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      Inside the former Premier League stadium converted into stunning flats worth almost half a BILLION pounds

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      ARSENAL’S former Highbury home hosted its final match in 2006.As the Highbury Countdown Clock finally ticked down to zero, it was time for the Gunners to up sticks to the nearby, newly-built Emirates Stadium.
      Arsenal played their final game at Highbury in May 2006Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Highbury Square now features 650 stunning flatsCredit: Alamy
      Gardens now lie where the Highbury pitch used to beCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The Gunners moved a short walk away to Emirates StadiumCredit: Alamy
      Following Arsenal’s departure, work began on developing their former home, where they had played since their 11-mile move from Woolwich in 1913, into flats.
      Highbury had been designed by formidable late architect Archibald Leitch, the remarkable visionary behind the likes of Old Trafford, Anfield, White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge – among countless other stadiums across Britain.
      The North Bank and Clock End were knocked down upon Arsenal’s exit – but as Grade II listed buildings, the old East and West Stands remained.
      This led to them being incorporated into the design for Highbury Square, the apartment complex that now sits where Arsenal’s home used to.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      Over the three years following Arsenal’s final match there, Highbury Square was transformed into 650 stunning flats.
      They vary in price between around £400k and £800k – with the total value of all 650 flats in the region of a half a billion.

      While no longer the home of the Gunners, Highbury Square retains plenty of nods to its famous past.
      The East and West Stands exteriors still proudly remain, looming over the site while still adorned by Arsenal’s crest and colours.
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      Arsene Wenger opens the new apartment complex in 2009… with the bust of Herbert Chapman still in tact behind himCredit: Getty
      Late former Arsenal boss Bertie Mee stands in front of the same Herbert Chapman bust in 1970Credit: Getty
      The exterior of Arsenal’s old East Stand remains in tact to this dayCredit: Getty
      Arsenal’s former East Stand still stands proudCredit: Getty
      Fans can still walk past the entrance to the old West StandCredit: Getty
      A bust of former Gunners manager Herbert Chapman remains in the same marble corridors, while the players’ tunnel is also intact.
      The pitch is long gone, but has been replaced by gardens – a perfect place for any Gooner resident to sit and reminisce on times gone by.
      Arsene Wenger returned to the site while still Arsenal boss in 2009, officially opening the flats for business.
      Residents are treated to plush, comfortable apartments – as well as underground parking, 24-hour security and an on-site gym.
      Many of the flats also possess sprawling balconies facing inward… looking out on to where the Highbury pitch used to be.
      They are also largely open plan, providing modern designs and a spacious feel.
      Back in 2020, Wenger admitted to beIN Sports that Arsenal “left their soul” at Highbury.
      He said: “You are always in a position when you are a football club to move forward or stay in the past.
      Read More on The Sun
      “To compete with the other clubs, we had to build a new stadium. The rules had changed.
      “We wanted to create the same as Highbury but we left our soul at Highbury. We could never recreate exactly. We didn’t find exactly the same atmosphere.”
      Arsenal’s old East and West Stands were incorporated into the designCredit: Getty
      Highbury Square featured plenty of spaces to relaxCredit: Getty
      Balconies look out onto where the pitch used to beCredit: Getty
      Highbury Square still retains an Arsenal feelCredit: Alamy More

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      Tyson Fury gets green light for multi-million pound Grand Designs-style renovation after planning row

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      HEAVYWEIGHT champ Tyson Fury has been given the green light to extensively renovate his new Grand Designs-style pad.The Gypsy King bought the eight-bed mansion in Cheshire last year for an unknown price.
      Tyson Fury has been given the green light to extensively renovate his new Grand Designs-style padCredit: Getty
      The Gypsy King bought the eight-bed mansion in Cheshire last year for an unknown price
      He then applied to have it demolished in order to replace it with a modern mansion complete with a new pool.
      But a nature report spotted two species of bats nesting in the property’s loft meaning Fury would have have had to secure a special licence.
      This would have involved putting bat boxes in nearby trees for the common and soprano pipistrelles, but the 34-year-old changed tack.
      Fury then reapplied to extensively modernise the dilapidated building and outhouses, which are currently in place.
      Read More on Tyson Fury
      The home needs a big overhaul as Google Maps currently shows it looking like a dumping ground for used cars.
      Waste and scrubland on the plot is strewn with litter.
      Tyson and wife Paris plan to renovate the basement, add on two side extensions and an eight-metre rear extension.
      Meanwhile a new building will house a four-car garage, swimming pool and other ‘leisure facilities’ including a hot tub.
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      And the basement will feature a music room, games room, garden room and home cinema.
      In a design statement, Fury’s planning agent said the facilities were “incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house”.
      The Furys, a family of eight, currently live in a £1.7 million mansion in Morecambe.
      But the new Styal house is closer to brother Tommy and Love Island girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague, who live nearby in a £3.5m mansion with new baby Bambi. 
      Tyson and wife Paris plan to renovate the basement, add on two side extensions and an eight-metre rear extension
      Common and soprano pipistrelle bats were found on-site at Fury’s new homeCredit: Alamy More

