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      Cristiano Ronaldo desperately hunts £4,500-a-month in-house sushi chef after setting up special area to prepare delicacy

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO is struggling in his hunt for a £4,500-a-month sushi chef for his “forever home”, according to reports.The star is planning for life after football and is getting his £17m mansion in Portugal ready for when he retires.
      CGI images give an insight into what Ronaldo’s mansion will look like when finished
      The luxury Palace will cost £17m and is expected to be completed by June
      Ronaldo has secured a big money move to Saudi Arabia after signing a £173m-a-year dealCredit: Reuters
      The lavish palace is expected to be ready by June but filling job vacancies has not been straightforward.
      The Mail report that Ronaldo has faced difficulty in recruiting an in-house chef to meet his family’s needs.
      The cook will need to be able to prepare multiple cuisines, which is reportedly part of the issue.
      Ronaldo and his glamorous girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, are believed to want a chef who can cook both traditional Portuguese dishes and international grub like sushi.
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      The 37-year-old is reported as having set up a dedicated area for any chef able to prepare the Japanese delicacy.
      The role is available for £4,500 a month, which is £54k a year.
      Other roles up for grabs in the new home include that of a butler, paid just over £57,600 a year.
      Graphics of the house gives an insight into just how stunning and huge Ronaldo’s new home is.
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      The residence in Quinta da Marinha appears to have multiple stories and several rooms, and is believed to be the place Ronaldo plans on living with his family after retirement.
      It may be some time before the Portuguese international officially moves into the mansion with the star arriving at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in recent weeks.
      But he will still be living the life of luxury while in the Middle East with the star reportedly staying at a lavish suite at Riyadh’s Four Seasons hotel.
      Glorious CGI images show the incredible home Ronaldo is building More

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      in Soccer

      PSG set to sensationally LEAVE Parc de Princes after row with Paris mayor about sale of stadium

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      PSG could be set to leave their home stadium after a row with the Mayor of Paris.The Parc de Princes has been Paris Saint-Germain’s home since 1974.
      The Parc de Princes has been the stage for many of PSG’s most recent successesCredit: AFP
      The stunning arena, which can hold almost 48,000 fans, is not owned by the club and instead owned by the city of Paris.
      But this has led to conflict with PSG wanting to buy their stadium, which they have pumped money into renovating since their 2011 takeover but they claim is still in need of renovation.
      But Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has publicly rejected any approach for the stadium, sparking a war of words and speculation that PSG could be on the move.
      Quoted by ESPN, Hidalgo reportedly told the Le Parisien newspaper: “We have a very clear position. The Parc des Princes is not for sale, and it will not be sold.
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      “This is a firm and definitive position. It is an exceptional heritage for Parisians.”
      PSG made their feelings clear in a statement responding to the mayor.
      A club spokesperson said: “It is surprising and disappointing to hear that the mayor of Paris is taking a position which, effectively, will force PSG, our fans and communities away from the Parc des Princes while also, quite remarkably, adding tens of millions of Euros to the taxpayer burden to maintain the structure of the building, which is now 50 years old and in need of renovation.”
      The club are reportedly reluctant to invest further in a stadium they don’t own, and they suggested they will now need to look elsewhere.
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      The spokesperson added: “It is regrettable that the Mayor is now suddenly foreclosing – definitively – the sale discussions we’ve been having for a long time, with the club now sadly forced to advance alternative options for our home, which is not the outcome the club or our fans were hoping for.”
      PSG are one of the world’s richest clubs and funding for a new ground is not expected to be a problem for the Qatari ownership.
      PSG have spent the last decade dominating French football at the Parc de Princes and have won eight of the last 10 league titles.
      If they were to win Ligue 1 again this year, it would pull the club one clear of Marseille and Saint-Etienne in terms of overall titles. All three clubs currently have 10 championships to their name. More

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      I forgot I owned house & spent £25k on bar bill – now I know reason why, says bankrupt footie star Jermaine Pennant

