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      in Boxing

      Boxing can be a tough sport – but I just find it hard to walk away, reveals Tyson Fury

      by

      MY boxing life has been made up of two careers.The first took place between 2008 and 2015, a period in which I was unable to recognise the psychological demons dragging me down.
      Walking away from boxing is the hardest thing I have ever tried to do, says Tyson FuryCredit: instagram
      The boxer’s new autobiography Gloves Off, is out on November 10
      Tyson Fury says boxing will have a void of charisma when he finally hangs up his glovesCredit: Reuters
      They pulled on me like a rucksack full of stones, despite the fact I was on my way to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.
      The second career kicked off in 2018 after a brutal battle with my mental health, a war I’m still locked into today.
      Through sheer will I was able to overcome my issues and return as the planet’s most entertaining pugilist.
      But then I started to think I should leave the stage while still at the peak of my powers.
      READ MORE TYSON FURY
      While I’ve long been admiral of HMS I Don’t Give A Crap, the most entertaining showman since the days of Muhammad Ali and the greatest fighter of my generation, it’s important to know that, as far as I’m concerned, boxing has always been a business with a shelf life.
      Statistically the people that stay in the game for too long have a tendency to get damaged, really damaged, and I don’t want that happening to me.
      There’s also a risk that my career has been shortened by the way in which I’ve lived my life.
      Health and nutrition was not exactly a priority for large chunks of my time as a pro: I ballooned in weight between bouts and then, during the mental health breakdown that started in 2015, I boozed, binged and tried cocaine.
      Most read in The Sun
      There was even an attempt at ending it all a year later when I pointed my Ferrari at a bridge and slammed on the accelerator, though I changed my mind at the last second and pulled ­away — thank God.
      When I eventually asked for help I was diagnosed as bipolar, paranoid and suffering from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
      I later recovered, but my mental health issues remain a constant work in progress — from time to time I can have suicidal thoughts, though I now understand what’s needed to keep my demons at arm’s length.
      So while getting my face punched in for a living has put millions of pounds in the bank, a fighter needs to know when their time is ­up — and mine is near.
      Walking away from boxing may be the hardest thing I ever do.
      All I know is that I don’t want to overstay my welcome, ruin my legacy, or die from a big right to the side of the head.
      And believe me, an ending like that has felt worryingly real at times.
      I even experienced short-­term memory loss following that bruising encounter with Wilder in 2021, when, in the hours after the win, my head covered in tennis ball-­sized lumps, it was impossible to remember how many times I’d gone down.
      Everything was foggy, and the experience frightened me.
      No way do I want to end up living out my days in a wheelchair, or eating my dinners through a straw.
      I wanted to leave boxing at the peak of my powers, but have been tempted back, says Tyson FuryCredit: EPA
      Tyson Fury fully intended to quit boxing for good after beating Deontay Wilder in 2021Credit: Rex
      After that fight with Wilder, I told my promoter Frank Warren that I planned to retire.
      But then…Bang! he approached me with the opportunity to fight at Wembley Stadium in April 2022.
      Wembley was a showcase venue, an opportunity to bow out in style.
      And after the hardship and pain of the coronavirus pandemic, I felt I owed it to the fans.
      Boxing deserved a hell of a party, and with my triumph over Dillian Whyte, I gave them a showdown for the history books.
      I told the world it would take half a billion to drag me back into the ring.
      At one point, I was so confident that nobody was going to cough up the cash that I threw down a bet with Piers Morgan on live TV.
      He said, ‘How about if you do fight again, you have to give me a million pounds?’ Piers couldn’t believe his luck when I agreed, though I also knew that if there was a £500million fight on the cards, I wasn’t going to feel that sad about giving him a million of it. (Though he’ll get it in pound coins and fivers.)
      The other fight I’ve been interested in is a showdown to stop the nation in its tracks.
      Tyson says his battle with mental health is a never ending fightCredit: PA
      A match with Anthony Joshua would fall into this category, and in September 2022, I even offered to battle him in the UK with a 60-40 split in earnings.
      I wanted it to be a moment in sporting history, a fight for Britain.
      But so far we haven’t been able to make it happen.
      Now I’m due to fight Derek Chisora on December 3 — having already beaten him twice.
      Chisora and I used to be pals but when it came to my Wembley showdown against Dillian Whyte, Chisora tipped the other bloke to knock me out.
      I couldn’t get my head around that. How can you claim to be someone’s friend and then back another fighter to send him to the canvas?
      I really had no idea what was eating him at the time. Perhaps it was jealousy.
      I have a potential meeting with Oleksandr Usyk next year. I don’t rate his chances against me either.
      Sure, Usyk has beaten AJ twice now, but he’s hardly a killer.
      When I do finally retire, there’s bound to be a void in boxing, in the same way athletics got boring once Usain Bolt had disappeared from the scene — there’s no one around with the same charisma.
      With that in mind, staying on the stage is bloody tempting.
      You might be wondering, ‘Well, hang on, what about those risks you were talking about earlier — the ones that made you consider retirement in the first place?’ And sure, a purse is worthless if you die or get seriously injured in the process, but the thing is, I don’t plan on doing either of those things. I plan on winning.

