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      in Boxing

      Troubled boxing champion Scott Fitzgerald is jailed after KOing man outside pub in drink and drug-fuelled rampage

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      FORMER boxing champion Scott Fitzgerald has been jailed after floored a man outside a pub with a single punch.The Commonwealth gold medallist attacked Leevi Francis in a drink and drug-fuelled rage.
      Scott Fitzgerald has been jailed for punching a man to the ground outside a pubCredit: Reuters
      Leevi suffered a broken jaw and a cut below his eyebrow after being knocked unconscious outside the Grand Junction in Preston, Lancashire.
      Fitzgerald has now been jailed for 46 weeks after he pleaded guilty to GBH on the first day of his trial.
      Preston Crown Court heard how the boxer had been drinking all afternoon and smoked cannabis on November 27 last year.
      CCTV footage showed him “bouncing around the pub” before he went into the pool room.
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      Landlady Kirsty Allen kicked him out after he stamped on the floor hard close to the pool table.
      After being shoved outside by a group of drinkers, Fitzgerald first confronted another man.
      Seeing this, Leevi stepped in to help and was punched to the ground by the British light-middleweight champion.
      He lay unconscious for around a minute before being taken to hospital.
      Most read in Boxing
      In a victim impact statement, Leevi said a plate inserted into his jaw causes him pain at night as he told how he lost two stone after being left unable to eat.
      He also revealed he has suffered socially since the attack and feels anxious about his son’s boxing hobby.
      Ayaz Qazi, defending, told the court how Fitzgerald’s successful career, which saw him win a gold medal for his country in 2014, was blighted by his drink and drug use.
      The lawyer said he is now banned from professional boxing but has remained sober while being kept on remand in custody.
      Mr Qazi added: “He is utterly aghast and ashamed of the way he was behaving, this loutish and disorderly behaviour in public.”
      Sentencing, Judge Richard Archer said Fitzgerald using his fists was the equivalent of using a weapon in a fight.
      He said: “You know, as somebody who is supposed to be trained to control aggression and channel it for the purposes of professional sport, that when to behave that way – even by your own admission under the influence of drink and drugs – is entirely unacceptable.
      “You risk very serious consequences for your victim.
      “A professional boxer who under the influence is unable to charge the power in those fists could all so easily have rendered a man not just unconscious, but dead.
      “It is fortunate you are not facing a much more serious charge. There are many people who face those charges based on a single blow.”
      The sentence is the latest drama in the boxer’s troubled personal life.

      In 2021, worrying pictures emerged of super-welterweight champ lying on the street outside a pub.
      Fitzgerald took to social media to reassure fans after promotor Eddie Hearn voiced his concerns over the pictures.
      The boxer had been kicked out of a pub after drinking and taking drugsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The British light-middleweight champion pleaded guilty to GBHCredit: Getty
      He has struggled with drinking and drugs, his lawyer saidCredit: Getty More

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      in Boxing

      Ex-Prem star and boxing champion Curtis Woodhouse punched and kicked his cousin in pub beer garden

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      A FORMER Premier League star and boxing champ punched and kicked his cousin in a savage brawl outside a pub.Curtis Woodhouse, 43, attacked Alexander Woodhouse at the Spread Eagle pub in Driffield in Yorkshire.
      Curtis Woodhouse punched and kicked his cousin in a pub brawlCredit: PA
      The ex-Birmingham City star, nicknamed the “Driffield Destroyer” because of his tough reputation, landed a punch on his cousin after tempers flared.
      Woodhouse has now been fined £8,885 after he admitted assault by beating at Hull Magistrates’ Court, Hull Daily Mail reports.
      The horror unfolded on August 20 last year after the family fell out during a gathering at the pub.
      Alexander had said something unpleasant to Woodhouse and kicked his leg in the toilets.
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      Woodhouse then attempted to clear the air later in the beer garden but his cousin was said to be aggressive towards him.
      The boxer said he could “anticipate” what was going to happen so punched Alexander before the family member could hit him first.
      JPs heard Woodhouse has a string of previous convictions, including assaulting a police officer during another pub incident.
      He was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay £300 compensation, a £2,000 surcharge and £85 costs for the latest attack.
      Most read in Boxing
      Former England under 21 star Woodhouse played for a number of clubs after beginning his career with Sheffield United.
      He also had stints at Peterborough United, Hull City, Grimsby Town and Rotherham United.
      The midfielder played for Birmingham City between 2001 and 2003 when the club were in the Premier League.
      He retired in 2006 and launched a boxing career where he was crowned both British and English light-welterweight champion.
      Woodhouse also fought for the WBO inter-continental welterweight title in 2011 but lost to Frankie Gavin.
      He left the sport winning 24 of his 31 fights – 13 of them by a knockout – with just seven defeats.
      After a spell playing non-league football, Woodhouse managed Marske United for just three months before he was sacked.
      Woodhouse had been at a family gathering when the drama unfoldedCredit: Action Images
      The light-welterweight champion pleaded guilty to assault by beatingCredit: Action Images
      He was slapped with a £8,885 court billCredit: MEN Media
      The former footballer has previous convictionsCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      in Soccer

