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      in Soccer

      Controversial EFL team’s old stadium and former home of national side is now headquarters of Network Rail

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      THE home of English football’s most controversial club is now the headquarters of Network Rail.In it’s heyday, 9,000 fans would fill the stadium every week – but before all of that it housed England’s national hockey team.The home of English football’s most controversial club is now the headquarters of Network RailIt was once the National Hockey stadium before it was demolished in late 2009The stadium was previously used by England hockey between 1995 and 2003But housed the contentious EFL side for four years between 2003 and 2007The old multi-purpose ground was leased by a club that was going through one of the biggest changes in modern football history.It temporarily housed MK Dons, who were in League One at the time, between 2003 and 2007 – during the EFL side’s gigantic move away from London.MK Dons suffered the highs and lows of relegation to League Two and promotion back up again during that four year stay.In summer 2007, the Dons relocated to the new Stadium MK, near Bletchley, leaving the hockey digs without a tenant. READ MORE FOOTBALLIt was unused for two years and, in late 2009, demolition began in preparation for the redevelopment of the site into a new Rail HQ, which became operational in July 2012.MK Dons were formed in 2004 following the controversial relocating of Wimbledon FC.Back in the 80s and 90s, Wimbledon’s notorious ‘Crazy gang’ played at Plough Lane in Merton, South West London.However the iconic, but dreaded ground, no longer met the all-seater requirements for Premier League stadiums by 1991.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSMK Dons suffered the highs and lows of relegation and promotion at the stadiumOwner Sam Hammam couldn’t afford the renovations and sold 80 per cent to Peter Wrinkleman by 1997.Wimbledon were forced into ground sharing with Crystal Palace from 1991 to 2003 before Wrinkleman relocated 46 miles north to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire with the permission of the FA.New Luton Town Stadium given planning permissionMillions of fans were appalled when the club had to abandon their ‘Don’ name, 102-year-old stadium, badge and colours by 2004.Many supporters walked away and formed AFC Wimbledon in 2002 as a non-league club, who are currently pushing for promotion in League Two.During that time, the club played home matches at Kingsmeadow – which is now the home of Chelsea FC Women.AFC Wimbledon returned to their spiritual home on Plough Lane to the Cherry Red Records Stadium a few hundred yards away from the original ground in 2020.MK Dons relocated to the Stadium MK in 2007A groundshare with rugby league side London Broncos began in 2022.MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon continue to share a unique, but bitter, with the latter refusing to recognise the former.AFC were charged for failing to call MK Dons by their proper name in a pre-match programme when they both sat in League One in 2017.No collection of football’s most memorable teams could ever be complete without mention of the rise of Wimbledon FC in the 80s.The notorious ‘Crazy Gang’ brought together a group of players who went from the fourth division to the top-flight in four consecutive seasons.And, most memorably of all, the Wombles lifted the FA Cup after Lawrie Sanchez scored the Wembley winner against all-conquering Liverpool in the 1988 final.But the old First Division’s most famous Cinderella story had a dark side.Vinnie Jones and the rest of the Crazy Gang were famous for their wild antics both on and off the pitchThe team’s work hard-play hard-tackle harder approach to football made them intimidating for opponents.And the fear factor spread within the team’s own dressing room.Former players Dennis Wise, Vinnie Jones and John Fashanu told BT Sport a tale of vicious beatings, endemic brutality and even arson.“I saw players actually cry from the abuse – physically break down and cry,” said ex-defender Terry Phelan.Jones backed up those words saying: “We were a lot of misfits, a lot of throw-outs, a lot of not-wanteds.”You either grew a backbone very quickly or you dissolved as a man.”Jones was often identified as the ring leader, but he claims that the tough culture was already well established by the time he signed in 1984 and that Wally Downes really ran things. Meanwhile, Wrinkelman sold MK Dons to a Kuwait-based consortium led by entrepreneur Fahad Al Ghanim in August this year.READ MORE SUN STORIESWinkelman oversaw the club’s promotion up to the Championship before an eventual return to League Two.MK Dons currently sit below their fierce rivals AFC Wimbledon in the professional fourth tier.MK Dons’ first stadium was the home of England hockeyThe National Hockey Stadium was demolished and replaced by a Network Rail building in 2012 More

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      in Boxing

      Meet Britain’s six next boxing superstars who are set to replace Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua including new Mike Tyson

