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      I’m a WAG and World Cup veteran – I know exactly how England’s other halves can deal with Qatar’s ruinous rules

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      I’M usually a firm believer that rules are made to be broken.But the strict list of World Cup dos and don’ts issued by England chiefs to this year’s Wags are not to be trifled with.
      Lizzie Cundy at the 2010 World Cup in South AfricaCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
      The likes of Sasha Attwood, Jack Grealish’s girlfriend, should be looking forward to the World Cup and all the glitz and glamour that comes with itCredit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Our girls have been warned that if they put a stiletto-clad foot wrong in strict Qatar, they could end up in prison.
      My heart goes out to them, because they’ve been issued with a manifesto for party poopery.
      No booze, no skimpy outfits, no PDAs, no singing in public and even no selfies, at least not outside official buildings.
      The Wags simply won’t know what to do with themselves.
      READ MORE ON QATAR
      The likes of Sasha Attwood, Jack Grealish’s girlfriend, and her fellow England Wags should be looking forward to the World Cup and all the glitz and glamour that comes with it.
      Instead, they’ll be worrying that they could get in trouble for doing perfectly normal things.
      I’ve been lucky enough to go to two World Cups, Germany in 2006 and South Africa in 2010, and it might sound silly, but I’m not exaggerating when I say the Wags play a huge part in creating the special atmosphere.
      In South Africa I was treated like a superstar. I can hardly tell you what it was like there.
      Most read in The Sun
      I kept thinking, ‘Have they got me mixed up with someone?’.
      The World Cup is meant to be an international party, and we were there to support our boys in the best way we knew how.
      But with the risk of a crisis in Qatar if anyone has too much fun, I think those golden days have come to an end.
      This year’s Wags have been told that public displays of affection, including kissing, will not be tolerated.
      Double whammy
      That’s going to be tough. I remember watching my ex-husband Jason Cundy play for Chelsea and Tottenham, and when you’re watching a game, especially when they score, you leap up and hug.
      You can’t help it, it’s instinct, you do it — these girls want to support their partner and they want to show affection. They want to show passion.
      And if you’re on holiday with your partner, you are just openly affectionate without even thinking.
      In fact, we’ve seen a few of the players be affectionate with the wrong person, so it’s a double whammy to the loyal partners. Then there’s the rules around wardrobe choices.
      Wags love dressing up and are fully aware that when their partner scores a goal, all the cameras are straight on them.
      We’ve seen a few of the players be affectionate with the wrong person, so it’s a double whammy to the loyal partners.
      They want to look the bee’s knees — clothes are their life and they’ll obviously have got all their outfits ready for the matches. And for the girls to dress modestly? They haven’t got that in their vocab.
      What is modest anyway? I know I’ve been out before and someone has said, ‘Ooh, that’s a bit racy’, and I’m like, ‘Gosh, this is nothing’.
      Will they have to have their skirts below the knee? Will their shoulders be covered? And it’s going to be very hot — are you allowed to go out in a vest top?
      They could get in trouble unless they’ve got a warden or someone there checking them from head to toe with a measuring tape saying, ‘No, that skirt’s too short’.
      For girls used to rightly making their own choices about their own bodies, this will feel so wrong.
      We all know the Wags love a good selfie, as we all do — and Qatar is a beautiful place — so taking a selfie is something these girls will do without even thinking.
      They’ll want to put pictures out there — they’re at the World Cup, it’s the pinnacle of their partners’ careers — but taking a selfie in front of a government building is against the law.
      A World Cup without Wags would be a sad sight
      And we’re not just talking about a slap on the wrist here, this is serious stuff. It can lead to imprisonment, as well as fines.
      Drinking in public, that’s another thing. What if they win and England go through? Are you saying they can’t celebrate with a drink?
      They’re also not allowed to sing — so I can’t imagine how deathly dull the stadiums will sound.
      Like many others, when I watch a football match, I get taken over by someone else and find myself singing my heart out until my throat is hoarse. It’s in you and you can’t stop it.
      All of these rules are going to be broken, probably by accident — and we could see one of our girls actually being put in prison. Footballers’ wives get a really bad rap of being nothing but bimbos who love to shop and get their nails done and are just after the money.
      But they’re not. A lot of them are intelligent women who have careers in their own right. They’re not used to being told what to do. They are strong, independent women who set their own rules.
      f I were them, I’d make a stand against these regressive regulations and say, ‘We’re not going to go’. A World Cup without Wags would be a sad sight.
      But after all the support they’ve given their partners, the Wags should expect to have their support in taking a stand, too.

      Lizzie’s 8 best Wag moments
      Like The Beatles
      Victoria , left, and Coleen, centre, are joined by a pal, Michael Owen’s wife Louise, second right, and Frank Lampard’s then fiancée Elen Rivas, right, in Baden-BadenCredit: Associated Newspapers
      I WILL never forget that first moment of seeing the Wags walking together in a line in Baden-Baden during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
      It was like The Beatles had come to town when Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney and the gang stepped out.
      Everyone was like, “Wow. Who are they? What are they wearing?”.
      They were everywhere and it was like nothing anyone had seen before. It was a time when the girls were really more popular than the players.
      And England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson loved it, because the attention wasn’t on the boys.
      They sold more magazines than if you had Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the front. I don’t think we’ll ever be seeing anything like that again.
      War of the sunglasses
      You had this hierarchy, with Victoria Beckham, at the top and then Cheryl ColeCredit: Alamy
      IT was great seeing the girls watching the games and looking at how big their sunglasses were in 2006.
      You had this hierarchy, with Victoria Beckham, at the top and then Cheryl Cole, because we knew them from the Spice Girls and Girl Aloud.
      Then we had Coleen Rooney, who was new on the block, but you could see she had real star quality.
      It was so fun to see the top girls angling for the best seat, and getting that money shot when their partner scores. Cameras went straight on to them, with their hair immaculate, huge sunglasses and lots of lip gloss. They looked like stars.
      Meeting Mandela
      That’s when I knew the England Wags had actually gone globalCredit: Reuters
      WHEN I met Nelson Mandela at the 2010 World Cup, the former South Africa leader’s first words to me were: “Where are the Wags?”
      That’s when I knew the England Wags had actually gone global. It was something else.
      The new generation
      Rebekah Vardy led the squad of Wags in Russia in 2018Credit: AP:Associated Press
      At the last World Cup in Russia, in 2018, we saw Rebekah Vardy, leading the squad of Wags, all dressed up to the nines, as they hit the town.
      Unfortunately, Rebekah’s caused quite a stir since then – and I can’t imagine her at the helm of a similar outing now.
      Staying next door to Prince Harry
      Princes William and Harry watch the 2010 World CupCredit: Reuters
      I WAS staying in the Sun City resort in South Africa, but my friend moved me to another hotel, the Saxton, much to my annoyance.
      However, when I got there, I got the only room left, which was next to Prince Harry, on the top floor with a view.
      I was like, “This is my kind of place!”. At the same hotel I gatecrashed the fanciest cocktail party, with David Beckham, Prince Harry and Prince William.
      Prince Harry’s PR took a look at me and went, “What the hell are you doing here?”, and I was like, “There’s no party without the Cundy – I’m here!”.
      Their faces went pale when they saw me walk in.