      I’m a former Prem star but lost millions in divorce.. I’ve tried pro golf, dog breeding and owning a pub to claw it back

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      A PREMIER LEAGUE football hardman has told of battling back from bankruptcy through a cocktail of golf, breeding dogs and serving behind the bar.The former Liverpool defender lost his top-flight fortune after splitting from his wife.
      Julian Dicks played 315 times for West Ham but hit tough times after retiringCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Julian Dicks tried his hand at professional golf after hanging up his bootsCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      But West Ham legend Julian Dicks – known for his tough tackling, frequent red cards and fierce spot-kicks – has insisted he is on the up again after a string of post-retirement setbacks.
      And his modern-day fans include Lionesses all-time top scorer Ellen White, a key part of the England team which won the European Championship last summer.
      Dicks notched four England Under-21 caps in a career which began at Birmingham City, took him to West Ham and then a £3million transfer to Graeme Souness’s Liverpool in 1993 – before a return to the Hammers a year later.
      Yet despite his multi-million-pound earnings in the early years of the lucrative new Premier League, financial strife struck after Dicks’ final match for West Ham against Arsenal in February 1999.
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      The player nicknamed “The Terminator” married wife Kay in 1998, the same year they had twin daughters Jessica and Katie – and the couple ran a dog kennels business after winning planning permission for their £500,000 Essex country home.
      Yet the pair split in 2001, saying at the time 12-year-old Jessica would live with him while Katie stayed with their mother – and Dicks paid a hefty price in the divorce settlement.
      He recalled: “When I quit West Ham I had enough money in the bank to never work again.
      “Then, in 2001, I got divorced and my wife took it all. We’d set up professional kennels and were looking after other people’s dogs.
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      “That was great because I love animals, especially English Bull Terriers. Some people find them threatening but it depends on how you bring them up.
      “I had 13 of them at one time and two young girls and there was never any problem.”
      Keen golfer Dicks was encouraged to take up the game professionally, including by a surgeon treating him for the knee injury that ended his football career.
      Dicks trained with Denis Pugh, a golfing pro at his local club who had previously coached Ryder Cup winner Colin Montgomerie.
      But his new career was short-lived, with Dicks admitting: “There’s only so many times you can pay £500 to play in a competition and not get anything back.”
      He then went into the pub trade, buying the Shepherd and Dog in Langham, near Colchester, with new partner Andrea Milton in 2002.
      In his landlord days, Dicks told: “We have loads of football supporters come in just to say hello to me – not just West Ham fans but Arsenal and Tottenham fans too.
      “They used to boo me from the terraces but now we have a laugh.
      “Mostly they give me stick about the tackles I used to make.
      “When it’s closing time there’s no need for me to give it The Terminator treatment, because people know they’ve got to drink up.
      “I don’t think I’ve ever lost my temper in the pub, although there was one time recently when a couple of kids had too much to drink.
      “That was it. I just chucked them out. Most punters know that closing time’s closing time. They know there’s not going to be a lock-in, because I just want to go home and get to bed.
      “I always give 110 per cent in whatever I do, it doesn’t matter if it’s playing football, playing golf or running my pub.”
      Julian Dicks revealed all about his love of animals, especially dogsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But he put the pub up for sale in 2005 and went back into football, coaching non-league clubs such as Wivenhoe Town and Grays Athletic – both in Essex – before a stint as ex-West Ham team-mate Slaven Bilic’s assistant at Championship side Watford last year.
      He also played a cameo role in 2014 comedy movie The Hooligan Factory, which also featured actors Danny Dyer and Craig Fairbrass and Towie personality Chloe Sims.
      During his football career the Bristol-born defender was tipped for a full England call-up by then-manager Terry Venables in 1995, but his hopes were hampered by a series of disciplinary problems.
      And Dicks had no luck with Venables’ successor Glenn Hoddle either – though assistant manager John Gorman, bumping into him on holiday, told skinhead Dicks he might have a better chance if he grew his hair longer.
      But Dicks insisted in 1997: “I don’t want to play for England. It doesn’t interest me anymore. If they rang me up, I wouldn’t play.”
      He has, however, tipped current Hammers captain Declan Rice to wear the Three Lions armband in future.
      Dicks was sent off nine times in his career, including one for a foul on Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright at Highbury in September 1995.
      And his hot-headed nature was not just confined to the football field.
      He has confessed: “Golf’s meant to be a gentleman’s sport but I tended to lose my rag when I fluffed a shot.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I ended up smashing loads of my clubs.
      “That’s me though – I like to do things properly and I can get frustrated if things aren’t working out.” More