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      BRITISH boxing has never been in a better vein of pulling power thanks to the super-funding coming in from Saudi Arabia.But with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua cashing in and racing toward 40, who are the new generation of unknowns fighting hard and fast to make it to the promised lands of Riyadh and Wembley?Tyson Fury suffered his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk at the weekend and could soon hang up his glovesCredit: GettyAnthony Joshua is also likely coming to the end of his boxing careerCredit: GettyWith more and more British boxing heading behind the paywall of the DAZN app – and the main broadcasters spending their time and budget elsewhere – it has never been more difficult for the next AJ or Gypsy King to build their name or fanbase.If you don’t have an Olympic medal, like Audley Harrison, Amir Khan, James DeGale or Lauren Price – or have the backing of a football club and city like Manchester and Leeds icons Ricky Hatton and Josh Warrington, the early rounds of the hurt business can be brutal.But SunSport reckons we’ve unearthed half-a-dozen rough diamonds who will shine bright in 2025.And, most importantly for their health and success and that of the sport, they will be deserving of your attention and ticket money.READ MORE IN BOXINGMoses Itauma – 19 – heavyweightThe most obvious pick of the bunch but – at still a ridiculously young age – the Chatham wonderkid deserves top billing.SunSport was in the Ropes and Glory amateur gym for Itauma’s 18th birthday – and training session – last December 28.Moses Itauma has been dubbed Britain’s Mike TysonCredit: GettyItauma managed a first round knockout against Demsey McKean at the weekendCredit: GettyAnd his stunning rise to Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s chief support – in the space of just 12 transformative months – has been super.Manager Francis Warren and his promoter dad Frank have supported and guided the southpaw perfectly.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut his freakish natural talent, laser-focused attitude, baffling maturity and even his ready-made media skills are what has got him so close to the top already.Barring injury or a catastrophic upset, it seems certain that Itauma will be a bonafide world champion before the end of 2026.Tyson Fury breaks silence on Oleksandr Usyk defeat in angry backstage rant after storming out of ringHe might not beat Mike Tyson’s record time of landing one in 20 years, four months and 22 days.But he seems to have the talent and – perhaps even more importantly the unshakable mindset- to have a longer and more sustained reign.The wonderkid was red-hot property way before his one-round demolition of 6ft 6in Aussie tough man Demsey McKean.But after smashing his biggest test way back Down Under, he is even closer to a world title than even his biggest fans could have imagined.Cindy Ngamba – 26 – middleweightThe 2024 Paris Olympics was such a dismal time for amateur boxing following the controversy over the gender of two fighters competing in the female code.It was painfully slim pickings for Team GB too, whose only medal was the bronze Colchester’s classy Lewis Richardson claimed.Cindy Ngamba made her debut at the Olympics this summerCredit: PABut our team up in Sheffield deserves credit for one more magnificent medal and an even better story.Bolton-based Ngamba came to England from Cameroon aged just 11 and, after her immigration paperwork was lost, she was given refugee status and even detained at the immigration office one sad day.Tragically, due to the ongoing lack of a British passport, Ngamba could not represent Great Britain at the Games.But she did manage to win the first ever medal – an iconic bronze – for the newly formed Refugee Olympic Team.Promoters should be fighting each other to sign the wonderful woman, with the amateur pedigree and the inspirational story. Ngamba truly is the full package.Lewis Williams – 26 – heavyweightThe Leamington Spa giant lit up Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games by coasting to a gold medal.It was even more poignant because dad Bob had to force his way out of hospital to race to ringside and watch all their shared dreams come true.Lewis Williams won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022Credit: GettyThe 6ft 7in talent was nailed on for a life-changing Olympics spot but when his dad’s health plummeted, Williams’ form went with it and he chose hospice stays over training and tournaments and his Paris dream and dad eventually faded away.Thankfully trainer and manager Edwin Cleary is ferociously invested in his fighters and whipped Williams back into shape and got him a pro deal with Frank Warren, who can guide an English heavyweight like nobody’s business.On his November debut he grabbed everybody’s attention when he finished a tough journeyman with intelligent spite.And he will return in February to help Itauma and Daniel Dubois keep the juggernaut of young British heavyweights booming on.Lucas Roehig – 21 – cruiserweightTrust George Groves to gift his promising protege one of the most testing pro debuts a young kid could ever have nightmares about.Most paid bows – especially one is as modest a venue as the Harrow leisure centre and untelevised – come against veteran journeymen who never win and are just a clever foil to test and teach the hotshot over the scheduled distance.Lucas Roehrig is considered a huge prospectCredit: RexBut Groves – a product of the excellent Dale Youth gym and criminally underrated trainer Mick Delaney – is not one for following trends.Roehig was slung in with dangerous and proud Pompey puncher Joel McIntyre, a former English champion.And Roehig cut, flogged and finished the warhorse in just three rounds.Groves – who won his super-middleweight title at the fourth time of asking – was always a maverick in British boxing’s too predictable business.And it looks like he is passing that baton on as Roehig has set a very high early pace and fans will enjoy trying to keep up.Leighton Birchall – 18 – bantamweightIn February the Morecambe sensation and equally exciting Adam Maca put on the sort of 57kg show that amateur British boxing buffs dream of.The pair of pocket rockets put on a clinic of freakish talent with Maca winning a razor-close split decision.Leighton Birchall is rapidly becoming more and more popularCredit: Photo credit Stockbridge ABC.But because Birchall has ditched the vest and headguard and raced into the paid ranks ahead of his rival, he lands on this list first, with Maca certain to follow.A Haringey Box Cup double winner, a multi-time national champion and GB youth representative, Birchall ran out of things to win in the amateurs.One of three professional fighting brothers, Birchall can talk as well as he can fight and his style will tantalise fans and tease opponents.And he is already using Generation Z’s many social media platforms to increase the speed of his rising reputation and call out his domestic rivals.Jermaine Dhliwayo – 22 – super-featherweightYou are probably not a real British boxing fan if you have not watched Derek Chisora in awe over the years and recently hoped he would settle down into a hard-earned retirement.Thankfully this Northampton-born southpaw could help guide us into that sweet spot.Jermaine Dhliwayo has a big fan in Derek ChisoraCredit: Instagram @jermaine.dhliwayoVeteran brawler Del Boy is Dhliwayo’s uncle and mentor.The pair are so close that the second-generation fighter lives in his uncle’s old bedroom – being watched over by his aunty and Chisora’s mum Violet – and he has not even changed the decor or ditched all the old boxing posters.Dhliwayo is a trained electrician who still works – properly – around his boxing and he is being well managed to learn on the job.In the space of just five months he has got to 4-0 with understated bouts at the O2, in Finland, at York Hall and in Gibraltar.READ MORE SUN STORIESWhen Chisora finally hangs up his battered old mitts, he will be a serious miss. But Dhliwayo looks like being his parting gift to UK fight fans – even though he never owed us anything after so many brutal nights. More

