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      in Soccer

      I went undercover in nastiest football firm and fought fans if they broke golden rule – but there was a gutting twist

      by

      IN the run up to the 1990 World Cup all eyes were on the England team – not because of the players, but the thugs that followed them.The Italia ‘90 tournament ended a decade that saw football violence in the UK reach epic heights with warring fan groups – known as firms – leaving English supporters with a tarnished reputation that was feared around the world.
      Italia ’90 saw running battles involving English fansCredit: Alamy
      James Bannon blagged his way into the Millwall firmCredit: Channel 4
      As an undercover cop who infiltrated the London firm the Millwall Bushwackers in a doomed reconnaissance mission ahead of the tournament, James Bannon was in the thick of the action.
      Now the former Met officer – who appears in the Channel 4 documentary Italia ‘90: Saving English Football – tells The Sun how he gained the trust of Millwall hooligans and found himself in the midst of terrifying violence.
      “There were clubs that had reputations and you knew you were going to go there and meet opposing supporters that would want to have a fight,” he says.
      “But if I was going to be any good at what I did, I wasn’t going to be in the family enclosure. So yes, I got involved in the violence.
      READ MORE FEATURES
      “I never incited or started a fight, but I was there to gather evidence against nasty, horrible people who brought violence to football, to take them off the streets and make stadiums safer places for people to go and watch.
      “It’s a fine line and undercover policing is not an exact science.
      “You are thinking on your feet every second because you have to try and stay within the law, while being convincing at what you are.
      “I would never run at somebody and hit them. But if somebody was coming at me who wanted to hit me then, trust me, I’m going to hit them first.”
      Most read in Football
      James was just 21 when he was asked to blag his way onto the terraces in 1987.
      Presenting himself as Wandsworth painter and decorator Jim Ford, he started his mission by becoming a regular at a pub in the Old Kent Road, South London, which was favoured by Millwall fans.
      “We went there for lunchtimes all summer, when there was no football on,” he says.
      “We got to know the bar staff and the locals so when the football season started in late August, nobody gave us a second look and that gave us credibility.
      “The landlord of the pub was one of Millwall’s top boys so we also got to know him, and it moved on from there.”
      Genned up on his Millwall history, so he could pass as a fan, James says he was helped by the fact that the club was doing well and many new faces were turning up at the games.
      “We had to gain people’s trust and I was fortunate because I was only 21,” he says.
      “I played that to my advantage, telling them I hadn’t been when I was younger, and I was now going with my ‘brother in law’, who was actually the officer I was working with. No one suspected someone so young and fresh-faced of being a copper.”
      The undercover job was a reconnaissance mission ahead of the World CupCredit: Getty
      James was just 21 when he took on the missionCredit: Channel 4
      The former cop appears in the Channel 4 documentaryCredit: Channel 4
      Highbury brawl
      James faced violent mobs on many occasions – and also came close to arrest himself during a legendary clash between Millwall and Arsenal fans after an FA cup match, in January 1988.
      He was among Millwall fans in the North Bank stand at Highbury – traditionally reserved for Arsenal – who started a mass brawl which ended in 41 supporters being arrested,
      “That was the most memorable,” he says. “We met up with the landlord of the pub and ended up in the middle of the Arsenal crowd with 15 of Millwall’s top hooligans, me and my sergeant.
      “I went from the middle of North Bank, being punched and kicked en route, and punching and kicking back, on to the sanctuary of the pitch, where I was then arrested.
      “But the copper was what we used to call a ‘Cake-eater’ – an officer that drove a desk in the week and did football on Saturdays for overtime – who was probably more nervous and scared than I was.
      “Instead of taking me down the tunnel, which is where you usually go if you get nicked, he led me the wrong way, towards 10,000 Millwall.
      “As we walked I got buoyed by 10,000 Millwall fans singing, screaming and pointing at me and he got more nervous, and weakened his grip.
      “I managed to break free and dive in the crowd – so that upped my credibility with the firm.”
      The FA cup match in 1988 ended in carnageCredit: PA
      Millwall started trouble in Arsenal’s standCredit: PA
      Ambush
      On another occasion, James travelled to an away game in Leeds on the train – and was ambushed by rival fans on the return journey.
      He says: “There was a massive fight. I was scared for my life. It was my first away match and it was a baptism of fire.
      “I got hit, punched and kicked a few times but luckily, never sustained any serious injuries.
      “We learned two things from that day – Leeds are pretty tasty and never travel on the football special.
      “After that we drove to away matches.”
      The Channel 4 documentary looks at the run up to Italia ‘90, and how Italian and UK authorities attempted to control the threat posed by English hooligans by managing ticket sales, moving the opening match to Sardinia, drafting in armed police and even banning alcohol sales on match days.
      Through interviews with police, footballers and former firm members, it examines the “subculture” of hooliganism, with disenfranchised young men finding a place to belong.
      Riaz Khan, from the Leicester Baby Squad, says he was involved in fights before and after matches and adds: “You were buzzing for the rest of the week, until the following Saturday. It was great.
      “I’d never had this sense of belonging to anything cos I was an Asian kid in a white school. I saw the football hooligans had their own sense of identity, it wasn’t about colour.”
      Gary ‘Boatsy’ Clarke, who belonged to Notts Forest Executive Crew, says the hooligans were proud of their international reputation.
      “England was the number one firm,” he says.
      “I was down as one of England’s main hooligans. We were looked upon as the devil – especially the firm that went to Italia ‘90.”
      Operation aborted
      Sadly for James, the Met Police pulled the plug on his undercover operation in 1989, a year before the tournament, after trials against West Ham and Chelsea fans collapsed when scientists cast doubt on evidence gathered by undercover officers.
      “They employed people to do some of this work who weren’t very good and some of the evidence had been made up,” he claims.
      “A decision was taken by senior politicians that they couldn’t stomach another trial and lose face so all of the operations were disbanded overnight.
      “It meant that two and a half years of my life were a complete and utter waste of f***ing time.
      “We went from being doing a pretty elite job, which required huge sacrifices, both emotionally and personally, to ‘Thanks very much. Now go back to Orpington and drive a panda car.’”
      Disillusioned, James left the force and ended up writing a book, Running With The Firm, and the 1995 film I.D. about his experiences.
      He has since been an actor, run a successful property company and a short-lived commercial airline, as well as starring in a one man stand up show.
      Read More on The Sun
      Although he is frustrated his undercover operation resulted in no arrests, he says he’s not sure his team would have much impact on Italia ‘90, where British fans were involved in running battles in the street and riots after England’s three matches in Cagliari.
      “I don’t think we’d have made a huge difference,” says James. “All we’d have been able to do was give them a heads up a little bit quicker and let the authorities know who was there and likely to cause trouble, but we were never given the opportunity to justify what we were doing.”
      Italia ‘90: Saving English Football continues tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.
      A bloodied England supporter in 1990Credit: Daily Mirror More

