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      Police charge 10 men over death of football fan who was killed when Burnley and Blackpool supporters brawled outside pub

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      POLICE have charged ten men over the death of a football fan who died after a brawl between Burnley and Blackpool supporters.Tony Johnson, 55, suffered a fatal head injury after the fight erupted outside The Manchester Pub in Blackpool on March 4, 2023.
      Tony Johnson died following a clash between Blackpool and Burnley fansCredit: Social Media
      It came after the grandad’s beloved Blackpool drew 0-0 with Burnley at home.
      Lancashire Police confirmed ten men have been charged over Tony’s death.
      Jake Balmforth, 34, has been charged with manslaughter while the remaining nine defendants are charged with affray.
      They are John Oswell, 49, Jonothan Lines, 31, Reece Hutchinson, 19, Callum Howarth, 29, Nicholas Schofield, 31, John Whiteside, 46, Jason Tattersall, 19, Joshua Ashton, 19, and Zak Bailey, 19.
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      All ten are due to appear at Preston Magistrates’ Court on March 13.
      The horror unfolded hours after the Championship clash ended in a goalless draw.
      Paramedics administered CPR before Tony was taken to hospital, where he later died.
      Following his death, Tony’s partner said the family’s lives were “never going to be the same”.
      Most read in Football
      She said: “I am devastated to have lost my best friend, life partner and soul mate in a cruel act.
      “Tony was a very much loved dad, son, brother, uncle and Gramps and obviously a beloved friend to many.
      “We all, as a family, are so heartbroken and our lives are never going to be the same.
      “He will be one missed gentleman and the party will live on through us all, just as he would’ve wanted.
      “Rest in peace my darling, tangerine dreams forever.”
      His partner previously paid tributeCredit: SWNS More

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      Dani Alves denies ‘nightclub toilet rape’ & says ‘I’m not that type of man’ as ex-Barcelona star faces 12 years in jail

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      EX BARCELONA star Dani Alves has denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a young woman in a nightclub.After two days of testimonies from the alleged victim, witnesses, and experts, the 40-year-old defender told a Spanish court that their encounter had been consensual. 
      Dani Alves has testified in court on the last day of his three-day trialCredit: Reuters
      Model Joana Sanz said her ex-husband “stank of alcohol” when he went home the night of the alleged attackCredit: EPA
      The verdict is expected to be delivered in weeks
      The Brazilian footballer is accused of raping a woman in the toilet of  Sutton nightclub in Barcelona in the early hours of December 31, 2022.
      He has denied any wrongdoing, telling his defence lawyer that he is “not that type of man”.
      His accuser told the prosecution that she had been dancing with the footballer and had willingly entered the bathroom with him, but that he forced her to stay after she wanted to leave.
      She claims that he was aggressive with her, slapping her and insulting her, and then forced her to have sex with him.
      READ MORE ON DANI ALVES
      In response, Alves said: “She never told me to stop. We were both enjoying ourselves.”
      He claimed that the woman never asked to leave the bathroom and also denied having been aggressive with her.
      State prosecutors are seeking for him to be jailed for nine years if convicted while the lawyers representing his accuser want 12 years.
      Alves was escorted in handcuffs into the small courtroom of Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial Court for the trial that is expected to conclude today.
      Most read in Football
      A verdict normally takes weeks to be delivered.
      The alleged victim testified on Monday behind closed doors on order of the court.
      State prosecutors asked for the court to take extra measures to protect her identity after a video circulated on social media last month that allegedly identified the woman.
      During the first day of the footballer’s trial a friend and cousin of his accuser claimed he also groped them in the VIP area.
      The two women claim he then invited their friend, the alleged rape victim, to follow him through a separate door after flirting with her.
      The dad-of-two has previously confirmed he had sex with a woman in the nightclub’s toilet but insisted it was consensual.
      His ex-wife Joana Sanz told the court Alves Sanz told the court Alves “smelled of alcohol” and “he bumped into several pieces of furniture and collapsed on the bed” after arriving home the night of the alleged assault.
      But she said she didn’t want to talk to him because of “the state he was in”.
      Alves initially claimed he had never met his female accuser before telling a judge in a court hearing he had lied to cover up his “marital infidelity.”
      The footballer was ordered to stand trial last November.
      He was sacked by Mexican side UNAM Pumas following his arrest after he flew back to Barcelona to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.
      He has made repeated bail requests but they have all been turned down, with judges saying his alleged victim’s version of events was coherent and pointing out Alves had changed his story several times as the evidence authorities have against him has emerged.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
      He is widely considered one of the greatest full-backs of all time and became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.
      Alves’ family speaking to a court official in Barcelona
      Alves has denied any wrongdoingCredit: AFP
      He has been accused of raping a woman in the toilets of Sutton in BarcelonaTimeline of Dani Alves’s case