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      in Boxing

      Oleksandr Usyk has ended Tyson Fury’s time at the top… let’s hope time is called on Saudi Arabia staging boxing too

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      IT’S over for Tyson Fury at boxing’s top table, for a golden age of British heavyweights and for Saudi mega-fights.Fury will have to content himself with a final mega payday in the sport’s second division.Oleksandr Usyk was the worthy winner and has dismantled British boxing iconsCredit: PATyson Fury’s time at the top has been ended by the UkrainianCredit: PAUsyk rightly won on points by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCredit: GettyWhat once would have been the biggest British fight of all time between Fury and Anthony Joshua will now be little more than a cash cow for two fighters who have been dismantled by Oleksander Usyk, lacking prestige, meaning or belts.For all the griping and sour-graping of the Gypsy King and his promoter Frank Warren in the immediate aftermath of his second straight defeat by Usyk, this was conclusive.Fury vs Usyk 2 – top storiesREAD MORE on a absolute blockbuster night in Riyadh…Usyk is simply too good — and also too low on box-office charisma. This fight, between the foremost heavyweights of the age, played out to near-silence in a 26,000-seater arena which was not even full.Daniel Dubois, Britain’s IBF champion, got into the ring to call out Usyk but we have already seen the Ukrainian knock him out last year — albeit with some controversy over a borderline low blow from the Brit in the fifth round.Read more boxing newsAfter years of A-list fights involving Fury and Joshua, this era is done.Usyk has outpointed them both, fair and square, twice in just over three years. He is an utterly worthy champion. An all-time great fighter and an admirable man from an occupied nation, fighting a bloody war against Russian aggression.Usyk is 37 and has no credible opponents left to conquer. He has neither the knock-out power — after all, the former undisputed cruiserweight king conceded four stones to Fury — nor the lippiness to sell too many more jackpot fights.For all his horrible faults, the heavyweight division will miss Fury at the top end.Most read in BoxingHis has been a macabre circus to follow. Often crude but always strangely enthralling, the man from Morecambe achieved much, by dethroning Wladimir Klitschko, and in an epic trilogy against Deontay Wilder. Tyson Fury gives cryptic update on his future after Oleksandr Usyk defeat as retirement rumours circleHis ring walk in the early hours of a Saudi Sunday morning, dressed in a Santa outfit to the strains of ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ was classic Fury.Inside the ring, his performance was anything but.There was none of the showboating that might have cost him in the original fight with Usyk, for the undisputed crown, in May.But Fury lacked sharpness, lacked the brainpower to unlock a devilishly difficult opponent and lacked the supreme fitness to prevail during the championship rounds.The fire seems to have gone from his considerable belly.In both fights against Usyk, Fury faded alarmingly in the second half.This time, he hadn’t even built up a lead in the opening six rounds.Ignore the bellyaching from Fury and Warren. The three judges got it spot-on with a unanimous 116-112 to Usyk. We had feared Fury might have got a dodgy decision if it went the distance, after the great Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh threw his public support behind the Gypsy King, but we need not have doubted their integrity.There was an experiment with an AI judge — which didn’t count towards the result — and the robot handed the verdict to Usyk by an even wider margin.“F*** robots,” wailed Fury, “give more jobs to humans. And f*** electric cars too.”Turki Alalashikh threw his weight behind Tyson FuryCredit: GettyFury believes he won the fight, not UsykCredit: PAThat was perhaps the first sensible thing he had said all week.This was not the result Alalshikh and his sportswashing regime wanted — and it was not the spectacle he was after either.A trilogy fight had been planned for next year, had Fury prevailed, but that never looked genuinely likely. The atmosphere, in the dead of an Arabian night, was little more than a deathly hush.The biggest roar of the evening arrived when an enormous man in the audience won a Mercedes in an electronic raffle.Alalshikh is a genuine boxing aficionado, who has even revived the print edition of Ring magazine. And fair play to him for that.But his home country does not share his fervour for the fight game and does not possess the sporting fan culture which takes decades to grow.There have rightly been complaints about the human rights record of the Saudi regime.Yet to be brutally cynical, that can be washed over.The Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman was contested under the blood-stained regime of Zaire’s dictator Mobutu.All three judges scored the fight 116-112 in Usyk’s favourFury is now at a crossroads in his career with his future up in the airCredit: PAUsyk can be recognised as an all-time great after his two wins over FuryCredit: GettyWhat