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      in Soccer

      Meet the World Cup WAGS – from a professional karate expert to an ex-Hooters waitress and a stunning Miss Belgium

      by

      WITH less than three weeks until the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, it’s not just the planet’s top soccer stars who are gearing up to try to beat the rest and be crowned the best – but their wives and girlfriends are too.From November 20, the glamorous WAGs from all over the globe will be facing off in the stands as they cheer on their famous footballer fellas in the ultimate footie and fashion showdown – but do you know who they are?
      It’s less than three weeks until the 2022 World Cup kicks off in QatarCredit: AFP
      From the wife who is a karate expert to an ex-Hooters waitress, former beauty queens and acting stars, here is your ultimate guide to the 2022 World Cup WAGs.
      Argentina
      Oriana Sabatini is one of Argentina’s biggest pop stars and has been compared to MadonnaCredit: instagram/ orianasabatini
      Oriana has been dating Roma and Argentina forward Paulo Dybala since they met at an Ariana Grande in concert in 2017Credit: AP:Associated Press
      ORIANA Sabatini is unlikely to stray from the spotlight in Qatar, as she is one of Argentina’s biggest pop stars and has been compared to Madonna.
      The stunning 26-year-old girlfriend of Roma and Argentina forward Paulo Dybala is also a model and actress, and niece of tennis star Gabriela Sabatini.
      She met 28-year-old Paulo while supporting Ariana Grande in concert in 2017.
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP 2022
      England
      Sasha Attwood is the high school sweetheart of England and Man City star Jack Grealish
      Jack and Sasha have reportedly just closed the deal on a £5.6million mansion in the North WestCredit: Getty
      WITH past cheating allegations aplenty (him, not her), England and Man City star Jack Grealish may be hoping for an easier time on the pitch at the World Cup than he has had away from it.
      Jack, 27, has been with his former school sweetheart Sasha Attwood for years and they have reportedly just closed the deal on a £5.6million mansion in the North West.
      Meanwhile Sasha, 26, has signed to an A-list modelling agency and is believed to have secured a multi-million-pound deal with L’Oreal.
      Most read in World Cup 2022
      Belgium
      Noémie Happart won the Miss Belgium title in 2013 and was a runner-up in the Miss World and Miss Universe contests the same yearCredit: instagram/noemiehappart
      Noémie has been married to winger Yannick Carrasco for five yearsCredit: AFP
      LIKE her husband, winger Yannick Carrasco, Noémie Happart is also used to representing her county on the international stage.
      After winning the Miss Belgium title in 2013, the 29-year-old model was a runner-up in the Miss World and Miss Universe contests the same year.
      Noémie hit headlines when Yannick, also 29, scored a goal in the 2016 UEFA Champions League final, then ran into the crowd and kissed her.
      They have been married for five years.
      Spain
      Pilar Rubio is married to Spain’s Sergio Ramos and has 8.6million social media followersCredit: Splash
      Pilar and Sergio married three years ago after dating for a decadeCredit: Getty – Contributor
      SERGIO Ramos’s wife will certainly be ready for the World Cup spotlight – as she is a TV presenter back home in Spain.
      Pilar Rubio, 44, keeps her 8.6million social media followers entertained with a mix of lingerie shots and adrenalin sports such as skydiving and waterskiing.
      The mum of four has been married for three years and previously dated PSG defender Sergio, 36, for a decade.
      Uruguay
      Uruguay striker Luis Suarez is married to Sofia Balbi, who he met when he was a 15-year-old street sweeper
      Luis and Sofia have three childrenCredit: Getty
      URUGUAY striker Luis Suarez described wife Sofia Balbi as the “girl of my life”.
      They met when he was a 15-year-old street sweeper in Montevideo, and in their late teens they had a long-distance relationship after she moved to Spain.
      When Sofia, now 32, isn’t posing with her three kids on social media, she is snapped cheering for Luis, 35.
      Poland
      Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski’s wife Anna is a professional karate expertCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Robert has been married to Anna since 2013Credit: Getty
      IT might not be wise to yell anything nasty about Poland and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski in the stadium – because his wife is a professional karate expert.
      Anna Lewandowska, 34, earned three World Championship medals before becoming a nutritionist and launching her own cosmetics line.
      She has been married to Robert, also 34, since 2013.
      France
      Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is dating former Hooters waitress Jordan OzunaCredit: Getty
      Jordan supported her partner’s club-level football matches and was there when he won the Ballon d’Or in OctoberCredit: AFP
      KARIM Benzema has scored some beauties on the pitch – and off it too, it seems.
      The 34-year-old Real Madrid striker is dating Jordan Ozuna, 32, a former Los Angeles Hooters waitress who is now a rising star in the modelling world.
      She has supported her partner’s club-level football matches and was there when he won the Ballon d’Or in October, alongside Benzema’s ex-girlfriend Cora Gauthier.
      Germany
      Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller is married to semi-professional equestrian LisaCredit: Instagram/ @lisa.mueller.official
      Thomas co-owns a horse named Dave with wife LisaCredit: Getty
      UNLIKE the stereotypical Wag, it’s clear that Lisa Muller doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty by doing a hard day’s work.
      That’s because the 33-year-old works on a farm and is a semi-professional equestrian.
      She has won medals for dressage events and co-owns a horse named Dave with her husband, Bayern Munich star Thomas, 33, whom she wed in 2009.
      Netherlands
      Model Annekee Molenaar is the daughter of former Ajax defender Keje MolenaarCredit: instagram/annekeemolenaar
      Annekee has been dating Bayern Munich star Matthijs de Ligt, since 2018Credit: Getty
      AS the daughter of former Ajax defender Keje Molenaar, model Annekee Molenaar is certainly used to spending time in the soccer stands.
      She works with Hugo Boss and Armani and has dated her boyfriend, Netherlands and Bayern Munich star Matthijs de Ligt, since 2018.
      This summer they featured on the cover of Vogue Living’s Young Love special.
      Last week 23-year-old Annekee flashed her bum in a nude black and white photo on Instagram.
      Portugal
      Georgina Rodriguez is mother to two of Cristiano Ronaldo’s six children and has 30 million fans on InstagramCredit: Getty
      Georgina met the Portugal and Man United wonderboy while working as his personal shopper at GucciCredit: AP
      SHE was the woman who showed she could tame Cristiano Ronaldo – and even he admitted his surprise that it was getting “so serious”.
      Now Argentinian-born model Georgina Rodriguez is mother to two of his six children, has 30 million fans on Instagram and even a documentary about her life on Netflix.
      She met the Portugal and Man United wonderboy while working as his personal shopper at Gucci.
      The 28-year-old is also a talented ballerina and performs at events.
      Brazil
      Raiane Lima is an influencer and the girlfriend of Arsenal and Brazil striker Gabriel JesusCredit: raianelima8/instagram
      Raiane and Gabriel welcomed daughter Helena in May this yearCredit: Getty
      INFLUENCER Raiane Lima’s relationship with Arsenal and Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus was hit last year by false claims that she had had a fling with a married Brazilian MP.
      But since the birth of their daughter Helena in May this year 21-year-old Raiane has deluged her 374,000 Insta-gram fans with loving snaps of the couple and their newborn.
      Read More on The Sun
      WALES
      Emma Rhys-Jones is the wife of Welsh wonderboy Gareth Bale
      Emma grew up two miles from Gareth and they attended the same secondary schoolCredit: Getty
      THE wife of 33-year-old Welsh wonderboy Gareth Bale will be rooting for him in probably his last international campaign.
      Childhood sweetheart Emma Rhys-Jones, 31, grew up two miles from her future husband and they attended the same secondary school.
      They married three years ago and have four kids – Alba Violet, Nava Valentina, Axel and Xander. More

