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    Prem clubs with most arrests for Class A drugs on match days revealed – where does your club rank?

    THE most arrests for Class A drugs on match days in Premier League grounds were at Manchester’s United and City stadiums, figures reveal.The league table of shame for the past two seasons also includes West Ham, Liverpool and Newcastle among the worst offenders.The Manchester rivals account for one in five of all Class A drug arrests at the 20 Premier League grounds. Police made 15 inside both City’s Etihad stadium and at United’s Old Trafford.One in seven arrests at Prem grounds are for Class A drugs. There were 54 in 2022-23 and 99 last year. Read More on SportIpswich were the only club with none.Home Office stats were analysed by betting service TipMan Tips, which said: “These figures show that drug possession is a prevalent issue across all the Premier League clubs.“They highlight the need for a police presence at football matches to prevent drugs getting inside stadiums.“The fear is however that many more people are getting away with bringing illegal substances into football stadiums.”Most read in FootballMoment scandal-hit Prem ref David Coote snorts white powder in shocking video during Euro 2024Number of arrests for Class A drug possession inside Premier League grounds during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasonsManchester City – 15Manchester United – 15West Ham United – 13Liverpool – 13Newcastle United – 12Arsenal – 11Fulham – 9Chelsea – 9Everton – 9Crystal Palace – 8Nottingham Forest – 7Wolverhampton Wanderers – 6Tottenham Hotspur – 6Bournemouth – 5Southampton – 4Brighton – 4Aston Villa – 3Leicester City – 3Brentford – 2Ipswich – 0The most arrests for Class A drugs on match days in Premier League grounds were at Manchester’s United and City stadiums, figures revealCredit: Getty More

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    Boxing saved Lyndon Arthur from life of crime on gritty Manchester streets after brother was tragically shot dead

    LYNDON ARTHUR was just 10 years old when his brother was brutally shot dead – but it proved to be an inspiration to his boxing career. Zennen Blackburn was gunned down in Moston – near Manchester’s city centre – in 2002 but still the murder is unsolved. Lyndon Arthur ahead of his fight with Anthony YardeCredit: GettyArthur’s brother Zennen Blackburn, pictured, was shot dead in 2002Credit: YouTubeHis murder is sadly still unsolvedIt left younger brother Arthur heartbroken and confused and heading down the wrong path in his teenage years. That was until his uncle Pat Barrett – a former British and European champion turned trainer – intervened and brought his nephew to the gym. Barrett told the BBC in 2020: “He was sat on the pavement where his brother was shot. “And I drove on the estate and picked him up and took him back to my house, had a talk with him, calmed him down and he stayed with me for a week or two. READ MORE IN BOXING”Then I remember taking him to the gym, it was just a weights gym and I saw that once he was doing something, he picked up on the training. “So I said, ‘Okay then I’m going to take you to the boxing gym now.’ I’m proud of him for how he’s changed his life.” Arthur, who held the Commonwealth title, admitted: “I’m an estate kid and I grew up doing estate things. “It would have been easy for me to be in jail, it could have been easy for me to be dead. So boxing has changed my life.” Most read in BoxingChris Eubank Jr vs Conor BennTHE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st CenturyFamilial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.Latest NewsAll the infoArthur now has a record of 24 wins and just two losses – coming against world champion Dmitry Bivol and Anthony Yarde. And he returns on Saturday on Chris Eubank and Conor Benn’s undercard at Tottenham’s stadium for a trilogy bout with Yarde. Arthur stunned his London rival in 2020 – before losing the rematch a year later – but he dedicated his shock victory at the time to brother Zennen. He said: “My brother, he died a few years ago, but he was here one million per cent.“My brother would have loved to have seen this, but he will be looking down now thinking, ‘Wow! That’s my little brother’.“I was 10 when he died and I could easily have gone the other way. I was never a gangster, but where we grew up it was full of people like that.“It would have been easy for me to go left. I’ve put a lot into boxing, 10 or 11 years now, I’m ranked in the world, I’ve just fought my second headline show and I want to be a world champion.”Arthur – who has a tattoo of his brother’s name on his arm – has a son of his own – Elellveay Van Arthur – who acts as another inspiration to his career. Uncle and coach Barrett said: “I’m proud of what he’s done with his life. “But the way boxing has turned his life around, it’s just that typical what you hear like the Mike Tyson story from the Bronx. Read More on The Sun”Lyndon Arthur’s story is no different from that and how he’s changed his life.” Arthur, now 33, added: “I’ve got a career that my mum would be proud of, my brother looking down would be proud of, anybody that I’ve lost around me would be proud of. My friends are proud of me.” Yarde and Arthur ahead of their trilogy fightCredit: GettyYarde won the 2021 rematch via fourth-round stoppageCredit: Richard Pelham / The SunArthur won the first fight in 2020 on pointsCredit: Getty More

