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      I brought up Georgina Rodriguez when her dad was in jail but she forgot us after she met Cristiano Ronaldo, says uncle

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      WHEN her Netflix reality series premieres this week, Georgina Rodriguez will tell the world about her “dream life” with fiancé Cristiano Ronaldo.Holidaying on yachts with the Manchester United star, flying by private jet, and splashing £27,000 on two bottles of fine wine and £146,000 on handbags.
      Georgina Rodriguez will tell the world about her ‘dream life’ with fiancé Cristiano Ronaldo
      She insists she will never forget the family she came from
      In a promo clip for I Am Georgina, the Spanish model, who turns 28 when the show starts streaming on Thursday, declares she knows what it is like “not to have anything — and what it is like to have it all”.
      She insists she will never forget the family she came from before Portuguese hero Cristiano, 36 — said to be worth £790million — side-stepped into her life.
      But today we can reveal how some of that family accuse the influencer of ignoring them after she got with Cristiano and became mum to their four-year-old daughter Alana Martina.
      £100,000 of cocaine
      Georgina’s uncle, Jesus Hernandez, who says he helped raise her after her dad was jailed over a drug-smuggling plot, has branded her “evil” for shutting out the family.
      He said: “She may feel ashamed of us and consider she’s better than us because we don’t live with her luxury.
      “I’ve never asked her for anything. She has only rung once or twice since I found out she was dating Ronaldo.”
      Others are upset too.
      Her half-sister Patricia Rodriguez, 33, said: “When it was my son’s birthday, I asked if she could ask Cristiano to sign a shirt for my boy and she said ‘No’ — she wasn’t going to bother him as he was on holiday.”
      Meanwhile, Georgina’s gran died three years ago, age 80, without having been intro-duced to Alana Martina.
      Georgina had it tough as a child. She grew up in Jaca, a city in north-east Spain.
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      Her Spanish mum Ana Maria Hernandez met her Argentinian dad, Jorge after he moved to the country.
      But he was arrested a day before her fifth birthday over a failed bid to smuggle more than £100,000 of cocaine from Spain.
      Georgina became a ballet dancer, studied English in London and worked as an au pair in Bristol.
      She then became a model, returned to Spain and worked in a Gucci store where ex-Real Madrid star Cristiano shopped — and her life changed for ever.
      Georgina, now pregnant with twins, travels on the football king’s £20million Gulf-stream G20 jet.
      She took it to Lapland before Christmas with Alana Martina and Cristiano’s three other children from before he met her — Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, 11, and four-year-old twins Eva and Mateo.
      They all enjoyed a £1,500-a-night cabin holiday to see Santa.
      At the Venice Film Festival last September, she dazzled in diamonds worth £78,000.
      Her jewellery collection is worth an estimated £2.6million and Cristiano recently got her a £103,000 Louis Vuitton trunk for it all.
      In 2018 the couple bought a hairless sphynx cat for £2,600.
      ‘She may feel ashamed of us and consider she’s better than us because we don’t live with her luxury. I’ve never asked her for anything.Georgina’s uncle Jesus
      He earns £480,000 a week at the Red Devils after a £12.85million move from Juventus last year, and the couple’s £3million, seven-bedroom Cheshire mansion has a cinema room and a four-berth garage for part of his £17million fleet of supercars.
      This is all light years from Georgina’s roots, where uncle Jesus helped bring her up.
      He said: “I was in charge of providing for Georgina and her sister, buying them clothes, paying for their electricity and water.
      “I did everything. Georgina was living with me during her teenage years until the day they sent my brother-in-law back to Argentina.”
      Jesus lives in a two-bed home in south-east Spain with his wife and child, on just over £650 a month.
      He is furious Georgina has never told him where Jorge is buried after he died aged 70 following a stroke three years ago in Argentina.
      Speaking on Spanish TV, he added: “No one told us Jorge had died. I don’t know why Georgina didn’t tell us. I’ve tried to contact her.”
      He added: “I’ve written on Cristiano’s Facebook, ‘You’ve got the most evil woman at your side’ and ‘if you want to know, contact me, I will tell you’.”
      His partner Lidia added: “She stopped calling her uncle and granny the day she gave birth.
      “We’ve tried to phone and it appears she’s changed numbers.
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      “Now everyone is going to find out the shameless person she is.
      “Why couldn’t she have told us her dad had died? You don’t hide things like that.”
      In her Netflix promo video Georgina says “life changed for ever” five years ago when she met Cristiano, adding: “Thanks to love, my life is a dream.”
      He coos: “She’s the woman I’m completely in love with.”
      She is undoubtedly a loyal partner and devoted mum and Cristiano has previously praised her for bringing joy into his life.
      He said: “Geo has helped me so much. She’s the mum of my kids and I’m so passionate for her.
      “I open my heart for her, she opens her heart for me. I am so happy with her.”
      Georgina said of their home life: “The children are our joy.
      ‘Dad’s criminal past’
      “We wake up and the first thing we do is hug and kiss them, put them in their little chairs and watch them while they have their breakfast — make sure they have everything they need, and so on all day long.
      “This is a very special time for us all.”
      Her 30million Instagram followers will be sure to watch her Netflix show, airing in 190 countries.
      But a source close to her family said this week: “I’d be amazed if she went into detail about her dad’s criminal past or tension between her and part of her mum’s side of the family.
      “She’s been public about her love for big sister Ivana but most of her fans know next to nothing about the rest of her family.
      Georgina’s always been very public about her love for her big sister Ivana but her fans know next to nothing about the rest of her family.Rodriguez family source
      “We’ll see Georgina as she wants fans to see her — not the real Georgina, warts and all.”
      Before her gran Juana Escarabajal died of heart failure, she told Spanish TV she was devastated Georgina had not introduced her to her daughter.
      In an interview unearthed by The Sun on Sunday, Juana said: “I only saw my great granddaughter in a photo when she was very small, that Georgina sent.”
      Georgina’s mum, Ana Maria, and Cristiano’s, Dolores Aveiro, are not in the show.
      Georgina said this week: “It’s my show and they’re not in it because circumstances didn’t give rise to it.”
      But she insisted: “My sister, mum and I have always been a family and very united.
      My mum comes to Manchester, just like she also used to come to Turin and Madrid when we lived there.”
      Another family member not on the show is Georgina’s half-sister Patricia — daughter of Jorge and his previous partner.
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      Speaking before her dad’s death, while he needed a full-time nurse after his stroke, she said: “I would like to be with him but haven’t been able to see him for seven years because of the cost of getting to Argentina.
      “It hurts me that Georgina has only been to see our dad once in all this time. My dad is always saying he misses us.”
      Since their interviews neither the family nor Georgina have commented further.
      Georgina’s uncle Jesus Hernandez and grandmother Juana Escarabajal
      Georgina’s father Jorge was arrested a day before her fifth birthday
      Her Netflix show will air in 190 countries
      Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be worth £790million
      Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriguez fumes over cucumbers in Netflix documentary teaser More