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      in Soccer

      Keep politics and virtue-signalling out of the Qatar World Cup so we can enjoy it – if players don’t like it, don’t go

      by

      THE World Cup is nearly upon us, and the wall of negative noise around this year’s tournament is increasingly deafening.
      Many are appalled it’s being held in Qatar at all given the alleged corruption that is believed to have won them the rights to hold international sport’s richest and most prestigious event, and the country’s mistreatment of migrant workers and non-existent LGBT rights.
      England skipper Harry Kane will wear a OneLove rainbow armband during the World CupCredit: PA
      It all kicks off in Qatar on November 20 – but criticism of the event has become ‘increasingly deafening’Credit: Reuters
      Piers reckons if footballers are really offended by Qatar’s human rights failings, then they shouldn’t go
      Last week, Australia’s Socceroos team released an earnest video expressing concern about the “suffering” of migrant workers and the inability for gay people in Qatar “to love the person that they choose”.
      Separately, England captain Harry Kane declared he’s going to wear a OneLove anti-discrimination armband during the games to register his own protest.
      And now, Ukraine’s Association of Football has demanded that Iran be banned from taking part due to its reported kamikaze drone support for Vladimir Putin in his illegal war on their people, and also cited Iran’s “systematic human rights violations” including a brutal crackdown on domestic protests.
      So, there’s a lot of high moral outrage flying around, and there will be a lot of on-field halos glinting in the ferocious Qatar heat come November 20 when the World Cup starts.
      READ MORE FROM PIERS MORGAN
      But I can’t be the only one wishing we could just keep all the politics and virtue-signalling out of it so we can just enjoy the football?
      The time for proper serious debate about Qatar’s suitability to host the tournament was surely during the bidding process twelve years ago, not three weeks before it starts?
      And if the argument against them running it is that they have a poor human rights record, which is an undeniable fact, then what about the other 31 countries taking part?
      Specifically, if persecution of gay people is deemed a disqualifying barrier to being involved in the World Cup, then shouldn’t we be similarly outraged by the participation of Senegal, Morocco and Tunisia where it’s also illegal to be homosexual?
      Or by Ghana, whose parliament is pushing through a new bill demanding prison sentences for anyone even expressing support or “sympathy” towards gay people?
      Or by Cameroon which according to a recent report “currently prosecutes consensual same sex conduct more aggressively than almost any country in the world”?
      Most read in Football
      And don’t get me started on Saudi Arabia, where if you’re caught in a gay act, you can be chemically castrated, given life imprisonment or even executed.
      A closer look at other World Cup nations reveals further distinctly ‘problematic’ human rights issues.
      Costa Rica has serious human trafficking problems, Brazil has shocking levels of unlawful police killings and torture, Argentina is bedevilled by government and judiciary corruption, and Serbia continues to oppress Roma gypsies.
      Many of the countries already mentioned operate ongoing wars on free speech, jailing dissident citizens and journalists who criticise the government – or, in Saudi Arabia’s case, chopping them up with bone saws – and also have terrible records of mistreating migrant workers.

       Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored weekdays on Sky 526, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 or on Fox Nation in the US

      And if modern morality failings are truly our new World Cup qualification byword, then why should either England or America be allowed to play given our invasion of Iraq in 2003 and all the subsequent global terrorism hell that illegal war unleashed on the world?
      You get my point…
      Once you play the morality card in sport, I’m not sure where you can ever end up playing it without appearing to endorse human rights abuses.
      To single out Qatar for such exaggerated horror when so many other competing countries are just as morally bad, if not a lot worse, is hypocritical.
      We’ve witnessed similar double standards in golf where leaders of the PGA Tour have berated the new Saudi-backed breakaway LIV Tour for putting money before morals – despite they themselves hosting events in places like China which has a horrendous human rights record.
       And frankly, as a sports fan, I’m sick of all the disingenuousness.
      ‘Pointless virtue-signalling ‘
      If footballers are really that offended by Qatar’s human rights failings, then they shouldn’t go and play in the World Cup.
      It’s all very well wearing armbands or issuing critical videos, but if you still go then you’re just dabbling in pointless virtue-signalling that will have zero impact on effecting any change.
      I feel the same way about all the sports journalists suddenly jumping on the anti-Qatar bandwagon and saying it shouldn’t be happening.
      You can bet your life most of them will be holding their indignant noses long enough to get on a plane to Doha for six weeks as they cover the event they are pretending to want cancelled.
      I’ll be there too for some of it, as a pundit for Fox in America during the group stage which has pitted England against the US.
      And I feel no moral dilemma about going because I understand that many of the countries playing in this World Cup make Qatar look almost benign by comparison when it comes to human rights.
      That doesn’t excuse Qatar’s problems, but it puts them into perspective.
      I also think it’s crazy that this is the first time the World Cup has ever been staged in the Middle East given the huge popularity of football in the region, and we should celebrate that fact, not ruin the party with very selective judgement.
      Read More on The Sun
      So, my message to the morality moaners is this: put your cracked halos away and just let me watch the bloody World Cup without trying to make me feel shameful or guilty about it.
      Oh, and come on England!
      The Socceroos last week became the first World Cup team to criticise Qatar’s human rights recordCredit: Getty
      Piers wants the ‘morality moaners’ to stop making fans feel guiltyCredit: PA
      This is the first time the World Cup has been staged in the Middle East – a fact we should celebrateCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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      in Boxing

      Boxing can be a tough sport – but I just find it hard to walk away, reveals Tyson Fury