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      in Soccer

      I’m the world’s strictest football referee – I’ve dished out the most cards to players and footie legend swore at me

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      VETERAN referee Mike Stoddart reckons he has dished out the most cards — after 4,500 games.Mike, 69, has sent off 689 players and booked 4,387 in his 47-year career.
      Veteran ref Mike Stoddart from Leeds has booked 4,387 in his 47-year career
      Mike Stoddart has refereed a record 4500 football matches in his career spanning almost half a century
      He has officiated at all levels but his scariest moment came when he was chased by a pub team’s fans in Leeds who were denied the title by a controversial late goal.
      He said: “Fifty of them ran on the pitch. I legged it and hid in the cellar of a nearby pub.”
      He told how he was confronted by Alex Ferguson after he disallowed a goal for Manchester United in 1992 when they were chasing Leeds, managed by Howard Wilkinson.
      He said: “Alex came storming into the ref’s room and, knowing I was from Leeds, said, “Howard Wilkinson will be happy with you now’.”
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      He revealed Alan Shearer swore at him while playing for Blackburn, then repeatedly apologised.
      Mike recalled: “I said, ‘Excuse me Mr Shearer, my father is a vicar and he doesn’t allow swearing’. He was mortified and said, ‘I’m so sorry’.
      “He came over at half time to apologise again. What he didn’t know was my father wasn’t a vicar, he was a church organist.”
      He was famously photographed as a linesman in 1997 being confronted nose to nose by Middlesbrough star Fabrizio Ravanelli after repeatedly flagging him offside.
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      The fiery Italian got a red card and Mike said: “He didn’t say a word. He just stared.”
      He once reffed 205 games in one season — but it ended in divorce, with Mike saying: “I can’t blame her. I was never home.”
      He is now happily married to Gill, 66, and still officiates, despite players’ behaviour “getting worse”.
      He said: “I will carry on as long as my knees let me.”
      Mike was famously snapped facing off with Middlesbrough star Fabrizio Ravanelli in 1997 More

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      in Soccer

      Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds stuns pubgoers as he rocks up to join local singalong… before taking £100k jet back to US