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      in Soccer

      I brought up Georgina Rodriguez when her dad was in jail but she forgot us after she met Ronaldo, says uncle

      by

      WHEN her Netflix reality series premieres this week, Georgina Rodriguez will tell the world about her “dream life” with fiancé Cristiano Ronaldo.Holidaying on yachts with the Manchester United ace, flying by private jet, and splashing £27,000 on two bottles of fine wine and £146,000 on handbags.
      Georgina Rodriguez will tell the world about her ‘dream life’ with fiancé Cristiano Ronaldo
      She insists she will never forget the family she came from
      In a promo clip for I Am Georgina, the Spanish model, who turns 28 when the show starts streaming on Thursday, declares she knows what it is like “not to have anything — and what it is like to have it all”.
      She insists she will never forget the family she came from before Portuguese hero Cristiano, 36 — said to be worth £790million — side-stepped into her life.
      But today we can reveal how some of that family accuse the influencer of ignoring them after she got with Cristiano and became mum to their four-year-old daughter Alana Martina.
      £100,000 of cocaine
      Georgina’s uncle, Jesus Hernandez, who says he helped raise her after her dad was jailed over a drug-smuggling plot, has branded her “evil” for shutting out the family.
      He said: “She may feel ashamed of us and consider she’s better than us because we don’t live with her luxury.
      “I’ve never asked her for anything. She has only rung once or twice since I found out she was dating Ronaldo.”
      Others are upset too.
      Her half-sister Patricia Rodriguez, 33, said: “When it was my son’s birthday, I asked if she could ask Cristiano to sign a shirt for my boy and she said ‘No’ — she wasn’t going to bother him as he was on holiday.”
      Meanwhile, Georgina’s gran died three years ago, age 80, without having been intro-duced to Alana Martina.
      Georgina had it tough as a child. She grew up in Jaca, a city in north-east Spain.
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      Her Spanish mum Ana Maria Hernandez met her Argentinian dad, Jorge after he moved to the country.
      But he was arrested a day before her fifth birthday over a failed bid to smuggle more than £100,000 of cocaine from Spain.
      Georgina became a ballet dancer, studied English in London and worked as an au pair in Bristol.
      She then became a model, returned to Spain and worked in a Gucci store where ex-Real Madrid star Cristiano shopped — and her life changed for ever.
      Georgina, now pregnant with twins, travels on the football king’s £20million Gulf-stream G20 jet.
      She took it to Lapland before Christmas with Alana Martina and Cristiano’s three other children from before he met her — Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, 11, and four-year-old twins Eva and Mateo.
      They all enjoyed a £1,500-a-night cabin holiday to see Santa.
      At the Venice Film Festival last September, she dazzled in diamonds worth £78,000.
      Her jewellery collection is worth an estimated £2.6million and Cristiano recently got her a £103,000 Louis Vuitton trunk for it all.
      In 2018 the couple bought a hairless sphynx cat for £2,600.
      ‘She may feel ashamed of us and consider she’s better than us because we don’t live with her luxury. I’ve never asked her for anything.Georgina’s uncle Jesus
      He earns £480,000 a week at the Red Devils after a £12.85million move from Juventus last year, and the couple’s £3million, seven-bedroom Cheshire mansion has a cinema room and a four-berth garage for part of his £17million fleet of supercars.
      This is all light years from Georgina’s roots, where uncle Jesus helped bring her up.
      He said: “I was in charge of providing for Georgina and her sister, buying them clothes, paying for their electricity and water.
      “I did everything. Georgina was living with me during her teenage years until the day they sent my brother-in-law back to Argentina.”
      Jesus lives in a two-bed home in south-east Spain with his wife and child, on just over £650 a month.
      He is furious Georgina has never told him where Jorge is buried after he died aged 70 following a stroke three years ago in Argentina.
      Speaking on Spanish TV, he added: “No one told us Jorge had died. I don’t know why Georgina didn’t tell us. I’ve tried to contact her.”
      He added: “I’ve written on Cristiano’s Facebook, ‘You’ve got the most evil woman at your side’ and ‘if you want to know, contact me, I will tell you’.”
      His partner Lidia added: “She stopped calling her uncle and granny the day she gave birth.
      “We’ve tried to phone and it appears she’s changed numbers.
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      “Now everyone is going to find out the shameless person she is.
      “Why couldn’t she have told us her dad had died? You don’t hide things like that.”
      In her Netflix promo video Georgina says “life changed for ever” five years ago when she met Cristiano, adding: “Thanks to love, my life is a dream.”
      He coos: “She’s the woman I’m completely in love with.”
      She is undoubtedly a loyal partner and devoted mum and Cristiano has previously praised her for bringing joy into his life.
      He said: “Geo has helped me so much. She’s the mum of my kids and I’m so passionate for her.
      “I open my heart for her, she opens her heart for me. I am so happy with her.”
      Georgina said of their home life: “The children are our joy.
      ‘Dad’s criminal past’
      “We wake up and the first thing we do is hug and kiss them, put them in their little chairs and watch them while they have their breakfast — make sure they have everything they need, and so on all day long.
      “This is a very special time for us all.”
      Her 30million Instagram followers will be sure to watch her Netflix show, airing in 190 countries.
      But a source close to her family said this week: “I’d be amazed if she went into detail about her dad’s criminal past or tension between her and part of her mum’s side of the family.
      “She’s been public about her love for big sister Ivana but most of her fans know next to nothing about the rest of her family.
      Georgina’s always been very public about her love for her big sister Ivana but her fans know next to nothing about the rest of her family.Rodriguez family source
      “We’ll see Georgina as she wants fans to see her — not the real Georgina, warts and all.”
      Before her gran Juana Escarabajal died of heart failure, she told Spanish TV she was devastated Georgina had not introduced her to her daughter.
      In an interview unearthed by The Sun on Sunday, Juana said: “I only saw my great granddaughter in a photo when she was very small, that Georgina sent.”
      Georgina’s mum, Ana Maria, and Cristiano’s, Dolores Aveiro, are not in the show.
      Georgina said this week: “It’s my show and they’re not in it because circumstances didn’t give rise to it.”
      But she insisted: “My sister, mum and I have always been a family and very united.
      My mum comes to Manchester, just like she also used to come to Turin and Madrid when we lived there.”
      Another family member not on the show is Georgina’s half-sister Patricia — daughter of Jorge and his previous partner.
      Speaking before her dad’s death, while he needed a full-time nurse after his stroke, she said: “I would like to be with him but haven’t been able to see him for seven years because of the cost of getting to Argentina.
      “It hurts me that Georgina has only been to see our dad once in all this time. My dad is always saying he misses us.”
      Since their interviews neither the family nor Georgina have commented further.
      Georgina’s uncle Jesus Hernandez and grandmother Juana Escarabajal
      Georgina’s father Jorge was arrested a day before her fifth birthday
      Her Netflix show will air in 190 countries
      Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be worth £790million
      Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriguez fumes over cucumbers in Netflix documentary teaser More

