit: RexGabriel Bortoleto arguably has the biggest racing credentials out of any of the 2025 rookies as he is one of only four drivers – with Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Piastri – to win back-to-back F3 and F2 titles.Bortoleto admits his racing career was saved by Fernando Alonso when the two-time world champion sponsored him in 2022 before he was snapped up by the McLaren development programme a year later.They allowed Bortoleto, who says his favourite movie is Interstellar and his favourite TV show is Peaky Blinders, to then join Sauber for this season, with McLaren chief Zak Brown calling him a “great racing driver”.Bortoleto – whose spirit animal is a lion – will race with the number 5 in F1 this season. His father, Lincoln, is the co-founder of one of the biggest Internet providers in world, Americanet following a merger with Vero in 2023.Jack Doohan – Australian born 2003 – AlpineJack Doohan was gifted his first ever go-kart by legend Michael SchumacherCredit: GettyJack Doohan has been placed under an incredible amount of pressure early in his F1 career with reports suggesting a poor start could see him removed from the seat, which has seen team boss Oliver Oakes praise Doohan for his “punchy” response to the speculation.Doohan is the son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick, who admits he tried to keep him away from motorsport for a year when he was 11 before he was forced to give in.F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban OconHe was gifted his first-ever kart by none other than seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and eventually joined the Alpine Academy in 2022.Doohan, who will race with the number 7 in 2025 and who says his spirit animal is either a kangaroo or koala, replaced Esteban Ocon in last season’s season finale at Abu Dhabi to make his debut.Isack Hadjar – Frenchman born 2004 – Racing BullsIsack Hadjar has already been praised for his ‘god-like’ reflexes in F2Credit: RexIsack Hadjar is different from many of his peers in that his parents do not have any sort of background in motorsport.Born into an Algerian family of physicians and physicists, he only gained an interest in cars because his dad was a kart mechanic and after watching the Pixar animation Cars.Hadjar was praised for his “god-like” reflexes in F2 last year when he managed to avoid a collision in the Monaco tunnel when a car ahead of him was around a blind corner.Hadjar – who says his spirit animal is a gorilla – won more races than any other driver in F2 last season but was pipped to the title by Bortoleto. He will race with the number 6 for this season in F1.Liam Lawson – New Zealander born 2003 – Red BullLiam Lawson’s parents had to sell his house to fund his racing careerCredit: GettyLiam Lawson is a weird case when it comes to being rookie since he already has 11 races in F1 under his belt, yet the Kiwi has never started a season so can be considered a rookie for all intents and purposes.Lawson’s parents had to sell their house to fund his racing career while he never officially finished high school as he went to pursue his dream instead.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe only became a motorsport fanatic after watching his dad race in karts at the age of six, although Lawson actually cried after the first time he fired up a go-kart when the engine started. Like Hadjar, Lawson is huge Cars fan, and will race with the number 30 this season as he attempts to tame the role of being Max Verstappen’s team-mate. More

    • 250 Shares173 Views

      in Motorsport

      Why Geri wasn’t ‘blindly standing by’ Christian Horner as pal reveals how she REALLY dealt with his F1 text scandal