doesn’t work is sport in an atmospheric vacuum. The crowd needs to be engaged.Fury is a showman worthy of the bright lights of Sin City, Las Vegas, but this audience was as difficult to please as the Saturday night late crowd at the Glasgow Empire.And for entirely the opposite reason — no booze.Fury vs Usyk 2 round by round: How SunSport scored the controversial heavyweight thrillerOLEKSANDR USYK took another controversial decision over Tyson Fury to regain his heavyweight throne.Seven months on from their split-decision thriller, this time the scorecards were unanimous 116-112 all in Usyk’s favour.The Gypsy King stormed out of the ring as his promoter Frank Warren was left stunned by the cards.Here’s how SunSport’s Wally Downes scored the fight…Round 1The rules were ignored and Fury arrived at 11:15pm local time with a beard that would make Brian Blessed’s chops feel naked.If we thought his face fuzz looked overgrown, we were stunned to see the size of his belly when the cameras caught him topless in his dressing room.His red shorts were so high that you couldn’t even see much of his gut, an inch higher and the 20st beast would have had the option of tucking his nipples down there too.Fury tried to intimidate Usyk with the final face-off, widening his eyes like a monster but the champ remained ice cold.They swapped jabs and fenced with their lead hands. Usyk drove left hands into his wobbling belly and then clipped him with a head shot to snatch the opener. Usyk.Round 2Usyk lands a scoring one-two to the head as soon as the session starts but then returns to the body and lands lefts, one even makes Fury stumble.But the Gypsy King lands a treble-jab and then a meaty right hand to take the round.Still no signs of the body blows and uppercuts that won him the middle rounds of the May fight. FuryRound 3Three times Usyk scores with a jab to the body and left hand upstairs.Fury struggles to deal with the pressure. Fury lands a little check hook and even tries the southpaw stance.But all his threats to skin and cook the bog-eyed rat or ugly rabbit prove empty. Usyk.Round 4Fury makes a bright start with a chopped right hand.Bit Usyk almost whacks his whiskers off with two left hands that score well.But Fury pings back with a big right hand that forces Usyk back.Then that uppercut returns and cuts through Usyk’s guard. Draw.Round 5Fury takes control instantly when a right hand is the perfect start to the sessionThen the Brit gets warned for rabbit punches as he bids to bully the champ.Usyk is then walked into a lead left uppercut and then he starts shipping body blows. Usyk scuttles off and has to recover. Fury.Round 6Fury in trouble. The challenger’s bloated body starts to sweat and Usyk keeps targeting it with his power-punch left.Then he goes head hunting and clips Fury’s skull.The Morecambe giant is buzzed and worried, his head got rocked backwards. He hides the rest of the round. UsykRound 7A quiet round only really features a crisp Fury one-two and a single Usyk left. Draw.Round 8A one-two-hook works for Usyk as he pushes all of the pace an pressure and Fury tries to hide his 20st target.An accidental clash of heads thankfully leaves no cuts.Fury does launch a limp attack but Usyk smiles back and shakes his shaven head. Usyk.Round 9Fury starts to tire, he has so much timber to lug around and lumberjack Usyk loves chopping him down.He’s too big to dance and rub and counter.He is playing super-fit Usyk’s game. Usyk.Round 10Fury lands a rare uppercut and attacks Usyk’s body. He takes the centre of the ring but then eats a couple of shots.Fury tries to hold and lean and sap at Usyk’s engine. But he is punished with a left to the cheek.Big left from Uysk lands and scatters Fury sweat beads off his head.But Fury cracks back with an uppercut. But Usyk’s pressure and punches win in. Usyk.Round 11These could well be the deciding rounds. Usyk is busier, Fury throws an uppercut but it only grazes his guard.Fury walks onto a tippy-tappy combination but then two serious shots. The wind is coming out of his giant red sails.Usyk is relentless and bouncing and prodding and punching and Fury is 20st and flagging. UsykRound 12Fury starts like a man who knows he needs at least a lockdown but that helps Usyk counter him.A combo of three straight punches score for the Ukraine icon.But Fury keeps swinging and slashing and pulling up the shorts that slip down his back and love handles from all the sweat Usyk has drained out of him.With a section of the ungrateful crowd booing and whistling they slug it out for the final ten seconds finish. UsykSunSport’s scorecards: Usyk 118-112 Fury.The Saudi grip on elite sport is tightening with the 2034 World Cup confirmed and an Olympics likely to follow two years later. Not to mention the riches of football’s Saudi Pro League, of LIV golf and ventures into many other sports.But heavyweight boxing may no longer hold its lustre. The biggest purses in the foreseeable future are likely to feature YouTubers, old men and wrestlers.READ MORE SUN STORIESSo what next for Fury? Lennox Lewis has urged him to get it on with Joshua at Wembley.But Usyk has relegated that prospect to a B-list sideshow.Now let’s all get home for a nice Christmas drink. More