      Champagne through straws
      ENGLAND may not have won the World Cup in 2006 but we definitely took the prize for partying.
      Steven Gerrard’s wife Alex Curran was said to have led the karaoke while drinking magnums of champagne through straws with other Wags at nightclub Garibaldi’s. There were also reports of dancing on tables and huge bar bills.
      Queen of the Wags
      Nancy Dell’Olio dated Sven-Goran ErikssonCredit: BBC
      WHEN I was working for ITV as the Wags correspondent in 2006, I was asked to interview the “Queen of the Wags”.
      I was like, “Who is that?”. Then I get a call from Nancy Dell’Olio, who dated Sven, joking: “Darling, I’m married to the boss. I’m Queen of the Wags!”
      Party bus
      Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan Davidson headed to Wembley for the Euro semi-finals last year on a party busCredit: Instagram
      Read More on The Sun
      WE know that, given a chance, today’s Wags would be up for a party.Goalie Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan Davidson headed to Wembley for the Euro semi-finals last year on a party bus decked out in England flags and balloons.
      It came after England’s first game of the Euros, when Megan donned personalised football shirts and tiny denim shorts, along with Kieran Trippier’s wife Charlotte, Harry Maguire’s fiancée Fern Hawkins, Luke Shaw’s girlfriend Anouska Santos and Kyle Walker’s wife Annie Kilner. More

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      From team that won match without scoring to game’s first black player – Gary Lineker reveals incredible football stories

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      FOOTBALL is the one thing that has always been in my life. I used to be in the box as a player, now I’m on the box as a presenter.
      Gary Lineker has shared with us five of his favourite incredible football storiesCredit: Getty
      Gary’s new book 50 Times Football Changed The World is filled with inspirational tales
      Football has a long and rich history with so many memorable moments, unforgettable tales and incredible stories from across the world which all show the numerous ways the game has been a force for good.
      I’ve put 50 of the most fascinating, educational and inspiring tales in my new book, 50 Times Football Changed The World.
      Here I’m sharing five of my favourites.
      READ MORE ON GARY LINEKER
      The first black professional footballer in the world
      ARTHUR WHARTON was born in 1865 in Jamestown, Gold Coast, West Africa, which is now Accra, in Ghana.
      Not much is known about Arthur’s early life, but when he was 19 he moved to Darlington to train as a missionary.
      Arthur Wharton, who played for Darlington FC., was the first black professional footballer in the worldCredit: NNP
      Arthur was born in 1865 in Jamestown, Gold Coast, West Africa, which is now Accra, in Ghana, moved to Darlington when he was 19Credit: Sharon Doorbar
      Most read in The Sun
      It wasn’t long before he started playing as goal- keeper for Darlington FC.
      He was said to be an entertaining performer with a phenomenal punch, by which they meant punching the ball, not his opponents (hopefully)!
      He also used to catch the ball between his legs and he would sometimes pull the crossbar down (it was only made of tape in those days) so shots would miss.
      That would certainly get a red card today.
      It wasn’t long before he moved to Preston North End, one of the biggest teams in England at that time, then Rotherham Town, Sheffield United, Stalybridge Rovers and Ashton North End, before finishing his career at Stockport County in 1902.
      As a professional, Arthur earned a lot of money, so he would often donate part of his wages to help people in need.
      Unfortunately, after retiring from football, his life was hard.
      He gradually spent all the money he made from his sports career and had to work as a coal miner to support his family.
      He passed away in 1930 and was buried in an unmarked grave.
      For many years afterwards, Arthur and his great achievements as a true sports pioneer went unrecognised.
      He was finally given the footballing recognition he deserved in 2003, when he was welcomed into the English Football Hall of Fame, having paved the way for so many of the talented players we see today.
      Arthur paved the way for so many of the talented players we see today (pictured: Marcus Rashford)Credit: AFP
      The team that played on the sea
      NOTHING makes you want to grab a football and kick it around quite like watching an incredible match.
      And that’s exactly what happened when the children from a fishing village called Koh Panyee, in Thailand, were watching the 1986 World Cup finals.
      Children from a fishing village called Koh Panyee, in Thailand made a football pitch in the seaCredit: EPA
      But there was one not-so-small problem . . . Koh Panyee is in the sea.
      It is a floating village built on stilts. No one had ever been able to play football there because . . . well, there just wasn’t space.
      The children really, really wanted to play, though, so they came up with a brilliant idea — if the village could float, then so could a football pitch.
      So they began gathering bits of wood and old rafts, took a boat just a little way out on to the sea and started building a surface they could play on.
      It was like no other pitch in the world. Sharp nails jutted out from the wood.
      There was no barrier between the edge of the pitch and the sea.
      And splinters were a real hazard for their bare feet.
      But the children loved it — despite having to jump into the water to retrieve the ball an awful lot.
      When they entered their first proper tournament, Panyee realised they were actually really good. All that playing on their floating pitch had paid off.
      They have become one of the best youth teams in southern Thailand, winning seven regional titles on the trot between 2004 and 2010.
      Today they have a smooth new pitch, which even has a fence to stop the ball going into the water.
      The village has also benefited from tourists coming to see the incredible pitch and hear the team’s amazing story.
      It just shows what you can do with determination, courage, teamwork . . . and a few bits of wood.
      When the worst team in Britain didn’t give up
      MADRON is a village in Cornwall. About 1,600 people live there and it also has a football team, Madron FC.
      At the start of the 2010–11 season, they were in the first division of Cornwall’s Mining League.
      Madron FC. were branded the ‘worst team in Britain’ but they eventually won a match after 30 straight defeatsCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
      They began the season full of hope and positivity and were ready to give it their all.
      But in their first game they lost 11-0. Ouch! And things didn’t get better.
      As the season progressed, Madron lost 16–0, 29–0 (yes, twenty-nine) and 9–0.
      Later in the season, when they played against Illogan Reserves, they lost . . . wait for it . . . 55–0.
      That means Illogan scored a goal nearly every two minutes. One of their players scored ten goals — more than three hat-tricks.
      Madron were branded in the newspapers as “the worst team in Britain”.
      Some teams might give up after a defeat like that, but not Madron.
      The following weekend they put on their game faces once again.
      Could they bounce back from that defeat with a victory? Well, no — this time they lost 22–0.
      By the end of the season they were bottom of the table with zero points, having lost every single game.
      Their goal difference was minus 395.
      But throughout the season Madron had continued to try their best, week in, week out.
      As one of the players said: “I’d rather play for a bad team that has fun than a good team that you don’t enjoy playing for.”
      The following season Madron lost their first game 8-2. But their second game ended 4-3 — to Madron.
      After 30 straight defeats and 407 goals conceded across both seasons, they had finally won.
      The Madron players ran around the pitch, did laps of honour, cheered, shouted and high-fived one another. It was as if they’d won the league.
      Their hard work had finally paid off. They showed the true value of believing in yourself and never giving up.
      Referee who took on football authorities and a dictator
      IT’S not easy being a referee. Every match is a battle.
      But in the case of Lea Campos, the battles started long before she even got on to the pitch.
      Lea Campos had to take on football authorities and a dictator to fulfil her dream of becoming a refereeCredit: Museu do futebol
      Lea was born in Brazil in 1945 and loved playing football.
      Unfortunately, women were banned from playing organised sports in those days.
      Instead, she was encouraged to take part in beauty pageants.
      She won quite a few, and one helped her back into football.
      Cruzeiro is one of Brazil’s biggest football teams, and after winning the title Queen of Cruzeiro in 1966, Lea got a job with the club where she helped to promote it by speaking to journalists and organising player interviews.
      She realised the love of football she’d had hadn’t gone away.
      Lea still wasn’t allowed to play, but she discovered there was nothing to stop her becoming a referee.
      In 1967, she did an eight-month course and became one of the first female referees in the world.
      Even though she was qualified, the Brazilian sporting authorities — led by a man, João Havelange — still wouldn’t let her on the pitch.
      She was told women’s bodies weren’t suitable for the sport.
      Lea wasn’t going to stand for that, though. In one of the beauty contests she had met an army commander.
      She asked him if he could arrange for her to have a meeting with the president of Brazil, Emílio Garrastazu Médici.
      But Médici was a brutal leader who ruled the country with violence.
      What was he going to think about a woman requesting to be a referee?
      Over lunch, the president told Lea that one of his sons was a big fan of hers.
      Then he handed her a letter.
      It was a written request for Havelange to let her become a referee.
      And everyone knew you didn’t say no to the president.
      Lea went on to referee 98 matches in Brazil.
      Fans might still disagree with a lot of referees’ decisions, but one thing we can all agree on is that what Lea Campos did was incredibly brave — and has helped to change the world’s opinion on female referees.
      When a team won without scoring a single goal
      THERE were four teams in the play-off tournament to decide Madagascar’s 2002 champions — Adema Analamanga and Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne, who were big rivals, and Domoina Soavina Atsimondrano Antananarivo and Union Sportive Ambohidratrimo.
      In the penultimate game of the tournament, L’Emyrne were leading 2–1 but, with full time approaching, the referee awarded their opponents, Antananarivo, a penalty.
      L’Emyrne scored an own goal approximately every 30 seconds as a protest in their match against Adema
      The players and manager of L’Emyrne were certain the penalty should not have been awarded but, despite their complaints, the referee didn’t change their mind (they rarely do) and Antananarivo scored the spot kick.
      The final result was 2–2.
      This meant L’Emyrne couldn’t win the tournament.
      The manager and players were convinced the referee had been biased — and at their next match, the last game of the tournament against their arch rivals Adema Analamanga, they decided to protest.
      The game kicked off, and as soon as a L’Emyrne player got the ball, he did something very odd.
      Instead of running towards Adema’s goal, he ran towards his own team’s goal and scored an own goal.
      It was 1–0 to Adema. L’Emyrne kicked off again and this time . . . the same thing happened.
      They scored another own goal, making it 2–0 to Adema. And it happened again, and again.
      Adema’s players couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
      The spectators couldn’t believe it either, and many of them started demanding their money back.
      But still the game went on, with L’Emyrne scoring an own goal approximately every 30 seconds.
      By the time the final whistle blew it was 149–0 to Adema — without any of their players touching the ball.
      It was very odd, and in some ways very funny, but the Madagascan football authorities didn’t think so.
      L’Emyrne’s manager, Ratsimandresy Ratsarazaka, who organised the protest, was banned from coaching for three years and four players were also banned for the rest of the season.
      Read More on The Sun
      It truly was an amazing, game-changing moment.
      One team did something extraordinary to stand up for themselves and to let everyone know that they weren’t going to put up with what they believed to be cheating. More