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    ‘Changed my life’ – British boxer, 34, able to pay off mortgage after major contract blunder sees him bank huge sum

    LIAM CAMERON landed life-changing money and can pay off his mortgage following a boxing contract cock-up.The 34-year-old lost four prime years of his career when he was banned for a cocaine-related charge in 2019.Liam Cameron has won a huge amount of money after a contract cock-upCameron fell out of the ring after a tussle with Ben WhittakerCredit: GettyWhittaker later left the venue in a wheelchairCredit: CHRIS DEANWhittaker will rematch Cameron in Birmingham on Easter SundayAfter overcoming mental health and addiction problems during his harsh exile, Cameron stunned 2020 Olympic silver Ben Whittaker in October.Red-hot Whittaker, 27, was supposed to steamroll the underdog but the pair fell over the top rope together and the favourite pulled out with an ankle injury, resulting in a draw.When the rematch contract- for the original 10-round Saudi Arabia clash – arrived, stating the rerun would be 12 rounds, Cameron quickly and shrewdly signed it, knowing Whittaker would not fancy it.The bungle means Cameron landed an extra windfall of around £100,000 and can now make up for the years he lost.READ MORE IN BOXINGAhead of Sunday’s Birmingham return leg, Cameron revealed: “It has changed my life because after this I can buy my house outright.“Mad isn’t it!“I cannot go into the exact figure but the additional fee is more than I got paid for the whole purse of the first fight.“I don’t know what else I might buy, I don’t even go shopping, that doesn’t interest me, I just like a good tracksuit.”Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAt the end of six evenly matched rounds, when Whittaker was beginning to tire and look vulnerable, the pair clinched on the ropes and flipped over.Flashy Whittaker’s critics claimed he felt the pressure and pulled his opponent over, in an effort to escape the first loss of his promising professional career.Frazer Clarke faced his girlfriend’s wrath after car park row with David Adeleye and calls out rival to grudge fight The moment went viral and even the biggest wrestling company on the planet has tapped into the controversy.Cameron explained: “When I see any YouTube videos featuring me and Ben now, they all carry an advert for WWE on them, honestly!”Whittaker is a seriously proven amateur who went to the toughest parts of the world, to win dozens of events, against dangerous opponents.So being labelled ‘Quittaker’ in the wake of the bizarre bout ending must have stung – but the tough nut is refusing to show it.He hit back: “Critics don’t matter to me because you get them in every walk of life.“They are only talking about me because I am THAT guy.“If I go out and stop him the first round then people will still have things to say.Read More on The Sun“I shimmied it off, I might get ‘Quittaker’ tattooed on me afterwards – or have it written on my shorts.“But I will show the real Ben Whittaker on Sunday.” More

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    Premier League stars among NINE footballers caught using illicit substances with players facing lengthy bans

    PREMIER LEAGUE stars are among NINE footballers to have been caught using banned substances since 2022.The number of players getting caught for doping is on the rise, with four players — including from the English top flight —  testing positive last year alone.Premier League stars are among nine footballers caught using banned substances since 2022The latest UKAD stats do not include Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk, who has been provisionally suspendedEx-Manchester United star Paul Pogba was hit with a lengthy banTwo of those four players are still under investigation, with the stars facing hefty bans from the game.The two unnamed players tested positive for a banned ­substance straight after games, according to UK Anti-Doping.Despite testing  positive, all nine stars were secretly allowed to play on for their clubs, after the FA accepted  drugs were for medical purposes or taken “via a  permitted route”.Players were caught taking banned drugs including Tamoxifen, Triamcinolone  and Amphetamine.Read More on FootballTriamcinolone is the substance controversially given to cycling legend Bradley Wiggins before he won the Tour de France in 2012 which helps players lose weight without reducing power.Tamoxifen is known to help players build up muscle, while Amphetamine helps with increased endurance.The latest UKAD stats do not include Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk, who was caught using Meldonium while playing overseas for Ukraine. It can enhance recovery after matches.Mudryk, 24, who denies any wrongdoing, has been provisionally suspended from football and could receive a four-year ban.Most read in FootballEx-Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was banned from football for four years and sacked by Juventus after testing positive for banned substance DHEA, which boosts testosterone production.Last month we revealed how Prem stars are among 530 players being treated for addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling plus some have   mental health issues.’I take responsibility but…’ – Paul Pogba breaks silence as ex-Man Utd star gives first interview since doping banAnd last season, 80 professional players sought therapy for problems with illicit substances, such as cocaine and nitrous oxide as well as sleeping pills and booze.Brentford star Christian Norgaard has revealed he previously feared he was becoming addicted to sleeping tablets. He said: “It’s a topic that has been going under the radar.”Some have become addicted to using black market Zopiclone tablets to help them sleep.Two unnamed players also tested positive for a banned substance immediately after games in the Prem and EFL last season, say UK Anti-Doping chiefs. More