      December 30, 2022: A woman alleges she was sexually assaulted in the toilets of Sutton nightclub
      January 1, 2023: Cops in Barcelona are investigating an alleged sexual assault in a nightclub involving Dani Alves.
      January 5, 2023: Dani Alves’s alleged victim makes a formal complaint claiming she was sexually assaulted
      CCTV footage shows Alves had been alone for 47 seconds in a toilet at the nightclub with his accuser
      January 20, 2023: Alves had been remanded in custody by a judge in Barcelona
      He initially denies ever meeting his accuser but later confirms they had sex in the nightclub’s toilets – but insists was consensual
      January 31, 2023: His wife Joana Sanz, 29, demands divorce
      February 8, 2023: It emerges that Alves is said to be receiving ‘VIP treatment’ in prison
      March 17, 2023: Alves is going on hunger strike following split from wife
      November 14, 2023: The footballer is ordered to stand trial for the alleged assault
      November 24, 2023: Prosecutors demand nine years jail time and to pay the alleged victim  £130,000, if found guilty
      February 5, 2024: Alves appears in court in Spain facing twelve years in jail
      February 6 2024: Joana Sanz testified in court about a “drunk” phone call her husband made to her after the alleged assault More

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      Blow to Harry Maguire as battle to clear Man Utd star’s name over ‘holiday brawl’ to drag on…after lawyers go on strike

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      HARRY MAGUIRE’S fight to clear his name more than three years after an alleged holiday assault has been delayed again – as Greek lawyers go on strike.The Manchester United star, 30, was arrested on an August 2020 family holiday and convicted of assault and attempted bribery in Mykonos after a late-night bar brawl.
      Manchester United star Harry Maguire during his infamous 2020 interview about the Mykonos brawlCredit: Twitter/DanRoan
      Harry Maguire (right) with sister Daisy Maguire in Mykonos
      Harry Maguire pictured with his partner Fern Hawkins in Mykonos
      The star centre-back has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing and immediately appealed in 2020 – nullifying the convictions and sparking a new trial.
      But repeated delays to his appeal have caused the convoluted case to drag on for more than three years.
      And now thanks to strikes by Greek lawyers, hopes of putting the infamous incident behind him have been dashed once again.
      The footballer will not see the inside of a Greek court again until March 12, 2025 – marking four and a half years since the night of the alleged assault.
      READ MORE ON HARRY MAGUIRE
      A lawyer at the appeals court in Syros said the date of the new trial, 1665 days after the night of the bar clash, was announced much sooner than expected.
      “A lot of us want to be done with this case,” one insider at the court revealed.
      “But there is nothing we can do because of this union action. Lawyers can’t be seen to be strike-breakers.”  
      The hearing, they told The Sun, had been listed as Number 19 on the docket. “It was the last case due to be heard”, they added.
      Most read in Football
      Harry was initially found guilty of assaulting police, resisting arrest and attempted bribery following the clash outside Mykonos bar Bonbonniere.
      He was handed a suspended jail sentence of 21 months and 10 days but saw the conviction quashed after he was granted an appeal.
      It nullified the original verdict and left a retrial to be decided in a more senior court – which still has yet to happen.
      I thought we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees, we put our hands in the air, they just started hitting us.Harry Maguire
      The retrial was first postponed due to the Covid pandemic.
      It was later scheduled for June last year, but Maguire’s legal team requested it be pushed back.
      If he is now found guilty in March 2025, he will not be able to receive a more severe punishment than his original sentence.
      Maguire’s brother, Joe, and friend, Christopher Sharman, were also handed suspended sentences of 13 months.
      Soon after his arrest, Maguire gave a frank interview where he said he was “scared for his life” as Greek cops handcuffed him and bashed his legs with a baton.
      HARRY MAGUIRE MYKONOS BATTLE TIMELINE