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      in Soccer

      Trent Alexander-Arnold should take the risk and move to Real Madrid… but Liverpool have a ready-made replacement

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      I SEE Trent Alexander-Arnold has woken up and smelt the coffee — which is why I see him waving goodbye to Liverpool in the summer and signing for Real Madrid.If it were me and I fancied going out for a coffee or a cuppa after training, then I’d prefer to do so in Spain rather than Liverpool. Most would.Trent Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at the end of the seasonCredit: PAReal Madrid are long-time admirers of the versatile defenderCredit: GETTYLos Blancos could very well make a move for the England internationalCredit: GETTYHarry Redknapp has urged Alexander-Arnold to take the risk and join RealCredit: GettyNo disrespect as it’s a great club and a lively city but there is just something magical about Madrid. So you can see the pull for a world-class right-back.It is probably Trent’s dream to play for Real Madrid and he’ll have seen pal Jude Bellingham do the same last year.Bellingham could have gone from Borussia Dortmund to any Premier League club he fancied but the magnetism of the Bernabeu is irresistible.My analogy about coffee seems trivial, of course, but there is so much involved in making a big move.READ MORE ON TRENTLiverpool is a special club but you have to remember he cost them nothing, has given them years of service as a former academy player and now is the time to try a new adventure.Sometimes you can go stale and maybe it is time for him to go and play great football at another great club.With his contract up in the summer there is serious money to be made, too.It is similar but not quite the same for Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSTrent Alexander-Arnold has kept quiet on his Liverpool futureCredit: GettyAlexander-Arnold is 26-years-old, the others in their early 30s. Salah, in particular, might be looking at one last big pay day by going to play in Saudi Arabia.And for a young man like Alexander-Arnold this is the chance to reach for the stars, to play with a team of world-class pros, earn serious cash and win a serious number of trophies.Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Bold £84m Bid for NantesLiverpool is a big draw and Trent is a born-and-bred Scouser — but nothing competes with Madrid.Reds icon Steve McManaman trod the same path many years back and I don’t think he sits around regretting it.The opportunity to become Real Madrid’s next right-back for five or six years is a dream and Trent can absolutely be that player for them.Liverpool have slotted him in to midfield as well as full-back but, while I see a world-class defender in him, he is not a world-class midfielder.Liverpool is a big draw and Trent is a born-and-bred Scouser — but nothing competes with Madrid.Harry RedknappThere should be no debate about where he plays. At the Euros, England tried to switch him into the middle and some of the games passed him by.Midfielders are a different breed, you’ve got to have fantastic awareness to play there.As a right-back you see the whole picture. It’s different. He’s a great passer from there.He should stick to his strengths and be the best right- back in Europe at Real.The Reds have a ready-made replacement in Conor BradleyCredit: REXAnd it’s not as if Liverpool will be left high and dry when he goes as they have an energetic, young replacement waiting in the wings in Conor Bradley, who will fill that void.Another homegrown product, I particularly like Bradley’s pace — and so along comes the next great Liverpool player.We also have to admit that the era of the great one-club man is pretty much dead, too.The opportunity to become Real Madrid’s next right-back for five or six years is a dream and Trent can absolutely be that player for them.Harry RedknappLiverpool have had more than their fair share of loyal players with the likes of Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.Go back further and there were even more but the way the game is now — as well as the money that is on offer, the ease of travel and communication and such like — makes it easier to go and play abroad.Cross border transfers and the Bosman Ruling has opened up a whole new world to players and you really cannot begrudge any of them wanting to experience it.Conor Bradley has shown all the making of a stellar defenderCredit: GettyKeep it simpleWHY do all keepers think they are Pele these days?Sorry… I mean why do all managers think their goalkeepers are Pele?And I say this after I watched Spurs squeeze through their Carabao Cup quarter-final with Manchester United on Thursday.My old team played well but what is this obsession with playing the ball out from the back every time? It has gone crazy.Keepers playing out from the back is a load of nonsense, Harry Redknapp believesCredit: GETTYEvery coach wants to be Pep Guardiola — even if they do not have the talent of his Manchester City team.When you watch it, the ball goes from the right-back to the keeper, out to the left-back, back again, then they give the ball away.And teams put themselves under needless pressure when sometimes it suits to just boot it upfield.No disrespect to Spurs keeper Fraser Forster, he’s a good player but he isn’t a footballer — he’s a goalkeeper.As a manager the last thing I wanted was my centre-backs bringing the ball out.Harry RedknappYou have got a big centre- forward there in Dominic Solanke, who is great in the air, and I’d want the ball going up to him to win it.As a manager the last thing I wanted was my centre-backs bringing the ball out. They all had their skills and dribbling just wasn’t one of them.Unfortunately it has gone crazy and it’s so stupid. Our teams just can’t do it. They are not good enough to do it as they give the ball away.Fraser Forster’s gaffe against Manchester United shows how risky playing out from the back isCredit: alamyRIP, Oscar FairsI WAS so sad to read of the young West Ham goalkeeper who sadly died in the past week or so.We all worry about trivial things and then football and a family loses their boy due to cancer when he had the world at his feet.I don’t know Oscar Fairs or his family but I really would like to send them my condolences and love at what must be an awful time.West Ham paid a touching to the late Oscar Fairs this weekCredit: REUTERSA Christmas messageWITH Christmas now just around the corner, at my age it’s hard to know what to ask Santa for.READ MORE SUN STORIESSo all I can tell you is that I have got lots of socks — and probably more than the England kit man!Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year. More

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      in Boxing

      Inside Tyson Fury’s family life with wife Paris forever by his side as kids again bear brutal brunt of boxing career