    • 175 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      From Arsenal and Chelsea to Liverpool, these football kits have the most bonkers inspiration

      by

      ARSENAL have gone underground for their new kit – and copied the blue and white seat pattern from the Piccadilly tube line which runs past their Emirates Stadium in North London for their pre-match strip.The design has met with mixed feelings from fans, with one likening it to “dusty train seat covers”. But it could have been worse – here we show how other clubs have been torn off a strip by fans for design kit-astrophes ranging from chewy sweets to spilt ketchup.
      Arsenal have gone underground for their new kit…
      The Gunners copied the blue and white seat pattern from the Piccadilly tube line which runs past their Emirates Stadium
      Picture research: Amy Reading
      How many stops to Scunthorpe?
      This 1992 strip belonged to Scunthorpe United and featured a geometric pattern that was just like the seats on the local buses
      The seats of inspiration for Scunthorpe
      FOOTBALL kit designers have been inspired by public transport for decades, it seems. This 1992 strip belonged to Scunthorpe United and featured a geometric pattern that was just like the seats on the local buses. Luckily for fans, it was only a short wait until another one came along . . . 
      Chelsea park the bus
      Chelsea were ribbed for this 2019/2020 strip
      Social media users compared it to a Stagecoach bus seat
      CHELSEA were ribbed for their 2019/20 strip, worn on the right here. Social media users compared it to a Stagecoach bus seat. Not quite the transport the elite players are used to.
      Room for one more top on
      This Manchester United kit looked familiar to public transport users
      As this bus seat proves
      MANCHESTER United were another club that caught the bus bug. When they unveiled the home kit for the 20/21 season, bosses were torn to shreds by fans on social media.
      The club’s signature red kit featured small yellow and black rectangles that looked like a bus seat – and was swiftly ditched.
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      Did you feed the Canary?
      There are plenty of subs when Norwich play…
      Subway and the Canaries do seem to share a colour scheme
      WHAT do Norwich City FC and Subway have in common? Apart from the fact that they both make the odd sub, they also share a colour scheme.
      The Canaries have sported a yellow and green strip since the club chairman – a canary breeder – took it over in 1907.
      It’s just unfortunate that the players now get likened to a fast food wrapper.
      Fans in a Mac attack
      Liverpool fans were quick to spot the similarity to a certain fast food provider
      Even McDonald’s tweeted the club, saying: ‘OMG I love your top, where did you get it’
      THIS season Liverpool fans were quick to liken the club’s third kit to fast-food clown Ronald McDonald’s outfit. Besides the yellow top with red detailing, in promotional shots the players posed in front of red and white checks. Even McDonald’s tweeted: ‘OMG I love your top, where did you get it’. But not everyone was lovin’ it.
      Saints’ professional fowl 
      Look out for fowls in the box…
      Southampton’s 2015/16 kit was likened to a KFC bucket
      IN another fast food fiasco, Southampton’s 2015/16 kit was likened by fans to a KFC takeaway bucket.
       However, the Saints’ red and white kit goes back a lot further than the US food chain. The football team started in 1885, whereas Colonel Sanders didn’t start flogging fried chicken in Kentucky until 1952.
      Bilbao’s sauce of amusement 
      In 2004 the Spanish club invited an artist to design a strip based on art in the city’s Guggenheim Museum
      Meant to signify a splatter of blood, the shirt was likened more to a splash of ketchup.
      TO mark Athletic Bilbao’s centenary, in 2004 the Spanish club invited an artist to design a strip based on art in the city’s Guggenheim Museum.
      Meant to signify a splatter of blood, the shirt was likened more to a splash of ketchup.
      Here Javier Casas is trying to play football while looking like he should be accompanied by a chip. It was only worn for one tournament before it was benched.
      City’s Salad days 
      Sweet connection with the ball…
      The 2019 pink and yellow kit was likened to old-fashioned sweetsCredit: Alamy
      MAN City legend Sergio Aguero loves his fashion and tends to dress in top brands such as Balenciaga or Gucci. So he and the rest of the squad were ridiculed for this 2019 pink and yellow kit which fans likened to old-fashioned sweets. Were they Drumstick lollies? Or Fruit Salads? Or Rhubarb and Custards? Hard to chews . . . 
      Watch Arsenal legend Ian Wright punch Roy Keane poster during tour of Man Utd dressing room More