      by

      DRIVING along happily through the idyllic Oxfordshire countryside in their 4×4 Geri Horner turns to hubby Christian and says: “You never know what life’s going to bring.”The former Spice Girl couldn’t have been more prophetic.Geri and Christian Horner went through a year from hell in 2024Credit: GettyThe couple are pictured before the bombshell news on Drive to SurviveCredit: NETFLIXChristian is captured the moment a slew of alleged private texts messages is anonymously leakedCredit: NETFLIXThe ironic moment – caught on camera for Netflix’s Drive to Survive show last year – reveals how the couple were blissfully unaware that the coming Formula 1 season would threaten to turn their whole lives upside down.Soon after the clip was filmed, Horner, 51, was accused of alleged “coercive behaviour” towards an anonymous employee, sparking two independent investigations over the following year, which ultimately cleared him.But just a day after the allegations were first chucked out, a tranche of text messages and photographs were sent from an anonymous email to dozens of journalists and key F1 figures.Some of the messages were allegedly of a sexual nature – including requests for selfies – and the bombshell leak, which had been timed to coincide with the first race of the season last March, soon became the talk of the circuit.”It was a shock to both of them when the allegations blew up – they never saw it coming,” one friend told The Sun.Red Bull star driver Max Verstappen’s dad Jos called for Horner’s head saying the team would “explode” if he stayed on as the allegations threatened to derail both his job and his marriage.“There is tension here while he remains in position, Verstappen Snr said back in March”The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode.”The 51-year-old known as “Jos the Boss” during his racing days was even forced to deny being the source of the leak after he and Christian reportedly had a blazing row in Horner’s paddock office.Meanwhile there were reports Geri was distraught and in “floods of tears” after reading the messages and that the fairytale couple were heading for divorce.Moment Toto Wolff gets set to break Lewis Hamilton promise in behind-the-scenes clip on Netflix’s Drive to SurviveBut despite the furore, loyal Geri flew to Bahrain to be at her husband’s side and was pictured hand in hand with him at the paddock.Dressed in her signature all-white outfit, she posed at the podium ceremony, all smiles as they celebrated a 1-2 victory for Verstappen and fellow Red Bell driver Sergio Perez.  The couple even shared a kiss in full view of the cameras just before lights out at the track.It was a show of unity and defiance by the pair – although some criticised Horner for parading Geri around the paddock so shortly after the news broke.Geri and Christian appeared hand in hand at the Bahrain Grand Prix after the scandal brokeCredit: GettyThe couple embrace despite the drama unfolding off the trackCredit: PAThe couple share a kiss after Red Bull win the raceCredit: BackGridMax Verstappen’s dad Jos hit out at Horner after the texts were leakedCredit: GettyOne outspoken F1 pundit, former driver Christijan Albers, called the move “a farce and an absolute nonsense”.A body language expert told The Sun at the time Geri appeared “awkward” and as if she was on a “denial mission” as she posed for cameras alongside her hubby.Others wondered how she could back her man so soon after that shock leak.But while some might have thought Geri was burying her head in the sand and standing by her man friends say she is absolutely no pushover and had lots of questions for Christian, who was cleared once again of wrongdoing in August after an appeal to the original findings was dismissed.’Secret to their marriage’“People think Geri was just blindly standing by her man through the whole thing but it’s not like that at all,” a friend said.“She’s been in the spotlight for the majority of her life, so she knows what it’s like to be at the top of your game and the pressures that brings, and it takes a lot to faze her. She is a strong and intelligent woman. “When the allegations first came out, she of course had questions.“They talked through it and since then he has been cleared twice following two independent investigations by two separate KCs (King’s Counsels).“Good communication is one of the secrets to their marriage.”It was a shock to both of them when the allegations blew up – they never saw it coming and a lot of people were spreading hurtful rumours, but it was all untrue, they are in a really good place right now.”When Horner was cleared of wrongdoing back in August, he said he was “relieved” to put the whole saga behind him.Behind the scenes But the new Netflix show captures some of his candid behind-the-scenes reaction to his the texting allegations.The excruciating moment he first faces the world’s media and other team bosses after the texts had been leaked is caught on camera on the new show.McLaren boss Zak Brown addresses a press conference with the cutting remark: “These are not the type of headlines Formula 1 wants or needs.”Cameras cut to defiant Christian walking through the corridors saying “You find out who your friends are” before quipping: “Zak is a p***k.” Christian and Geri showed another united front at the Saudi Arabia Gran Prix last MarchCredit: EPAHorner celebrating the Red Bull Racing Team’s win in JapanCredit: GettyLater, after the second practice session at Bahrain, cameras catch the exact moment the text bombshell drops – with phone alerts pinging and Horner holding his head in his hands in disbelief.It sends the world of Formula 1 into a frenzy. However, despite the controversy off the track, Horner has the last laugh as Red Bull wins the Bahrain Grand Prix in dramatic scenes.”That’s the best way to f*** all of them. Shut the f*** up,” he’s filmed saying to another Red Bull Racing team member.As Red Bull continues to dominate the season Horner says: “In Formula 1 there’s winners and w*****s and you don’t want to be in the “w****r category”.Rivals plot In other parts of the show, he says that the motive behind the leaks was obvious – his rivals wanted him ousted.”The higher you rise, the sharper the knives,” he says.”I’ve reached the top of my game and I never thought in a million years I’d have a challenge like this in my career.”It was obvious that the end goal was for me to leave Red Bull.”It’s a crucial time of year, in a job that I do, you’re the front face of the organisation.”You can either hide away or you can get out there and face it.”It was a dramatic year from hell for the couple – although it ended on a high with Horner picking up a CBE from Prince Charles for his services to motor sports.Horner also reportedly built bridges with Verstoppen’s dad. Happy families And the couple put on a loved up display at the 2024 FIA awards in December in Kigali, Rwanda.And while the new season of Drive to Survive might contain some uncomfortable memories for the pair, the insider said they are not interested in reliving the past at all and are focused firmly on the future and their blended family which includes Bluebell, 18, Olivia, 11 and Monty, eight.Christian and Geri on their wedding day in 2015Credit: Doug Seeburg – The SunChristian and Geri Horner with their children Bluebell, Monty and OliviaCredit: Getty Images – GettyTheir marriage has weathered the storm – and they and the F1 team are “stronger than ever”. “Geri and Christian just want to put this whole episode behind them,” the pal said. “Their marriage is stronger than ever, they just got back from a trip to the States together and had a great time.  “Their priority is their family and they are fiercely protective over their kids and the time that they have to be a family despite their busy schedules. “The [Red Bull] team are stronger than ever too – everything is good.”They are not fazed at all about the new Netflix show and are just focused on the future.  “Yes it was a difficult time for them but they are both very resilient.”A rep for Red Bull declined to comment. More

