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    Football ‘legend’ wins row with crypto millionaire ex-husband in bitter divorce fight over their £7m mansion

    A FOOTBALL “legend” has won a row with her crypto millionaire ex-husband during their bitter divorce fight over a £7million mansion.Women’s football icon Diane Culligan, 63, has been battling with her financier ex Anthony, 62 since their divorce in 2022.Diane Culligan, 63, has won a legal battle to keep her £7million mansionCredit: StartraksDiane and her former husband Anthony Culligan, 62, argued the house should be sold and the money dividedCredit: Supplied by Champion NewsThe London mansion boasts nine-bedrooms and a cinema roomCredit: Supplied by Champion NewsThe power couple had been together for 40 years but when they decided to give the place a £2.1million revamp, things turned sour.As they separated, the Primrose Hill property in north London, which boasted nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a home cinema, became a point of contention.The pair filed for divorce and it soon became difficult to navigate how they would split their assets.Mrs Culligan blamed him for the split, claiming he had “walked out of the marriage without explanation,” which she claimed left her needing counselling.Read more SportMr Culligam said his wife for “overbearing” and “irrational” and claimed his wife had twice physically restrained him from leaving when he had tried to walk out.They agreed that their £27.3m fortune should be split equally, but went to the High Court in a fight over how to do that, with Mrs Culligan desperate to stay in their former home.In a now published judgement, the judge declared that Diane Culligan could keep the million-pound mansion.Despite acknowledging that a single person might not need a nine-bedroom property, the judge accepted that she an “emotional connection” to the London property.Most read in FootballMr Justice MacDonald said: “The wife contends that she needs to remain in the former matrimonial home.”Whilst the standard of living enjoyed by the parties during the marriage was a good one, on the face of it, it is difficult to see how the wife’s current needs as a single person extend to a nine bedroom, seven bathroom property.”Kyle Walker party girls revealed as globe-trotting models – and lift lid on how star is enjoying his new life in MilanHe said even though one of the adult children currently lives at the property, and another plans to move in, the house doesn’t necessarily fit Mrs Culligan’s “current needs.”The Judge added: “Against this, I accept that the wife has an emotional connection to the former matrimonial home to a degree that was not apparent in the evidence of the husband.”Within that latter context, I am satisfied that a fair distribution of the assets can be achieved without the need to sell the former matrimonial home.”The couple met in 1982 before marrying while living in Japan ten years on and having three children together.Both are highly successful with Mr Culligan making a fortune out of digital currencies and Mrs Culligan being a self-proclaimed football “pioneer.”In 2019, the couple set up a company, with Mrs Culligan as the sole shareholder, which was used to purchase the Lionesses, with her husband becoming a director.The 63-year-old founded the Women’s Championship football side which she ran as chairman until 2023.They lived a luxury lifestyle after Anthony’s crypto skills turned £10,000 into a whopping £20million sum.With the rest of Anthony’s crypto cash, the couple made investments into property and built up an impressive portfolio.Mr Justice MacDonald said the former couple agreed that neither of them should get more than a half share of their fortune, but disagreed on how it should be split.Mr Justice Macdonald continued: “Theirs was a long marriage of some forty years.”There must be some sharing of the illiquid…asset, although the wife’s share should be kept to the minimum amount required to ensure fidelity to the principle of fairness.”He finally made an order under which she keeps the couple’s former home, but Mr Culligan gets their rental properties and will be paid £750,000 by his ex.The judge noted that Mrs Culligan had played a key role in removing the Millwall women’s side from the umbrella of the men’s and rebranding them.However, he criticised both parties in his judgment, describing Mr Culligan as a “less than impressive witness” and Mrs Culligan as “not an impressive witness.”READ MORE SUN STORIESWhen the London City Lionesses was sold in 2023, Mrs Culligan continued on as a £750,000-a-year consultant for four years.The judge described her decision to take £3m as annual £750,000 payments over four years as an attempt to “disguise assets as future income.The Judge ruled that Diane Culligan could keep the propertyCredit: Supplied by Champion NewsDiane founded Women’s Championship football side, the London City LionessesCredit: Startraks More

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    Vinnie Jones buried my tortoise alive while landscaping our back garden… he told me ‘play on son, the ref didn’t see it’