      He infamously told the BBC: “I did nothing wrong”, and said police disguised in plain clothes told him “your career is over, no more football, you won’t play again”.
      “I thought we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees, we put our hands in the air, they just started hitting us”, Maguire, then 27, said.
      He went on: “They were hitting my leg saying my career is over, ‘No more football. You won’t play again’.
      “And at this point I thought there is no chance these are police or I don’t know who they are so I tried to run away, I was in that much of a panic, fear, scared for my life. All the way through it.”
      Maguire claims the fight erupted after “an Albanian thug” injected his younger sister, Daisy, with an unknown substance outside a Mykonos bar.
      The then Manchester United captain said he and his brother, Joe, who was also detained, were forced to intervene when they saw Daisy faint.
      Moments earlier, he said, she had been stabbed by “this gangster type.”
      “It’s been very tough on Daisy,” he told the BBC during his 2020 interview.  
      A friend of their family also told a Greek court in 2020 that they saw Daisy fitting after she was injected with a “rape drug”.
      A scuffle later allegedly broke out between cops and the trio, where one officer was punched and another needed first aid – Maguire has denied ever attacking the police.
      They were hitting my leg saying my career is over, ‘No more football. You won’t play again.’Harry Maguire
      Fern Hawkins, who was in Mykonos with the centre-back at the time of the brawl, launched into a passionate defence of her boyfriend at the time and accused Greek cops of “lying”.
      One officer claimed during the 2020 case that Maguire had boasted “Don’t you know who I am” when he was arrested, which Fern slammed as an attempt to “ruin Harry’s reputation”.
      Pals say the episode has taken “a huge emotional toll” on Maguire.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      In May last year a judge postponed proceedings after the footballer’s top-league lawyer, Alexis Anagnostakis, told the court he was unable to attend because his presence was needed at a higher court in Athens – permissible under Greek law.
      The footballer has said he is willing to give evidence by video link when the case is eventually seen in court, but does not want to return to Syros in person.
      Harry Maguire spoke to the BBC’s sports editor Dan Roan in 2020Credit: BBC
      Maguire will now have to wait until March 12 2025 for his appeal trial
      Harry with his brothers Laurence and Joe
      Maguire was captain of Manchester United when he was charged – pictured playing with the team on February 4 this yearCredit: Getty More

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      Ex-Barcelona star Dani Alves ‘groped TWO other women on night of rape’ court hears…with model wife poised to testify