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      We live INSIDE famous entrance to Luton Town stadium – footballs smash our windows but there are surprising perks

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      STROLLING along Oak Road in Luton, the row of Victorian red brick terraced houses feel just like any other street.But halfway down the road, homes have effectively been cut in half to make way for two entrances to the town’s football ground, Kenilworth Road.
      The entrance to Luton Town FC’s ground, Kenilworth Road, is cut into a row of terraced housesCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Abdul Ali lives right next to the entrance for home fans at the groundCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Home to Luton Town FC – which is on the cusp of entering the Premier League next season – the ground was built in 1905 and is one of the most unique in the football league.
      Visiting fans climb bright blue metal staircases perched above resident’s gardens to access the away stand, while patios from adjacent houses back onto the stadium.
      Currently third in the Championship, Luton Town stands a strong chance of making it to the play-offs for promotion.
      If successful, the club will be handed an estimated £10million bill to upgrade its long-standing ground.

      For locals who live on the street, the thought of the team moving to a new ground throws up mixed feelings.
      Abdul Ali’s family home is metres away from the entrance and backs onto the ground.

      “I’ve lived here my whole life,” he tells The Sun. “Until about seven years ago it was really easy to see into the stadium.
      “We used to have footballs smashing our window every so often when they accidentally got kicked out when teams tried to score.
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      The stand entrance has been cut into a row of Victorian terrace housesCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Stairs lead up to the Oak Stand, running above residents’ gardensCredit: Getty
      “It was kind of annoying at the time, it used to drive my dad mad.
      “We complained and complained and the club finally put up netting and some corrugated iron to stop it.
      “It means that my view of the pitch is gone unless I jump up and down on my bed. Then I can see a little bit of the grass, but not enough to watch the game.”
      On match days, Abdul says there is always a sea of police on the street – which, he adds, comes with an unusual perk.
      We used to have footballs smashing our window every so often when they accidentally got kicked out when teams tried to score… it drove my dad madAbdul Ali, Oak Road resident
      “I went out during Sunday’s game to get some food and then police escorted me back to my house,” he says.
      “It’s kind of cool being escorted home.”
      One of the unique entrances on Oak Road provides access to The Bobbers’ Club – part of the Luton Town football ground for 89 years.
      On leaving the street – where house prices cost an average of £222,500 – fans are led down a small alleyway before they clamber the iron stairs to a terrace leading onto the Oak Stand.
      Stray balls
      Anu’s garden is directly next to the stairs leading the seats for away fansCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Rear gardens back onto the stadiumCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Mum-of-four Anu’s garden runs beneath the terrace, and she tells us stray footballs often end up landing in it.
      “They’ve only ever asked for the ball back once,” she admits. “We’ve kept the others.”
      Anu, 52, says local families in the area used to get complimentary passes to matches from the club, but that’s not happened since Covid.
      “We used to get a family ticket to go in the summer which was nice,” she says.
      “We’d go and see a match against one of the smaller teams. It was good to get in the ground.
      “My son’s bedroom in the attic enables him to see a bit of the ground so he can sometimes see the games.”
      My son’s bedroom in the attic enables him to see a bit of the ground so he can sometimes see the gamesAnu, local mum-of-four
      Anu’s neighbour LeeLee says she loves the buzz of match days, adding: “It makes me feel alive. I love it.
      “It keeps things interesting around here. I rarely have any problems with the fans.”
      Sadly Anu doesn’t share her enthusiasm.
      She claims she’s fed up of hooligans chucking rubbish from the steps into her garden as they come and go.
      “Last week my house was egged by fans, they leave cans and bottles in front of my house,” she tells us.
      “They spray alcohol on to mine and my neighbour’s windows and drop litter from the stairs as they go into the stands.”
      ‘I’ll never leave’
      Residents say some fans can be disruptive and cause problems on game daysCredit: Getty
      Many families living on Oak Road have grown up in the area and are lifelong fans of the club.
      Joumna’s childhood home backed on to the stadium and she’s since moved into her own property across the road.
      The 49-year-old admits she’s noticed fan behaviour has changed over the years, adding: “I remember as a child we didn’t have as many problems.
      “Now, whichever team loses, the fans are shouting and swearing. It’s a shame.”
      She adds: “The stadium is alright with me. I was born on this road and I’ll probably never leave.
      “It was fine when I lived overlooking it. We never had any issues.”
      Driven to despair
      Resident Amanpreet is fed up of having to move her car to accommodate match goersCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Residents are required to move their cars on match daysCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      But there is one issue that drives all residents up the wall – parking.
      Everyone who keeps a car on the street – a permit for which costs £60 a year – has to move it off Oak Road on game days or it will be seized.
      “Parking is such a problem around here,” resident Amanpreet, 34, tells us.
      “The stadium is a problem now because it attracts so many people. We have to move our car on match days but finding a space can be hard.”
      Fellow resident Malik, a 37-year-old customer services worker, shares her frustration.
      He claims he wouldn’t have bought a house if he’d realised how disruptive the road closures would be.
      Malik says he wouldn’t have bought a house on the road if he’d realised how disruptive the road closures would beCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      “I’m not happy because I pay to park my car on this road and I have to move it regularly,” he says.
      “If the game is at 5pm we have to move the car at around 10am. It’s really difficult with two young kids – it’s frustrating.”
      Another local, Khuram, 38, adds: “The parking issue is a struggle.
      “I have two young kids and walking them several streets over to the car on match days between fans is stressful.
      Read More on The Sun
      “There are lots of police on match days which is good, but we often have to show that we live here to get through at the end of the road.
      “The only time I have an issue with the stadium is match days because it’s disruptive.”
      Luton Town are on the cusp of moving up into the Premier League, which would mean all changeCredit: GOOGLE EARTH More