    • 175 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      How Ruben Amorim will prove Wayne Rooney wrong despite FA Cup loss to Fulham

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED crashed out of the FA Cup thanks to a penalty shootout defeat to Fulham on Sunday.As has been the case in many previous games, there were positives and negatives to take from the performance.Man Utd crashed out of the FA Cup against Fulham on SundayCredit: GettyBut we have identified some positives on Tactics ExposedCredit: PAWe have looked at what Amorim got wrong in the clash, including a selection issueCredit: RexAnother set piece proved to be the Red Devils undoing before Bruno Fernandes scored a wonderful goal.But despite dominating much of the play from there after, Man Utd were unable to take their chances before crashing out when Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee missed pens in the shootout.After the defeat, Ruben Amorim was busy hitting back at Wayne Rooney after he labelled the manager naive for saying the ultimate goal was to win the Premier League.In the latest edition of our Tactics Exposed series, we take a look at what Amorim got right and got wrong during the clash.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBRUNO THE ANCHORMANFernandes’ position as one of the two pivot players was highlighted in our Tactics Exposed show last week.But unlike his performance against Ipswich where he was all-action but often to the detriment of Man Utd’s 3-4-3 system, on Sunday he was more disciplined.We highlighted Bruno Fernandes’ ‘Steven Gerrard syndrome’ against IpswichStepping into the heart of defence would have left him being pressed by Fulham and United without optionsFernandes seems to have taken on board more of what Amorim wanted him to do in this game in a more rigid way of playing by holding his position as the pivot more.Handing more trust to the centre-backs meant United had more passing options to progress the ball through the lines. Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThis gave Amorim’s side a structure to play out from the back against Fulham, with United often passing through the lines to Christian Eriksen and Diogo Dalot.It also consequently meant Fulham changed their plan at half-time, with United certainly having some joy with this game plan.Man United fan The United Strand vows to not cut his hair until Red Devils win FIVE games in a rowUnfortunately, one of the main problems for United in this game came when they got into dangerous areas, with the likes of Eriksen getting the ball out wide but not being the player who will be able to beat his marker.Most importantly on this point, however, Fernandes’ touches and heat map showed him to be in a far more focused role within the structure all while putting in another captain’s performance.A more disciplined showing made Bruno an effective pivot in front of the back threeTrusting the likes of Harry Maguire and Co gave United more passing options through the linesAnd with Christian Eriksen and Joshua Zirkzee dropping back it meant United could progress the ball easilyUnited had a lot of joy in finding Eriksen went playing outFernandes had more touches of the ball in areas he should be having them inHis heat map also showed how he was still all over the pitch but more focusedIt was progress for Amorim, small progress, but progress.Fernandes later chipped in with another goal to level it up before scoring in the shootout as the Red Devils crashed out.IT’S OBI ONE UP TOPThe big debate has been over Rasmus Hojlund and whether the service is the problem — or just Hojlund himself.He again made some good runs and scuffed the one decent chance he got from Eriksen’s cross but didn’t do enough, especially in the duels.In the end, it was unfortunate once again that Alejandro Garnacho did not start alongside Hojlund, with the attacking dynamism the winger brings not able to assist the Dane when he made his runs.The whole first half he got one cross from Eriksen to the front post for a half chance.Rasmus Hojlund was once again starved of attacking intent by United’s starting XIHojlund had one half chance to try to end his goal droughtBut the game changed in the 68th minute when Chido Obi came onBut the game changed when 17-year-old Chido Obi came on in the 68th minute.Young Obi outshone Hojlund with direct running, physicality and got himself in three scoring positions.Zirkzee got closer to the teen when he came on for Hojlund and Garnacho did inject some pace after the starting No 9 went off.But it looks like it is time to give Obi a start and take Hojlund out of the firing line.Obi won half of his duels against Fulham compared to 20 per cent with Hojlund and he got into those positions to be dangerous.The teen ace benefitted from Joshua Zirkzee operating closer to him, like a two up topHe put himself in areas to get the ball and get a dangerous chanceHe proved to be a handful for the Fulham defenceBut for a wonderful save by Bernd Leno he would have won the gameAnd but for a really, really good Bernd Leno save he would have surely scored the winner.There is an inevitable storyline in United’s next league game coming against Arsenal after United poached the teen ace from the Gunners. Alan Hansen once famously said “You don’t win anything with kids”. But United are not winning anything without the kids either, so why not give him a go?After all, at this