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    Football club stunned to learn captain, 24, has been jailed saying it knew nothing about his arrest or case

    A football club were shocked as a key player was JAILED — after only learning of his case on the day of his sentencing.Barry Town were stunned to discover midfielder Evan Press had been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to the supply of Class A drug cocaine.Evan Press was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for drug offencesCredit: WNSEvan Press leading out Barry Town for a match. He was secretly living life as a drug dealer.Credit: AlamyThe midfielder played for Barry Town while his trial was ongoingCredit: WNSPress had been arrested, charged and pleaded guilty in Newport Crown Court on February 11 without his club’s knowledge.He proceeded to play in Barry Town’s next three matches, including a 2-1 win over Aberystwyth Town in the Welsh Premier League.But he was absent from this weekend’s game against Flint Town after being jailed.Barry Town revealed they did not have any idea about his arrest or trial until 30 minutes after the judge made their decision.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLPress’ offence is understood to have been committed between February 2021 and November 2023 in Cardiff.He was a Barry Town player throughout that period and even captained the club on occasion, including 19 times this season.A Barry Town spokesperson re-affirmed the club’s commitments to their family values as they denied knowing about the case before the day of sentencing.A spokesperson told Wales Online: “Being brutally honest we only heard about this on the day he was sentenced. He had never told us. Most read in Football”We were unaware until half an hour after the sentencing on March 19 when we were contacted by a family member.”Since the sentencing we’ve heard bits about the case but we don’t have all the information. We have been processing the news. It is a real shock.”Evan is a wonderful young man. He’s been part of our club for seven years. He has made a mistake and my understanding is it happened some time ago. “We are a family club who want our players to be role models. This was news to us.”Press, 24, has played for Barry Town since 2018 and has made 187 appearances for the club, scoring 11 goals.Fans were stunned to discover Evans was leading a secret life as a cocaine dealerCredit: Wales News Service More

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    Undercover cops wear Liverpool kit to arrest Newcastle Utd fan suspected of drug-dealing

    UNDERCOVER cops wore Liverpool kit to bust a Newcastle United fan suspected of drug-dealing.Their sting proved sweet revenge four days after the Toon won the Carabao Cup final 2-1.Thai undercover cops donned Liverpool shirts to bust a drug dealer who was wearing a Newcastle topCredit: Three cops in Liverpool shirts who visited the man’s meatballs stall were each sold £200 bags containing 200 methamphetamine tablets.They arrested him then posed for a photo in Krabi, Thailand, where many locals support the Reds. The accused, Aphichat Nayaw, 33, faces the death penalty or a long jail term if found guilty depending on the amount of drugs he had.Liverpool are the most popular Premier League team in Thailand and thousands of fans flock to bars to watch their games – including many police officers.READ MORE ON CARABAO CUPDistrict Police Chief Preecha Saingthong, who led the drug bust, said:“Me and most of my colleagues are Liverpool supporters. Of course I watched the cup final, I would not have missed it.“It was a shame we did not win but I was not that sad because Liverpool have already won this cup 10 times and Newcastle have not won any cup for 70 years.”And at the end of the season I am confident we will be celebrating when Liverpool win the league.Most read in Football“We have a Liverpool fan club here and are preparing for a celebration – hopefully there will be no case on that day.”Ant & Dec scream with joy and Alan Shearer loses his hat as Geordies go wild after Newcastle win Carabao CupNewcastle United stunned Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup final 2-1 last weekendCredit: GettyLiverpool players and fans were left in agony at their defeat to Newcastle at WembleyCredit: AP More

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    Premier League stars among 530 footballers being treated for addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling

    PREMIER League stars are among 530 footballers being treated for addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling and other mental health issues, figures reveal.Last season, 80 professional players sought therapy for problems with illicit substances such as cocaine and nitrous oxide, as well as sleeping pills and booze.Brentford Premier League star Christian Norgaard, pictured above, recently revealed he previously feared he was becoming addicted to sleeping tablets. He said: “It’s a topic that has been going under the radar.”Some have become addicted to using black market zopiclone tablets to help them sleep as part of their recovery from training.The stars received treatment from the Sporting Chance clinic, which works with the Professional Footballers’ Association.READ MORE ON ADDICTIONOf the 530 supported last season, 42 players got help for gambling addictions.But these latest PFA figures for 2023-24 are said to be just the tip of the iceberg as scores of top stars seek help privately.Officials are also increasingly worried about the prevalence of nicotine pouches, called snus — with one in five professional footballers admitting to using them.And on Friday, it emerged two unnamed players tested positive for a banned ­substance immediately after games in the Premier League and Football League last season, according to UK Anti-Doping.Most read in FootballA dealer, who has supplied sleeping tablets to stars in the Premier League, said: “The main reason some players rely on them is because of their sleeping patterns.“Some expect players to train twice a day and want them to sleep in the afternoon to recover. It’s hard when your body is wired.A Premier League star has become the first footballer to go into rehab for an addiction to nitrous oxide canisters”Other times they rely on them is when they have a big midweek game which kicks off at 8pm. They might not get home until the early hours.“I know a few players who have tried to wean themselves off them but it’s hard.“They go cold turkey and spend days suffering from acute tiredness — but also being unable to sleep.”Brentford Premier League star Christian Norgaard recently revealed he previously feared he was becoming addicted to sleeping tablets More

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    Plied with drugs dissolved in booze and hosed down like an animal – inside tragic Maradona’s House of Horror court case