      by

      MY boxing life has been made up of two careers.The first took place between 2008 and 2015, a period in which I was unable to recognise the psychological demons dragging me down.
      Walking away from boxing is the hardest thing I have ever tried to do, says Tyson FuryCredit: instagram
      The boxer’s new autobiography Gloves Off, is out on November 10
      Tyson Fury says boxing will have a void of charisma when he finally hangs up his glovesCredit: Reuters
      They pulled on me like a rucksack full of stones, despite the fact I was on my way to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.
      The second career kicked off in 2018 after a brutal battle with my mental health, a war I’m still locked into today.
      Through sheer will I was able to overcome my issues and return as the planet’s most entertaining pugilist.
      But then I started to think I should leave the stage while still at the peak of my powers.
      READ MORE TYSON FURY
      While I’ve long been admiral of HMS I Don’t Give A Crap, the most entertaining showman since the days of Muhammad Ali and the greatest fighter of my generation, it’s important to know that, as far as I’m concerned, boxing has always been a business with a shelf life.
      Statistically the people that stay in the game for too long have a tendency to get damaged, really damaged, and I don’t want that happening to me.
      There’s also a risk that my career has been shortened by the way in which I’ve lived my life.
      Health and nutrition was not exactly a priority for large chunks of my time as a pro: I ballooned in weight between bouts and then, during the mental health breakdown that started in 2015, I boozed, binged and tried cocaine.
      Most read in The Sun
      There was even an attempt at ending it all a year later when I pointed my Ferrari at a bridge and slammed on the accelerator, though I changed my mind at the last second and pulled ­away — thank God.
      When I eventually asked for help I was diagnosed as bipolar, paranoid and suffering from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
      I later recovered, but my mental health issues remain a constant work in progress — from time to time I can have suicidal thoughts, though I now understand what’s needed to keep my demons at arm’s length.
      So while getting my face punched in for a living has put millions of pounds in the bank, a fighter needs to know when their time is ­up — and mine is near.
      Walking away from boxing may be the hardest thing I ever do.
      All I know is that I don’t want to overstay my welcome, ruin my legacy, or die from a big right to the side of the head.
      And believe me, an ending like that has felt worryingly real at times.
      I even experienced short-­term memory loss following that bruising encounter with Wilder in 2021, when, in the hours after the win, my head covered in tennis ball-­sized lumps, it was impossible to remember how many times I’d gone down.
      Everything was foggy, and the experience frightened me.
      No way do I want to end up living out my days in a wheelchair, or eating my dinners through a straw.
      I wanted to leave boxing at the peak of my powers, but have been tempted back, says Tyson FuryCredit: EPA
      Tyson Fury fully intended to quit boxing for good after beating Deontay Wilder in 2021Credit: Rex
      After that fight with Wilder, I told my promoter Frank Warren that I planned to retire.
      But then…Bang! he approached me with the opportunity to fight at Wembley Stadium in April 2022.
      Wembley was a showcase venue, an opportunity to bow out in style.
      And after the hardship and pain of the coronavirus pandemic, I felt I owed it to the fans.
      Boxing deserved a hell of a party, and with my triumph over Dillian Whyte, I gave them a showdown for the history books.
      I told the world it would take half a billion to drag me back into the ring.
      At one point, I was so confident that nobody was going to cough up the cash that I threw down a bet with Piers Morgan on live TV.
      He said, ‘How about if you do fight again, you have to give me a million pounds?’ Piers couldn’t believe his luck when I agreed, though I also knew that if there was a £500million fight on the cards, I wasn’t going to feel that sad about giving him a million of it. (Though he’ll get it in pound coins and fivers.)
      The other fight I’ve been interested in is a showdown to stop the nation in its tracks.
      Tyson says his battle with mental health is a never ending fightCredit: PA
      A match with Anthony Joshua would fall into this category, and in September 2022, I even offered to battle him in the UK with a 60-40 split in earnings.
      I wanted it to be a moment in sporting history, a fight for Britain.
      But so far we haven’t been able to make it happen.
      Now I’m due to fight Derek Chisora on December 3 — having already beaten him twice.
      Chisora and I used to be pals but when it came to my Wembley showdown against Dillian Whyte, Chisora tipped the other bloke to knock me out.
      I couldn’t get my head around that. How can you claim to be someone’s friend and then back another fighter to send him to the canvas?
      I really had no idea what was eating him at the time. Perhaps it was jealousy.
      I have a potential meeting with Oleksandr Usyk next year. I don’t rate his chances against me either.
      Sure, Usyk has beaten AJ twice now, but he’s hardly a killer.
      When I do finally retire, there’s bound to be a void in boxing, in the same way athletics got boring once Usain Bolt had disappeared from the scene — there’s no one around with the same charisma.
      With that in mind, staying on the stage is bloody tempting.
      You might be wondering, ‘Well, hang on, what about those risks you were talking about earlier — the ones that made you consider retirement in the first place?’ And sure, a purse is worthless if you die or get seriously injured in the process, but the thing is, I don’t plan on doing either of those things. I plan on winning.

      ADAPTED from Gloves Off by Tyson Fury, published by Century on November 10 in hardback and audiobook.

      MY PAL ROBBIE
      TYSON says he’s not impressed by celebrity but has bonded with stars like Robbie Williams — after he recorded a song on the singer’s Christmas album.
      Fury said: “Robbie’s a top bloke and we had plenty in common.
      Tyson says he has forged a bond with singer Robbie WilliamsCredit: instagram
      “Robbie and me are both people that have hit the top, having worked hard for something all our lives — him: pop stardom; me: the world heavyweight championship — only for the realities of our success to become massively destructive and very different to what we’d expected at the beginning.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Tyson said another “genuine” person was singer Ed Sheeran, who he met after a gig.
      He said: “We are both very similar in character. Ed is grounded.” More

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      in Boxing

      I held my baby for first time, then midwife plucked her from me – her fight inspired me to win mine, says Tyson Fury