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      Man Utd target Jurrien Timber’s girlfriend sparks talk of shock transfer to Premier League rivals by ‘house-hunting’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED reportedly look set for transfer disappointment as Liverpool close in on a move for Ajax’s Jurrien Timber – with the star’s girlfriend house-hunting on Merseyside.The Holland centre-back shone at the World Cup finals, where he played alongside Reds and national captain Virgil van Dijk.
      Liverpool appear to be leading the chase for Jurrien TimberCredit: Getty
      Timber, 21, has won two Eredivisie titles and a Dutch FA Cup in the past two seasons with Ajax.
      Manchester United wanted to sign Timber last summer, but saw their pursuit fall flat as he signed a contract extension.
      However, the 21-year-old recently indicated that he may leave the Dutch champions with the Red Devils still keen.
      But Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp has set his sights on the Utrecht-born ace – and Timber is tempted by the potential move, says Voetbal.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      Ajax will seek around £50million for the versatile defender, who can also operate at right-back and is under contract until 2025.
      He has made 41 appearances for the Amsterdam club this season, but is eager to leave with Ajax eight points behind leaders and arch-rivals Feyenoord.
      Experts discussed Timber’s future on Dutch TV show Veronica Offside on Monday night.
      Presenter Wilfred Genee insisted: “It appears that Timber’s girlfriend is looking for a house in Liverpool.
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      “He is also very preoccupied with it, so he will probably make a quick departure.”
      Ex-Ajax and Everton winger Andy van der Meyde said: “You can sometimes see now when he’s on the pitch that he is thinking: ‘If only I’d left sooner!’ ”
      And Holland great Wesley Sneijder added: “Timber is a bright lad, and a genuinely good defender.”
      However ex-Real Madrid playmaker Sneijder warned: “He will lose every aerial battle against the ‘wardrobes’ in the Premier League.
      “That will be his downfall. Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez is also short, but he comes out on top everywhere.”
      Timber has won 15 caps, and helped Holland reach the World Cup quarter-finals last December. More

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      Inside Welsh village of Marford where Ryan Reynolds is set to make his home after buying ‘poshest house on the road’