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      in Soccer

      Inside luxury £1billion cruise liner that England WAGs will live on for World Cup which features a five-a-side pitch

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      THREE Lions’ Wags will enjoy a life of luxury aboard a £1billion cruise liner during the World Cup in Qatar.Several of the Three Lions stars’ partners and families are set to be based on the MSC World Europa, described as a “floating palace”.
      The MSC World Europa will host England stars families during Qatar 2022Credit:
      Eric Dier’s model girlfriend Anna Modler could be among the WAGs stayingCredit: instagram
      She could be joined by Aaron Ramsdale’s fiancee Georgina IrwinCredit: instagram
      It includes six pools, 14 ocean-view jacuzzis, dodgem cars, salons, boutiques, restaurants, bars and the longest dry-slide at sea.
      In Qatar there is normally a booze ban which can land flouters in jail, though some “select areas” will serve it at the World Cup.
      Because the MSC World Europa is “off-shore”, guests can neck champagne stress-free and sunbathe, unlike at some hotels there.
      Among them could be model Anna Modler, 24, who is dating defender Eric Dier, and air hostess Georgina Irwin, 26, engaged to goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
      READ MORE WAGS
      Packages will cost players’ families £6,000 each – a snip for England’s mega-rich footballers.
      Phil Foden’s girlfriend Rebecca Cooke, 22, is among those to have expressed an interest in staying on it along with the Manchester City ace’s family.
      Fern Maguire, 27, is also expected in the Middle East to support hubby Harry during the tournament, which starts in November.
      While some partners are likely to stay in Dubai and fly in for matches, The Sun on Sunday can reveal several have opted to make the MSC World Europa their base.
      Phil Foden’s partner Rebecca Cooke is believed to be keen on staying on the cruise shipCredit: instagram
      Harry Maguire’s wife Fern could also choose to stay on the luxury linerCredit: Social Media
      Most read in The Sun
      In an added boost, the FA is stumping up the bill for security, with thousands of fans also expected on board.
      Our source said: “The boat is an amazing place to stay. It is like a floating palace, which is why many of the players’ wives and families quickly snapped up packages that the Football Association arranged.
      Those staying on the boat can have at least five people with them and also pay for extra guests too.
      It means nannies and other family members are likely to be heading out to Qatar as well.
      “Due to the fact the boat is off shore, guests can have a drink and enjoy themselves without having to worry about falling foul of Qatar’s strict rules.
      “In many of the bars and clubs around Qatar you can’t even cheer let alone order a beer.
      “And they certainly don’t like football songs.
      “And many hotels aren’t even allowed sunbathing areas. But by staying on the boat guests just relax and have a great time.
      “If England do go all the way it’s likely to become like a carnival on board.”
      The ship can hold 6,762 guests – and many fans are reported to still be trying to book rooms.
      Prices start at about £300 for a double/twin but go right up to £690 a night.
      Those staying on the 205,700- tonne ship are promised a “globally inspired urban design” and a “world of immersive experiences”.
      ‘The Venom Drop’ slide is a unique and daring feature of the cruise shipCredit:
      The liner even boasts a 5-a-side ship which players’ families may enjoy
      The cruise liner even has a dodgems arena along with a roller disco rinkCredit: supplied
      One of the highlights, especially for children, is an incredible 11-deck high slide called “The Venom Drop”.
      Water slides are also available too. A Sportplex zone will offer basketball, bumper cars and even a roller disco rink.
      Swimming pools, which include one inside with a sliding roof, have themes including “botanic garden”, “zen” or “beach vibes”.
      Gareth Southgate will name 26 players for Qatar.
      Read More on The Sun
      Their first match will be against Iran on November 21 at Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium — the day after the tournament starts.
      The FA declined to comment.
      Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale will find out if he has a place in the squad in late OctoberCredit: Getty
      Tottenham’s Eric Dier started for England in Friday’s match against ItalyCredit: Getty More

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      Inside Man United flop Paul Pogba’s multi-million pound blackmail ordeal as his BROTHER accused of being ringleader