      by

      TYSON Fury has revealed for the first time how the near-death of his baby daughter sparked his greatest win in the ring.Athena was born prematurely last year — just weeks before the Gypsy King’s epic 11th-round KO of Deontay Wilder.
      Tyson Fury says his daughter Athena’s fight for health inspired his boxing success
      Wilder punches Fury during the WBC Heavyweight Championship in 2018Credit: Getty
      The Gypsy King and wife Paris never gave up on daughter AthenaCredit: Richard Dash for GoPr
      Here, in exclusive extracts from his new book Gloves Off, Tyson reveals the incredible tale…
      I am The Gypsy King — a bona fide legend and a once-in-a-lifetime superhero.
      But boxing isn’t my entire world. The reality is I’m a husband, a dad, a son, a brother, an uncle.
      My family are my armour and Paris and my six beautiful kids are always in my thoughts because they’re so precious to me.
      READ MORE ON TYSON FURY
      On the eve of my 2021 fight with Deontay Wilder I slept on a hospital floor as our youngest child, Athena, fought for her life shortly after being born.
      I had a split draw with Wilder in 2018 and beat him in 2020.
      I hoped that my rematch against him in 2021 would be a Hollywood-style ending to my dark days of depression.
      But then Athena was born prematurely at the beginning of August 2021 in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, just two months before the fight.
      Most read in The Sun
      At first everything went well with the birth. I held my new daughter for the first time, and everything was perfect.
      There had been no signs of anything being wrong during the pregnancy.
      Then the midwife plucked her out of my arms and within minutes everything was kicking off.
      Apparently her heart was beating too quickly, and at first I didn’t think anything of it.
      Then everybody around us seemed to be panicking.
      My baby’s life was hanging in the balance and my name and what I did for a living wasn’t going to change a thing.Tyson Fury
      Athena was hooked up to a machine, doctors were pushing buttons and taking readings and her heart rate had rocketed to 300 beats per minute, when it should have been closer to 120bpm, and there was nothing the nurses could do to fix the problem.
      They injected her with something that seemed to slow everything down, to around 140bpm, but then she spiked all the way up again.
      The consequences were terrifying.
      If Athena’s heart rate couldn’t be steadied she would probably die from a cardiac arrest.
      Watching the medical staff rushing around her and Paris was horrible, though I knew they were both in safe hands.
      After being born, I’d died and been resuscitated three times – the NHS had kept me going well enough.
      Still, that did little to ease the sense of total helplessness I was experiencing.
      I saw nurses sedating Athena; someone was putting a tube down her throat to assist her breathing; and while everybody seemed to be acting calmly amid the chaos, there is nothing a parent can do in a situation like that, other than to watch and pray.
      I’d been reduced to nothing.
      My baby’s life was hanging in the balance and my name and what I did for a living wasn’t going to change a thing.
      ‘TERRIFYING’
      In the end, it was decided that Athena should be blue- lighted to the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, and once there, her heart rate was stabilised.
      It was so hard to see her on an incubator, with several tubes and wires coming out of her body.
      She looked so tiny and vulnerable, and even though her situation had improved, the doctors were warning us we weren’t yet out of the woods.
      Athena’s heart rate was still all over the place, and at any given moment she might die.
      As Paris recovered and Athena started her battle, I bedded down in the Ronald McDonald House, an accommodation for parents attached to the hospital.
      Nothing could dissuade me: I was crashing there until Athena had stabilised. But every day my head span.
      Though it was the last thing on my mind, at some point, I was going to have to think about the upcoming fight with Deontay Wilder.
      If it was to go ahead, my preparation would have to happen at breakneck speed.
      Athena was in ICU weeks before the showdown with Deontay WilderCredit: Instagram
      Little Athena was fighting for her life while Tyson was trying to prepare for his title bout
      The boxer’s new autobiography Gloves Off, is out on November 10
      Once my schedule was pieced together, I estimated I had around four weeks to get into fighting form. It wasn’t long, but I could still make it.
      At the Alder Hey Hospital the doctors were giving Athena ­life-saving treatment.
      The good news was that she’d been taken off the incubator and there were some signs of improvement, so whenever Paris and Athena were resting, I went to work.
      To tackle Wilder, I needed to make the most of every opportunity, and a day or so after the birth, I started a jog around the hospital with Dad.
      I wasn’t in the best of shape at the time because I’d been struggling to eat well, what with being in and out of Alder Hey.
      I’d also not long recovered from Covid and my lungs felt like two sheets of sandpaper whenever I put in a shift.
      Puffing a little, I’d probably only done around three miles when my phone started ringing. It was Paris. She was hysterical.
      ‘The baby’s died,’ she screamed. ‘The baby’s dead. She’s dead. She’s dead . . .’
      I sprinted to the ward as fast as I could, fearing the worst.
      My chest burned, my legs were in agony, and as I ran I tried my best to console Paris.
      ‘It’s going to be alright,’ I panted down the phone. ‘Let the doctors do their job. Don’t worry . . .’
      It hurt me to see her in the cot, attached to a bleeping machine. Tyson Fury
      When I made it to her bedside, there seemed to be a hundred medics crowding around Athena.
      Apparently, she’d become completely unresponsive while Paris was holding her, then her heartbeat had faded away to nothing.
      Athena was resuscitated, but Paris was now losing it.
      A nurse was trying to calm her as the specialist staff went to work. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
      Eventually, to our enormous relief, and with the grace of God the doctors were able to steady Athena.
      We were told she would have to remain in hospital until she’d made a full recovery.
      In the end it would take three weeks before she was allowed home and for much of the time I slept at the Ronald McDonald House, or on the floor of the hospital ward, feeling exhausted, praying for her to pull through safely, knowing that some parents never got to take their babies home.
      It hurt me to see her in the cot, attached to a bleeping machine.
      A lot of the time Paris and me would sit there, staring at our baby.
      Keeping the worrying news from the kids was a tough job too.
      All of them were excited to meet their new sister – Venezuela, Prince John James, Prince Tyson Fury II, Valencia Amber and Prince Adonis Amaziah. We didn’t want to tell them that Athena had nearly died because we didn’t want to worry them.
      After what felt like an age, Athena had recovered enough for us to leave hospital at the end of ­August.
      I immediately went back to work, even though I probably could have postponed the fight.
      It’s not as if I didn’t have a good reason for requesting a delay.
      Sleeping rough on the floor of a hospital wasn’t the best way to prepare for anything, let alone a world heavyweight title bout against a man who was talking up my murder.
      But what was the point in looking for excuses? It was now or never. I’d had a tough time for sure, but not as tough a time as Athena – and she’d shown the strength and willpower to fight her way back to life.
      I would turn her battle into fuel.
      Read More on The Sun
      And I did. I beat Wilder with an eleventh round knockout – in one of the most epic fights of all time.
      It was Athena’s successful battle which inspired me to win mine.”

      Adapted from GLOVES OFF by Tyson Fury, published by Century on 10th November in hardback and audiobook.

      Tyson Fury v Derek Chisora for WBC & lineal Heavyweight Championship of the World will be broadcast exclusively on BT Sport Box Office. Tickets for the event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Dec 3 are available now at ticketmaster.co.uk

      Tyson Fury and his family
      Fury recording his debut single – the Neil Diamond classic Sweet CarolineCredit: PA
      The couple with their six children More

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      I’m a WAG and World Cup veteran – I know exactly how England’s other halves can deal with Qatar’s ruinous rules