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      RYAN REYNOLDS went from Deadpool to the Wrex Factor, wowing fans in a pub singalong before a £100,000 private flight back to the USA.The Wrexham owner dashed from the Racecourse Ground to The Turf pub to celebrate Monday’s momentous 3-2 victory over Notts County.
      Club co-owner Ryan Reynolds joined local band the Declan Swans as the local band sung ‘It’s Always Sunny in Wrexham’
      Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were jubilant following victory over title rivals Notts County as Wrexham close on a return to the Football League
      The Hollywood star then jetted from Manchester airport to New Jersey and was snapped on Tuesday walking in New York with wife Blake Lively.
      The Canadian actor and co-owner Rob McElhenney, both 45, were jubilant as big-spending Wrexham went three points clear in the National League.
      The movie world duo went on stage with the Declan Swans as a packed pub sang the local band’s hit “It’s Always Sunny in Wrexham” – their tribute to “Deadpool and Rob McElhenney”.
      American actor McElhenney is best known for comedy series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”.
      READ MORE ON RYAN REYNOLDS
      The pair say they have fallen in love with football in general, and Wrexham in particular, after buying the fifth-tier club in November 2020.
      Now Reynolds is purchasing a £1.5million home in Marford, about five miles from the North Wales city.
      And he was pictured bantering in the tunnel with hero keeper Ben Foster following a top-of-the-table twist as thrilling as any Hollywood script.
      The ex-England star, 40, who only joined last month, saved a 97th-minute penalty to stop County drawing and going level on points with Wrexham.
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      Foster revealed afterwards he was “kissed on the lips” by McElhenney as the Red Dragons close on a return to the Football League after 15 years.
      And Reynolds told him after his spot-kick block: “Oh my God! You son of a b***! What was that about? You’re too old for that!”
      The silver-screen icon labelled the finale the “most dramatic thing I’ve ever seen in my life!”
      Reynolds later added: “I don’t feel like I have a heart anymore. I feel like I used all the beats that I had left during that match. 
      ‘That was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and indicative of course of all you lifers who have watched and participated in this game, this beautiful, tortuous game forever.” More

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      in Soccer

      Blackpool fan Tony Johnson dies after Burnley brawl as club pays tribute

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      A FOOTBALL fan has died after a brawl broke out between Blackpool and Burnley supporters on Saturday night. Tony Johnson, 55, was rushed to hospital in a critical condition following the fight and sadly passed away this morning, Blackpool FC confirmed.
      Football fan Tony Johnson died after a brawl in BlackpoolCredit: GoFundMe
      A fight broke out outside The Manchester pub on Saturday nightCredit: Dave Nelson
      Police said 15 people were involvedCredit: Dave Nelson
      He suffered a head injury during the mass confrontation outside The Manchester pub in Blackpool following the 0-0 draw.
      A spokesperson for the club said: “Blackpool FC is deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the news that supporter Tony Johnson tragically lost his life earlier this morning.
      “The Club will be offering an open book of condolence from 4pm in the Moretti Lounge, giving supporters the opportunity to pay their respects to Tony.
      “Supporters are also invited to lay flowers at the Mortensen Statue behind the North Stand at 4pm today along with the Club’s staff and players, giving everyone associated with the football club the chance to come together and remember a lifelong Seasider.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      “All of the thoughts of everyone at the football club go out to Tony’s family and friends. Rest in peace, Tony.”
      The Armfield Club, an independent supporters club close to Bloomfield Road, added: “Tony was Blackpool through and through and one of the best friends ever likely to cross your path in life.
      “Devastated is an understatement.”
      Cops were called to the scene around 7pm – hours after the goalless game had finished.
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      Paramedics administered CPR before Tony was taken to hospital.
      A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of wounding.
      Police are urging anyone with information or mobile or dashcam footage to come forward.
      DCI Tracey McMurdo said: “We are taking this incident extremely seriously and will do everything in our power to identify anybody who may have been involved.”
      Lancashire Police previously said: “The incident occurred at around 7pm, when an altercation broke out involving around 15 people outside The Manchester pub, at the junction of Lytham Road and the Promenade.
      “Officers were in the area of the pub following the Blackpool v Burnley football match and they attended and found a man had suffered a serious head injury.
      “They administered CPR and the man, aged in his 50s, was subsequently taken to hospital.
      “It is believed the altercation broke out between a number of football fans, with the man being injured as part of this incident.
      Read More on The Sun
      “At this time there is no suggestion he was specifically targeted.
      “An investigation has now been launched and we are working with both Blackpool and Burnley football clubs to establish who else was involved in the incident and what exactly occurred.” More

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      Moment Rangers fans attack pub after cup final before being chased off by ‘Celtic maws’