      ADAPTED from Gloves Off by Tyson Fury, published by Century on November 10 in hardback and audiobook.

      MY PAL ROBBIE
      TYSON says he’s not impressed by celebrity but has bonded with stars like Robbie Williams — after he recorded a song on the singer’s Christmas album.
      Fury said: “Robbie’s a top bloke and we had plenty in common.
      Tyson says he has forged a bond with singer Robbie WilliamsCredit: instagram
      “Robbie and me are both people that have hit the top, having worked hard for something all our lives — him: pop stardom; me: the world heavyweight championship — only for the realities of our success to become massively destructive and very different to what we’d expected at the beginning.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Tyson said another “genuine” person was singer Ed Sheeran, who he met after a gig.
      He said: “We are both very similar in character. Ed is grounded.” More

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      in Boxing

      I held my baby for first time, then midwife plucked her from me – her fight inspired me to win mine, says Tyson Fury

      by

      TYSON Fury has revealed for the first time how the near-death of his baby daughter sparked his greatest win in the ring.Athena was born prematurely last year — just weeks before the Gypsy King’s epic 11th-round KO of Deontay Wilder.
      Tyson Fury says his daughter Athena’s fight for health inspired his boxing success
      Wilder punches Fury during the WBC Heavyweight Championship in 2018Credit: Getty
      The Gypsy King and wife Paris never gave up on daughter AthenaCredit: Richard Dash for GoPr
      Here, in exclusive extracts from his new book Gloves Off, Tyson reveals the incredible tale…
      I am The Gypsy King — a bona fide legend and a once-in-a-lifetime superhero.
      But boxing isn’t my entire world. The reality is I’m a husband, a dad, a son, a brother, an uncle.
      My family are my armour and Paris and my six beautiful kids are always in my thoughts because they’re so precious to me.
      READ MORE ON TYSON FURY
      On the eve of my 2021 fight with Deontay Wilder I slept on a hospital floor as our youngest child, Athena, fought for her life shortly after being born.
      I had a split draw with Wilder in 2018 and beat him in 2020.
      I hoped that my rematch against him in 2021 would be a Hollywood-style ending to my dark days of depression.
      But then Athena was born prematurely at the beginning of August 2021 in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, just two months before the fight.
      Most read in The Sun
      At first everything went well with the birth. I held my new daughter for the first time, and everything was perfect.
      There had been no signs of anything being wrong during the pregnancy.
      Then the midwife plucked her out of my arms and within minutes everything was kicking off.
      Apparently her heart was beating too quickly, and at first I didn’t think anything of it.
      Then everybody around us seemed to be panicking.
      My baby’s life was hanging in the balance and my name and what I did for a living wasn’t going to change a thing.Tyson Fury
      Athena was hooked up to a machine, doctors were pushing buttons and taking readings and her heart rate had rocketed to 300 beats per minute, when it should have been closer to 120bpm, and there was nothing the nurses could do to fix the problem.
      They injected her with something that seemed to slow everything down, to around 140bpm, but then she spiked all the way up again.
      The consequences were terrifying.
      If Athena’s heart rate couldn’t be steadied she would probably die from a cardiac arrest.
      Watching the medical staff rushing around her and Paris was horrible, though I knew they were both in safe hands.
      After being born, I’d died and been resuscitated three times – the NHS had kept me going well enough.
      Still, that did little to ease the sense of total helplessness I was experiencing.
      I saw nurses sedating Athena; someone was putting a tube down her throat to assist her breathing; and while everybody seemed to be acting calmly amid the chaos, there is nothing a parent can do in a situation like that, other than to watch and pray.
      I’d been reduced to nothing.
      My baby’s life was hanging in the balance and my name and what I did for a living wasn’t going to change a thing.
      ‘TERRIFYING’
      In the end, it was decided that Athena should be blue- lighted to the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, and once there, her heart rate was stabilised.
      It was so hard to see her on an incubator, with several tubes and wires coming out of her body.
      She looked so tiny and vulnerable, and even though her situation had improved, the doctors were warning us we weren’t yet out of the woods.
      Athena’s heart rate was still all over the place, and at any given moment she might die.
      As Paris recovered and Athena started her battle, I bedded down in the Ronald McDonald House, an accommodation for parents attached to the hospital.
      Nothing could dissuade me: I was crashing there until Athena had stabilised. But every day my head span.