point of their season they don’t have a lot to lose.They’re not creating much and the chemistry between the players seems to be non-existent.Diogo Dalot was getting in all the right areas as the United left wing-backBut he lacked the impetus needed to make United really effectiveOne issue which certainly did not help was the lack of presence at left wing-back, with Dalot unable to provide the attacking impetus needed to be successful.He was in the position loads, but only one cross ended up resulting in a chance for the attack.THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBERLeny Yoro returned to the back three alongside Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt to face Fulham.And there were some positive signs this time around despite a lot of long balls being played forward.The trio kept Rodrigo Muniz, Adama Traore and Alex Iwobi pretty quiet throughout the game.Matthijs de Ligt’s cross-field passes proved an effective out ball for Man UtdThe passes would find De Ligt one on one with an opposition markerIf another player was there asides from the more defensively minded Dalot it might have produced different resultsDe Ligt was far better in defensive situations due to him being willing to jump out and engage, like he did with great success against Manchester City and Liverpool.He showed some very good cross-field passes to the wing-back on the opposite side, but we will come back to that in a moment.Overall though, it was a good flat back three which refused to be bullied.NACHO HOT BUT WING-BACKS NOTI’m not sure if Garnacho has bought his team-mates dinner yet like he promised them he would last week.But he proved effective when he came on to provide the direct running United needed and was a big threat to Fulham, though it is a system puzzle with Amorim wedded to 3-4-3.Alejandro Garnacho coming on added a directness on the left which had been missingLike Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui simply doesn’t provide the aggression United need to truly excel in this formationHis touches were often too deepThe starting wing-backs Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui just don’t have the pace and dynamism to stretch defences.De Ligt’s long field switches proved effective in getting United up the field and stretching the play.However, with Dalot unable to make the most of them they ended up being largely wasted chances.When Garnacho arrived, he did that on the left of the front three but, with no outlet on the right, it meant an imbalance.Garnacho might have made more of this situationAmorim must consider starting with more attacking wing-backs like Garnacho or the currently injured Amad Diallo — as well as new signing Patrick Dorgu, who was suspended on Sunday.But one thing is for certain, Dalot and Mazraoui are not currently doing enough in an attacking sense for Man Utd, which is leading to them having a lack of creativity.CALVIN CLIMBSCalvin Bassey was the shining light in an otherwise below par Fulham performance.Marco Silva had matched Wolves’ 3-4-3 in midweek, but ended up reverting back to the preferred back four against United.But with the home side’s back three proving to be too much for the Fulham attackers to handle, it was left to centre-back Bassey to come up with the goods in his first ever FA Cup game.Yet for Man Utd it was a case of deja vu after they conceded almost the exact same set piece goal against Fulham two years ago when Aleksandar Mitrovic scored against them.It was deju vu for Man Utd as they conceded the same set piece goal as almost exactly two years agoThis time around it was Calvin Bassey who found space at the far post to head home the openerMan Utd, like most teams nowadays, defend zonally.What Fulham did to break through this was drag out the first zone to create a gap into the second zone.The outswinging corner to a Fulham head at the near post ended up in a dangerous cross towards the far post.Two years ago it was Andreas Pereira’s cross which was flicked in at the far post when he ran into the space and scored.READ MORE SUN STORIESThis time, it was once again a Pereira corner, swung into Muniz who headed it into the gap at the far post.In the end they were just about value for a win, but you would not fancy playing them in the latter stages of the FA Cup.Man Utd ratings vs FulhamMANCHESTER UNITED crashed out the FA Cup on penalties against Fulham.Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee had poor spot-kicks saved as the Red Devils slipped to their sixth home defeat under Ruben Amorim.Fulham broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a well-worked corner.Antonee Robinson darted to the near post and flicked it onto Calvin Bassey who directed his header into the bottom corner brilliantly.Just as United’s frustrations were brewing, Bruno Fernandes was the saviour yet again.He picked up Diogo Dalot’s perfect cut back and fired it beyond the stretch of Bernd Leno.United had chances towards the end of the second-half, with subs Alejandro Garnacho and Chido Obi unable to finish.There was nothing to separate the sides in extra-time and penalties were needed.Despite well-taken kicks from Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Casemiro, Lindelof and Zirkzee woefully fired directly at Fulham hero Leno.But which Man Utd players could hold their heads up and which flopped?Here, SunSport’s Ken Lawrence reveals his player ratings. More