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      AS a multi-millionaire and World Cup winner, Paul Pogba must have hoped he had left the tough crime-infested Parisian suburbs of his youth far behind.One of the most gifted football players of his generation, he lived in a £3million Cheshire mansion and was a shining star of the Manchester United midfield.
      Paul Pogba says he was held at gunpoint by an extortion gang — and that one of the plotters was his own brother, MathiasCredit: Getty
      Mathias this weekend accused his famous brother of paying for a witch doctor to curse talismanic French team mate Kylian MbappeCredit: @mathiaspogbaofficial
      Paul was raised with elder twin brothers Florentin and Mathias in Paris
      Yet while visiting his family in Lagny-sur-Marne, near Disneyland Paris, he alleges that the dark side of the high-rise estates that ring the French capital caught up with him.
      The French national hero says he was held at gunpoint by an extortion gang — and that one of the plotters was his own brother, Mathias.
      Then, in a bizarre twist, journeyman footballer Mathias this weekend accused his famous brother of paying for a witch doctor to curse talismanic French teammate Kylian Mbappe
      Paul has denied the claims but Mathias — who played for a string of British clubs — labelled his sibling “a so-called Muslim deep in witchcraft”.
      Read more on Paul Pogba
      Former Wrexham forward Mathias said of his superstar brother: “When everything is said, people will see that there is no bigger coward, bigger traitor and bigger hypocrite than you on this earth.”
      Paul’s extortion claims — and his brother’s witchcraft allegations — have left the football world in deep shock.
      With less than three months until the World Cup starts in Qatar, there are fears that the furore could disrupt France’s defence of their crown.
      Paul, 29 — who has been suffering with a knee injury — has been the lynchpin of Les Bleus in midfield, with 91 caps and 11 goals.
      Most read in Football
      MASKED MEN
      But the astonishing saga is said to have begun in March, before his transfer from United to Juventus. On a visit to his homeland for an international between France and the Ivory Coast on March 25, Paul went to see his family in Lagny-sur-Marne.
      The Parisian suburb is where he was born to Guinean parents in 1993. His twin elder brothers Florentin and Mathias both also forged careers as professional footballers, but it was Paul, the soccer prodigy, who shone.
      He first joined Manchester United from Le Havre as a 16-year-old in 2009 before being allowed to leave for Juventus on a free transfer in 2012.
      But he returned to Old Trafford for a record transfer fee of £89million in 2016, playing 154 times in that spell and scoring 29 goals.
      In 2018 he won a World Cup winners’ medal with his international teammates, scoring in the final as France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow.
      This summer his return to Italian giants Juventus followed patchy form at United. Yet Paul says he was facing blackmail threats before leaving Old Trafford.
      On his trip to Lagny-sur-Marne in March he told police he was confronted by a gang that included friends from his childhood and teenage years as well as two masked men armed with assault rifles.
      The midfielder — married to Bolivian model Maria Zulay Salaues — then claimed he was forced to accompany them to a flat in nearby Roissy-en-Brie, where they demanded more than £11million for “protecting him”.
      With the gang demanding £2.6million immediately, Paul tried to withdraw the money but his bank declined to authorise such a large amount.
      Radio station France Info reported that the blackmailers had to settle for £85,000 in cash instead.
      When the gang continued to try to extort money, Paul filed a criminal complaint through his lawyers.
      He told cops that when the gang tailed him to Manchester and Turin, where Juventus play, his brother Mathias was present among the alleged conspirators.
      When everything is said, people will see that there is no bigger coward, bigger traitor and bigger hypocrite than you on this earth.Mathias Pogba
      An investigating source said: “He claims to the police that he recognised his brother, Mathias Pogba, among the suspects.”
      When cops interviewed Paul he told them he had remained close to his childhood friends and that he had tried to help when they faced financial difficulties. But he told how he had to kick an unidentified friend out of his house in Manchester in January after discovering that he had spent £170,000 on his credit card.
      The Paris prosecutor’s office has confirmed an investigation into “extortion attempts by an organised gang” has been under way since August 3. Extortion carries a maximum sentence of 20 years under French law.
      Brother Mathias, 32, has vehemently denied the blackmail claims in social media posts, saying his brother was lying to have him imprisoned.
      Mathias, who has also played for Crewe Alexandra, Crawley Town and Partick Thistle, posted a video of himself saying he had “explosive revelations” about his more gifted footballing brother, who he said did not deserve to play for France.
      And he alleged Paul paid an African witch doctor to cast a spell to injure Kylian Mbappe, the France and Paris Saint-Germain striker, and that there were videos to prove it.
      Enquiry sources claim millions in cash were demanded in return for the alleged videos remaining secret.
      Paul’s agent and lawyers deny such videos exist, but Mathias responded in a social media post: “Kylian, now do you understand?
      “I have no negative feeling towards you, my words are for your good, everything is true and proven, the witch doctor is known! Sorry about this brother, a so-called Muslim deep in witchcraft, it’s never good to have a hypocrite and a traitor near you!”
      Paul’s lawyers, his mother, Yeo Moriba, and agent Rafaela Pimenta, said in a statement that Mathias’s social media videos “are unfortunately no surprise”.
      NOT SUPERHEROES
      They said the videos were in addition to “threats and extortion attempts”.
      Mathias and Paul were thought to be close and were often pictured together.
      He claims to the police that he recognised his brother, Mathias Pogba, among the suspects.An investigating source on Paul Pogba
      But elder sibling Mathias has posted on social media: “My little brother is finally starting to show his true face.
      “Since it was he who started talking, to lie to the police and who brought out the information, you can’t blame me. Paul, you really wanted to shut me up completely, to lie and send me to prison, I suspected it.
      “Now it’s true, my version of the facts actually happened and, unlike you, I have enough to prove my words and your lies.
      “I’ll tell you again: Brother, manipulating people is not good! It’s not about money: You implicated me in spite of myself, I almost died because of you, you left me in a hole and you want to play the innocent one.”
      Mathias, who has struggled to escape his younger brother’s shadow, continued: “The French, English, Italian and Spanish public — in other words, the whole world — as well as my brother’s fans, and even more so the France team and Juventus, my brother’s team-mates and his sponsors deserve to know certain things.
      “In order to make an in- formed decision if he deserves the admiration, respect and love of the public. If he deserves his place in the France team and the honour of playing in the World Cup.
      “If he deserves to be a starter at Juventus. If he is a trustworthy person, that any player deserves to have at his side.” French football chiefs admit the legal case could rumble on. Noel Le Graet, president of the French Football Federation, said: “We’re just at the beginning of this affair.
      “No one has been in court as far as I know. At this stage, there are just rumours.
      “I love Paul. I hope that this does not raise questions about his place in the French national team.”
      In the past, Paul has told how he battled depression while playing for United. He claims a fallout with then United boss Jose Mourinho — which left him stripped of the vice-captaincy in September 2018 — led to mental health problems.
      He said: “Because you make money, you always have to be happy? It’s not like that, life. But in football, it does not pass, we are however not superheroes, but only human beings.”
      Though facing a battle to be fully fit for the World Cup, he remains a key player for France. According to a French Football Federation source, the saga is “tearing up France players” in the run-up to the World Cup.
      Read More on The Sun
      The source said: “Everyone is talking about it, because it involves two star players. It’s the only topic of conversation of the France team, as they try to disentangle the true from the false, to try to work out if an audio recording or a video actually exists.”
      Les Bleus fans will hope the poisonous feud tearing Paul’s family apart will only drive him on to greater footballing heights.
      In 2018 Paul won a World Cup winners’ medal with his international team-mates, scoring in the final as France beat Croatia 4-2 in MoscowCredit: Getty
      He is married to Bolivian model Maria Zulay SalauesCredit: AFP
      Mathias alleged Paul paid a marabout witch doctor — a Muslim religious teacher — to cast a spell to injure Kylian MbappeCredit: Getty
      Paul returned to Italian giants Juventus followed patchy form at United in the summerCredit: Getty
      Mathias has struggled to escape Paul’s shadowCredit: Ama More

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      By a ‘man’s game’ Graeme Souness meant tough – but women are that too