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      TYSON FURY’S family has once again borne the brutal brunt of his boxing career.His wife Paris and their seven children live a life of magnificent luxury thanks to the 36-year-old’s fighting skills.Tyson Fury has given his family, which includes seven kids, an incredible lifeCredit: INSTAGRAM@PARISFURY1The Gypsy King has secured generational wealth for his familyCredit: INSTAGRAM@PARISFURY1He’s sealed the futures with bruising victories inside the ringCredit: GETTYWife Paris withheld the new of a tragic misccariage ahead of Tyson’s showdown with Oleksandr UsykCredit: GETTYBut back in May — just days before his original clash with Oleksandr Usyk — all that was suddenly irrelevant when they lost their son six months into pregnancy.When brave Paris could not fly in for her man’s Saudi megafight, he knew tragedy had struck.But she withheld the news from the emotionally vulnerable 6ft 9in star until he was home.Fury refused to use the awful loss as an excuse for his split-decision defeat to the Ukrainian.READ MORE ON FURY VS USYK 2And as soon as the summer was over, he flew out to Malta for a 12-week camp where he trained like a brute and supposedly cut off all contact from his family.When Paris and eldest son Prince arrived in Riyadh and took their places in the second row at Thursday’s press conference, Fury ignored his childhood sweetheart.There was no gushing reunion kiss or cuddle, there was barely even any eye contact.When asked how it felt leaving his brood behind after such a traumatic experience, Fury replied: “Difficult.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSFury vs Usyk 2 – top storiesREAD MORE on all the build-up to the blockbuster fight in Riyadh..All the info:News, features and interviews: “It’s difficult timing but, you know, life is difficult and this fight is even harder.“So I have got to give myself the best opportunity that I can to get the victory.Paris Fury shares ‘chaotic’ Christmas Day plans after Tyson’s fight & insists they have ‘nothing fancy’ at £1.7m mansion“I won’t see Paris before the fight, not until after the fight.“I’m fully focused and I don’t want my mind changing or taking off from where I am in fight mode and going into husband mode and all of that.“In all my career of 36 fights, she’s only missed three of them.“The first was when she was having our first child, Venezuela, on the same night as I boxed in Dublin years ago.“Then there was another at The O2. And the other one was the last Usyk fight.“This time, she’s coming but I won’t be seeing her, not until after the fight.”It feels like a Spartan siege mentality we have never seen the likes of before — and all, apparently, to keep the Morecambe roof over their heads and Christmas presents under this year’s tree.With the £300million the Gypsy King has banked from boxing alone — before you factor in his Netflix, book and sponsorship deals — his claims that back-to-back defeats to Usyk, 37, could lead to an eviction notice are fanciful.But there’s a danger that — after decades of bravado — Fury could be left emotionally bankrupt by another loss, with the kids having to cope with the impact of that.Fury said: “The kids are used to Daddy going away.”Daddy’s got to do his job and pay the bills.Tyson Fury has done everything in his power to make sure his kids feel lovedCredit: INSTAGRAM@PARISFURY1″And if Daddy doesn’t do that, then the house gets repossessed, unfortunately.“If you don’t pay your bills, no matter how rich you are, you get repossessed, don’t you?”While Fury is worried about the mortgage, there is a risk Usyk has been living in his head rent-free.Trainer Andy Lee told SunSport that he won’t know the psychological damage the Usyk defeat has taken on his charge until the first bell.Fury could have had his soul snatched and be a broken fighter by the manner of that first schooling.On the other hand, he might be re-energised, laser-focused and harnessing the challenger mindset every fighter thrives on.Even Fury himself does not seem to really know the answer.He said: “Sometimes you think about the fight — it would be a lie to say you don’t.“I don’t really feel nervous but . . . it’s not nerves for the fight.”Because obviously I’ve had a lot of fights, I’m not bothered about anybody.“But you feel like you’re nervous whether you’re going to perform to your best ability or not. Does that make sense?“It’s not like a pressure of, ‘Oh, I’ve got to go for a fight now’. It’s something I’ve always done, amateur and professional.“But you feel like, ‘I need to be the best I can be.’“Hopefully you’re going to be good, do you know what I mean?”“A lot of people, when they come to training camp, everybody thinks the job’s done.“But fight week is the most important time of your training because during camp you can make a mistake.“You can have a late night, you cannot sleep one night, whatever. And it’s fine.“But make those mistakes in fight week — you go around too many people and catch a cold.Tyson Fury suffered a split decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in their first meeting in MayCredit: PAThe Gypsy King has vowed to exact revenge on the slick southpaw on Saturday nightCredit: AP”You get an illness, whatever, even on the day before — and it can all be finished.”Fury’s overbearing dad John — who headbutted a member of Team Usyk in the build-up to May’s clash and confused his son’s in-fight breaks with uneducated instructions — has been exiled from the corner.But the Gypsy King has taken clearer orders this time from an arguably more mature family member.Legends of the boxing world have expressed their offerings on the best approach to the fight.But a tiny little terror — named after an ancient Greek icon more famous for love than war — has provided the most ruthless guidance.READ MORE SUN STORIESFury explained: “My Adonis, that’s my second-youngest son, he wants me to smash Usyk’s face right in.“He’s only five. He wants me to severely smash it in.”Tyson-Fury’s son, Adonis, wants him to “severely smash” Oleksandr Usyk in their second Saudi showdown UsykCredit: AP More

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      Inside Brentford’s mad home run with Bees on track to obliterate Chelsea’s record from Double-winning season