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      in Soccer

      These famous faces are the spitting image of Panini football sticker stars – how many did you have in your collection?

      by

      GOT any swaps? Or maybe they’re swappelgangers.This weekend The Sun is giving away FREE Premier League Panini stickers.
      We look at footie stickers from days gone by and found some of the old stars bear a resemblance to modern celebs
      Queen’s Freddie Mercury and Argentine player Isidoro San Jose knew a thing or two about playing Under PressureCredit: Redferns
      So we took a look at footie stickers from days gone by and found some of the old stars bear a resemblance to modern celebs.
      Katy Docherty brings you the matches of the day.
      SHAKEN NOT SCORED
      The name’s Thom – Andreas ThomCredit: Panini
      If Daniel Craig had ever needed a spare stunt double for his role as 007, the German star and Celtic player would have been a shoo-in based on his looks aloneCredit: Getty
      TO ME, TWO YOU
      Telly’s Chuckle Brothers, Paul and Barry ChuckleCredit: Rex Features
      The duo double up as Belgian K. R. C. Genk player Rene van Becelaere
      And also look like Berto Bosch
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      ’TASHING GENTLEMEN
      Unbelieavble, Geoff! If you were Wanderer-ing what had happened to Wolves right back Geoff Palmer…Credit: Panini
      …it appears he has morphed into Sacha Baron Cohen’s moustachioed comic character BoratCredit: Getty
      THE X-TRIALS
      X-Files actor David Duchovny and Romanian full-back Dan Petrescu could be one and the same ­person
      There’s no evidence to support that theory. But as they say – the truth is out there . . .Credit: Sky
      SAVE 4 U
      Has there ever been a Stronger resemblance to the young Britney Spears?
      But it’s doubtful Argentine Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Cambiasso could pull off wearing a red latex jumpsuit like hersCredit: Getty
      ANNIE BALL
      One’s a bit left-field, while the other’s midfield. But US movie director Woody Allen and Belgian player Leo van Soom have one thing in ­common…
      … both of them clearly have Seventies specs appealCredit: Rex
      FAWLTY VISION
      Belgium’s Herman Fransen, seen here in 1977, really does look like he could have been brought on as a substitute for the Monty Python team…
      …if John Cleese sustained an injury doing a silly walkCredit: Alamy
      FOUL YOU DOIN’?
      Did Seventies player Friedhelm Otters get a Manhattan transfer later in his career?Credit: Panini
      The German midfielder is the double of Matt LeBlanc – maybe he just has Friends in high placesCredit: Getty
      STARK LIFE
      Dane Michael Laudrup is more used to a game of throw-ins than Game Of ThronesCredit: Panini
      But there is no denying the former Juventus player’s ­resemblance to ­TV’s Lord Eddard Stark – AKA actor Sean BeanCredit: Getty
      GOAL LOTTA LOVE
      Led Zeppelin rocker Robert Plant has a French connection in the form of Pierre Pleimelding – a striker who played for France in 1978
      Going by their big barnets, both were a-head of the gameCredit: Rex
      Brentford boss Frank slams poor Man Utd after ‘destroying them in the first-half’ of 3-1 defeat More