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      FORMER Barcelona star Dani Alves has been accused of groping two other women on the night he allegedly raped someone else in a nightclub toilet.His estranged model wife Joana Sanz is set to testify in her husband’s rape trial today and tell the court that Alves rang her “drunk” from the club where he allegedly forced himself on a 23-year-old woman.
      Footballer Dani Alves in court on the the first day of his trial in Barcelona yesterdayCredit: Reuters
      The rape case – on its second day today – is set to last until WednesdayCredit: EPA
      Joana Sanz arrives at court on Tuesday to testifyCredit: EPA
      Model Joana Sanz walks into court on February 6Credit: Splash
      Alves with wife Joana Sanz in 2018 – the model filed for divorce last yearCredit: PA:Press Association
      The Brazilian defender, 40, has been accused of raping a woman in an upmarket Barcelona nightclub on December 30, 2022.
      During the first day of the footballer’s trial yesterday, a friend and cousin of his accuser claimed he also groped them in the VIP area, local media reports.
      The two women claim he then invited their friend, the alleged rape victim, to follow him through a separate door after flirting with her.
      Alves has admitted to having sex with the alleged victim in the toilet of the club since the allegations surfaced, but insists it was consensual.
      READ MORE ON DANI ALVES
      Spanish prosecutors have said they want the defender – who has been in pre-trial detention for over a year – jailed for nine years if he is convicted.
      And the lawyer representing the dad-of-two’s accuser has called for him to face the maximum 12-year prison sentence if he is found guilty.
      Both prosecutors are also seeking a compensation payment of £128,000.
      Under Spanish law excess alcohol consumption can serve to reduce a prison sentence in the case of a guilty verdict – as Sanz is expected to testify that he was drunk.
      Most read in Football
      His model wife, who was married to Alves for almost seven years, filed for divorce last year after the explosive accusations surfaced.
      The Tenerife-born beauty claimed Alves complicated things by contesting her attempts to end their marriage.
      And a Spanish TV programme went on to claim the brunette had been asked to leave his home in Barcelona after refusing to sign a confidentiality agreement.
      But confirmation of their separation came at the end of April last year after the footballer changed his version of events and it is believed the pair are in the midst of divorce proceedings.
      If as expected his wife testifies on his behalf today, it will mark an extraordinary turnaround in the relationship between the high-profile pair.
      Timeline of Dani Alves’s case
      December 30, 2022: A woman alleges she was sexually assaulted in the toilets of Sutton nightclub
      January 1, 2023: Cops in Barcelona are investigating an alleged sexual assault in a nightclub involving Dani Alves.
      January 5, 2023: Dani Alves’s alleged victim makes a formal complaint claiming she was sexually assaulted
      CCTV footage shows Alves had been alone for 47 seconds in a toilet at the nightclub with his accuser
      January 20, 2023: Alves had been remanded in custody by a judge in Barcelona
      He initially denies ever meeting his accuser but later confirms they had sex in the nightclub’s toilets – but insists was consensual
      January 31, 2023: His wife Joana Sanz, 29, demands divorce
      February 8, 2023: It emerges that Alves is said to be receiving ‘VIP treatment’ in prison
      March 17, 2023: Alves is going on hunger strike following split from wife
      November 14, 2023: The footballer is ordered to stand trial for the alleged assault
      November 24, 2023: Prosecutors demand nine years jail time and to pay the alleged victim  £130,000, if found guilty
      February 5, 2024: Alves appears in court in Spain facing twelve years in jail

      Alves initially claimed he had never met his female accuser before telling a judge in a court hearing he had lied to cover up his “marital infidelity.”
      He appeared at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial Court on Monday morning for the first day of his trial, which is set to last until Wednesday.
      The three judges, who are sitting without a jury as is normal in Spain for sex crime cases, have around a fortnight to announce a verdict once the trial ends.
      Alves’ rape accuser has been given permission to testify behind closed doors during the case – but according to G1 gave testimony in the same room as Alves yesterday.
      The footballer will have the option to take the stand on the last day.
      This week’s trial is the first time the former defender has appeared publicly since his arrest in January last year.
      He was sacked by Mexican side UNAM Pumas following his arrest in Barcelona at the start of last year after he flew back to the Catalan capital to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.
      His wife shared a post on Instagram in March 2023 that read: “I think it’s going to take me years to erase from my memory his way of looking at me.”
      Alves responded with a grovelling letter which was later leaked to a Spanish TV station.
      The note, addressed to “My Dear Joana” and written in Spanish, said: “In these difficult moments, I regret your decision and I hope that life gives us another chance to love you again.
      “I understand the pain the unjust situation we are experiencing is causing and I understand that you have not been able to withstand all that pressure.
      “The facts of which I am accused are foreign to me and to the values that have guided my life: love, respect and effort.
      “I will continue fighting as I have always done, believing in myself with the support and confidence of those who know who I really am.”
      He also delivered a desperate pre-trial apology to the model for “cheating on her”, and said in an interview from his cell: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.”
      Sanz is one of 22 witnesses who will give evidence during the trial today.
      A male friend who was out with him on the night of the alleged rape is also set to take the stand alongside a number of cops.
      As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
      He is widely considered one of the greatest full-backs of all time and became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.
      The former football star has made repeated bail requests – which have all been rejected.
      Judges have said his alleged victim’s version of events is coherent and whereas Alves had changed his story several times as the evidence authorities have against him has emerged.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      At the start of the year his mum Lucia Alves caused controversy and left herself open to future prosecution by naming and picturing her son’s rape accuser in a social media post she has now removed.
      She was seen at court yesterday with Alves’ two brothers but made no comment.
      Dani Alves’ mother, Lucia Alves leaves the courthouse with family members on MondayCredit: The Mega Agency
      Alves’ family speaking to a court official in BarcelonaCredit: AFP
      Dani Alves playing for Barcelona in January 2022Credit: Getty
      Joana Sanz supporting Alves at a matchCredit: INSTAGRAM More