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      THOMAS FRANK is embracing Brentford’s reputation as the Premier League’s kings of home entertainment.And the Bees boss vowed: “We want to be even MORE attacking at our fortress.”Yoane Wissa celebrates with Brentford boss Thomas FrankCredit: PABryan Mbeumo and strike partner WissaCredit: GettyGtech Community Stadium fans have seen a whopping 40 GOALS in eight top-flight games so far, ahead of today’s clash with Nottingham Forest.Spread over a full season, that average of five per game would smash the record of 82 goals set at Chelsea in their Double-winning season of 2009-10. And if it carries on at the same rate, the Gtech tally could end up close to 100 goals — a thought that lit up Frank’s eyes.The Dane, 51, said: “That would be quite a story, huh?READ MORE IN football“Maybe it’s a little bit linked to us being too open, you never know. But I want us to be as offensive as possible.“We did it in the Championship. For the two years I was in charge before promotion we were the top scorers.“When I talk about having a little bit more control in the games, it’s more about whether we can get to a position where we can look to play a ball in behind, or spread it across, or maybe go on the counters.“But I like to play quite open games. That gives us opportunities, because we have great players that can exploit that space, with way we’ve been building the squad over the last four years.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“That has given us this opportunity now. The structure, everything in the club, makes us want to go even more offensive.”Frank points to Mikkel Damsgaard, Kevin Schade and 19-goal dynamic duo up front Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wisse as summing up a philosophy he has carried since he was a youngster.Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo shows his skills on the training pitch He added: “I’ve always studied the game massively and for many, many years, I’ve been most attracted to more offensive football.“I always looked a little bit at the Ajax team, the total football idea, and then it was Barcelona, the first Dream Team under Johan Cruyff — which of course also had Michael Laudrup, another Danish player, at the heart of it.“So I watched all those games, incredible. And then, of course, Pep took them to another level.“The first for me was Morten Olsen. He was the head coach of Denmark for 15 years and then was in Cologne and Ajax.“First because he was Danish, in the national team.“He was a centre-half as a player, although more of a librero, the guy who was driving through the lines himself, very offensively minded.”As a coach he was the one who first came up with the 4-2-3-1 formation, with very wide wingers. “He was a little bit ahead of his time in many ways and a big inspiration for me.“But I was also inspired by watching what Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool.“They were the most difficult team to play against from a defensive side because they attacked from all angles.“Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal as well. I liked some of that, with Bergkamp and Henry, Ljungberg, Pires . . . that was some fantastic football as well.“I got that inspiration and tried to merge it into my own blueprint.”Frank is one of the Prem’s great showmen on the sidelines, too, a whirling dervish in the dugout, kicking every ball and seeking to engage the Brentford fans.Excitement is his demand, although he conceded it might not bring the biggest prizes.’We like to be entertaining’Frank said: “Hopefully, you can be a great entertainer and a great winner at the same time.“Ultimately it is all about winning, no doubt about that. Winning is the most important thing.“So we’ve been looking into it quite a bit. Are we too open? Is that why we’re giving too much away? Do we need to adjust a tiny bit?“I don’t think you can achieve anything massively big without also being quite solid at the back.“We saw it with Liverpool when they won the championship. They’d been close but they bought Alisson and Van Dijk and ‘boom!’ — suddenly they had one of the best defences in the league.“City and Arsenal have done things a little bit the same at times and it is extremely important.“But we like to be entertaining if we can. There’s been quite a few games where we scored and then immediately concede, scored and conceded again.“Then we’ve been good enough to score the third one and finally be on top and in control of the games.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I’d like to have a few more matches like the Leicester game, where we’re winning 4-1, that’ll be nice — and then I’d be a little bit more calm on the touchline.“But we are playing against some good teams.” More

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      Tyson Fury is never more dangerous than when he’s the underdog – the world shakes when Gypsy King has his game face on

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      TYSON FURY shook the world when he dethroned the great Wladimir Klitschko with a defensive masterclass back in 2015.And the Gypsy King sent reverberations around the planet again when he demolished Deontay Wilder, the Alabama Sledgehammer, with a brutal attacking onslaught in 2020. Tyson Fury stunned Wladimir Klitschko in 2015Credit: –Fury stopped Deontay Wilder in their 2020 rematchCredit: GettySo whatever the odds, and whatever the logic, do not underestimate Fury as he seeks to become a world heavyweight champion for the third time here against Oleksandr Usyk in the Saudi capital tonight. Fury is never more dangerous than when he is the underdog. There is little wonder that Usyk starts as a clear favourite with the bookies and the boxing aficionados after he inflicted the first defeat of Fury’s professional career here in May. The Ukrainian has always been a model of cool-headed consistency, his record almost flawless – an undisputed world cruiserweight champion before he outpointed Fury seven months ago to become the first undisputed heavyweight king of the 21st century. READ MORE IN BOXINGThe 6ft 9in Fury is an erratic, and always contradictory, beast. The karaoke-singing showman; the bad-mouthing lout. The ducking, weaving craftsman; the bull-in-a-china-shop wallop merchant.  Trying to pin down Fury, inside or outside the ring, is like attempting to lasso a hurricane. The 36-year-old from Morecambe is a force of nature, his mind whirring even faster than those Fred Astaire feet which belie his colossal frame. Most read in BoxingFury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard – all you need to know for big rematchCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSYet few fighters have ever upset the odds so spectacularly on more than one occasion. Klitschko was a 1-4 favourite before he was toppled in Dusseldorf nine years ago.Watch Tyson Fury’s terrifying rant as Gypsy King vows to put ‘f*****’ Oleksandr Usyk ‘in the hurt lockerWilder, the biggest puncher in the game, was widely fancied to win both of his first two bouts with Fury – who had failed a drug test and journeyed to the edge of reason during two and a half years out of the ring. And yet after an extraordinary Lazarus act when knocked down late in their initial draw, Fury unleashed an explosive all-out attacking display to dismantle Wilder’s unbeaten record in Las Vegas five years ago.  Fury himself claims a victory tonight would not be anywhere near as seismic as his defeat of Klitschko – the Ukrainian who ruled boxing’s blue-riband division for almost a decade before the Gypsy King deposed him. He said: “When I beat Klitschko, I was expected to get the floor wiped with me.  “Beating this fellow (Usyk), after losing by one point in my last fight on a split decision, … not a great night for me. “It wouldn’t be the end of the world. It wouldn’t be like, ‘oh my God, massive upset’.  “I finished stronger than him in Round 12. He got carried back to the changing room, believe it or not. He was smashed to bits. Klitschko was outboxed by Fury before losing on pointsCredit: AFP or licensorsWilder dropped Fury twice in their first fight in 2018Credit: Getty – ContributorFury also beat Wilder in 2021Credit: Reuters“I’ve got a picture on my phone, three days later I never had a mark on me.  “Three days later, he was butchered, broken jaw, broken eye socket, the lot. And that’s not even me at my best, nowhere near.  “I feel sorry for the lad, honestly. They’re talking about trilogies, but the beating I’m going to put on him on Saturday night, he’s going to be moving back down …  I’m sure of that.  “But then again, money talks all languages, doesn’t it? There’s a lot of dough involved, so he might want to take another good hiding.”Fury’s confidence is not shared by many in the fight game. But then he has ridiculed those experts before. With humble thanks to his very excellent excellency Turki Alalshikh – as everybody always says in these parts – Fury and Usyk face off again and the prospect of a trilogy fight next year is what the great Saudi matchmaker craves.If the 37-year-old Usyk prevails tonight, as is widely expected, he will stand as undeniably the pre-eminent boxer of his generation. Oleksandr Usyk defeated Fury on pointsCredit: PANow they rematch back in Saudi ArabiaBut for all the riches available to Alalshikh, there will be no great matches left for him to make in the heavyweight division any time soon.Another Brit, Daniel Dubois holds the IBF crown but Usyk has already defeated him comprehensively. Boxing is at a crossroads. The purity of tonight’s fight – two great heavyweights contesting three of the four major belts – will not be surpassed for years. Instead, there will be a diet of freak shows – YouTubers fighting has-beens or MMA crossover acts. The noble art is threatening to descend into reality TV show territory. Vacuous celebrity so often trumps genuine talent in the online sphere. Fury had dipped his toes into that world – almost suffering a stunning defeat by former UFC world champion Francis Ngannou here last year. READ MORE SUN STORIESBut this week, he’s had his meanest game face on – adamant that there will be none of the face-pulling showboating he rolled out during the initial fight with Usyk. And when Fury is fully-focussed and deadly serious, the world has been known to shake. Fury is never more dangerous than when he is the underdogCredit: PA More