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      BANKRUPT ex-footie star Jermaine Pennant has told how he lost his career earnings of more than £10million — and got in such a mess he even forgot he owned a house.The former Liverpool winger splashed out on a fleet of supercars, homes, five-star holidays abroad and once paid a £25,000 bar bill on a lads’ break in Las Vegas. 
      Bankrupt ex-footie star Jermaine Pennant, with girlfriend Jess Impiazzi, has told how he lost his career earnings of more than £10millionCredit: Simon Jones
      Wonderkid Jermaine was at Arsenal at 15 – but says he was left without any real educationCredit: Getty
      While playing for Birmingham, Jermaine was jailed for drink-driving after crashing a Mercedes — when already banned for the same offenceCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But the 39-year-old, who describes himself as “financially illiterate”, also blew a fortune on bad investments and fell prey to hangers-on he says targeted him.
      And he went on to lose three houses and more money through a divorce and bankruptcy,
      He said: “In all honesty, I could have been a billionaire and still f***ed it up.
      “I have made so many mistakes but I did not know how to deal with things and would not think of the consequences of my actions.
      READ MORE ON JERMAINE PENNANT
      “I have been labelled a bad-boy but, in reality, I was just an insecure kid who did not know what he was doing.”
      Pennant revealed he was diagnosed last year with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and PTSD linked to childhood trauma.
      His ADHD meant he once forgot he owned a house in Cheshire after moving from Liverpool to Spanish side Real Zaragoza — although he was still paying the interest-only mortgage on it.
      He bought the six-bedroom home in Hale for £1.2million on the advice of a fixer.
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      When he moved to Spain he left it empty — but it was later occupied by a drugs gang who caused a fire at the property.
      Pennant — now a footie pundit on talkSPORT — admitted: ☻“I bought houses but never spoke to an estate agent and had mortgages that I did not know about.
      “I took bad advice from bad people and just lived day to day.
      “There was a fixer who arranged things for me — but now I realise he swindled me out of money.
      “He advised me to buy the house in Hale for well over the odds and then to do a load of building work on it. But I wasn’t paying the builders, I was paying him.
      “That sort of thing happened to me wherever I went.
      “I would also go out and spend money on tables at nightclubs and not worry about it.
      “We did two trips to Las Vegas; and on the first one I picked up a bar bill of $30,000 (£25,000) for my mates — I did not even know what was being ordered.
      “I invested in horses and properties and have lost all the money.
      “I dread to think what the total would be but I guess it would be more than £10million.”
      Years of financial misjudgments and mistakes eventually caught up with the ex-Premier League star.
      The tipping point came when the taxman hit him with a bill for more than £1million in 2018.
      He was declared bankrupt at the start of this year with debts of more than £1million.
      Pennant, who starred on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, said: “The bankruptcy did not happen overnight. It came from years of bad decisions and ignoring things.
      “We disputed the tax bill and I still do not know what it is for.
      “But that is the thing that led to the bankruptcy more than anything else. I had no idea what I was earning and what was coming out of my account.
      “Because of my ADHD, I would just ignore things and bury my head in the sand, even forgetting I owned a house.”
       But Pennant, who lives with actress girlfriend Jess Impiazzi, 33, in Surrey, insisted he was “happier than ever” after his bankruptcy and looking to the future.
      He continued: “It is not an ideal situation being made bankrupt — but it means I can rebuild my life and make a fresh start.”
      He said he regretted his past behaviour and urged young players not to make the same mistakes as he did, but to take sound advice and avoid the pitfalls of fame.