      by

      I’M usually a firm believer that rules are made to be broken.But the strict list of World Cup dos and don’ts issued by England chiefs to this year’s Wags are not to be trifled with.
      Lizzie Cundy at the 2010 World Cup in South AfricaCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
      The likes of Sasha Attwood, Jack Grealish’s girlfriend, should be looking forward to the World Cup and all the glitz and glamour that comes with itCredit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Our girls have been warned that if they put a stiletto-clad foot wrong in strict Qatar, they could end up in prison.
      My heart goes out to them, because they’ve been issued with a manifesto for party poopery.
      No booze, no skimpy outfits, no PDAs, no singing in public and even no selfies, at least not outside official buildings.
      The Wags simply won’t know what to do with themselves.
      READ MORE ON QATAR
      The likes of Sasha Attwood, Jack Grealish’s girlfriend, and her fellow England Wags should be looking forward to the World Cup and all the glitz and glamour that comes with it.
      Instead, they’ll be worrying that they could get in trouble for doing perfectly normal things.
      I’ve been lucky enough to go to two World Cups, Germany in 2006 and South Africa in 2010, and it might sound silly, but I’m not exaggerating when I say the Wags play a huge part in creating the special atmosphere.
      In South Africa I was treated like a superstar. I can hardly tell you what it was like there.
      Most read in The Sun
      I kept thinking, ‘Have they got me mixed up with someone?’.
      The World Cup is meant to be an international party, and we were there to support our boys in the best way we knew how.
      But with the risk of a crisis in Qatar if anyone has too much fun, I think those golden days have come to an end.
      This year’s Wags have been told that public displays of affection, including kissing, will not be tolerated.
      Double whammy
      That’s going to be tough. I remember watching my ex-husband Jason Cundy play for Chelsea and Tottenham, and when you’re watching a game, especially when they score, you leap up and hug.
      You can’t help it, it’s instinct, you do it — these girls want to support their partner and they want to show affection. They want to show passion.
      And if you’re on holiday with your partner, you are just openly affectionate without even thinking.
      In fact, we’ve seen a few of the players be affectionate with the wrong person, so it’s a double whammy to the loyal partners. Then there’s the rules around wardrobe choices.
      Wags love dressing up and are fully aware that when their partner scores a goal, all the cameras are straight on them.
      We’ve seen a few of the players be affectionate with the wrong person, so it’s a double whammy to the loyal partners.
      They want to look the bee’s knees — clothes are their life and they’ll obviously have got all their outfits ready for the matches. And for the girls to dress modestly? They haven’t got that in their vocab.
      What is modest anyway? I know I’ve been out before and someone has said, ‘Ooh, that’s a bit racy’, and I’m like, ‘Gosh, this is nothing’.
      Will they have to have their skirts below the knee? Will their shoulders be covered? And it’s going to be very hot — are you allowed to go out in a vest top?
      They could get in trouble unless they’ve got a warden or someone there checking them from head to toe with a measuring tape saying, ‘No, that skirt’s too short’.
      For girls used to rightly making their own choices about their own bodies, this will feel so wrong.
      We all know the Wags love a good selfie, as we all do — and Qatar is a beautiful place — so taking a selfie is something these girls will do without even thinking.
      They’ll want to put pictures out there — they’re at the World Cup, it’s the pinnacle of their partners’ careers — but taking a selfie in front of a government building is against the law.
      A World Cup without Wags would be a sad sight
      And we’re not just talking about a slap on the wrist here, this is serious stuff. It can lead to imprisonment, as well as fines.
      Drinking in public, that’s another thing. What if they win and England go through? Are you saying they can’t celebrate with a drink?
      They’re also not allowed to sing — so I can’t imagine how deathly dull the stadiums will sound.
      Like many others, when I watch a football match, I get taken over by someone else and find myself singing my heart out until my throat is hoarse. It’s in you and you can’t stop it.
      All of these rules are going to be broken, probably by accident — and we could see one of our girls actually being put in prison. Footballers’ wives get a really bad rap of being nothing but bimbos who love to shop and get their nails done and are just after the money.
      But they’re not. A lot of them are intelligent women who have careers in their own right. They’re not used to being told what to do. They are strong, independent women who set their own rules.
      f I were them, I’d make a stand against these regressive regulations and say, ‘We’re not going to go’. A World Cup without Wags would be a sad sight.
      But after all the support they’ve given their partners, the Wags should expect to have their support in taking a stand, too.

      Lizzie’s 8 best Wag moments
      Like The Beatles
      Victoria , left, and Coleen, centre, are joined by a pal, Michael Owen’s wife Louise, second right, and Frank Lampard’s then fiancée Elen Rivas, right, in Baden-BadenCredit: Associated Newspapers
      I WILL never forget that first moment of seeing the Wags walking together in a line in Baden-Baden during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
      It was like The Beatles had come to town when Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney and the gang stepped out.
      Everyone was like, “Wow. Who are they? What are they wearing?”.
      They were everywhere and it was like nothing anyone had seen before. It was a time when the girls were really more popular than the players.
      And England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson loved it, because the attention wasn’t on the boys.
      They sold more magazines than if you had Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the front. I don’t think we’ll ever be seeing anything like that again.
      War of the sunglasses
      You had this hierarchy, with Victoria Beckham, at the top and then Cheryl ColeCredit: Alamy
      IT was great seeing the girls watching the games and looking at how big their sunglasses were in 2006.
      You had this hierarchy, with Victoria Beckham, at the top and then Cheryl Cole, because we knew them from the Spice Girls and Girl Aloud.
      Then we had Coleen Rooney, who was new on the block, but you could see she had real star quality.
      It was so fun to see the top girls angling for the best seat, and getting that money shot when their partner scores. Cameras went straight on to them, with their hair immaculate, huge sunglasses and lots of lip gloss. They looked like stars.
      Meeting Mandela
      That’s when I knew the England Wags had actually gone globalCredit: Reuters
      WHEN I met Nelson Mandela at the 2010 World Cup, the former South Africa leader’s first words to me were: “Where are the Wags?”
      That’s when I knew the England Wags had actually gone global. It was something else.
      The new generation
      Rebekah Vardy led the squad of Wags in Russia in 2018Credit: AP:Associated Press
      At the last World Cup in Russia, in 2018, we saw Rebekah Vardy, leading the squad of Wags, all dressed up to the nines, as they hit the town.
      Unfortunately, Rebekah’s caused quite a stir since then – and I can’t imagine her at the helm of a similar outing now.
      Staying next door to Prince Harry
      Princes William and Harry watch the 2010 World CupCredit: Reuters
      I WAS staying in the Sun City resort in South Africa, but my friend moved me to another hotel, the Saxton, much to my annoyance.
      However, when I got there, I got the only room left, which was next to Prince Harry, on the top floor with a view.
      I was like, “This is my kind of place!”. At the same hotel I gatecrashed the fanciest cocktail party, with David Beckham, Prince Harry and Prince William.
      Prince Harry’s PR took a look at me and went, “What the hell are you doing here?”, and I was like, “There’s no party without the Cundy – I’m here!”.
      Their faces went pale when they saw me walk in.

      Champagne through straws
      ENGLAND may not have won the World Cup in 2006 but we definitely took the prize for partying.
      Steven Gerrard’s wife Alex Curran was said to have led the karaoke while drinking magnums of champagne through straws with other Wags at nightclub Garibaldi’s. There were also reports of dancing on tables and huge bar bills.
      Queen of the Wags
      Nancy Dell’Olio dated Sven-Goran ErikssonCredit: BBC
      WHEN I was working for ITV as the Wags correspondent in 2006, I was asked to interview the “Queen of the Wags”.
      I was like, “Who is that?”. Then I get a call from Nancy Dell’Olio, who dated Sven, joking: “Darling, I’m married to the boss. I’m Queen of the Wags!”
      Party bus
      Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan Davidson headed to Wembley for the Euro semi-finals last year on a party busCredit: Instagram
      Read More on The Sun
      WE know that, given a chance, today’s Wags would be up for a party.Goalie Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan Davidson headed to Wembley for the Euro semi-finals last year on a party bus decked out in England flags and balloons.
      It came after England’s first game of the Euros, when Megan donned personalised football shirts and tiny denim shorts, along with Kieran Trippier’s wife Charlotte, Harry Maguire’s fiancée Fern Hawkins, Luke Shaw’s girlfriend Anouska Santos and Kyle Walker’s wife Annie Kilner. More