    ON the football pitch, Diego Maradona was revered as a god, but in his final days the legendary footballer is alleged to have been treated more like an animal.This week Argentina has been gripped by the start of a five-month trial in which seven of the people tasked with caring for the man who led the country to the 1986 World Cup are accused of his homicide with possible intent.Seven people tasked with caring for Diego Maradona are accused of his homicide with possible intent, the legend in coaching role in 2019Credit: GettyMaradona’s cheat goal against England in the quarter-final of 1986 World Cup in MexicoCredit: GettyFans crowd the hearse as Maradona’s body is taken to the cemetery in 2020Credit: AFPDoctor Leopoldo Luque, centre, wrote ‘the fat man’s going to end up kicking the bucket’ in vile WhatsApp messagesCredit: AFPMaradona died aged 60 from heart disease at his rented home in Tigre, near Buenos Aires, on November 25, 2020, two weeks after undergoing brain surgery.The prosecution claims that the team paid to look after him were criminally negligent.In heated scenes, Maradona’s former lover, Veronica Ojeda, was heard shouting “daughter of a bitch” at one of the accused as the hearing got under way on Tuesday.Outside the court in San Isidro, north of Argentina’s capital, a fan held up a placard with the message “Justice for D10S” — a nickname mixing Maradona’s shirt number and the Spanish word for God.READ MORE ON MARADONA‘Kicking the bucket’Others had tears in their eyes as they chanted his name.There have been claims that Maradona drank beer in the morning and was given sleeping pills dissolved in his booze at night while he was under the accused’s medical care.WhatsApp messages were uncovered in which his neurologist, Leopoldo Luque, wrote “the fat man’s going to end up kicking the bucket”.And it is alleged Maradona was washed down with a hosepipe rather than being helped to the shower.Most read in FootballThe former Barcelona and Napoli player has been adored in the South American nation since his moments of individual brilliance — and his infamous handball “hand of God goal” against England — saw them lift the World Cup in Mexico in 1986.Considerable amounts of his fortune, once estimated at £75million, were blown on addictions to alcohol and cocaine, which contributed to his terrible state of health.Diego Maradona’s daughter fights back tears as she says family live in fear of mafia ahead of trial into his death At the time of his death his heart weighed 503 grams, which was almost double what it should have been.But the prosecution case is that with the right medical care, Maradona would have survived.Chief prosecutor Patricio Ferrari told the court: “You will see during this trial what reckless home care is — reckless, deficient, without precedent, without any type of control during the period that ended with Diego’s death. “In that house of horror where Diego Maradona died, no one did what they had to do.”The problems began for Maradona when he was feted in the southern Italian city of Naples for twice taking their once-lowly side to historic league titles in 1987 and 1990.The Mafia, dominant in the region, kept him supplied with drugs and prostitutes, yet he still somehow managed to play at the top level.Two years before his death, the star told British documentary maker Asif Kapadia of his time there: “Sunday to Wednesday I was partying on cocaine. I would come home high on drugs.”In that house of horror where Diego Maradona died no one did what they had to doChief prosecutor Patricio Ferrari In 1991, traces of cocaine were found in Maradona’s urine sample and a couple of weeks later 1.5g of the same drug was found by police at his flat in Buenos Aires.Maradona’s ex, Veronica Ojeda, demands justice outside trialCredit: GettyA fan holds up a placard with the message ‘Justice for D10S’ — a nickname mixing Maradona’s shirt number and the Spanish word for GodCredit: AFPMaradona’s daughters Dalma and Gianinna arrive for trialCredit: GettyLater, he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the United States after testing positive for a stimulant called ephedrine.His attempts to get clean were always short-lived, with hangers-on often willing to get him whatever substances he desired.He also had a voracious appetite for alcohol, food and young women.In 2005, the 5ft 5in Maradona weighed nearly 20st and underwent a gastric band operation.Emergency surgeryThe star had eight children by various mothers that are known of, but since his death at least three other people have come forward claiming to be his offspring.It was not until 2007 that he recognised Diego Jnr as his son. He had been born in 1986 to a mistress.There were a number of health scares over the years, including being treated by doctors at half-time when he was watching Argentina play at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.The most serious was on November 3, 2020, when he underwent emergency surgery at La Plata hospital in Buenos Aires for a blood clot on his brain.His personal doctor, neurosurgeon Luque, performed what appeared to be a successful operation.But there was a question over whether the patient would be better off staying in hospital, where there would be swift access to emergency care, or if he should instead recover in a home setting.Luque, who is one of the seven accused, agreed to take Maradona to the legend’s rented residence in Tigre on November 11.If he got up at 9am and asked for beer he was given itGriselda Morel, an educational psychologist Prosecutor Ferrari told the court: “Clearly, the victim was not in full use of his mental faculties and even less could decide on his own about his health.”He entered that place for a clinical rehabilitation and home medical care that we can say without any doubt was calamitous.”The prosecution alleges that there was no defibrillator on hand to help restart Maradona’s heart if he went into a cardiac arrest and that the medical team did not carry out the necessary checks.Prior to the start of the trial, Griselda Morel, an educational psychologist who worked with Maradona’s eight-year-old son and visited his home, claimed that the sick star was given alcohol.She alleged: “If he got up at 9am and asked for beer he was given it.“One of his custodians crushed tablets he was taking and put them in his beer so he didn’t cause a fuss at night.” Griselda said that Maradona was so confused he would speak on an imaginary phone.The other six accused are psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, addiction specialist Carlos Diaz, doctor Nancy Forlini, nursing co-ordinator Mariano Perroni, nurse Ricardo Almiron and clinical physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna.Heart in formaldehydeAnother nurse, Gisela Dahiana Madrid, has asked to be tried separately.Gisela’s lawyer, Rodolfo Baque, has claimed that when the nurse warned that Maradona’s heartbeat reached a high 115 beats per minute in the days before his death, “nothing” was done about it.When the former footballer was found unconscious at around 12.30 in the afternoon on November 25, 2020, the medical team spent 45 minutes trying to revive him. But experts believe he died between 4am and 6am, which suggests no one checked on the patient for at least six and a half hours.Post-mortem blood and urine tests revealed Maradona had been given a cocktail of prescription drugs including Quetiapine, Venlafaxine and Levetiracetam which are used to treat depression, panic attacks and epilepsy among other conditions.Fernando Burlando, the lawyer representing Maradona’s daughters Dalma and Gianinna, said outside court that the player had been treated like an animal and went as far as to call it “murder.”The accused are on trial for homicide with possible intent, which could result in 25-year prison sentences. They all deny the charges.Luque said: “The death occurred unexpectedly, suddenly, during sleeping hours, without offering us any time.”The complex medical trial will last until July and see around 100 witnesses give evidence.The final verdict will be delivered by three judges.One of the key pieces of evidence will be Maradona’s heart, which has been kept in formaldehyde at a police laboratory ever since his death.One of the key pieces of evidence will be Maradona’s heart, which has been kept in formaldehyde at a police laboratory.READ MORE SUN STORIESThere have been claims that fans had plotted to steal the organ. And during the 2022 World Cup, Argentinian fans campaigned to have the heart flown to host nation Qatar along with the country’s football team.Why the heart finally failed Maradona — a lion on the football pitch — is sure to inspire a passionate response from devoted fans whatever the court decides.Model of Maradona in a model house shown to courtCredit: Getty More