    VINNIE JONES buried my tortoise alive.It’s not exactly “Freddie Starr ate my hamster” – thankfully dear little Lightning was swiftly dug up, suffering nothing more than a dose of shell shock. But it’s a very true tale.Jones was part of the legendary Wimbledon team who caused one of football’s biggest upsets by beating Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup finalCredit: GettyThe team lived up to their Crazy Gang tag on and off the pitchCredit: GettyVinnie with Wally Downes Snr after joining Wimbledon in 1986 and then burying his team-mate’s tortoiseLightning enjoying happier times above groundIn 1986, Watford hod carrier Vincent Peter Jones was signed by newly-promoted top-flight side Wimbledon as a young but raw prospect with oodles of potential.In one of the many debacles that plagued Harry Bassett’s magnificent and underrated career, he put the shy Hertfordshire bumpkin under the wing of my dad, midfielder Wally Downes Sr, and said: “Look after him.”With Bassett’s Crazy Gang being a successful rabble of local working-class lads, when the Downes family swapped Shepherds Bush for Kingston-Upon-Thames, my old man didn’t check the Yellow Pages for landscape gardeners.Instead, established first-team pros Mark Morris and Brian Gayle were made project managers – with Jones and a couple of young apprentices roped in to do the leg work.Vin, full of the boundless enthusiasm that would later help him complete the most magnificent FA Cup upset, was eager to impress and set about building the patio.Typically keen to graduate from the cement mixer to more architectural duties, the baby-faced and curly-haired midfielder installed the membrane with expert precision.And then he organised the Dons’ apprentices to rapidly lay the paving slabs to help build new mentor Wally a bespoke BBQ and bar under the glorious weeping willow beloved by the previous owner.Unfortunately, the ex-tenant had also left behind Lightning – a beautiful tortoise who was hibernating throughout the course of the property’s sale.It was agreed after the deeds were exchanged that my mum, Mary, would be in touch as soon as the ancient reptile emerged from its slumber.However, in the weeks after we had the new patio laid, the dinky dinosaur never showed up.Vinnie Jones and Gazza reunited 30 years on from THAT grab And, after repeated visits to the mock-Tudor home, the deflated former owner eventually accepted the loss, along with the estate agents’ fees.Then we realised…And, thankfully before the RSPCA cottoned on, animal-loving Vinnie took a sledgehammer to his freshly laid paving and rescued the bemused Lightning – who is somehow still going today – from the most miserable of deaths.Christ knows what the new neighbours thought, having watched the equivalent of a Premier League side strolling through the allotments and alleyways to build a garden.Lightning, with Wally Jr’s son, also Wally, has somehow survived up to this todayVinnie attacked the rescue mission with the same gusto with which he attacked gamesCredit: GettyThe ball-playing hardman was never afraid to get his hands dirty, as this iconic image of him embracing Paul Gascoigne from 1988 provesCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdAnd he certainly never shied away from a challengeCredit: AP:Associated PressAnd then watching them rip into the ground like desperate pirates looking for treasure, while screaming: “Where the f*** has he buried it?… Get the f***ing thing up before it suffocates!”The patio was eventually re-laid – but the Downes family never did make it on to the Neighbourhood Watch committee.After nine Wales caps and big-money moves to Leeds and Chelsea, plus the odd scandal here and there, Vinnie remains a great family friend.Books and documentaries about the phenomenal feats the Dons achieved – including that 1988 “Crazy Gang beating the Culture Club” FA Cup final upset against Liverpool – regularly pop up, anniversaries come and go.Legends like London youth-football stalwart Geoff Taylor and the Dons’ unlicensed physio/licenced cab driver Derek French are still alive, kicking and screaming from London to Sheffield.I will always remember Jonah as the man who ripped up that patio in record timeTeetotal Vinnie is now, of course, a movie star with over 100 film credits to his name, swapping his bad-boy antics for roles in hit shows such as The Gentlemen and on stage in the West End.The fearsome image of a scrotum-squeezing maniac scything through the divisions – which earned Vinnie a reputation that overshadowed his technical ability and dedication as a player – is a black-and-white one for the ages.He will probably always be the owner of the fastest yellow card in British football history for his caution after just FIVE SECONDS for Sheffield United against Manchester City in 1992.But he is also a brilliantly relatable advocate for men’s mental health, showing a vulnerable side few people would ever have thought possible, following the heartbreaking death of wife Tanya.He may now be starring in Hollywood movies with the likes of Brad Pitt, Sly Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I will always remember Jonah as the man who ripped up that patio in record time.A future football star obliterating bricks and mortar in a frantic search for a tortoise who didn’t have a clue why her charmed little life on a Surrey lawn had suddenly descended into a living hell.Even when I pinged him a WhatsApp message to ask for his memories of the foul-up, he told me, in typical style: “Play on, son. The ref didn’t see it.”Vinnie, seen here in his breakthrough Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels film from 1998, is now a bonafide Hollywood starCredit: AlamyVinnie in his dressing room with Wally Snr during his recent stint in Only Fools and Horses The Musical in London’s West EndHis football talents should not be forgotten though, with the midfielder earning big money moves to Chelsea and Leeds, among othersCredit: GettyHe also represented Wales nine timesCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd More