    • 288 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      I’m a Man Utd fan refusing to cut my hair until they win five games… I never expected it to last this long

      by

      THE wacky world of the internet has seen an explosion of fan channels giving their view on the state of their respective teams.But it has also given rise to some bizarre challenges, dares and bets, though one Manchester United fan may have gotten himself into more than he bargained for.Frank Ilett runs The United Strand fan channelCredit: INSTAGRAM @theunitedstrandFrank is refusing to cut his hair again until Man Utd win five games in a rowCredit: INSTAGRAM @theunitedstrandBut after starting on October 5, Frank is now five months into his challengeCredit: INSTAGRAM @theunitedstrandAnd Man Utd are struggling to win back to back games, let alone five in a rowCredit: GettyFrank Ilett, 28, runs the social media channel The United Strand.The page started up back on October 5 when Frank decided to commit to a challenge that would see him not cut his hair again until Man Utd won five games in a row.Frank believed this run would only last a few months at most considering the last time Man Utd had won five in a row was in January to February 2024.However, 149 days later it does not even appear to be remotely close to being finished after a dreadful run of form under Ruben Amorim.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd Frank has admitted he might have overestimated his chances.Speaking exclusively to SunSport about what inspired the challenge, Frank said: “Well, it was just for a bit of fun, really, to be honest. It was literally just I don’t really know why, I just went for it.”I saw this guy doing it with, I think, an NFL team or something like that. And he was doing three matches in a row.”But I remember thinking, oh, that’s quite a funny thing and thinking, oh, yeah, you know, obviously I’m a Man Utd fan. Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS”I think maybe there might be some interest there because it’s, you know, it’s Man Utd they’re obviously a massive club and worldwide kind of club as well, not just one only Americans care about.”So, yeah, I so I thought I saw that. And then I thought about it for a little while. And then I just suddenly was like, I’m just going to do it.’That’s why I’m the manager’ – Ruben Amorim hits back at Wayne Rooney as Man Utd boss aims to win Premier League”I just think it’s fun. I think that, you know, it’s a painful time to be a Man Utd fan at the moment and just wanted to spread some humour, really…”Did I imagine it would go on for this long? No, no, no.”So I thought I thought it would go on for a few months. When I first started it, I don’t know why, but I just went for it and I didn’t really give much thought to it at all, really.”And then it was only once it kind of started to get into it. I started to kind of go, OK, how long is this really going to go on for?”I started in October and I checked. I was like, hang on a minute, when did Man Utd last do this? So I checked and it was January – February 2024, so not that long ago.”Now it’s a year ago, but at the time in October I was thinking, you know it’s not a crazy thing that hasn’t happened in a few years or something. That gave me a bit of hope.”I looked at the kind of fixtures coming up and stuff and there were some fixtures in January which looked very winnable and I was thinking that’s when it’s going to end.”And, you know, and then there was a cup game that was added into that as well which kind of made it easier. And we lost the game, which meant February games were kind of easy. “Now we’ve gone past that point and now I’m just hoping for the best and seeing what happens. I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes until next season now.”Frank, who has lived in Spain with his girlfriend for the past year, admits he flirted with the idea of doing a three-game streak instead of five, but thought it would be “too easy”.He said: “Well, that was the thing. I thought about doing three and then I, stupidly, thought to myself, ‘Oh that seems a bit too easy’. Frank admits he thought the challenge would be over by early 2025Credit: INSTAGRAM @theunitedstrandBut he now expects the challenge to last into next seasonCredit: INSTAGRAM @theunitedstrand”So I thought I’ll go for five, you know to make it a bit more of a challenge. But little did I know how challenging that was going to be.”Frank told us he used to have long hair in his early 20s so it was not a totally alien feeling to him, but admits it is a “lot more effort” to maintain it now.He added: “You can see my hair like it goes out, not down. So yeah, it’s hard to kind of maintain a little bit, but, you know, just part of it, part of the