      by

      BEING a bit of a coward, I’m disinclined to criticise Graeme Souness, even from a distance.He frightens the life out of me. As a mate of mine from Stourbridge used to say about a local hard man: “If he says it’s Tuesday, it’s Tuesday.”
      Being a bit of a coward, I’m disinclined to criticise Graeme Souness, even from a distanceCredit: Getty
      Graeme frightens the life out of me, so why would I want to argue with him?Credit: Getty
      So if grizzly Graeme wants to describe football as a man’s game, why would I want to argue?
      Well, Mr Souness, sir, while I’m not exactly arguing with you, I do humbly ask for leave to make a few points.
      After the match at Stamford Bridge, when he said, “it’s a man’s game all of a sudden now”, I don’t for a minute believe he was saying that we, he, whoever, had somehow got football back after women had taken control of it for the summer.
      Neither, I think, does he believe that football “belongs” to men in any sense.
      READ MORE ADRIAN CHILES
      His meaning was simply that referees have started letting more stuff go and stopped giving fouls every time one player comes into contact with another.
      A good fifth of all fouls given aren’t really fouls at all, they’re more about the fouled player winning the foul than the supposed fouler doing much wrong in the first place.
      Seething with indignation, Souness later clarified his position on TalkSport, saying of referees that: “They were blowing the whistle all the time and it wasn’t a good watch.
      “Our game has always been unique, more meaty, more in your face and more intense . . . that is the kind of football I remember playing in. We’ve got to be better for it.
      Most read in The Sun
      “The directive to the referees is long overdue, we’ve got our game back.”
      Whether you agree or not about last Sunday’s spiteful match at Stamford Bridge being what we want football to be, Souness is perfectly entitled to make this point.
      The problem is the phrase “man’s game”.
      Simon Jordan, on the radio with Souness, railed at the absurdity of a world in which “a man describing a game featuring men, can’t apparently use the word ‘men’ in conjunction with a game that featured solely men”.
      I can’t believe that Jordan, a bright guy, doesn’t know he’s missing the point.
      As Souness himself explained, what he meant by “man’s game” was a sport that was meaty, in your face and intense.
      He’d probably go on to use words like tough, uncompromising, ruthless, physical and so on. And that would have been fine too.
      But suggesting that these attributes are the preserve of men is just a bit silly.
      Manhood on the block
      I for one, at home and at work, have had as many women as men in my life who I’d describe — in the nicest possible way — as tough, intense, uncompromising, ruthless and physical. Meaty, perhaps not, but you take my point.
      Furthermore, as Souness surely witnessed, England’s superb women players were triumphantly all of the above in winning the Euros this Summer.
      To be fair to him, Souness isn’t the only one wrong about this notion of “manliness”, the dictionary definition of manly is bang out of date too. Mine says it means brave, dignified and noble.
      Eh? Aren’t women these things too?
      So, those professing fury about the fiery Scotsman’s few ill-chosen words might consider chilling out a bit.
      And on the other hand, for blokes to suggest this controversy constitutes yet another vicious attack on the idea of masculinity, well they should have a word themselves too.
      No one’s suggesting cancelling Souness or slapping his manhood on a butcher’s block.
      There’s a simple fix here: Just say something other than “man’s game” next time. Tough game, physical game, brutal game will do the job just fine.
      Surely a man of Graeme Souness’s intelligence gets this.
      Instead of coming out steaming, all bristling and defensive, he might simply have said something like: “Aye, OK, I get it, no offence intended, lesson learnt.”
      That would have been, in language he might appreciate, the manly thing to do.
      Finland PM is good at party politics
      To Sanna Marin I award the title of best-looking leader ever in the history of the worldCredit: Instagram
      The video of her going wild at a party has tipped me over the edge
      IT WAS an American politico called Paul Begala who said that politics is showbiz for ugly people.
      There might be something in that, but he can’t have clapped eyes on Sanna Marin.
      We’re often told that Finland leads the world in education, saunas, various winter sports, wellbeing and even, indeed, happiness itself.
      To this list we must now add heart-stoppingly beautiful prime ministers.
      I do not demean her intelligence or political acumen one bit when I award her the title of best-looking leader ever in the history of the world.
      The video of her going wild at a party has tipped me over the edge.
      Helsinki here I come. I don’t even want to meet her – I’d be rendered speechless – I just want to be able to vote for her.
      No1 is some feet
      I’m sorry to report that the soles of my feet are very dryCredit: Getty
      I’M sorry to report that the soles of my feet are very dry.
      To address this, I bought some special stuff. The tube carries the boast that it is “The No 1 Foot Cream In Sweden”.
      This seemed random as hell to me.
      What next, the bestselling deodorant in Portugal? Or Estonia’s leading shoe polish? But I’m told Swedes are known for their skin creams. Who knew?
      I’m trying to think of what product might be marketed abroad as the UK’s best. In other words, what are we renowned around the world for being the best at making?
      I don’t know what it says about me, or the country, that I can’t really think of anything.
      The best I’ve come up with is something for ale.
      Whoever’s shifting the most could market their brand as Britain’s No 1 Warm Beer.
      Crashing into faith
      EARLIER this week, as I was walking to the shops, some lads in a car recognised me and yelled what I’d describe as abusive banter.
      As I looked up, they shunted the car in front. I hurried away.
      I now feel sorry for the driver of the car they rear-ended, and a bit sorry for the lads, who possibly meant no harm.
      But at the time, I simply thought: “Yes, there is a God.”
      Don’t judge me.

      Strike simply ho-hum
      Every day a new strike is either happening or being calledCredit: LNP
      EVERY day a new strike is either happening or being called.
      I make no comment on whether they’re justified. But I do wonder if strikes really work like they used to. I think they’re losing their impact.
      A few years ago these massive rail strikes, and the postal strikes to come, would have caused an almighty stink.
      The upheaval and chaos would have consumed us all.
      Not, I sense, any more.
      Yes, they’re a nightmare for the economy; infuriatingly inconvenient for passengers and costly too for the strikers losing pay.
      But somehow we’re taking it all in our stride. This is because of the pandemic, during which the upheaval and chaos was unlike anything any of us had experienced.
      Having got through that, we feel we can get through anything.
      Strikes every other week don’t seem to bother us.
      For heaven’s SAKE, Japan?
      THE tax authorities in Japan are trying to get young people there to drink more. Yes, really.
      Alcohol sales are in decline and so, therefore, is the tax take.
      A contest is being launched to challenge 20 to 39-year- olds to come up with ideas to get that age group boozing more.
      As an advocate of moderate drinking, I often bang on about how devastating it would be for the drinks industry if we all drank within the Government’s guidelines.
      But this is a reminder that it would be a problem for the exchequer too.
      So here’s yet another excuse to drink: It’s your patriotic duty.

      We’re a Brit special
      THE pollster Ipsos MORI has released some fascinating work this week on what makes us most ashamed about being British.
      The top three are ignorance of other cultures, drinking too much and complaining too much.
      The Royal Family, with the NHS and our history, are one of the key things that make us proud to be BritishCredit: Getty
      Conversely, they’ve also looked at what makes us proud to be British.
      Here the top three are the NHS, our history, and the Royal Family.
      These are interesting questions.
      If I ask them of myself, my main conclusion is I am proud to be British.
      What am I most proud of? Our sense of humour, definitely. As far as I can see there is nobody to touch us.
      And the same for our music, another field in which we punch above our weight.
      As for what I’m ashamed of, I’d plump for our transport infrastructure.
      Read More on The Sun
      The roads, the railways, buses and our airports are all generally shambolic.
      Please, no jokes about them – I’m having a sense of humour failure. More

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      Footballers get stick over their money, but they do the right thing because they’re working class boys, says Ian Wright