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    Sven-Goran Eriksson’s former partner moves out of their home as mansion and farm are put up for sale for £1.8million

    SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON’S mansion is up for sale at a “bargain” price – and his former partner has moved out.Football went into mourning last August when the ex-England boss died from pancreatic cancer aged 76.Sven-Goran Eriksson lived in the mansion for 22 yearsCredit: AlamyEriksson bought it for £420k and ‘left his personal mark’ on itCredit: AlamyHis ex-partner Yaniseth Alcides has moved out and returned to PanamaCredit: RexNow his lakeside property on a secluded estate in Sunne, Sweden, has been made available for around £1.8million.  Meanwhile, Eriksson’s long-time girlfriend Yaniseth Alcides has returned to her native Panama.A wave of affectionate memories of the ex-Manchester City and Leicester boss swept across sport following the Swede’s death.David Beckham and Roy Hodgson were then among the mourners at Eriksson’s funeral in his home-town of Torsby, near Sunne.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLPreparations to sell his seven-bedroom home, which has a private beach, began in September.Eriksson paid £420,000 for the late-19th century home in 2002 when he was Three Lions chief and his partner was Italian lawyer Nancy Dell’Olio.Agent Sotheby’s say he has since “left his personal mark on both the interior and exterior”.The property’s value soared to £3m in the last decade, but it’s now fallen to almost half of that figure.Most read in FootballAgents believe the reduced valuation will help it sell quicklyCredit: AlamyThe home could be a great escape as it’s so secludedCredit: AlamyA sizeable poolhouse is one of the special featuresCredit: AlamyThe home, covering 835 square metres, has multiple reception rooms and a library.And it’s also as sporty as you might expect.Sven-Goran Eriksson filmed his heartbreaking final goodbye alone – and his emotional message left film crew in tearsA 250-square metre poolhouse sits outside, along with a saltwater pool, spa, sauna, jacuzzi, gym and relaxation area.There’s also a tennis court, jetty, a motorized floating platform, a sandy cove and waterside gazebos.Lawyer Anders Runebjer, who was a close friend of Eriksson’s, reportedly expects the home to sell quite easily.Swedish outlet Expressen say Runebjer believes the reduced valuation of £1.8m is more realistic for buyers.He also pointed to the freedom and natural setting offered by the property. This outbuilding is part of the land for saleCredit: AlamyTributes flowed in after the death of Eriksson last AugustCredit: Rex More

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    Man Utd star Mason Mount WINS extension battle to build golf simulator at £4million mansion – despite course NEXT DOOR

    MASON Mount has been given the green light to build a golf simulator at his £4million Cheshire mansion – despite living next door to a luxury golf resort.The Manchester United star, 25, wanted to transform his garage to make the plans work.Mason Mount has won his battle to build the golf simulator at his homeCredit: GettyThe Manchester United star had faced a possible red card from council plannersCredit: GettyBut he faced a possible red card from council planners as the proposed development threatened five nearby trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).Mount scrapped plans for the garage conversion and submitted revised plans for his six-bed new build, moving the extension 6ft away from the trees.The amended plans still show a ground floor golf simulator along with a gym, sauna, changing room and study.And Mount plans to use specially engineered foundations to avoid harming the trees’ roots.Read More FootballCouncil officials ruled the extension “on-side” after there were no objections from neighbours.A planning officer involved said: “The proposed extension is considered to appear well related to the existing property.”The proposed development is considered to be a proportionate addition.”It is therefore an appropriate form of development in the green belt.”Most read in FootballBut they added: “The view remains that the trees will cause seasonal nuisance issues for the flat roof and that pruning will be required.”Mount’s pad already comes with an array of luxury features, which include a pool room, gym and two cinemas.And the sprawling house backs on to a prestigious golf resort, providing the home with picturesque views.It comes after the midfielder limped off with a muscle problem in the first half of the Manchester derby earlier this month.He moved to Old Trafford from Chelsea in 2023 for £55million but has played just 33 of a possible 78 games in a Utd shirt.A calf injury kept him out for almost four months last season while a hamstring problem has sidelined him this campaign.Mount’s luxury pad was built just two years ago and boasts full-length windows, five bathrooms, an open plan kitchen and dining area, cinema, orangery and office.It also has a number of reception rooms, a first floor glazed balcony with decking and a second cinema in the loft.READ MORE SUN STORIESOther famous footballers who live nearby include Everton’s Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane, and Man Utd goalkeeper Tom Heaton.Mount’s representatives have been contacted for comment. More