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      Dani Alves appears in court for ‘nightclub toilet rape’ trial as ex-Barcelona star, 40, faces 12 years in prison

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      FORMER Barcelona star Dani Alves is set to appear in court this morning as he is facing a 12-year prison sentence for rape.The 40-year-old Brazilian defender was driven to court in a police van from Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona where he has been held on remand for more than a year.
      Dani Alves is facing 12 years behind bars after he was accused of rapeCredit: AFP
      The footballer appeared in court in Barcelona this morningCredit: Reuters
      Prosecutors are also seeking a compensation payment of £128,000Credit: EPA
      The footballer’s mum Lucia Alves arrived in court in Barcelona for his trialCredit: AFP
      A van of Barcelona’s Mossos d’Esquadra arrives at the High Court of Justice of CataloniaCredit: AFP
      Alves’s family speaking to a court official in BarcelonaCredit: AFP
      Media outside the court ahead of Alves’s trialCredit: Rex
      State prosecutors have said they wanted him jailed for nine years if convicted of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub on December 30, 2022.
      The dad-of-two has previously confirmed he had sex with a woman in the nightclub’s toilet but insisted it was consensual.
      A lawyer acting for Alves’ female accuser, has called for him to face the maximum 12-year prison sentence if he is found guilty.
      Both prosecutors are also seeking a compensation payment of £128,000.
      READ MORE ON DANI ALVES
      Failing an eleventh-hour plea bargain deal, the trial will start at 10am local time at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial Court and is scheduled to last for three days.
      The three judges, who are sitting without a jury as is normal in Spain for sex crime cases, have around a fortnight to return their verdict once the trial ends and will announce their decision in a written ruling.
      Alves, who can opt to take the stand on the last day, has insisted he had consensual sex with the woman who has accused him of forcing himself on her.
      At first he had claimed to have never met the woman in question, before backtracking at a later date and saying the pair had consensual sex.
      Most read in Football
      It was also initially reported he had put his hands down a woman’s underwear in the club’s VIP area’s toilets, but it later emerged the 23-year-old was alleging she had been the victim of rape.
      She has been given permission to testify behind-closed-doors.
      Dani Alves’ estranged wife shares kiss with female pal on Instagram after ‘demanding divorce’ over star’s rape charges
      Her cousin and a female friend who were with her the night of the alleged sex attack are among the witnesses called to give evidence along with waiters in the VIP area of Sutton’s where Alves met the woman whose accusations ended with his arrest and incarceration ahead of today’s trial.
      Alves’ wife Joana Sanz will testify on behalf of the footballer following his pre-trial public apology to the model for “cheating on her” with the woman who claims he raped her.
      The footballer was ordered to stand trial last November.
      Initially, it was reported Alves had been accused of putting his hands down a woman’s underwear inside a toilet in the VIP area of Sutton nightclub before it emerged his alleged victim was saying she had been raped.
      He was sacked by Mexican side UNAM Pumas following his arrest in Barcelona at the start of last year after he flew back to the Catalan capital to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.
      He has made repeated bail requests but they have all been turned down, with judges saying his alleged victim’s version of events was coherent and pointing out Alves had changed his story several times as the evidence authorities have against him has emerged.
      Alves claimed before his arrest he had never met his female accuser but ended up backtracking after being held.
      In an exclusive interview from his cell in Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona last June with Spanish TV and newspaper reporter Mayka Navarro, he claimed: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.”
      As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
      He is widely considered one of the greatest full-backs of all time.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      He became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.
      At the start of the year his mum Lucia Alves caused controversy and left herself open to future prosecution by naming and picturing her son’s rape accuser in a social media post she has now removed.
      The dad-of-two is facing 12 years behind bars
      He was accused of raping a woman in the toilets of Sutton nightclub in Barcelona
      The Brazilian defender admitted having sex with a woman in the nightclub but insisted it was consensualCredit: PA:Press Association
      He has publicly apologised to his wife Joana Sanz
      Timeline of Dani Alves’s case
      December 30, 2022: A woman alleges she was sexually assaulted in the toilets of Sutton nightclub
      January 1, 2023: Cops in Barcelona are investigating an alleged sexual assault in a nightclub involving Dani Alves.
      January 5, 2023: Dani Alves’s alleged victim makes a formal complaint claiming she was sexually assaulted
      CCTV footage shows Alves had been alone for 47 seconds in a toilet at the nightclub with his accuser
      January 20, 2023: Alves had been remanded in custody by a judge in Barcelona
      He initially denies ever meeting his accuser but later confirms they had sex in the nightclub’s toilets – but insists was consensual
      January 31, 2023: His wife Joana Sanz, 29, demands divorce
      February 8, 2023: It emerges that Alves is said to be receiving ‘VIP treatment’ in prison
      March 17, 2023: Alves is going on hunger strike following split from wife
      November 14, 2023: The footballer is ordered to stand trial for the alleged assault
      November 24, 2023: Prosecutors demand nine years jail time and to pay the alleged victim  £130,000, if found guilty
      February 5, 2024: Alves appears in court in Spain facing twelve years in jail More