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      in Soccer

      5 reasons footballers like Marcus Rashford stick with childhood sweethearts – dodging kiss-&-tells to gold digger fears

      by

      WITH their ridiculously huge salaries and superstar status, our top footballers could have women falling at their feet. So it’s rather sweet that many of our most famous players on the pitch are still head over heels for their childhood sweethearts.
      Marcus Rashford and his childhood sweetheart Lucia Loi are said to have reconciled after splitCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      This week The Sun revealed Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, 24, has reunited with his girlfriend of eight years, university graduate Lucia Loi, also 24, eight months after their “painful split.”
      A source said: “The break was good for their relationship as it offered them both space and assurance that they wanted to make this work moving forward.”
      Psychologist Emma Kenny, who runs the healthy social network site Appy, said there are a number of reasons why footballers tend to stay loyal to their first love.
      She said: “Whilst a glittering football career can offer players a life beyond the average person’s wildest dreams, it comes with a unique set of problems.
      “These WAGs knew these superstars before the fame and fortune.
      “That gives the footballers a sense of being liked for who they truly are, not for their fast cars and luxury homes, which makes the relationship feel more authentic and safer.
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      “Another element that can make these relationships alluring is the nostalgia they provide.”
      Emma also notes that the sex is also going to be great.
      She said: “Sex is always better with a partner who you feel completely comfortable with, so it stands to reason that people you feel familiar around and who you believe know you inside out are likely to make sex more pleasurable.”
      Here, we take a look at the footballers who found their match early in life – and reveal five reasons why scoring early puts these pairs top of the love league.
      Why footballers stick with their first love

      Reality check early on: “Girlfriends who have dated these players growing up will have embraced as teenagers that football must be a priority, meaning they are more accepting of sharing their boyfriend with the beautiful game.”
      Not gold diggers: “These women have known the football superstars before the fame and fortune. This sense of being ‘liked’ for who they truly are, as opposed to for their fast cars and luxury homes will make these relationships feel more authentic and safer.”
      Unlikely to dish the dirt: “Footballers are very aware of how their liaisons can make it onto the front pages of the newspapers. Their childhood sweethearts have demonstrated a level of personal integrity that is very attractive in a long-term mate.”
      Heroes set the example: “Younger football stars see a blueprint of possibility for these relationships to survive and to thrive from older stars like Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.”
      Nostalgia: “Maintaining links to our past can promote a sense of belonging. Teen relationships often embody a real strength of emotional connection. If a couple have shared memories of lower responsibility levels, fun, intimate experience and hanging out with good friends, it gives lots of positives to maintaining, or rekindling, a relationship.

      And where it can go wrong:
      Emma said finding love at a young age can also encounter problems, as we’ve seen with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Kyle Walker straying.
      She said: “As lust deepens into love, and responsibilities such as a family are introduced into the picture it can be easy to lose sight of what has been created and instead to focus on what has been lost.
      “This can mean that when opportunities present themselves players are tempted to stray. In our modern society there remains a lot of pressure of men to be seen as sophisticated lovers who are adept in bed and who have notched up many conquests. For those who get into relationships early on, these uncharted waters can seem alluring, leading to some poor decision making.”