      by

      IT has not been a good week for Premier League football.With headbutts, managerial red cards and multi-million pound transfer requests, stars have again been accused of being overpaid and over-pampered.
      Ian Wright says criticism footballers from politicians is unwarrantedCredit: Louis Wood – The Sun
      Ian Wright is Arsenal’s second highest ever goalscorer behind Thierry HenryCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But Ian Wright, one of top-flight football’s most successful players of all time, reckons the abuse from politicians and Co is “hypocritical”.
      Ian, 58, says: “There’s always a backlash against footballers.
      “When the pandemic started, everybody was sitting at home saying, ‘footballers should do this, footballers should do that’.
      “Actually footballers always do the right thing because they’re working-class boys.
      READ MORE IAN WRIGHT
      “They’ve got families, like myself, who are still earning the minimum wage, so they’re never gonna be people who are out of touch.
      “The thing with the politicians is that they love to jump on the bandwagon because they look at the salaries.
      “If it was my son, obviously I’d be happy for him to earn that, and if it was their sons they’d want their sons to earn that money as well, so I can’t listen to that bulls***. It’s hypocrisy.”
      Former England striker Ian, who signed for Arsenal from Crystal Palace in 1991 for a then-record fee of £2.5million, has also defended players’ salaries.
      Most read in The Sun
      He does, however, admit today’s wages are “extortionate”, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
      He continues: “It’s probably down to market value. Look at (Man City’s) Kevin De Bruyne. For his new contract he showed them the algorithms and what that means for the club.
      “When you do something like that, and show what your worth is, how can you say he shouldn’t be earning what he’s earning?
      “Of course it’s an extraordinary and extortionate amount of money in respect of one person getting £1million a week.
      “I can’t comprehend that. But if a player can show what he can do for his football club, then how can I stand there and say, ‘well, he shouldn’t?’.
      “Yes, it’s a lot of money when you consider the normal man in the street earning between £25,000 and £31,000. These are two different worlds, and obviously I’ve still got family around that earning capacity.”
      Since retiring from the game in 2000, Ian, irritatingly, has barely aged a day.
      Still super-fit, he works out three times a week with his two personal trainers and remains one of the most recognisable faces in the game.
      A fixture on Match Of The Day, alongside anchor Gary Lineker and former international team-mate Alan Shearer, he has also won a legion of new fans after championing the women’s game.
      The Gunners’ second highest goal scorer — behind only Thierry Henry — Ian was part of the BBC’s main presenting team for the recent Euros.
      After roaring the Lionesses to victory against Germany, he admits he burst into tears once the cameras stopped rolling, as did fellow pundit Alex Scott.
      And, just like Alex, another former Arsenal player, Ian says he has been slammed for having a working-class accent.
      Ian, who grew up on a tough council estate in Lewisham, South East London, insists it no longer bothers him.
      Ian Wright says he is no longer affected by criticism of his pronounciation on TVCredit: BBC
      He explains: “I drop my aitches and people jump on that — ‘ooh, the BBC are dumbing down’, or ‘what’s Ian Wright doing on there?’, and you just think, ‘It’s really not important, it doesn’t matter’.
      “People used to say a lot of things, like I can’t string a sentence together and all this sort of stuff. I feel a lot more comfortable in myself now though, I’m not so worried about what people say.”
      On the topic of the Lionesses, Ian believes they should be made Dames, not just given OBEs, adding: “Let’s face it, the men would be given knighthoods if they won the Euros.”
      He also firmly believes the Government should make it mandatory for all schools to offer football to both boys and girls, explaining: “I want the women’s game to go to the next level now, get the funding it deserves, and more money from sponsors poured into it.”
      Ian, who won 33 caps for his country, didn’t turn professional until he was 21.
      Working as a labourer until then, he was on today’s equivalent of the minimum wage.
      He has just been signed up by M&S to front its new Eat Well, Play Well campaign, helping kids to make healthier food choices, and get into football by winning a training masterclass with the England men’s and women’s football teams, among other prizes.
      I didn’t know food. Rare or well-done steak?What were they on about?
      Food is a topic close to his heart, and something that once proved a grave source of embarrassment.
      He says he was briefly bullied at Palace and Arsenal because he didn’t know how to eat “posh” food, or even how to order a steak.
      Chatting at his local pub over a pint of Guinness and seabass — no such food issues now, it would appear — he says: “When I was younger I used to eat to be full, to stave off hunger.
      “We mainly ate West Indian food and it’s only when I went to Palace that I started eating pasta, I’d never had it before.
      “Eating with the rest of the players was a nightmare. I stopped eating with the team because they used to tease me.
      “I didn’t understand menus, I didn’t know what a sauté potato was, and when they asked me how I wanted my steak — rare, medium or well done — I didn’t know what they were on about.
      “So I said ‘well, please’, thinking that meant it would be, you know, cooked the best.
      “They would tease me for that. I found restaurants intimidating and used to get my mum to make me food and I’d bring it with me and eat it in secret on my own.
      “I stopped eating with them because older players were just bullying me, really. I was intimidated because six months earlier I had been on a building site, eating my mum’s food.
      “But now I’m passionate about eating well to fuel the body and look after myself.”
      Ian Wright was greeted by wife Nancy Hallam after his stint on I’m A CelebCredit: Rex
      The dad of eight, married to second wife Nancy Hallam since 2011, certainly looks fiddle-fit.
      Naturally, though, he is concerned about recent reports that link heading the ball with neurodegenerative disease.
      A 2019 study found that the risk of dying from such a condition was three and a half times higher for former footballers.
      As a result, Ian believes that financial compensation measures should be in place for anyone who develops problems in retirement.
      Ian, who shattered my 11-year-old Spurs-supporting heart with a last- minute nodded winner against Tottenham in 1993, was never one to shy away from a header.
      Tony Adams on Strictly? I can’t say I’ve seen him do too many moves
      Taking a philosophical swig of Guinness, he says: “It’s like some-times you go into a room and you think ‘what am I here for?’
      “You have those moments but I’m feeling like I’m at a stage where if those things are happening to me I probably would have had them before.
      “I feel like, being 58 now, forgetting things is quite normal.
      “Alan Shearer is really deep into it and he talks to me about it all the time. He probably headed the ball more than both me and Gary, but it’s something the defenders have to worry about too.
      “Our defenders, Tony Adams, had to head the ball so much. They had to keep pounding it and pounding it, even in training, so it’s some-thing you worry about for them.
      “But for me, you know, if there’s a link between you heading a ball and something happening to you, whatever needs to happen for you to get your compensation, you should get it.
      “If people are getting ill from the effects of heading the ball then their family should be compensated.
      “But there’s no way I’m not going to play football, I’m still gonna play and then you deal with the consequences.”
      Ian Wright says he will be cheering on former teammate Tony Adams on StrictlyCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Ian’s former team-mate of course, Tony appears to be in perfect health.
      Ex-captain Tony, 55, will soon appear fake tanned to the hilt, and head to toe in sequins in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
      Despite Tony dropping poor Steve Morrow from his shoulders on to the Wembley turf following Arsenal’s 1993 League Cup Final victory, breaking his arm, Ian reckons Tony could be a Strictly dark horse.
      Tony’s wife, Poppy, is godmother to one of Ian’s daughters and of his good mate he says with a smile: “We are very close still. When I saw that he was doing it, I did think ‘I can’t say I’ve seen Tony do too many moves’.
      “He never did any dancing when we were playing, none. But one thing I know for sure is that no one will try harder to do it. And we’ll be cheering him on.”
      Today Ian, who says he’s turned down Strictly “loads of times” because of a fused ankle, is a household name.
      He did a stint in the jungle in I’m A Celebrity in 2019 and says he gets asked for a selfie “three or four times a day”.
      During our interview two people come over to say hello to him (albeit one to ask for a cigarette lighter: Wrong crowd, love.)
      Despite his wealth and fame, he remains remarkably grounded and charming (he also pays for my car parking meter when I fail to correctly use the app).
      He credits his wife, whom he clearly adores, for keeping his ego in check: “She’s like my counsellor, and she’s amazing at keeping my feet on the ground.”
      He says: “As a 58-year-old there are a lot of footballers who have done a lot better than me. I can’t be thinking to myself, ‘I wish, I wish, I wish’.
      “Being in the Premier League Hall of Fame is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I said that to my missus and she said ‘what about the kids?’, and I said, ‘that’s a whole different story’.
      “From where I came from, to end up in the hall of fame . . . I’ve done it.”
      Ian Wright has turned down Strictly ‘loads of times’Credit: SportsfileIan Wright: Quickfire round

      Q. Would you get into the Lionesses starting XI?
      A. Yeah, No9
      Q. What’s your changing room anthem
      A. Firestarte
      Q. Who’s the better player, you, Gary Lineker or Alan Shearer?
      A. Shearer
      Q. Most embarrassing TV moment
      A. Taking off my jersey when I hadn’t broken the Arsenal scoring record. F***ing hell, what was I thinking?
      Q. Last time you cried
      A. Couple of days ago, watching the film Don’t Look Up.
      Q. Who is the most famous person in your phone
      A. Idris Elba
      Q. What would you choose for your death row meal?
      A. Spaghetti Bolognese
      Q. Who’s got better hair, David Beckham or Jack Grealish?
      A. David Beckahm
      Q. MOTD or Strictly?
      A. MOTD – not even a question

      Shop the Eat Well range at all M&S stores to be in with a chance of winning a training session with England’s football heroes and more, see marksandspencer.com/football More