challenge, I suppose.”Man Utd are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table and are looking increasingly unlikely to play any part in European competitions next season.With their penalty shootout defeat to Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday, the Red Devils only realistic hope of playing in Europe next season will be them winning the Europa League.However, Frank is refusing to place the blame on Amorim, instead believing it is the club’s owners, including minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers, who are mostly to blame for the mess the club finds itself in.Frank said: “I think I speak for a lot of Man Utd fans where, [it feels like] it’s basically the same as the Glazers in charge, which I think a lot of people expected as well, to be honest.”I don’t think anyone really expected that much because, yeah, it just hasn’t gone well. All of the decisions are just ridiculous. “I mean, you know, like the thing recently about closing the canteen and to save a million pounds a year when there’s people that make that in a month at the club that don’t even play that often.”Like, was it £55-65million they paid for Mason Mount? I mean, I can’t even remember when he last played. And I can’t remember when he played consecutive games. That’s for sure as well.Man Utd ratings vs FulhamMANCHESTER UNITED crashed out the FA Cup on penalties against Fulham.Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee had poor spot-kicks saved as the Red Devils slipped to their sixth home defeat under Ruben Amorim.Fulham broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a well-worked corner.Antonee Robinson darted to the near post and flicked it onto Calvin Bassey who directed his header into the bottom corner brilliantly.Just as United’s frustrations were brewing, Bruno Fernandes was the saviour yet again.He picked up Diogo Dalot’s perfect cut back and fired it beyond the stretch of Bernd Leno.United had chances towards the end of the second-half, with subs Alejandro Garnacho and Chido Obi unable to finish.There was nothing to separate the sides in extra-time and penalties were needed.Despite well-taken kicks from Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Casemiro, Lindelof and Zirkzee woefully fired directly at Fulham hero Leno.But which Man Utd players could hold their heads up and which flopped?Here, SunSport’s Ken Lawrence reveals his player ratings.”And yes, so when you, you know, there’s I know that to be fair, that wasn’t Ineos but it’s a similar thing where you need to kind of get rid of players like that and get in kind of fresh faces, fresh legs. “Instead of, you know, worrying about a million pounds that it costs to feed all the staff and keep everyone happy at the club.”Frank says his main goal of the challenge is to bring some joy to a painful situation.The United Strand channel – a nod to popular fan channel The United Stand, which Frank says he has watched for a few years – has exploded in popularity to now have more than 60,000 followers on Instagram.Originally Frank was aiming to reach 10,000 followers by the end of 2025, but saw that goal achieved by last December, while hitting 20,000 by the middle of January.The number of viewers, both United and rival fans, has seen the challenge viewed more than 35million times over the last 90 days alone.Frank is even aware of some United stars past and present being aware of his hairy situation, including Denis Irwin, academy star Ethan Wheatley, British boxer Frazer Clarke and tennis star Jamie Murray.He said: “Every time I get any followers I’m still surprised by it. I can’t believe there are so many people interested. “I was looking at my analytics the other day and I’ve had 35million views in the last 90 days, and when I think that many people have actually seen my face it does feel a bit weird.”But I’m happy people have kind of connected with it in a positive way, like everyone seems to just be having a laugh with it with me. It’s nice to bring some joy to people.”READ MORE SUN STORIESIn terms of future plans, Frank says he would love to arrange some fan meet-ups in the future.Meanwhile, he has also admitted he would be open to doing a similar challenge, possibly with hair and beard, while he also wants to grow his YouTube channel and visit every LaLiga stadium.Frank told SunSport his channel had reached more than 35 million views in the last 90 daysCredit: INSTAGRAM @theunitedstrandFrank says his main goal is to spread some joy during a painful moment for Man Utd fansCredit: INSTAGRAM @theunitedstrandHe says he has been told club legends like Denis Irwin know about the challengeCredit: AlamyOther major sports stars like boxer Frazer Clarke are also keeping an eye on the challengeCredit: Getty More