      Harry and Kate Kane
      Harry Kane and Kate Goodland are married with three children
      The pair joined David Beckham at the launch of his academy in 2005
      Fate brought England captain Harry Kane and his wife Kate together when they were just 11 years old.
      A photo shows the footie-mad pair with their hero, David Beckham, at the launch of his football academy near their East London homes in 2005.
      The pair had known each other since attending Larkswood Primary in Chingford before going onto Chingford Foundation School, where Becks also went.
      Although pals, Harry and Kate didn’t start dating for another seven years after that picture, when they were 18.
      Harry said: “When I was in school she was my friend. We always spoke, but just got closer and closer and it went from there.”
      The couple, who married in a mystery exotic location in 2019, now have three children.
      Emma said: “This couple have common values, interests and life goals and are both very family oriented.
      “They place their energy mutually in their kids and Harry’s career and their near life long friendship sustains them as they move through the ages together.”
      The Rooneys
      Coleen and Wayne were just 16 when they started dating
      The couple have been married for 13 years and have four sonsCredit: instagram
      Those of us who remember when the teenage Wayne Rooney first made his mark on the sporting world will also remember his wife Coleen in her school uniform and chunky puffer coat.
      Then just 16, Coleen had no idea what their future would hold – and she has stuck with the former England player through a lot of ups and downs.
      The pair knew each other from when they were 12, when Wayne used to kickabout with Coleen’s brothers by the garages near her home in Croxteth, Liverpool.
      Wayne asked her out on their first date when they were both 16, after fixing Coleen’s bike in the street, and he proposed when he was 17 at a petrol station.
      Before they married, in 2004, Wayne admitted to visiting brothels and sleeping with a middle-aged prostitute.
      Coleen revealed in her autobiography that she was heartbroken, writing: “At that time in our relationships, I’d never even slept with Wayne.”
      ‘Positives outweigh downsides’
      Since then the couple, who have four sons, have weathered cheating accusations, Wayne’s driving ban for drink-driving and, last year, pictures of him slumped and sleeping in a chair while semi-naked party girls danced around him.
      Emma said: “Coleen is the glue that sticks this relationship together.
      “No matter the judgements of others, she is deeply family oriented and cares hugely about her children and her husband.
      “She is unusually able to think about the bigger picture when it comes down to some of her husband’s poor choices and forgives certain behaviours as she feels that the multitude of positives outweigh any downsides to their relationship.
      “They have known each other since childhood and have overcome many challenges together and this is likely why their relationship has endured.”
      Gareth Bale and wife Emma
      Gareth Bale met his wife Emma at high school in Cardiff
      Gareth Bale met wife Emma Rhys-Jones at Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, and she inspired his famous goal celebration in which he makes a heart shape with his hands.
      He once explained: “My girlfriend asked what I would do if I scored. I told her I would make the heart sign.”
      A homeboy, the Wales captain was never one to put himself in the sights of fame-hungry women in nightclubs.
      He said: “I don’t go out, so I don’t get attention from girls. I just like chilling indoors, watching DVDs or going for a meal with the family.”
      He and Emma tied the knot in a secret ceremony in Majorca in 2009, attended by just 60 of their close friends and family.
      Emma’s dad, Martin, and her grandparents, John and Eva McMurray – who helped raise her – were absent due to a family rift, and guests were only told the location 24 hours beforehand.
      The couple welcomed their fourth child, Xander, last year.
      Lionel and Antonela Messi
      An early picture, released in 2019, shows Lionel and his future wife Antonela on the beach as kidsCredit: Social Media
      The couple now have three sons togetherCredit: Social Media – Refer to Source