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      ITs top tourist attraction is a volunteer-run forest on the site of a former quarry.But the sleepy village of Marford on the Wales-England border will soon welcome Hollywood royalty when an A-list couple moves in.
      Marford on the Wales-England border is known for its gothic architectureCredit: Alamy
      Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham FC’s stadium The Racecourse GroundCredit: Instagram
      Ryan Reynolds has bought a £1.5million pad in the area – just five miles from Wrexham – after snapping up the town’s football club.
      The Deadpool star, 46 – a local hero after pumping some much-needed cash into the team – now owns a four-bed property near the Racecourse Ground.
      It is in stark contrast to the luxe £4.3m home in New York where he lives with wife Blake Lively, 35, and their kids.
      A source said: “Ryan is moving to Marford and it’s all the locals can talk about. His house is on the poshest road.
      READ MORE ON RYAN REYNOLDS
      “The most famous person from Marford is Tim Vincent from Blue Peter, so a Hollywood star is a step up!
      “It might not be the Big Apple but the red carpet will be rolled out when Ryan comes to town.”
      Ryan bought ailing Wrexham with pal and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney, 45, in November 2020.
      The pair have spent £10m on the club as it bids for promotion to the Football League.
      Most read in Football
      And it appears Ryan is more committed than ever to the second-in-the-table fifth-tier team as he looks to make his Welsh roots more permanent.
      If he chooses to stick around, Ryan can enjoy the community-run Maes y Pant nature reserve, which covers about 70 acres of land and is listed as the number one thing to do in town on Tripadvisor.
      There are scores of footpaths and mountain bike trails on what was once Marford Quarry, which provided materials for the construction of the Mersey Tunnel in 1927.
      Also on the must-see list is All Saints in Gresford – a late 15th century church which is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales and described by visitors as a “hidden gem”.
      Several four-star pubs including the Trevor Arms, the Red Lion and The Crown are also seemingly worth checking out.
      Asked about the prospect of having celebrity customers, Mafuz Malik, manager of the Red Lion, said: “We are very excited.
      “I’ve seen Ryan and Blake about in the area already but they haven’t come into the pub yet.
      “We hope to see more of them. Time will tell.”
      ‘WE ARE VERY EXCITED’
      But he did say he thought a £1.5m home seemed rather modest for the couple, who together are said to be worth a combined £161m.
      Mafuz added: “I have a holiday home worth £1m. It’s not unusual in the area.
      “I would have thought they would have picked somewhere costing £2.5m or £3m.”
      Marford itself has a population of about 7,500 people and covers some 750 acres.
      Its known for its quaint-looking gothic cottages, Grade II-listed buildings and stunning countryside.
      There are next to no shops in the village itself, with residents and visitors more frequently travelling to nearby Gresford and Rossett.
      Maps show there is a Co-op, a car dealership and an ice cream parlour, but little else.
      The average house price in the area over the last year was £479,000, according to Rightmove.
      The most expensive property currently listed on the site is a four-bedroom detached home for £999,000.
      Marford has an almost non-existent crime rate, with just 10 street level incidents reported in January 2023, iLiveHere reports.

      These were theft, violent crime, public order and shoplifting offences.
      This compares to 12 in nearby Broadoak, 22 in Gresford, 220 in Borras and 224 in Garden Village.
      Wrexham FC owner Ryan waves to crowds after a match in JanuaryCredit: Getty
      The local Co-Op store in MarfordCredit: Google
      Ryan and Blake with daughters James and Ines in 2016Credit: Getty
      The Red Lion pub, where the manager is ‘very excited’ about the prospect of celebrity customersCredit: Google
      Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan watch a game with BlakeCredit: Getty
      The happy couple snap a selfie before a Vanarama National League matchCredit: Getty
      Ryan has bought a four-bedroom house in MarfordCredit: Getty
      A source said: ‘The most famous person from Marford is Tim Vincent from Blue Peter’Credit: Rex Features More

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      Ryan Reynolds buying house in Welsh village of Marford as he pledges future to Wrexham FC

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      ACTOR Ryan Reynolds has bought a £1.5million pad near Wrexham after snapping up the town’s football club.The Deadpool star, 46 — a local hero after pumping cash into the team — now owns a four-bed property in a small village five miles from the ground.
      Ryan Reynolds, pictured with wife Blake Lively, has bought a £1.5million pad near Wrexham FCCredit: Instagram
      The Wrexham owner has a four-bed property in a small village five miles from the groundCredit: AFP
      It is in stark contrast to the £4.3million home in New York where he lives with wife Blake Lively, 35, and their kids.
      A source said: “Ryan is moving to Marford and it’s all the locals can talk about. His house is on the poshest road.
      “The most famous person from Marford is Tim Vincent from Blue Peter, so a Hollywood star is a step up!
      “It might not be the Big Apple but the red carpet will be rolled out when Ryan comes to town.”
      READ MORE ON RYAN REYNOLDS
      Ryan bought ailing Wrexham with Hollywood actor pal Rob McElhenney, 45, in November 2020.
      The pair have spent £10million on the club as it bids for promotion to the Football League.
      Ryan will watch Wrexham play Notts County at his club’s Racecourse Ground today in a table-topping clash.
      The red lion pub in Marford, Wales More