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      Blow to Jack Grealish as cops probing £1m raid on his mansion suspect overseas gang was involved and have ‘zero leads’

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      POLICE investigating a £1million raid on Jack Grealish’s mansion suspect an overseas gang was involved.Cops have “zero leads” on the break-in at the footie star’s home despite exhaustive inquiries.
      Police suspect the £1 million raid on Jack Grealish’s mansion was the work of an overseas gangCredit: Getty
      Jack’s fiancée Sasha Attwood was in at the time of the raid and raised the alarmCredit: Instagram
      And they are now increasingly convinced the burglary on December 27 — as he played for Man City but while relatives and his fiancée Sasha Attwood were at the property — was the work of a gang with foreign links.
      Reports have previously suggested it could have been an inside job.
      But a security source said: “The fact police have made so many inquiries locally, and come up with nothing, has made them think it is linked to a foreign gang.
      “That, of course, makes it much harder for them to be traced, especially if they have flown into the UK and then fled abroad.
      READ MORE JACK GREALISH
      “The talk among players and their security teams is it could be linked to a South American gang, who have been known to target homes of the wealthy here before.
      “It makes it seem increasingly unlikely it will be solved.
      “Jack will then become the latest in a long line of footballers who have had their properties raided with no one caught.”
      The raiders struck at the £5.6million Cheshire pad as Grealish, 28, played in City’s 3-1 win at Everton.
      Most read in Football
      Terrified Sasha, 27, heard movement upstairs and raised the alarm but the gang fled within minutes with watches and gems worth £1million.
      Footie stars have been plagued by raiders, amid fears that “away-day” gangs are jetting to the UK specifically to carry out burglaries.
      Last August two Chilean women who flew to Britain as “burglary tourists” and raided a businessman’s home were jailed.
      Cheshire Police confirmed they had made no arrests and inquiries continued. More

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      We must never give an inch to footy thugs after West Brom vs Wolves clash, I remember the dark days all too well