      Pennant, who has a 12-year-old son by an ex and was married to model Alice Goodwin from 2014 to 2020, once owned motors including a Ferrari F430, an Aston Martin DB9, a Lamborghini, a Porsche GTS and several Range Rovers. 
      He enjoyed luxury holidays at destinations including the Maldives, Bahamas, Seychelles and Dubai.
      The Nottingham-born ace’s career took off when Arsenal signed him from Notts County when he was 15. 
      He scored a hat-trick on his full Premier League debut for the Gunners aged 20 — but he later admitted he was hungover after going out the night before the match as he did not expect to be picked.
      But despite a promising start, he was shipped out on loan to various clubs before joining Birmingham City in 2005.
      While at the Blues, he was jailed for drink-driving after crashing a Mercedes into a lamppost — when he was already banned from the road for the same offence. But Birmingham stuck by him, and Pennant revealed manager Steve Bruce, whom team-mates dubbed his “stepdad”, visited him in category A Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes as he served his sentence.
      After his release, he played with an electronic tag fitted to his ankle.
      He earned a big-money move to Liverpool where he played a key role in their run to the 2007 Champions League final, which they lost to AC Milan.
      After falling foul of boss Rafa Benitez, he joined Real Zaragoza on wages of £80,000 a week but only stayed at the club for a year.
      Pennant, who earned £30,000 a week at Liverpool, again hit headlines when he left his Porsche at a rail station in Spain for a month because he forgot about it.
      The England under-21 star then joined Stoke City. Spells at Wolves, FC Pune City in India, Wigan Athletic, Singapore side Tampines Rovers and Bury followed — before he ended his career at non-league Billericay Town in 2017.
      Pennant, who starred on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, said: ‘The bankruptcy did not happen overnight. It came from years of bad decisions and ignoring things’Credit: Rex Features
      Despite a promising start with Arsenal, Jermaine was shipped out on loan to various clubs before joining Birmingham City in 2005Credit: Jamie McPhilimey
      The former Premier League ace ended his career at non-league Billericay Town in 2017Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      He explained: “I came from a rough council estate and became a ‘wonderkid’ when I was 15. I had no education really and knew nothing about finances and money.
      “No one at Arsenal helped me — they just stuck me in digs with a family. I would go training, go home and then be left to my own devices and hangers-on.
      “I developed an ego and had no self-worth so tried to gain it by showing I had money.”
      He admitted his biggest regret was his drink-driving conviction, which led to him being locked up alongside murderers and terrorists.
      Pennant also said he regrets revealing in his 2018 autobiography that he and former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, 42, had threesomes with girls.
      He said: “The thing I am most ashamed of is the drink-driving.
      “I also regret what I said in the book — and regret writing it. It was another case of taking bad advice, and of not thinking of the consequences because of ADHD.
      “My agent Sky Andrew suffered during these periods because he was trying to make me listen to good advice but I was on the fast train to destruction”.
      “I thought everything would be OK but Ashley was not happy although we are still friends now.
      “I also regret going on Big Brother and don’t think that was a great decision for me.”
      He added: “I would do things without discussing it with anyone, I would hide stuff from my agent who was constantly getting me out of trouble.
      “Maybe the fact that Sky kept finding a way sort things out helped me think I was invincible.”
      Read More on The Sun
      However, Pennant will this year be seen on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins alongside ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
      He concluded: “If I could say one thing to young players, it would be: Make sure you get help, good advice and are surrounded by decent people.” More