    • 163 Shares189 Views

      in Soccer

      How Bruno Fernandes’ ‘Steven Gerrard syndrome’ is spoiling Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd system

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED are looking to find a silver lining in their woeful season by winning the FA Cup but will need to beat Fulham in the fifth round on Sunday to move a step closer to that goal.The Red Devils beat Ipswich 3-2 earlier this week despite being down to ten men, but are still flattering to deceive in many ways.On today’s Tactics Exposed we break down why Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 is not workingCredit: GettyBruno Fernandes’ ‘Steven Gerrard syndrome’ is both a blessing and a curse for UnitedCredit: ReutersRasmus Hojlund will need a big turnaround to prove he is the solution at Man UtdCredit: EPAA young, talented Portuguese manager could prove a huge thorn in the side of Man Utd when Marco Silva’s Fulham visit Old Trafford.The Cottagers have gone under the radar for how good a season they are having, sitting in the top half of the table.Meanwhile, Man Utd’s various shortcomings have been well-documented with Ruben Amorim’s system still failing to get the best out of this squad.So how might the ex-Sporting boss look to tackle the next match against Fulham? Our latest episode of Tactics Exposed, in association with Betfair, will hopefully have the answers to all your questions.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLWhy is 3-4-3 not working?Amorim’s 3-4-3 system worked wonders at Sporting Lisbon, winning two Portuguese titles and many other accolades. So why is it yet to translate over to England?We took a range of questions from fans about Man Utd’s tactics ahead of their clash with FulhamThe simple answer to start with is that many of these players have never played the system before.Manuel Ugarte, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt to a lesser extent are the only players familiar with the system, and the lack of specialists in various positions including central midfield and wing-backs are a huge issue.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSSo why does Amorim insist on playing 3-4-3? Well the idea is quite simple: Because the wing-backs provide overloads in all positions on the pitch.When defending, you have a back five, when in possession, you have a four-man midfield instead of two, and when attacking, you have a front five.Roy Keane slams Man Utd in angriest ever rant and has bust-up with Wright over BrunoBefore signing Patrick Dorgu, United lacked a specialist wing-back. Amad Diallo was tried out there before he was moved into the front three, Alejandro Garnacho did not work there, while Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are not quick enough to excel.At Sporting the system worked so well because there was a lot of trust given to players.We should note this was often against sides who many would consider inferior opposition, which is not a luxury as readily extended into the Premier League.Ultimately, as Amorim has warned, it will take time.Players have been left isolated by moving out of their positionsAnother reason this system is failing is that players are moving out of position, leaving them overloaded instead of the opposition.For example, if a long ball is played into the right channel for Rasmus Hojlund to run on to – which prompts a wing-back, one of the tens and a midfielder to step up – when possession is conceded back to the opposition they end up being overloaded and exposed on the other side of the pitch.This happened five or six times against Ipswich, where Ugarte moved out to right wing-back to get the ball, but the wing-back was out wide, so he did not get the ball.Fulham will doubtless look to block the passing lane off which will then leave them outnumbered in trying to find passing solutions.This all comes from the simple fact United players are not being utilised properly when building up.Is Bruno Fernandes overrated?We looked at whether Fernandes is doing too much at Man UtdOur latest episode of Tactics Exposed, in association with Betfair, has given us the chance to directly answer some of your questions.And one of the most heavily debated stars in the Premier League is Bruno Fernandes, as seen with Roy Keane’s explosive argument with Ian Wright earlier this week. The raw numbers tell a story of Fernandes being the star man of Man Utd’s team, with six goals and seven assists in the Premier League and 23 goal contributions across 39 games in all competitions this season.However, as is always the case in football, you have to look a bit deeper to find the real answer, which can often have more than one truth.In one sense, the stats are completely right and you can’t fault his effort.But in his duty as club captain, Fernandes is actually taking on too much responsibility and is therefore disrupting Amorim’s system which is actually quite rigid with defined roles for a number of players.Fernandes has recently been the left-sided midfielder in the central pivot after moving back from one of the two attacking midfield roles. But that has created its own new problem.In the system, the central centre-back, two central midfielders and striker should generally remain in a set position.But Fernandes is suffering from something I will dub “Steven Gerrard syndrome”, where he is trying to do everything and putting the team off balance.While it means he gets on the ball a lot and has a heat map across the entire pitch, Fernandes’ effort ends up creating an overload which favours the opposition.Against Ipswich he would often move into the back three, therefore creating a four, which paired with Ugarte drifting out wide it ends up allowing the opposition to have many extra numbers in attacking areas.So how do you fix this issue? As we mentioned earlier, it comes down to trust.Most teams defend in a 4-4-2 shape, and if Fernandes remains disciplined by staying in his area, it can open passing lanes and create the overloads the Amorim system is designed to create.Of course there is the argument Fernandes is only doing too much because those around him are not pulling their weight. Again, this may be true, with many United players seemingly playing in a cowardly manner and lacking courage.Fernandes needs to learn to trust his team-mates more by handing them more responsibility, but at the same time they need to step up their game to get near the 30-year-old’s level.Rasmus Hojlund is not the answer, is he? More

    • 250 Shares189 Views

      in Soccer

      Inside Mason Greenwood’s sheltered family life abroad as ex Man United ace ‘ditches parties & gives up on England dream’