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      Inside football’s most ridiculous divorce as exes war over ‘affairs’, bald cat and ‘secrets that would ruin 50 families’

      by

      NORMALLY bags are chucked out the window when a couple break up, but legendary striker Francesco Totti has taken his TV star wife’s designer ones hostage.It is the latest bizarre act in the increasingly acrimonious divorce of Italy’s version of Posh and Becks.
      Roma legend Totti with Ilary in happier timesCredit: Getty
      Glam Ilary is a model turned TV presenter
      They had been a golden couple, with Totti scoring 250 goals for Roma and winning the World Cup for his country, while his wife Ilary Blasi presented hit shows such as Italy’s version of I’m a Celebrity and Big Brother.
      Former model and actress Blasi, 41, and Totti, 46, are so famous that their wedding was broadcast live on television.  
      But cracks in their 17-year marriage started to show during lockdown.
      Totti admitted he nearly left his wife when she bought a hairless cat and when restrictions were lifted rumours of affairs started to circulate.
      READ MORE FEATURES
      He was said to be seeing a much younger florist, while she was reported to have fallen for a tattooed man.
      Having decided to go their separate ways in July, Blasi decided to take Totti’s beloved Rolex watches and he supposedly responded by holding on to her designer shoes and handbags.
      He told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: “What could I do? I hid her handbags, hoping we could trade.”
      The glamorous bags in his custody are said to include Gucci, Dior, Chanel and Hermès plus shoes which are worth up to £3,500.
      Most read in Football
      Press reports say Blasi has asked a judge to order Totti to return her collection.
      Naked ambition?
      Blasi caused a stir in 2006 when she flashed a nipple during the Sanremo Song Fest and five years ago by snogging her Big Brother co-presenter Belen Rodriguez.
      She also posed topless in her early career and worked as a catwalk model.
      Totti was dubbed the Roman God due to his good looks and he once boasted: “I was 12 when I made ​​love for the first time. In Tropea, with a Roman girl who was 17 years old.”
      I was 12 when I made ​​love for the first timeFrancesco Totti
      He has been the butt of jokes about his lack of intelligence after a journalist suggested the player “carpe diem?” and Totti replied: “Sorry, my English isn’t very good.”
      Carpe diem is a well known Latin phrase which means seize the day.
      Eventually, he saw the funny side and agreed to publish a book called All the Totti Jokes, Collected by Me, which sold 150,000 copies in just two weeks.
      Two years ago a documentary was made about the striker called My Name Is Francesco Totti, which presented him as a largely untroubled athlete and lauded him for never leaving top Italian side Roma.
      Covid breakdown
      His loyalty to Blasi also appeared to be concrete, having spent 20 years together.
      They tied the knot in June 2005 in an ancient church in Rome with a satellite channel reporting on the event live.
      Blasi was pregnant with their first child, 17-year-old Cristian, at the time and they now also have two daughters Chanel, 15, and Isabel, six.
      However, Covid restrictions undermined the family unit – first due to a feline interloper.
      In 2020 he revealed: “I was furious with my wife, she bought a hairless cat and called it Donna Paola.
      “It’s boiling. At night, it insists on sleeping inside our bed, next to our legs. She’s a very affectionate cat, but almost caused us to break up.
      I was furious with my wife, she bought a hairless cat Francesco Totti
      “Ilary wanted a cat at all costs and I was adamant we shouldn’t. One day, she brought it home, because ultimately she makes all the decisions in this family.
      “We didn’t speak for days, but in the end, I fell in love with the cat too.”
      Then his dad Ezno died from the virus at the age of 76 in October 2020 and Totti spiralled into depression.
      He told a newspaper:  “I have lived through a difficult period, first because I stopped playing and then my father died due to Covid.
      “I also had strong Covid for 15 days. However, my wife, when I needed her most, was not there.”
      Rumours of affairs
      Totti claims that friends informed him that his wife was seeing another man, so he decided to scour her phone for evidence.
      He said: “When I received warnings from different people, whom I trust, I began to suspect.
      “I looked at her cell phone and I saw that there was a third person, who acted as an intermediary between Ilary and another.
      “Here was the evidence. And that led me to depression.”
      He is now dating florist Noemi Bocchi, 34.
      Ilary dated other men before my story with Noemi was bornFrancesco Totti
      But he insists they only began to see each other romantically once his relationship with Blasi was over.
      Totti alleged: “We used to hang out as friends. Ilary dated other men before my story with Noemi was born.” 
      So far Blasi has not spoken publicly about the cheating rumours 
      But she has said: “I’ve discovered things that would ruin 50 families.”
      The couple are expected to agree to share custody of their children.
      Read More on The Sun
      Whether they can come to an agreement about their bling is another matter.
      One insider said:  “All she has to do is return the watches and this is over.”
      Blasi and Totti getting married in 2005Credit: Getty
      Ilary has no shortage of designer gearCredit: instagram
      She loves a glam holiday tooCredit: Instagram
      Noemi Bocchi is Totti’s new girlfriendCredit: Alamy
      Totti didn’t speak to his wife after she got this hairless dogCredit: Instagram/@ilaryblasi
      Ilary took part in the Miss Italia beauty contest in 1998Credit: Getty
      She posted a cheeky snap days after the splitCredit: instagram More

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      in Soccer

      From team that won match without scoring to game’s first black player – Gary Lineker reveals incredible football stories