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      Inside lavish world of Man U suitor Jim Ratcliffe who made billions from chemicals but was once fired for a crazy reason

      by

      HE may no longer be Britain’s Richest Man but Sir Jim Ratcliffe is still the world’s wealthiest Mancunian.And with a personal fortune of around £11BILLION he can certainly afford to buy Manchester United.
      Mancunian Jim Ratcliffe has a personal fortune of around £11BILLIONCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Jim with wife Alicia at French footie club NiceCredit: Getty
      Ratcliffe was honoured with a knighthood by Prince William in 2018Credit: PA:Press Association
      Jim with sons Sam and GeorgeCredit: Getty
      This week he let it be known he would jump at the chance to buy into the Premier League football colossus, owned by the American Glazer family.
      Eventually Sir Jim hopes to take over the entire club, said by the club’s current owners to be worth £5billion.
      He is so wealthy he would not need to borrow a penny to buy Man United, invest heavily in new players and modernise Old Trafford.
      And the money men certainly think he is serious.
      Read More on Jim Ratcliffe
      United’s shares on New York’s stock exchange had yesterday jumped 15 per cent to more than £11 each.
      Sir Jim offered £4billion to buy Chelsea in May but admitted he only made the — the team he has followed since boyhood — wasn’t available.
      As he approaches his 70th birthday, the joiner’s son who grew up on a Manchester council estate, could land the present he has always dreamed of — owning Old Trafford and the Red Devils.
      Sport-mad Sir Jim has come a long way from Dunkerly Avenue, Failsworth, where he lived until he was ten and went almost every other week to watch Sir Matt Busby’s team in action.
      Most read in Football
      In 1999 he was in Barcelona at the Nou Camp stadium when United came back at the death to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 to win the Champions League.
      Sir Jim described it as “three minutes you never forget in your lifetime”.
      So some things are priceless, even for a man whose mega-fortune comes from a 60 per cent stake in a privately owned chemical giant he always claims is “the world’s biggest company you have never heard of”.
      In total 26,000 people work for Ineos at more than 194 sites in 29 countries.
      The 60million tons of chemicals it makes each year go into almost everything we use, from antibiotics, toothpaste and clean water to insulation and food packaging.
      All this means Sir Jim can afford a luxury home in Monaco, a £6million waterside mansion in Hampshire and a house in Chelsea, West London, near the Grenadier pub, where he came up with the idea for building a 4×4 to replace the Land Rover Defender.
      He also owns a mega-house on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, near F1 star Michael Schumacher’s home, and a 260ft super-yacht, Hampshire II.
      If Sir Jim does eventually buy Man United from the American Glazer family he won’t be step-ping into the unknown because he already owns two football clubs.
      In 2017 he bought Swiss side FC Lausanne-Sport — they were relegated last season into Swizerland’s second tier.
      And in 2019 Sir Jim snapped up Nice, who play in France’s Ligue 1 for just under £100million.
      He also spent £40million buying Sky’s Tour de France-winning cycling team and he regularly goes on training rides with stars of the Ineos Grenadiers.
      He has shares in Mercedes’ Formula 1 operation and backs Sir Ben Ainslie’s bid for sailing’s America’s Cup, which Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is part of.
      I was fired for having mild eczema. I was told ‘You can’t work here, not with eczema. We can’t spend the money on training you for five years and then find you’ve got an allergy, so you’re on your bike.’Jim Ratcliffe
      Amazingly, Sir Jim only made his eye-watering fortune in the past 25 years.
      Until then his life had been unremarkable.
      He struggled at school because of his obsession with football, got into university with some of the worst A-level results of his college peers and got sacked from his first job.
      His success came as a complete surprise to him too.
      Sir Jim says: “You should see a picture of the council house where I started out. I just played football, really. That’s all I was interested in.”
      His dad, who started out as a carpenter, worked his way up to run a factory making furniture for science labs.
      His mum worked as a secretary.
      The family moved to Beverly, East Yorks, when his dad landed a new job and Jim got into the local grammar school. In the sixth form he organised tours of local factories.
      He says: “I suppose I did have this inkling that I wanted to be successful — that I wanted to be a millionaire one day. So those things were in my head at 18. But I was just dreaming, really.”
      He chose to study chemical engineering at the University of Birmingham.
      But he arrived at the chemistry department to find a group of students clustered around a noticeboard, reading a list of the 99 students on his course, ranked according to their A-level results.
      Ratcliffe was embarrassed to find himself near the bottom.
      Northern soul Jim as a youngster in Manchester
      Jim came up with the idea for building a 4×4 to replace the Land Rover DefenderCredit: Jon Bond – The Sun
      Ratcliffe with Chris Froome and Team INEOS Principal Sir Dave BrailsfordCredit: PA:Press Association
      He says: “It lacked a bit of sensitivity. But you could say it was fair. There were a lot of guys who had worked very hard at school while I was out playing football.”
      Working for BP during the summer holiday he was offered a permanent job only to be sacked within three days.
      He says: “I was called in by my boss who had been reading my medical report — they’d not bothered until then. I was fired for having mild eczema. I was told ‘You can’t work here, not with eczema. We can’t spend the money on training you for five years and then find you’ve got an allergy, so you’re on your bike.’”
      Jim failed to persuade BP to take him on as a trainee accountant so he moved to fabric and chemicals firm Courtaulds, where he stayed until he was in his thirties.
      Lured by the perk of a much better car, a white BMW 535i, he switched to becoming a dealmaker with the venture capital company Advent International.
      He says: “They tripled my salary and offered me a fancy car. I did like that car — it was better than the one the chairman of Courtaulds had.
      “The venture capital world is very simple. If you do bad deals, you get fired. If you don’t do any deals, you get fired. I took that job because it would present a lot of opportunities. I always had a feeling that a really good one would come along.”
      In 1992, he bought BP’s specialist chemicals operation for about £40million, floating it on the stock market two years later.
      But Jim quit the company in 1998.
      By then his ten-year marriage to first wife Amanda Townson, with whom he has two sons, George and Samuel, had ended in divorce.
      He has a daughter with second wife, Alicia. He is now believed to be with current partner Catherine Polli.
      His fortunes changed for the better when he bought an Antwerp-based chemicals business which became the start of Ineos.
      I suppose I did have this inkling that I wanted to be successful — that I wanted to be a millionaire one day. So those things were in my head at 18. But I was just dreaming, really.Jim Ratcliffe
      Jim and his new business partners, Andy Currie and John Reece, became masters at spotting untapped potential in flagging plants and factories.
      Sir Jim says: “We’d look at businesses that were unfashionable or unsexy, facilities owned by large corporations. We’d run them a bit better, make them busy and very profitable.”
      The deals got bigger and bigger and by 2018 Jim’s share of the business made him Britain’s richest man with a fortune of £21billion.
      A supporter of Brexit and fracking, he wants Britain to manufacture more.
      He says: “You can’t have an economy of 70million people where you don’t make any products. If you do, every time you want to buy a product you first have to buy some foreign exchange and find a country to sell it to you. That’s dumb — you end up with a fragile economy.”
      While United’s fans are praying Sir Jim will come to the club’s rescue — they are at rock bottom after two games that both ended in defeat — business experts were warning them not to get too hopeful.
      Read More on The Sun
      While the Glazers say United is worth £5billion, the stock market values the club at much less.
      Sky TV Business Presenter Ian King says: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe has never knowingly overpaid for anything in his career.”
      F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas celebrate with JimCredit: AFP
      Ratcliffe with the Mercedes F1 TeamCredit: Getty
      Ratcliffe meets staff at the Grangemouth plant as the first ship carrying shale gas from the US arrives in the Firth of ForthCredit: Getty
      Ratcliffe’s childhood home on Dunkerly Avenue, Failsworth, Lancs
      Aerial view of Lake Geneva where Ratcliffe owns a mega-houseCredit: Getty
      Ratcliffe’s 260ft super-yacht Hampshire IICredit: Alamy
      The Sun reported on Sir Jim’s interest in buying Man Utd More

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      in Soccer

      Inside the bizarre Qatar World Cup where England fans face £13 pints, swearing ban and nights sleeping in ‘caravan city’

      by

      AFTER savouring every last drop of my £13 lager at Qatar’s Champions Bar, it was game time.With less than 100 days to go until the World Cup kicks off, I was heading for the air-conditioned Khalifa International Stadium, where England will face Iran in their opening match of the competition on November 21.
      Oliver Harvey inside the Khalifa International stadium in Doha, Qatar where England will play Iran on November 21Credit: Louis Wood
      Oliver reveals that with less than 100 days before the kick-off, ‘Cultural differences with the West come into sharp focus’, pictured: the World Cup TrophyCredit: Getty