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      Inside luxury life of Richard Rufus who bought £3M mansion and luxury cars before being jailed over £8million scam

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      FOOTBALL star Richard Rufus lived a life of luxury by scamming families and friends out of millions. The former Charlton Athletic centre-back, 49, used their money to buy a flash Bentley, Rolex and mansion.
      Richard Rufus scammed friends and family out of millionsCredit: Getty
      The ex centre back tricked them into investing in a dodgy pyramid schemeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Rufus bought luxury items including a Bentley. Stock picture.Credit: Getty
      His former five-bedroom property in leafy Purley, South London, which sits on more than 3,200 sq ft, is now worth a staggering £3million.
      And it sits on an exclusive road with the average house price over the last year at just over £2million.
      It was last sold in 2017 for a huge £1.8million.
      Pictures show the property with an elegant wooden floor, huge garden and a large marble-floored conservatory.

      It also came with a double garage, games room and outhouse.
      Rufus was today jailed for seven-and-a-half years for tricking his friends and family into investing in a dodgy pyramid scheme.
      Posing as a foreign exchange trader, he lied that football friends, including Rio Ferdinand, had invested with him. 
      As a result of his property, he spent nearly £700,000 over five years on mortgages and loans.
      Most read in Football
      The ex-footballer also splurged £200,000 on motoring costs – including £70,000 to Mercedes Benz Finance, a further £45,000 to the car company and over £46,000 to Land Rover.
      He also spent thousands on shopping and in restaurants.
      He transferred £222,468.11 to his wife, Simone Rufus and £158,513.86 to a joint account he held with her.
      The only legitimate income Rufus received was £850-a-month rent he earned on a property in Surrey.
      Lucy Organ, prosecuting, said: “He scammed friends, family and associates out of millions of pounds by pretending he was able to offer a low-risk investment in the foreign exchange market.
      “He claimed he had significant success with his strategy in the past.
      “Mr Rufus took over £15million in total. He traded some of it, as I have said, losing vast amounts, but that wasn’t the end of the fraud.
      “Of that money, about £2million he never even transferred to foreign exchange trading accounts. He used this money partly to prop up the losses that his scams were making.
      “Making payments back to other investors to continue the pretence that they were making a good investment, a so-called ‘pyramid scheme’ and partly simply for his own benefit, treating the money he received from investors as his own.”
      Rufus duped investors by claiming he could return their original capital within 14 days of them asking.
      One victim paid between £8,500 and £12,500 and was told he could make potential profits of £425 a month.
      He only realised his money had been lost when Rufus’ home was re-possessed while he was fitting a new carpet there.
      Even when his accounts were frozen by the the Financial Services Agency in 2011, Rufus continued the alleged scam by taking more money from investors.
      He used the cash he received for his own gain and to pay fake profits to his investors.
      Rufus earned six England Under-21 caps during his career.
      The centre-back played solely for Charlton and made 288 appearances after his debut in 1994 aged 19.
      His first-ever senior goal came in the Addicks’ historic win over Sunderland in 1998 in the play-off final at Wembley.
      Read More on The Sun
      Rufus’ banger forced the game into extra time – with Charlton’s win on penalties securing them promotion to the Premier League.
      He retired through injury in 2004 and was later inducted into the club hall of fame at The Valley.
      Rufus was jailed for seven and a half yearsCredit: PA
      He spent £70,000 on Mercedes Benz Finance. Stock picture.Credit: Getty
      He also gave £46,000 to Land Rover. Stock picture.Credit: Getty More

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      in Boxing

      Moment teen burglars run for their lives after targeting house – owned by hulking Brit PRO-BOXER

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      THIS is the moment teen burglars ran for their lives after targeting the house of a pro boxer. Gold Coast cruiserweight Casey Caswell was at his Benowa Waters home in Australia when two intruders were spotted appearing to be casing the property.
      The two young men were seen making their way up Caswell’s drivewayCredit: Facebook
      Caswell appears seemingly out of nowhere, shirtless, ready to take on the duoCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      The teen burglars ran for their lives after targeting the pro boxer’s houseCredit: instagram
      Footage shows the moment two young men in hooded jumpers make their way onto Caswell’s driveway.
      The pair are seen approaching the house and then looking over the side of the property in the early hours of January 8.
      Caswell, who was born in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, suddenly appears out of nowhere, shirtless, ready to take on the duo.
      He’s heard yelling “come on you little c**ts,” before chasing them down the street.
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      The pair set off with Caswell behind them, but they managed to flee unharmed.
      Caswell’s fellow fighter and friend Demsey McKean uploaded the footage to social media.
      McKean said his mate’s response to finding two people was to be expected.
      He told the Queensland Times: “Casey doing what anyone man would do.
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      “This is how to deal with low-life rats that try to break into your house.
      “Not how Casey Caswell wanted to start his early Sunday morning, no doubt.
      “Woke up to see two thieves walking around his car and front property about to jump the fence. So he ran out there and chased them off down the road.
      “My mate is a professional fighter and an Australasian champion. They picked the wrong house to mess with.”
      McKean alleged the pair had been spotted around the neighbourhood, which is one of the “nicer” parts of the area.
      He alleged one of the men was slightly older and was carrying a knife.
      The sportsman continued: “They were spotted at another house in the community at 3.30am so they were doing the rounds.” More