      Widely recognised as one of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela also have one of the greatest love stories.
      They have known each other since they were young children, and there is a fantastic photo of the pair playing on an Argentine beach in 1998.
      Antonela, who was about to turn 10 in the picture, was pals with the footballer, but on that day she had travelled to Punta Magotes to see her cousin, Lucas Scaglia, one of Messi’s future teammates, play.
      Barcelona legend Lionel moved to Spain to join the youth division of the club at 13, but he never forgot Antonela.
      While studying dental medicine in Argentina, Antonela lost her best friend in a car crash – and Lionel immediately booked a flight home to comfort her.
      She moved back to Barcelona with him and, now with three children to boot, the rest is history.
      Jordan Pickford and wife Megan
      Jordan Pickford married his childhood sweetheart Megan Davison in 2020
      England and Everton stopper Jordan Pickford, 27, and his wife Megan Davison like to keep their relationship low-key.
      So much so that they shunned the usual lavish showbiz wedding in March 2020, and instead tied the knot at a register office, with the groom turning up in ripped jeans and a baseball hat.
      The bride did wear white – a cuddly white jacket, which she teamed with black jeans and boots.
      The pair had intended to celebrate with a lavish wedding in the Maldives, but it has been on hold since Covid.
      Jordan and Megan met at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School, Tyne and Wear, and reportedly started dating at 14.
      Their son, Arlo, was born in 2019.
      Harry Maguire and fiancée Fern Hawkins
      England star Harry Maguire is reportedly set to tie the knot with Fern Hawkins this year
      Harry Maguire, 28, and his fiancée Fern Hawkins are another teenage love story.
      The Sheffield pair got together when the Manchester United player was 18 and Fern just 16.
      Harry popped the question on a romantic trip to Paris in 2018 and last summer they celebrated 10 years together.
      They have two daughters, Lillie, two, and Piper, one, and earlier this month, the family moved into their “dream” £4m Cheshire mansion.
      According to reports, the pair are planning to marry in a French castle later this year and have sent out invitations.
      A source told The Mirror: “No one is being given the address of the venue until they are on their way. That way they can keep it under wraps.”
      Kalvin Phillips and girlfriend Ashleigh Behan
      Kalvin Phillips and his long term girlfriend Ashleigh BehanCredit: Instagram / @ashhhbx
      Leeds United and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, 26, met his girlfriend Ashleigh Behan two years before signing his first professional contract in 2013.
      They met at Farnley Academy, West Yorkshire.
      Ashleigh, a make-up artist, said on her Instagram stories: “I literally have the most embarrassing pics of us together from like Year Nine onwards.”
      Ashleigh recently revealed the moment Kalvin told her about his shock call-up from England manager Gareth Southgate to join the Euro 2020 squad.
      She said: “I just screamed and cried instantly, I think the checkout guy thought I was mental.”
      Kyle Walker and wife Annie
      Kyle Walker and Annie Kilner with one of their three childrenCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      It was revealed earlier this month that Kyle Walker and girlfriend Annie Kilner had secretly wed.
      Theirs has been a rollercoaster of a relationship like no other.
      Annie, mum to their three children, has forgiven Kyle’s betrayals, including him fathering a love child.
      After Instagram influencer Lauryn Goodman gave birth to his son, Annie said in 2020: “What he has done to me and our children is obscene.”
      They met in their hometown of Sheffield and started dating when Kyle was 17 and Annie was just 15.
      Referring to the couple’s low-key wedding, a source told The Sun: “It’s fair to say they’ve had more than their fair share of ups and downs over the years but they’ve survived each one.
      “They didn’t want any fanfare. They just wanted to be married.”
      Marcus Rashford receive MBE from Prince William after free school-meals campaign More