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      REARING its ugly face at The Hawthorns, crowd violence was the worst news in our football since the last time.We must not give it an inch because do so and repeats of the problem that invaded us in the 70s and 80s might well damn us again.
      Chaos ensued between West Brom and Wolves fans in the FA Cup Black Country derbyCredit: PA
      Fighting broke out in the home end at The HawthornsCredit: PA
      A fan was escorted out of the ground by emergency services covered in blood
      Acting together, clubs, the authorities and the police have used techniques to control if not to eradicate hooliganism inside grounds and  the streets around them.
      In the end only the certainty of being caught, guaranteed punishment and respect for other supporters have led to much-diminished violence.
      There are counter forces as well.
      Drugs, alcohol, over-excitement, ignorance, rivalry and sheer criminality play their part.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      At West Brom’s home FA Cup-tie with neighbours Wolves several of these factors were at work, in particular hatred and the away team’s second and likely decisive goal.
      In the moments afterwards a stray Wolves fan overdid the exultation in an Albion section, and trouble followed, sadly inevitably.
      From where I sat, in a comfy chair elsewhere, it was clear that the TNT cameras were trying to pinpoint the site of the outbreak.
      They weren’t very successful.
      Most read in Football
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      Kyle Bartley was forced to lead his children away from the crowd trouble
      But when Albion’s brawny centre-back Kyle Bartley scrambled through the pack holding his two young children tightly, it was clear we had a ­serious problem.
      Great credit to the police, stewards and pre-planners in case of a red-hot rumpus, in the end we had half an hour’s shutdown of play, a chap with a blood-streaked face and six arrests.
      Not a small incident and one freighted with enormous repercussions.
      When I joined Birmingham in 1993, the club were still tarnished with the reputation of the Zulu gang and the St Andrew’s riot at the end of the match with Leeds on May 11, 1985.
      Madness was on hand that day.
      A crazed idiot punched a police horse to the ground.
      Then a dozen or so jumped a wall, pulled down a long advertising hoarding and charged down the pitch behind it, knocking over police and horses.
      A 15-year-old lad tragically died, 145 police were injured, 125 fans arrested and at least 50 went to hospital. 
      On the same day 56 people died in a fire at Bradford’s Valley Parade ground.
      A joint inquiry on both led to new standards of safety in UK stadiums.
      Later, the Hillsborough disaster added to the urgency for new standards of policing major events.
      Our clubs, together with various authorities, also introduced high-standard stewarding and crowd control both inside stadiums and in the vicinity.
      Behaviour is monitored in car parks and in stations and even trains.
      My club has had plenty of experiences of bad behaviour as they cause me both fear and fury.
      Away to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar last season we started celebrating reaching the Europa Conference League final when our players’ family and friends were attacked at the final whistle.
      An AZ mob broke through a fence and attacked our contingent in the stadium.
      There was a brawl in which our players, including then-captain Declan Rice attempted to quieten them.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      We have to ensure The Hawthorns skirmish doesn’t become the start of something horrible — a raging battle in which bloodied heads are but a precursor of mayhem.
      I pray this is not so.
      AZ Supporters attacked relatives of West Ham United players during their Conference League matchCredit: Getty More

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      Major TV change for Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea as kick-off time announced amid police fears

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      A MAJOR scheduling change has been forced on the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool amid police fears. The Wembley showpiece was due to kick off at 4.30pm on Sunday.
      A major TV change has been forced on the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and LiverpoolCredit: PA
      But the Metropolitan Police requested that it be brought forward after the rivalling Premier League sides made it to the final.
      Cops deemed the fixture as “high risk” and requested that it gets under way no later than 3pm.
      And now their wish has been granted, with kick-off moved back 90 minutes.
      An EFL spokesperson said: “Following representations from the @metpoliceuk, the local safety advisory group has determined the 2024 @Carabao_Cup Final will now kick-off at 3pm.
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      “Having previously scheduled the usual 4.30pm kick off time with @wembleystadium and @SkySports, it is disappointing to note the change at this late stage.”
      The FA has issued a 3pm TV blackout on Saturdays since the 1960s and is set to stay for another five years.
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      But it does not apply for Sundays, meaning the Carabao Cup clash can proceed with the amended time
      The game will be broadcast by Sky Sports.
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      Chelsea booked their place in the final by overcoming a 1-0 first leg loss to Middlesbrough by winning the return tie 6-1.
      Liverpool meanwhile overcame Fulham to set up a repeat of the 2022 final, which the Reds won on penalties.
      Liverpool won the Carabao Cup in 2022Credit: Marc Aspland – The Times More