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      Ex-Premier League star Fitzroy Simpson’s home targeted after gunman fires shots at his Wiltshire house

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      AN ex-Premier League footballer’s home has been targeted by a gunman who fired at the property before fleeing the scene.Armed police were called to the detached home of Fitzroy Simpson in Swindon, Wilts, at 8.15pm yesterday.
      Broken glass can be seen in door panels at Fitzroy Simpson’s houseCredit: SWNS
      The ace played in the Premier League for Manchester City between 1992 and 1995Credit: Getty
      It followed reports of a firearm being discharged at the scene.
      A police helicopter and dog unit were deployed, but no suspect was located.
      The address, the garden and a large green space behind the property were all cordoned off as a crime scene whilst detectives worked at the scene.
      Today, a police search dog was drafted in to comb the area for a firearm but no weapon was located.
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      The ex-footballer played in the Premier League for Manchester City between 1992 and 1995, represented Jamaica internationally before retiring from football in 2008.
      A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “Police were called to an address in Stratton shortly after 8.15pm yesterday evening (13/12) following reports of what was believed to be a firearm being discharged in the area.
      “Firearms officers attended and extensive area searches and house to house enquiries were conducted.
      “Enquiries remain ongoing. No firearms were located.
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      “Anyone with information is urged to call 101 and quote log number 279 of December 13.”
      Police were seen outside the homeCredit: SWNS More

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      Harry Maguire blasts Raheem Sterling’s home raiders & says: ‘We’re giving everything & people are attacking us at home’

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      HARRY Maguire has blasted the raiders who targeted Raheem Sterling’s house while he was with the England team in Qatar.The Three Lions ace’s mansion was targeted by a gang who stole £300,000 worth of watches and designer jewellery — he is said to be the fourth Chelsea FC player hit by them in recent months.
      Raheem Sterling has flown home to be with Paige Milian
      Harry Maguire has blasted the raiders who targeted RaheemCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      A police car near the star’s Surrey mansionCredit: Darren Fletcher
      Police understand his fiancee Paige Milian, 27, discovered the raid on Saturday night, less than 24 hours before England’s clash with Senegal on Sunday.
      Raheem, also 27, pulled out of Gareth Southgate’s squad and dashed home after learning of the terror raid.
      He is hoping to return to Qatar for Saturday’s quarter final against France — but only if he thinks his home is secured and his family are not at risk.
      Man Utd star Harry blasted the thugs who targeted Raheem saying: “We’re out here giving everything and at home people are attacking us.
      READ MORE ON RAHEEM STERLING
      “It is really disappointing to hear that Raheem has had to go home and get things done. We haven’t had time to talk to him, because our full focus was on the match.
      “The match could have gone differently because we lost Raheem. It is disappointing to lose him because of something out of our hands. We are all here for him.
      “It is extremely disappointing to hear that we are out here and give absolutely everything to our country, and then there are people at home attacking us.”
      England skipper Harry Kane, also 29, was yesterday helping to calm his teammates worried by the raid.
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      A Three Lions source said: “Harry knows the players’ families are really shaken up by what has happened and that is a worry for the players themselves.
      “He sees it as his job as skipper to keep the morale of the team up and to focus everyone on the France match.”
      The family moved into the property in Oxshott, Surrey, after Chelsea paid Man City £47.5 million for the winger this summer.
      A source said: “Raheem has told everyone, ‘There is no way I’m going anywhere unless I’m 100 per cent sure that my family can be kept safe’. He is security conscious and part of the reason they moved into the property was that it is on a very exclusive estate, with regular security patrols.
      “Despite this, he has still managed to be targeted, which is very upsetting for Raheem and Paige. “They have just moved back to London and want to feel safe.”
      It is understood Paige returned to the UK from Qatar with his three young children after cheering on Raheem in the group stages.
      She had a work commitment related to her property firm. Yesterday, Raheem met with detectives from Surrey Police who are investigating the crime.
      One of the other Chelsea victims, defender Reece James, 22, was raided by a gang who targeted his home in Cobham, Surrey, in September 2021. They stole his safe containing his Champions League, Super Cup and Euro 2020 medals.
      Two other teammates have also suffered similar crimes in recent months, with cops now looking into potential links. More