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      World Champion boxer Tyson Fury reveals surprising career switch

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      TYSON Fury is hoping to become a knock-out as a property tycoon — by starting a firm to buy, sell and lease real estate.The world heavyweight champion boxer, 34, is ­taking a leaf out the book of his aunt Maureen who owns travellers’ caravan sites across the country.
      Our mock up of property magnate Tyson
      World Champion boxer Tyson Fury is making a surprising career moveCredit: Getty
      Dad-of-six Tyson, known as The Gypsy King, will run Greenway Balmoral Ltd from his £500,000, six-bedroom former home in seaside town Morecambe, Lancs — the HQ for all his businesses.
      He and wife Paris, 33, live in a £1.7million mansion nearby — but Tyson launched his new career by buying a house close to that of brother, Tommy, 23, and the fellow boxer’s girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague, also 23.
      His plan to flatten the Cheshire home and build a six-bed with a pool were thwarted by roosting bats.
      Tyson now plans to extend the original building. It is not clear if he aims to make it his main home or sell it.
      Read More on Tyson Fury
      It is believed patriotic Tyson may have named his new firm in tribute to the Queen, who died at her Balmoral estate in September.
      He and Paris laid flowers at Buckingham Palace with a card reading: “Great may your bed be in Heaven”.
      His auntie Maureen, who won permission for a 100-mobile home site in 2018, runs her property empire through Fury Developments Ltd. More

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      Conor Benn’s wife Victoria reveals horror after thief breaks in while she was at home with baby son

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      BOXER Conor Benn’s wife has spoken of her terror after an intruder broke in while she was at home with their toddler.Victoria Benn was home alone with her two-year-old son Eli when she went to investigate a noise and saw a man stood on the stairs.
      Victoria told how her home was broken into while alone with son EliCredit: INSTAGRAM/CONOR BENN
      Boxer husband Conor was out of the house at the timeCredit: Getty
      The mum, married to welterweight champ Conor, said the robber left empty-handed and thankfully neither she or Eli were hurt.
      Describing the horror on her YouTube channel, Victoria said she was eating her dinner on Sunday evening when she heard a noise.
      The mum added: “I thought ‘There’s no way that could have been a breeze’.
      “I walked out to the hallway and I found a man on the stairs, it was probably the most scariest thing that has ever happened to me.”
      Read more on Conor Benn
      Victoria explained she “lost it” after finding the intruder and began “screaming and swearing at him”.
      The mum said: “I cannot explain the feeling that took over me, it makes me want to be sick.
      “When you’re going towards that noise and then seeing someone in your house.”
      She said her phone was charging in the bedroom so she couldn’t get help straightaway as she did not want to leave Eli alone.
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      Eventually she managed to raise the alarm with her neighbours and the man left without taking anything.
      Victoria believes the thief was watching the house as Conor – son of ring legend Nigel Benn – had left 30 minutes before he broke in.
      She has slammed the “disgusting” robber for their “audacity” at targeting her while she was home alone.
      But she thanked Essex Police for their help since the break-in and confirmed there is now extra security at their home.
      Victoria added: “How horrible it is to know your house broken into. When I’m now home alone without Conor it’s not a nice feeling at all and it made me feel very vulnerable.
      “Now I have that fear when I’m home alone with Eli that anything can happen. To go through that was honestly the most scariest moment of my life.”
      It comes after Conor revealed this month he wanted to kill himself after being accused of taking a banned testosterone-boosting drug
      The boxer told Piers Morgan that he suffered night terrors and panic attacks in the wake of the drugs tests last autumn.
      And in Piers Morgan Uncensored, Benn also revealed he wants to sue British boxing’s governing body for loss of earnings and damage to his reputation.
      Read More on The Sun
      Victoria said she confronted the robber after hearing a noiseCredit: PA
      She said he left empty-handedCredit: INSTAGRAM/CONOR BENN
      Benn has been accused of taking banned drugsCredit: Getty More