      by

      HE has wiped the slate clean after leaving Manchester for a new life abroad.And it appears that Mason Greenwood is enjoying his fresh start in France, where he is said to have put his party lifestyle behind him and become a “homebody”.Mason Greenwood and partner Harriet have just welcomed a second daughterCredit: FacebookGreenwood looks over the moon as baby Summer clings to himCredit: Instagram/hasrobsonMarseille bosses are protective over new signing GreenwoodCredit: AFPThe striker – who was accused of attempted rape, assault and coercive control in January 2022 – was sold last summer to Marseille in a deal that netted boyhood team Manchester United £23.3 million.And this week, it was revealed that the 23-year-old and partner Harriet Robson have just welcomed their second daughter in the French city.The couple have carved out a new life 700 miles away from Old Trafford, after Greenwood was moved on by United following pressure from domestic abuse campaigners when the abuse charges were dropped in February 2023.A source told The Sun Greenwood was never likely to return to a British club after the furore.read more Manchester UnitedThey said: “Mason should be Manchester United’s star striker but the reality is he seemingly has no way back.  “He got one cap for England and it’s unlikely he will ever add to that. “The scrutiny he faces in England would be a million times more than he’s had in France. For instance, he was once walking into a petrol station and someone called him a rapist and videoed it.“That doesn’t happen in Marseille where he’s most likely to be stopped and told what a great player he is.Most read in Football“He’s not being asked questions by the press and can focus on his football.”Bradford-born Greenwood was on loan to Spanish side Getafe for a season before his move to Marseille.Man Utd braced for Mason Greenwood lawsuit after Mendy successfully sued City over £11m unpaid wagesInstagram images show him and Harriet enjoying the simple life at home with their eldest daughter Summer and Greenwood looks every inch the doting dad, talking softly to her as a newborn, bottle-feeding and taking her for walks in a buggy.Before leaving Spain, the couple enjoyed a sunshine-soaked Mediterranean holiday and pictures show them relaxing on a private yacht, Greenwood’s arm draped around Harriet, who he has dated since the age of 16.Just before the move to France, he also enjoyed what looked like a solo trip to Tokyo where the £70,000-a-week player went on a shopping spree, buying Harriet an Yves Saint Laurent handbag and a pair of designer toddler shoes for Summer. Our source said Mason has been enjoying football abroad because it gave his family more anonymity, but he is still said to be slightly nervous about going out and about alone.They said: “When he went to Spain he wasn’t playing for a massive club like Real Madrid and what Mason loved was being able to do normal family things, like going out for meals or shopping with Harriet and not be recognised.“He is a lot happier now. His career is not going to be what he expected it to be, which is hard for a player like Mason, who knows how talented he is. Greenwood is a star at MarseilleCredit: AFPHe last year called Harriet the best mum in an Instagram postCredit: InstagramMason at the birth of his first daughterCredit: Instagram/hasrobson“He’s now having to assess what’s more important; does he play for the best team he can or does he just need to play and have a more stable, structured home life?“In France, he’s got good influences around him.”Manchester is a small city and you might wonder about whether the people who surrounded him there had his best interests at heart.“In Marseille he will be going out with teammates and not really hanging about with anyone else.”They are older, more mature, more sophisticated and appear more protective of him.”If they go out for a team meal, Mason isn’t likely to end up partying.”The couple announced Summer’s birth with a sweet imageCredit: Instagram/masongreenwoodSources say Greenwood is enjoying an element of anonymityCredit: Instagram/hasrobsonBaby Summer watches dad playCredit: Instagram/hasrobsonGreenwood had the world at his feet when he enjoyed his breakout season for United in 2019.He was flying high when, in January 2022, he was arrested for attempted rate, assault and coercive control. He was quickly dropped by sponsor Nike.Police charges against him were dropped a year later after a “key witness withdrew their involvement”, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.United flirted with the idea of bringing Greenwood back but, after pressure from domestic abuse campaigners, he was put out on loan.He’s happier and team mates are protectiveClub sourceIt wasn’t the first time Greenwood had been in hot water with the club.In September 2020 he and midfielder Phil Foden were sent home from England’s hotel in Iceland for breaking Covid-19 guidelines.The scandal saw the pair sneak two Icelandic girls into the England team hotel, which resulted in pictures of the Three Lions stars being leaked on social media.Greenwood was then accused of flouting restrictions again by throwing rowdy parties at a 13-bed Airbnb in Manchester.Since arriving in Marseille, he and model Harriet, who has worked with brands like Fashion Nova and Pretty Little Thing, are said to be enjoying the “simple life”.An insider this week said: “They are both delighted with the safe arrival of their second child. Mason is performing well on the pitch and then he comes home to Harriet and his children.Scandal-hit timelineHere’s how the Man United striker’s career unfolded Oct 2018: Signs his first professional contract with Man United.Sept 2020: Makes his senior international debut for England in Iceland but is sent home for breaking covid rules.Jan 2022: Arrested by Manchester cops after a woman accused him of a number of assaults via social media. She posts video and pictures on Instagram. He is suspended and dropped by Nike.Feb 2022: All charges against Greenwood are dropped after the Crown Prosecution Service says key witnesses withdrew their involvement and new material came to light.August 2023: He is loaned to Spanish club Getafe for the 2023-24 La Liga season.July 2024: Leaves Man United in a five-year deal with Marseille.“Life is simpler and they have less distractions, which is suiting the both of them.”Bosses at his new club have made it clear they support their new signing while dressing room sources say he is a “very polite and kind young man”.They added: “If he ever goes out, he is never alone. He is always a little worried and vigilant.”His move to Marseille caused controversy as some fans protested the move and city mayor Benoit Payan claimed he would bring “shame” to the club.Greenwood has previously said that he understood “people will think the worst” of him but his new team’s president Pablo Longoria says fans are being won over by his footballing.He told Spanish outlet Relevo: “His behaviour has been excellent since arriving… we are very proud to have Mason among us.”New manager Roberto De Zerbi said: “He’s a champion, an international level player.“I don’t know what happened (in the UK), I’m not concentrating on private lives.READ MORE SUN STORIES“When a player sings for the club I consider him my child.“Even if I can pull his ear in private, I will defend him publicly. My players are like my sons.” More