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      England fans can buy hallowed turf where Geoff Hurst scored controversial second goal in 1966 World Cup

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      ENGLAND fans can buy the hallowed turf where Geoff Hurst scored his controversial second goal in 1966 — in a sign football’s coming mown.A piece where the goal line was is in the back garden of a house that’s come on the market.
      Football fans may want to snap up this house which has gone up for sale – because it has the famous goal line from the 1966 World Cup final in its back gardenCredit: Solent News
      The strip of grass is the most precious piece of turf in English football historyCredit: Solent News
      The goal proved crucial in the 4-2 win and England’s only World Cup triumphCredit: AP
      Three Lions supporters now hope Chesney Hawkes is not the current team’s One And Only lucky charm, after the singer’s half-time rendition of his 1991 chart-topper helped inspire them to Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Wales.
      The strip of grass, the most precious in English football history, has been the subject of decades of debate since hat-trick hero Hurst’s shot famously hit the crossbar then came crashing down.
      German players protested it didn’t cross the line, but the goal was given and proved crucial in the 4-2 win and England’s only World Cup triumph.
      For over 50 years, that Wembley goal line’s turf has secretly been part of the lawn at the detached five-bedroom home in Potters Bar, Herts.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP 2022
      Now, with the latest World Cup in Qatar under way, the property has been listed on the market — although it is expected to fetch at least £1.25million.
      Its current owner said the children in his family have even used it as their own goal line while playing footie.
      It was laid there after then-owner and TV director Bob Gardam had a kickabout at Wembley with colleagues in 1969.
      Mr Gardam, director of London Weekend Television’s Big Match show, was told by groundsman George Stanton that the pitch was due to be re-turfed for the first time since England’s historic win three years earlier.
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      The grass was in a terrible state due to that year’s Horse of the Year Show and Mr Stanton told Mr Gardam he could take home Hurst’s goal line.
      Mr Gardam drove his car through the Wembley tunnel onto the pitch to load his car with the turf after digging it up.
      He then laid it in his garden in the shape of a ‘V’ for victory.
      He remained at the house with his family until 1982, when it was sold.
      Mr Gardam, a father of six, died aged 81 in 2013 but his grandson Steve Walter, 32, yesterday spoke about his exploits.
      Mr Walter, a media consultant of Stewkley, Bucks, said: “Grandad was not actually a massive football fan. He loved sport and more than anything I think he did it for a bit of a giggle.
      “But he absolutely knew the significance of it and wanted to preserve it for generations.”
      The house was sold to a father with a young family. The dad passed away two years ago and now his 46-year-old son, who has asked not to be identified, is selling the house.
      He said: “We were told about it when we bought the house and we thought it was pretty special.
      “It was a secret that we had to keep and we’ve kept it a secret for years.
      “To us, it’s just been part of the garden. We’ve all played football on it.
      Read More on The Sun
      “It was pretty much a goal line for us playing football, even though it was a V. We used one of the lines of the V.”
      The property is being sold by estate agent Strike at a guide price of £1.25million to £1.5million. More