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      Mario Lemina and Co’s disrespectful antics are just embarrassing – deal with it the old school way and be done with it

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      A REAL team of fighters do not get involved in the sort of disrespectful antics Wolves have recently.Mario Lemina was pushing his own team-mates and coaches after they lost to West Ham this month, and then last weekend Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri clashed with Ipswich players and staff after falling to a late defeat.Mario Lemina clashed with team-mate Toti GomesCredit: GettyMario Lemina was held back by team-mate Toti GomesCredit: GettyIf something like that happens once, you go: Right, that’s just someone losing their cool.It’s not the right way to go about things, but sometimes emotions spill over, especially when you are under that much pressure or in a relegation battle.But for it to happen in back-to-back weeks, it looked like they were just reacting off Gary O’Neil after he asked for more ‘fight’ from his team.That is not what he meant.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLWe’re footballers, not tough guys. You want to be a boxer or a fighter? Go watch a proper fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk tonight.Get in the ring with them, I dare you.I wouldn’t even use the word ‘fight’ to describe what those players did.It’s petulance. It stinks of a team that is needing leadership and direction from both the top of the club and on the pitch.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSYou want to do it properly? Go old school and do what we used to do back in the day, even if it was our own team-mate we had a disagreement with.Get down the tunnel, into the boot room, have someone hold the door shut, one-on-one for a few minutes, then shake hands and it is finished.Alan Shearer left red-faced and fuming after botching question about his own career The next morning, it was back to work and we didn’t speak about it again.If it lasted longer than 30 seconds, people would dive in and break it up, but often it was just three or four punches to blow off some steam, and that happened a few times a season.But those involved at Wolves were pretending to be something they’re not, pretending to be up for a fight by getting themselves involved in something. It is embarrassing.If you fight after the final whistle, it says to me that you don’t care about fighting for the ball or for tackles or for the win during a game.And if they really were that hard or tough or up for a fight, they wouldn’t be doing what they did.It’s like that friend who says you can trust him. If you have to tell me, I don’t think I should trust you.As the saying goes: It’s easier for a nice guy to pretend to be tough than it is for a tough guy to pretend to be nice.And this Wolves group, they’re not tough, they’re just nice kids, nice people.If you fight after the final whistle, it says to me that you don’t care about fighting for the ball or for tackles or for the win during a game.Troy Deeney You wouldn’t be scared to bits if you came across them in a dark alley, would you?I saw Lemina having a go at the assistant, Shaun Derry, at West Ham.I tell you what, if Lemina had tried that on Derry a few years ago, he would have been put on the ground.And then I saw Craig Dawson try to carry Ait-Nouri down the tunnel to calm him down.As a whole, there is just a lack of respect across that whole team. There should be a genuine, healthy fear and respect of senior players or leaders in any dressing room.I saw a few of those incidents close up during my career, especially during my early days with Walsall.After something like that, we would be terrified knowing the manager would tear us a new one or the captain would have us up against the wall after making such fools of ourselves.I don’t sense that happening now. Respect your elders.But saying that, it seemed to me like the players actually liked O’Neil before he got sacked.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt wasn’t like they ever quit on him. There were so many times they could have.They followed him and liked him and respected him and didn’t want him to go.Rayan Ait-Nouri was restrained by Craig DawsonCredit: Rex More