      Taking the plush Doha underground to the 45,416-seat arena, cultural differences with the West come into sharp focus.
      A local ushered me away from a central carriage from which he explained single men are banned.
      The Metro here has three classes — Standard: Family, for women, children and accompanying men; and the lavishly-upholstered Gold.
      Boozing in public is banned — apart from at top-end hotels and restaurants — so supping tinnies on the way to a match is out. This is also a land where vapes are outlawed and swearing and obscene gestures can land you behind bars.
      Fatma Al-Nuaimi, — from the World Cup’s Supreme Committee, told me: “We just ask people to respect the local culture.”
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP
      So how will this tiny desert kingdom, the size of Yorkshire, cope with as many as 1.3million fervent football fans arriving in three months?
      To find out, I’ve spent this week in Qatar, road-testing facilities and grilling organisers in a nation whose poor human rights record is under the microscope.
      Walking through treacle
      My dummy run to the Khalifa — where local teams Umm Salal and Al Sadd were playing out a 1-1 draw — suggests the transport and stadiums will surpass many previous World Cups.
      Entering the Metro in downtown Doha, security workers in white shirts and dark trousers huddled around giant air-conditioning units to beat the August heat.
      Most read in The Sun
      Outside it was a claustrophobic 42C (temperatures in November should fall to the mid to upper 20s) with cloying humidity making each footstep like walking through treacle.
      Inside the ground it was a pleasant 26C as 500 nozzles pumped out cold air.
      Earlier I had visited a Nasa-like World Cup nerve centre, where banks of cyber workers remotely monitor all eight World Cup stadiums.
      Chief Technology Officer Niyas Abdulrahim explained that the temperature inside the stadiums can be adjusted depending on the size of the crowd.
      And he revealed that supporters will be monitored Big Brother-style, with 15,000 cameras inside the stadiums and more in fan zones. Standing before a bank of computers and monitors, Niyas said anyone misbehaving can be identified.
      We have high-resolution special cameras to zoom in on a particular seat and clearly see the spectator. Chief Technology Officer Niyas Abdulrahim
      He revealed: “We have high-resolution special cameras to zoom in on a particular seat and clearly see the spectator. It’s being recorded, so that will help us in any post-event investigation.”
      Boozing in public is banned, here Oliver is drinking £13 pint of beer at Champions barCredit: Louis Wood
      Oliver, traveling in Gold class on the new Doha metro system, says ‘The Metro here has three classes — Standard and the lavishly-upholstered Gold’Credit: Louis Wood
      As he visits tourist attractions in the Qatar desert, England fans can experience camel rides and holding a falconCredit: Louis Wood
      No decision on Covid rules for the World Cup have been announced. Currently masks are worn in public and UK travellers require a negative pre-flight PCR test.
      And Qatar has yet to confirm its plans for alcohol consumption, with the Supreme Committee’s Fatma Al-Nuaimi saying booze will be available “in designated areas”.
      She added that events such as the Club World Cup in the country in 2019 — won by Liverpool — proved a successful trial run. “We have welcomed Liverpool fans in a fan zone that was serving alcohol before and after the match,” she said.
      The eye-watering alcohol prices in Qatar’s licensed hotel bars and restaurants won’t be replicated in the fan zones. A source at the organising committee assured me supporters will be able to sup pints for around £5.
      Gleaming Doha — a city of steel and glass rising out of the desert — will hold a giant World Cup party at its four-mile waterfront Corniche promenade.
      England’s wags are rumoured to be staying on a luxury cruise liner moored in the warm Gulf waters, where they will be able to enjoy a glass of bubbly.
      Their other halves will check into the dry five-star Souq Al Wakra beach resort, ten miles up the coast. When I visited this week, attentive staff provided a golf buggy ride from reception to the hotel’s decent restaurant to beat the searing heat.
      Lamb couscous cooked in a clay pot is £15 while signature drinks include the tomato juice-based How Bazaar, a steal at £7.
      England boss Gareth Southgate has chosen a location which will immerse his players in local life.
      Two camels
      While downtown Doha resembles London’s Canary Wharf in a sandstorm, the honey-coloured warren of low-rise streets at Al Wakra has a Middle Eastern charm.
      Next door to the hotel a mosque’s minaret rises and there is a children’s park, complete with two camels which may prove irresistible for an England photocall. On the other side of the hotel a beachside pathway leads to a tangle of shops and cafes in the souq, or street market.
      The rear of the hotel opens directly on to golden sands and the lapping waves of the Persian Gulf.
      Wales will stay in Doha’s brand new five-star Delta City Centre hotel, which is due to open in October. Fans can experience their own Arabian nights, sleeping in beachside camps.
      I took a hair-raising 4×4 sand dune-bashing tour south of Doha, where bedouin are waiting to offer camel rides and falconry displays. At the Regency Sealine Camp, luxury glamping tents hug the shoreline. Weekday prices start from around £190.
      Later I met Omar al-Jaber, whose job it is to find accommodation for more than a million visiting World Cup fans. He revealed a “caravan city” — costing from around £120 a night per mobile home — is being constructed in central Doha to help take the strain.
      Omar insists plenty of accommodation is still available to British fans yet to make a booking, the cheapest being flats near Al Janoub Stadium for under £70 a night.
      Other options include £170-a-night Portakabin-style buildings and two luxury cruise ships — the MSC Poesia and the MSC World Europa — which will be moored at Doha’s Grand Terminal.
      The liners boast swimming pools, spas and an array of restaurants, with prices starting at around £150 a night. England superfan Brian Wright and four friends have booked 22 nights on a cruise ship.
      Brian, 51, who has been to more than 370 Three Lions games and is heading for his eighth World Cup, said: “We booked before the draw and are paying just £60 a night.”
      We booked before the draw and are paying just £60 a night.England superfan Brian Wright
      UK fans will need to acquaint themselves with local customs and laws in a conservative Islamic nation.
      Coventry City fan Brian added: “Whatever country I visit, I respect their laws and abide by them. It won’t stop me having a bloody good time.”
      Scanners at Doha Airport detect anyone trying to sneak booze or drugs into the country.
      Qatar really isn’t a place where you want to fall foul of the law. The US State Department said there were 375 cases of court-ordered floggings, for various offences, in 2019.
      The last known Brit to receive the punishment was Gavin Sherrard-Smith, from Cheltenham, Gloucs. He was lashed 50 times with a bamboo cane in 1993 after he was found guilty of selling alcohol to a Muslim.
      Gavin, who denied the charges, said: “The last ten strokes were agony, bloody agony. I thought I was going to pass out.”
      Qatari organisers assured me that everyone is welcome to the tournament — yet the LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index ranks the nation at 190th in the world.
      Homosexuality is illegal here and punishable by up to three years in prison.
      Some of the Wales team’s staff, as well as members of the Rainbow Wall — its official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group — will boycott the tournament over the country’s stance on gay rights.
      Built on sweat and blood
      The organising committee’s Nasser Al-Khori told me: “When it comes to LGBT everyone is welcome as long as there are limitations around PDA (public displays of affection).
      “There are things that are accepted culturally and things that are not. Everybody is welcome to the World Cup.”
      Public intimacy between any couple, regardless of gender, can lead to arrest.
      The gleaming stadiums and other infrastructure that have risen from the sand have been built on the sweat — and sometimes blood — of an army of occasionally mistreated migrant workers.
      The Qataris say they responded by improving health and safety and overhauling migrant employment laws.
      Spokeswoman Fatma Al-Nuaimi said the changes “will be the true social legacy that the World Cup will leave”.
      Read More on The Sun
      As the sun dips below the horizon, Doha twinkles in a kaleidoscope of lights and chrome.
      The World Cup in the desert will certainly be a tournament like no other.
      England fans can stay in portacabins in Doha whilst the World Cup is onCredit: Louis Wood
      Oliver gained access into the changing room England will get ready in before the gameCredit: Louis Wood More