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    World Cup winner’s £20,000 ‘gorilla’ guard dog saves Wag from burglars while she was ‘screaming for her life’

    A ‘GORILLA’ guard dog came to the rescue after robbers targeted the home of a World Cup winner and left his fiancee “screaming for her life”.Lucas Hernandez’s luxury pad was targeted by thieves while he was away on duty with Paris Saint-Germain.Lucas Hernandez’ home was targeted by robbers while he was away on Champions League duty with Paris Saint-GermainCredit: AFPHernandez’s fiancee – Victoria Triay – was in the house during the horrid ordealCredit: INSTAGRAM@VICTORIATRIAYThe couple’s eight-stone guard dog foiled the would-be robbers’ plansCredit: INSTAGRAM@VICTORIATRIAYBut thankfully for the France international, who lifted the 2018 World Cup, his £20,000 dog thwarted their grand plans for a lucrative heist.Crooks targeted the World Cup winner’s plush Yvelines home during PSG’s midweek Champions League trip to Salzburg.The robbers, somehow, managed to evade local security and break into the house.Hernandez’s fiancee, Victoria Triay, was in the house at the time and panicked after realising their home had been breached.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSBut the couple’s terrifying guard dog managed to scare off the reported five intruders before they could ransack the place.A terrified Triay hid in a secluded area of the house while the harrowing ordeal took place and was said to have been “screaming for her life.”And she revealed on Instagram how the couple’s eight-stone black Presa Canario dog, which is worth £20,000, scared off the would-be robbers.Triay shouted out her pooch for its bravery on her Instagram story a few hours after the ordeal, posting a photo of it with a series of gorilla emojis.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSVictoria Triay took to Instagram to thank French police for their help with the incidentCredit: INSTAGRAM@VICTORIATRIAYSecurity eventually arrived at the scene after being alerted of the robbery but the crooks managed to escape.French police are conducting a thorough investigation into the attempted robbery.Arsenal player ratings vs PSGAnd Brazilian model Triary has been amazed by their response to the incident.She wrote on Instagram: “Extremely impressed with the French police system.”How fast and professional this issue has been handled. Thank you so much. You guys are heroes.”Hernandez has yet to comment on the attempted break-in at his plush home.The defender and his PSG team-mates will be back in action on Sunday night, welcoming Lyon to the Parc des Prince in a massive Ligue 1 clash. More

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    Spurs star James Maddison slashes price of his £2m mansion after bizarre feature puts buyers off

    ENGLAND star James Maddison has slashed £200k of the asking price for his mansion – after buyers were put off by his initials being printed onto the football pitch.The Spurs midfielder has ‘JM10’ etched into the centre circle at his four-bed luxury home in the Midlands – his initials and shirt number.James Maddison has dropped £200k of the asking price for his modern mansionCredit: Jam Press/ FHP LivingThe house comes with a swimming pool and its own football pitchCredit: Jam Press/ FHP LivingMaddison was told by agents to drop the asking price over concerns that the astroturf eyesore could put buyers offCredit: GettyBut agents have told the maestro to cut his asking price after feedback would-be buyers were unimpressed by the reminder of Madder quitting Leicester in a £40m deal.The multi-million pound house, in Nottinghamshire, features a 5G pitch with goalposts next to the outdoor heated pool and is now on the market.And one local said: “It’s a great property if you’re a football fan and want a kickabout every day – but not everybody is.”The kind of person who has millions to spend on a house probably isn’t going to want a big astroturf pitch, especially a personalised James Maddison one.read more on james maddison”To have that ripped up and replaced would cost an awful lot of money, which is apparently why the house hasn’t sold yet.”It is a large space and would make a really nice lawn, but if you are already spending that much I guess you don’t have to spend thousands more on landscaping.”However, the house is still a stunning place and I don’t think it will be too long before it’s snapped up by someone, particularly if James keeps dropping the price.”Although maybe a Spurs fan will come along and be happy to pay full price and keep it as it is. I suppose it would be pretty good to play on the pitch where he honed his skills.”Most read in FootballThe price-cut is almost the average house price of a property in the region – but just a fraction over Maddison’s £170,000-per-week salary.Described by estate agents as a “beautiful Grand Designs-style home”, the property boasts a gym, bar, and games room – where Maddison displayed an impressive collection of pros’ football shirts.Speaking about the set-up previously, Maddison said: “I think if you look around and you see the garden, it’s everything that I probably would’ve dreamed of having as a young boy.”Maddison, 28, has posted videos of the pitch on his Instagram profile in the past, with girlfriend Alexa Kennedy seen taking a series of penalties.Anyone hoping to buy the 4,000 square foot property via a mortgage would face eye-watering repayments of around £14,000 per month.The football pitch could be a hit with football fans and kids who enjoy a kick aboutCredit: Jam Press/ FHP LivingThe house lets in plenty of natural light and is filled with modern twistsCredit: Jam Press/ FHP LivingThe kitchen diner is lit by decadent chandeliers and has marble flooringCredit: Jam Press/ FHP LivingThe owners of the new home would have their own heated pool and fire pitCredit: Jam Press/ FHP Living More