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      in Soccer

      Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence – with the drug found at every stadium we tested

      by

      FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
      Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
      Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
      Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were ­taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
      He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
      One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
      We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
      At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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      Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
      Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
      Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
      Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
      However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
      Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
      MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
      However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
      He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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      “It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
      “Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
      He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
      There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
      It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
      However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
      “It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
      “People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
      “Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
      The independent review by ­former Government drugs tsar ­Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
      Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
      ‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
      One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
      However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
      Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
      The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
      “I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
      All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
      Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
      Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
      Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
      The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
      Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
      The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
      The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
      “Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
      Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
      FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
      The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
      “It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
      “You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
      “It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
      The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
      “I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
      “It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
      “Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
      “If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
      “Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”

      We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
      During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
      Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
      Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
      Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
      Moment England hero Harry Maguire’s dad’s ribs were broken in a horror crush during the security meltdown at the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley More

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      Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence – with the drug found at every stadium tested

      by

      FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
      Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
      Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
      Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were ­taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
      He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
      One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
      We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
      At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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      Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
      Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
      Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
      Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
      However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
      Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
      MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
      However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
      He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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      “It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
      “Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
      He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
      There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
      It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
      However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
      “It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
      “People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
      “Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
      The independent review by ­former Government drugs tsar ­Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
      Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
      ‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
      One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
      However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
      Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
      The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
      “I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
      All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
      Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
      Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
      Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
      The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
      Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
      The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
      The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
      “Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
      Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
      FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
      The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
      “It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
      “You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
      “It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
      The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
      “I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
      “It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
      “Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
      “If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
      “Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”

      We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
      During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
      Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
      Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
      Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
      Moment England hero Harry Maguire’s dad’s ribs were broken in a horror crush during the security meltdown at the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley More

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      Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence at stadiums

      by

      FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
      Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
      Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
      Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were ­taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
      He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
      One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
      We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
      At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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      Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
      Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
      Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
      Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
      However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
      Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
      MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
      However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
      He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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      “It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
      “Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
      He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
      There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
      It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
      However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
      “It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
      “People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
      “Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
      The independent review by ­former Government drugs tsar ­Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
      Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
      ‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
      One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
      However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
      Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
      The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
      “I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
      All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
      Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
      Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
      Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
      The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
      Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
      The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
      The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
      “Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
      Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
      FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
      The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
      “It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
      “You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
      “It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
      The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
      “I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
      “It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
      “Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
      “If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
      “Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”

      We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
      During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
      Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
      Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
      Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
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