      by

      FOOTBALL is the one thing that has always been in my life. I used to be in the box as a player, now I’m on the box as a presenter.
      Gary Lineker has shared with us five of his favourite incredible football storiesCredit: Getty
      Gary’s new book 50 Times Football Changed The World is filled with inspirational tales
      Football has a long and rich history with so many memorable moments, unforgettable tales and incredible stories from across the world which all show the numerous ways the game has been a force for good.
      I’ve put 50 of the most fascinating, educational and inspiring tales in my new book, 50 Times Football Changed The World.
      Here I’m sharing five of my favourites.
      READ MORE ON GARY LINEKER
      The first black professional footballer in the world
      ARTHUR WHARTON was born in 1865 in Jamestown, Gold Coast, West Africa, which is now Accra, in Ghana.
      Not much is known about Arthur’s early life, but when he was 19 he moved to Darlington to train as a missionary.
      Arthur Wharton, who played for Darlington FC., was the first black professional footballer in the worldCredit: NNP
      Arthur was born in 1865 in Jamestown, Gold Coast, West Africa, which is now Accra, in Ghana, moved to Darlington when he was 19Credit: Sharon Doorbar
      Most read in The Sun
      It wasn’t long before he started playing as goal- keeper for Darlington FC.
      He was said to be an entertaining performer with a phenomenal punch, by which they meant punching the ball, not his opponents (hopefully)!
      He also used to catch the ball between his legs and he would sometimes pull the crossbar down (it was only made of tape in those days) so shots would miss.
      That would certainly get a red card today.
      It wasn’t long before he moved to Preston North End, one of the biggest teams in England at that time, then Rotherham Town, Sheffield United, Stalybridge Rovers and Ashton North End, before finishing his career at Stockport County in 1902.
      As a professional, Arthur earned a lot of money, so he would often donate part of his wages to help people in need.
      Unfortunately, after retiring from football, his life was hard.
      He gradually spent all the money he made from his sports career and had to work as a coal miner to support his family.
      He passed away in 1930 and was buried in an unmarked grave.
      For many years afterwards, Arthur and his great achievements as a true sports pioneer went unrecognised.
      He was finally given the footballing recognition he deserved in 2003, when he was welcomed into the English Football Hall of Fame, having paved the way for so many of the talented players we see today.
      Arthur paved the way for so many of the talented players we see today (pictured: Marcus Rashford)Credit: AFP
      The team that played on the sea
      NOTHING makes you want to grab a football and kick it around quite like watching an incredible match.
      And that’s exactly what happened when the children from a fishing village called Koh Panyee, in Thailand, were watching the 1986 World Cup finals.
      Children from a fishing village called Koh Panyee, in Thailand made a football pitch in the seaCredit: EPA
      But there was one not-so-small problem . . . Koh Panyee is in the sea.
      It is a floating village built on stilts. No one had ever been able to play football there because . . . well, there just wasn’t space.
      The children really, really wanted to play, though, so they came up with a brilliant idea — if the village could float, then so could a football pitch.
      So they began gathering bits of wood and old rafts, took a boat just a little way out on to the sea and started building a surface they could play on.
      It was like no other pitch in the world. Sharp nails jutted out from the wood.
      There was no barrier between the edge of the pitch and the sea.
      And splinters were a real hazard for their bare feet.
      But the children loved it — despite having to jump into the water to retrieve the ball an awful lot.
      When they entered their first proper tournament, Panyee realised they were actually really good. All that playing on their floating pitch had paid off.
      They have become one of the best youth teams in southern Thailand, winning seven regional titles on the trot between 2004 and 2010.
      Today they have a smooth new pitch, which even has a fence to stop the ball going into the water.
      The village has also benefited from tourists coming to see the incredible pitch and hear the team’s amazing story.
      It just shows what you can do with determination, courage, teamwork . . . and a few bits of wood.
      When the worst team in Britain didn’t give up
      MADRON is a village in Cornwall. About 1,600 people live there and it also has a football team, Madron FC.
      At the start of the 2010–11 season, they were in the first division of Cornwall’s Mining League.
      Madron FC. were branded the ‘worst team in Britain’ but they eventually won a match after 30 straight defeatsCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
      They began the season full of hope and positivity and were ready to give it their all.
      But in their first game they lost 11-0. Ouch! And things didn’t get better.
      As the season progressed, Madron lost 16–0, 29–0 (yes, twenty-nine) and 9–0.
      Later in the season, when they played against Illogan Reserves, they lost . . . wait for it . . . 55–0.
      That means Illogan scored a goal nearly every two minutes. One of their players scored ten goals — more than three hat-tricks.
      Madron were branded in the newspapers as “the worst team in Britain”.
      Some teams might give up after a defeat like that, but not Madron.
      The following weekend they put on their game faces once again.
      Could they bounce back from that defeat with a victory? Well, no — this time they lost 22–0.
      By the end of the season they were bottom of the table with zero points, having lost every single game.
      Their goal difference was minus 395.
      But throughout the season Madron had continued to try their best, week in, week out.
      As one of the players said: “I’d rather play for a bad team that has fun than a good team that you don’t enjoy playing for.”
      The following season Madron lost their first game 8-2. But their second game ended 4-3 — to Madron.
      After 30 straight defeats and 407 goals conceded across both seasons, they had finally won.
      The Madron players ran around the pitch, did laps of honour, cheered, shouted and high-fived one another. It was as if they’d won the league.
      Their hard work had finally paid off. They showed the true value of believing in yourself and never giving up.
      Referee who took on football authorities and a dictator
      IT’S not easy being a referee. Every match is a battle.
      But in the case of Lea Campos, the battles started long before she even got on to the pitch.
      Lea Campos had to take on football authorities and a dictator to fulfil her dream of becoming a refereeCredit: Museu do futebol
      Lea was born in Brazil in 1945 and loved playing football.
      Unfortunately, women were banned from playing organised sports in those days.
      Instead, she was encouraged to take part in beauty pageants.
      She won quite a few, and one helped her back into football.
      Cruzeiro is one of Brazil’s biggest football teams, and after winning the title Queen of Cruzeiro in 1966, Lea got a job with the club where she helped to promote it by speaking to journalists and organising player interviews.
      She realised the love of football she’d had hadn’t gone away.
      Lea still wasn’t allowed to play, but she discovered there was nothing to stop her becoming a referee.
      In 1967, she did an eight-month course and became one of the first female referees in the world.
      Even though she was qualified, the Brazilian sporting authorities — led by a man, João Havelange — still wouldn’t let her on the pitch.
      She was told women’s bodies weren’t suitable for the sport.
      Lea wasn’t going to stand for that, though. In one of the beauty contests she had met an army commander.
      She asked him if he could arrange for her to have a meeting with the president of Brazil, Emílio Garrastazu Médici.
      But Médici was a brutal leader who ruled the country with violence.
      What was he going to think about a woman requesting to be a referee?
      Over lunch, the president told Lea that one of his sons was a big fan of hers.
      Then he handed her a letter.
      It was a written request for Havelange to let her become a referee.
      And everyone knew you didn’t say no to the president.
      Lea went on to referee 98 matches in Brazil.
      Fans might still disagree with a lot of referees’ decisions, but one thing we can all agree on is that what Lea Campos did was incredibly brave — and has helped to change the world’s opinion on female referees.
      When a team won without scoring a single goal
      THERE were four teams in the play-off tournament to decide Madagascar’s 2002 champions — Adema Analamanga and Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne, who were big rivals, and Domoina Soavina Atsimondrano Antananarivo and Union Sportive Ambohidratrimo.
      In the penultimate game of the tournament, L’Emyrne were leading 2–1 but, with full time approaching, the referee awarded their opponents, Antananarivo, a penalty.
      L’Emyrne scored an own goal approximately every 30 seconds as a protest in their match against Adema
      The players and manager of L’Emyrne were certain the penalty should not have been awarded but, despite their complaints, the referee didn’t change their mind (they rarely do) and Antananarivo scored the spot kick.
      The final result was 2–2.
      This meant L’Emyrne couldn’t win the tournament.
      The manager and players were convinced the referee had been biased — and at their next match, the last game of the tournament against their arch rivals Adema Analamanga, they decided to protest.
      The game kicked off, and as soon as a L’Emyrne player got the ball, he did something very odd.
      Instead of running towards Adema’s goal, he ran towards his own team’s goal and scored an own goal.
      It was 1–0 to Adema. L’Emyrne kicked off again and this time . . . the same thing happened.
      They scored another own goal, making it 2–0 to Adema. And it happened again, and again.
      Adema’s players couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
      The spectators couldn’t believe it either, and many of them started demanding their money back.
      But still the game went on, with L’Emyrne scoring an own goal approximately every 30 seconds.
      By the time the final whistle blew it was 149–0 to Adema — without any of their players touching the ball.
      It was very odd, and in some ways very funny, but the Madagascan football authorities didn’t think so.
      L’Emyrne’s manager, Ratsimandresy Ratsarazaka, who organised the protest, was banned from coaching for three years and four players were also banned for the rest of the season.
      Read More on The Sun
      It truly was an amazing, game-changing moment.
      One team did something extraordinary to stand up for themselves and to let everyone know that they weren’t going to put up with what they believed to be cheating. More