      Though it was the last thing on my mind, at some point, I was going to have to think about the upcoming fight with Deontay Wilder.
      If it was to go ahead, my preparation would have to happen at breakneck speed.
      Athena was in ICU weeks before the showdown with Deontay WilderCredit: Instagram
      Little Athena was fighting for her life while Tyson was trying to prepare for his title bout
      The boxer’s new autobiography Gloves Off, is out on November 10
      Once my schedule was pieced together, I estimated I had around four weeks to get into fighting form. It wasn’t long, but I could still make it.
      At the Alder Hey Hospital the doctors were giving Athena ­life-saving treatment.
      The good news was that she’d been taken off the incubator and there were some signs of improvement, so whenever Paris and Athena were resting, I went to work.
      To tackle Wilder, I needed to make the most of every opportunity, and a day or so after the birth, I started a jog around the hospital with Dad.
      I wasn’t in the best of shape at the time because I’d been struggling to eat well, what with being in and out of Alder Hey.
      I’d also not long recovered from Covid and my lungs felt like two sheets of sandpaper whenever I put in a shift.
      Puffing a little, I’d probably only done around three miles when my phone started ringing. It was Paris. She was hysterical.
      ‘The baby’s died,’ she screamed. ‘The baby’s dead. She’s dead. She’s dead . . .’
      I sprinted to the ward as fast as I could, fearing the worst.
      My chest burned, my legs were in agony, and as I ran I tried my best to console Paris.
      ‘It’s going to be alright,’ I panted down the phone. ‘Let the doctors do their job. Don’t worry . . .’
      It hurt me to see her in the cot, attached to a bleeping machine. Tyson Fury
      When I made it to her bedside, there seemed to be a hundred medics crowding around Athena.
      Apparently, she’d become completely unresponsive while Paris was holding her, then her heartbeat had faded away to nothing.
      Athena was resuscitated, but Paris was now losing it.
      A nurse was trying to calm her as the specialist staff went to work. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
      Eventually, to our enormous relief, and with the grace of God the doctors were able to steady Athena.
      We were told she would have to remain in hospital until she’d made a full recovery.
      In the end it would take three weeks before she was allowed home and for much of the time I slept at the Ronald McDonald House, or on the floor of the hospital ward, feeling exhausted, praying for her to pull through safely, knowing that some parents never got to take their babies home.
      It hurt me to see her in the cot, attached to a bleeping machine.
      A lot of the time Paris and me would sit there, staring at our baby.
      Keeping the worrying news from the kids was a tough job too.
      All of them were excited to meet their new sister – Venezuela, Prince John James, Prince Tyson Fury II, Valencia Amber and Prince Adonis Amaziah. We didn’t want to tell them that Athena had nearly died because we didn’t want to worry them.
      After what felt like an age, Athena had recovered enough for us to leave hospital at the end of ­August.
      I immediately went back to work, even though I probably could have postponed the fight.
      It’s not as if I didn’t have a good reason for requesting a delay.
      Sleeping rough on the floor of a hospital wasn’t the best way to prepare for anything, let alone a world heavyweight title bout against a man who was talking up my murder.
      But what was the point in looking for excuses? It was now or never. I’d had a tough time for sure, but not as tough a time as Athena – and she’d shown the strength and willpower to fight her way back to life.
      I would turn her battle into fuel.
      Read More on The Sun
      And I did. I beat Wilder with an eleventh round knockout – in one of the most epic fights of all time.
      It was Athena’s successful battle which inspired me to win mine.”

      Adapted from GLOVES OFF by Tyson Fury, published by Century on 10th November in hardback and audiobook.

      Tyson Fury v Derek Chisora for WBC & lineal Heavyweight Championship of the World will be broadcast exclusively on BT Sport Box Office. Tickets for the event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Dec 3 are available now at ticketmaster.co.uk

      Tyson Fury and his family
      Fury recording his debut single – the Neil Diamond classic Sweet CarolineCredit: PA
      The couple with their six children More

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      in Soccer

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

      by

      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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      in Soccer

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

      by

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

      by

      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.
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      “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