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    Serial burglar who forced Raheem Sterling to quit World Cup after robbing his mansion is jailed for 13 years

    A BURGLAR who broke into Raheem Sterling’s mansion forcing him to fly home from the World Cup has been jailed.Emiliano Krosi, 24, carried out 33 burglaries, including the raid on the England star’s home on December 3, 2022.Emiliano Krosi who carried out 33 burglaries has been jailedCredit: Hyde News & PicturesKrosi broke into Raheem Sterling’s mansion forcing him to fly home from the World CupCredit: GettyHe was part of a gang that used a ladder in the rear garden to climb through Arsenal ace Sterling’s bedroom window and steal ten of his Rolex watches.An estimated £300,000 of designer gear was taken from the footballer’s £7million home in Oxshott, Surrey.Albanian Krosi, who travelled illegally to the UK in the back of a lorry, previously admitted to being involved in 15 of the burglaries. But yesterday at Guilford crown court Judge Catherine Hartley ruled he was involved in the remaining 18 break-ins.read more on footballShe sentenced him to a total of 12 years and ten months in prison.She said: “You are a dishonest and greedy man who willingly and enthusiastically took part in what was a familial, criminal gang.“Your greed and your criminality has resulted in a huge toll of human misery.”His offending took place while on bail after being caught with cocaine and cannabis on a train from London Euston to Coventry.Most read in FootballKrosi, from Southend, Essex, was sentenced to 19 months for possession with intent to supply which will run consecutively to the ­sentence for burglary.Surrey Police continue to hunt for his dad Alfred Isufi, 48, uncle Henri Osman, 44, and 22-year-old cousin ­Gerard Kalaja, who are all believed to have fled the UK.Newcastle’s £100m striker Alexander Isak’s mansion hit by gang of robbers in latest raid on Prem aces’ homesThey are suspected of being part of the gang which raided houses across the Home Counties from November 2022 to March 2023.Other victims included ex-Crystal Palace player Scott Dann and Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, whose home was targeted days before his then team-mate Sterling’s.PC Katherine Stevens, from Surrey Police, said: “Krosi was extremely methodical and organised in his targeting of homes, with the sole aim to make as much money as possible off the back of other people.”Ex-Crystal Palace player Scott Dann was also targetedCredit: Getty More

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    Andy Carroll puts £8.5m mansion up for sale amid fury from wife Billi Mucklow as he moves on with new love

    FOOTIE’S Andy Carroll has put his £8.5million house up for sale amid fury from estranged wife Billi Mucklow.Billi, 36, has told pals she does not want him turning up unannounced since he moved out.Andy Carroll has put his £8.5million house up for sale amid fury from estranged wife Billi MucklowCredit: GettyAndy has moved on with celebrity make-up artist Lou TeasdaleShe is also angry at how he has moved on with celebrity make-up artist Lou Teasdale, 42 — and feels he is flaunting their romance.Carroll, now with French side Bordeaux, bought the six-bed house in Essex from singer Sir Rod Stewart five years ago for £4.1million.A source said: “Billi has been left hurt and blind-sided that Andy appears to have moved on so quickly with Lou. It feels very public and embarrassing, especially as they only split in summer.“Billi has a close-knit family and they have been left livid with Andy over his lack of loyalty, but are rallying around her to support her.Read More on Sport“Billi wants to cut ties but she doesn’t like the idea that Andy can come and go as he pleases.”She realises the house is part of their divorce discussions, but she doesn’t want him turning up unannounced, particularly with his new girlfriend.”The house is set in 25 acres and boasts a pool, tennis court, boating lake and football pitch. We told how the couple, who have three children aged nine, six, and four, had split in September. Most read in FootballHe was pictured with Lou soon after.  Ex-Liverpool, Newcastle and England striker Carroll got engaged to Billi in 2014 and they married in 2022.Billi’s fury over Carroll’s girlThe wedding was almost called off after a picture emerged of him passed out in bed with two women on his stag do.Billi forgave him when one of the women insisted nothing sexual happened. More