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      THIS is the moment a mob of Rangers fans attacked a pub before being chased off by a group of “Celtic maws”.The CCTV camera footage shows the group, mostly dressed in all black with hoods and balaclavas on, charging at the Glasgow boozer.
      Fans attacked the pub
      They were filmed throwing traffic ones
      PJ Neeson’s on Allison StreetCredit: THE SCOTTISH SUN
      It also shows people throwing traffic cones and pyrotechnics at the PJ Neeson pub on Allison Street in the city’s Govanhill around 5:15pm on Sunday.
      We previously told how lit flares were thrown into the boozer and a man’s shirt caught fire after Sunday’s Old Firm League Cup final where Celtic beat Rangers 2-1.
      But the newly-emerged security footage shows how a group of women rushed from the under-attack pub to challenge the footie yobs.
      One woman – holding what appears to be a pool cue – ran out to confront one of the masked hooligans.
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      She was filmed kicking at him in the middle of the road as others rushed to get between the pair.
      Other women ran from the pub and into the road to fend off the yobs and pulled the first woman back to the pavement.
      The footage went viral after being shared on social media, gathering over 3,000 likes.
      And the women who ran out to confront the hooligans have been branded “Celtic maws” by social media users.
      Most read in Football
      Fans were quick to react to the clip, with one playing a pun on a classic song by The Clash, joking: “I fought the maws and the maws won.”
      Police were called to the area after the trouble flared up following the final.
      But officers confirmed that the crowds were dispersed and no arrests were made.
      P.J Neeson previously declined to comment when approached by the Scottish Sun.
      It comes as four people were arrested after the match as cops probe an alleged pre-match ‘hooligan brawl’.
      Police confirmed they nicked four people for disorder-related offences in response to a number of alleged incidents.
      It followed a street battle between hooligans from both sides hours before the final.
      The fans were seen in Glasgow’s southside after swarming towards each other at the west and north sides of the ground before breakfast time.
      It’s believed cops will crack down hard on the two groups of ‘ultras’ and will use social media videos to help find those involved.
      But the brawl has led to a top cup saying footie ultras should be BANNED from getting early access to stadiums to lay out banners.
      Read More on The Sun
      A group of women and one man rushed from the pub
      They confronted the yobs
      The incident came after the League Cup Final
      We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5200 More

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      in Soccer

      I’m a Man Utd legend who went viral as ‘old man down the pub’… people think I’m weird and don’t get my sense of humour

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Brian McClair has revealed all about the recent photo that saw him go viral.The ex-forward was a big part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first decade at Old Trafford, playing for them between 1987 and 1998 after arriving from Celtic.
      Brian McClair was one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first signingsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The Old Trafford legend went viral after this snap of him at the pub was shared onlineCredit: Twitter @BanditBus
      He made well over 350 appearances during that time before heading to his Scottish homeland to finish his career with Motherwell.
      The 59-year-old has since started coaching, with a brief stint as assistant manager at Blackburn followed by a return to United.
      He was employed as the club’s youth academy director between 2006 and 2015 but these days he is enjoying great success with his Life of Brian podcast – which has just been named as the most popular sports podcast in Costa Rica.
      However, that is not what he hit the headlines for over recent weeks, instead it was a visit to the boozer that had him trending.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      McClair was photographed in a Manchester pub named the Gold Cup, only he looked completely unrecognisable from his Premier League-winning heyday with long hair and a long grey beard.
      Speaking to The Telegraph, he revealed: “It started in lockdown.
      “I just thought: let things grow, see where we end up. Then before Christmas I decided to have a tidy up, but I never got round to it.
      “I was out one night and next thing I see I’m trending on social media as ‘old man down the pub’.
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      “I’ve had the trim since. You’ll be disappointed to hear I look a wee bit less as though I’ve been cast away on a desert island.”
      McClair, who won 14 trophies, including four league titles, admits that was just “another bizarre thing in my life”. 
      He said: “I think I’m normal, others think I’m weird. I tend to notice bizarre things, bizarre things come out of my head.”
      The Scot managed to avoid doing interviews throughout his 11-year stay at Old Trafford – but he still managed to wind-up team-mates and the media with his “Choccy’s Diary” in the matchday programme.
      He added: “It was very rare when I was a player I got inspired by questions.
      “The other players say they never got my sense of humour. I take that as an accolade.
      “In the dressing room plenty of things I said were said to find things out about them. I was interested in what made them tick.”
      McClair added: “I was always happy to start a debate. A lot of players want to win at that.
      “I remember Gary Pallister in particular always wanted to get the last word.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I was giving him a lift home once. We were having a chat and I deliberately wouldn’t agree with him.
      “When we got to his house, he jumped out the car, shouting at me, slamming the door and running off up his drive so I couldn’t respond. I laughed all the way home.”
      Brian McClair says he has now had a trim since his pub snapCredit: Twitter More