Soccer Aid 2020

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      Yaya Toure apologises for ‘inappropriate joke’ after offering to hire sex workers for Soccer Aid team

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      YAYA Toure has apologised today for an “inappropriate joke” after offering to hire sex workers for his Soccer Aid team.
      Married dad Toure, 37, boasted in a WhatsApp group chat that he could bring 19 girls to the side’s five-star hotel in Cheshire, and also posted a pornographic video showing a naked woman in a bath.

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      Yaya Toure has apologised after making an “inappropriate joke” in a Soccer Aid WhatsApp group chat

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      Toure shared the apology to Twitter today

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      Toure said his WhatsApp group messages were “meant as a joke”

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      The ex-Man City star said he was a “grown man who should not be engaged in such jokes”

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      He was axed from this weekend’s Soccer Aid event

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      Toure, 37, has three children with wife Gina
      He was axed from this weekend’s event, and tweeted an apology today.
      “I would like to apologise to everyone involved in Soccer Aid for an inappropriate joke I deeply regret,” he wrote.
      “It was meant as a joke however I lacked thorough consideration for the feelings of all the other participants.
      “That being said I deleted the jokes within minutes and I immediately apologised to all inside the group.”

      Toure said he wanted to “take full responsibility” for his mistake.
      “We gather for a good cause and this deviates the focus of the game which is to bring everyone together to help children around the world,” he wrote.
      “It’s sad to see an inappropriate joke I made attract the attention which should be fully devoted to the beauty of the charity game.
      “Regardless of the circumstances, I want to take full responsibility. I am a grown man who should not be engaged in such jokes.

      “I am very sorry for my mistake and wish everyone all the best with Soccer Aid on Sunday in raising awareness and funds for important causes.”
      Toure sparked a string of complaints from his appalled team-mates, who included several female players as well as celebrities.
      They called on Soccer Aid and ITV bosses to axe Toure from the game, held annually in support of children’s charity Unicef.
      Toure, who has three children with wife Gina, deleted the messages and issued an apology but got the boot from Sunday’s game.
      An insider said: “Everyone at Soccer Aid was disgusted by Yaya’s messages.
      “There is a WhatsApp group for his team, the World XI, and everyone had been chatting in it.

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      He came under fire after posting a pornographic video in a group WhatsApp chat
      ‘ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL’
      “Without being prompted, Yaya posted a video of a naked woman in a bath.
      “She was acting in a lewd manner and it was highly inappropriate.
      “He went on to say he could get 19 women like the one in the video to come to the hotel to the pleasure of those playing the match.
      “It was absolutely disgraceful and caused a huge amount of distress to some of the people who received the messages.
      “Soccer Aid is a charity game and is raising money for children.
      “So to have one of the players, especially one who is supposed to be a professional, making such lewd and gross suggestions is despicable.”
      Midfielder Yaya, who left Manchester City in 2018, sent the X-rated messages on Thursday night.
      The WhatsApp group was made up of his team-mates from his World XI side – including ex-Man United star Patrice Evra and female players Julie Fleeting, Lianne Sanderson and Chelcee Grimes.
      Players and coaches from their England XI opponents were also in the group.
      A string of complaints were then made to Soccer Aid and ITV, which is broadcasting the match live.
      The insider added: “The messages turned the stomachs of the women, along with the men.
      “The atmosphere among both teams had been so good and spirits were high. These messages have really soured the mood.
      “Julie, Lianne and Chelcee made their feelings clear about how wrong they thought his messages were. They called for Toure to be taken off the team.”
      After bosses at Unicef and ITV were notified of the content, Yaya was told to delete them.
      He was then forced to apologise to everyone who received the messages and was warned his place in the squad was in jeopardy.
      However, feelings were running high during breakfast at the hotel this morning, with many feeling he should get the boot.
      ‘AN APOLOGY WON’T CUT IT’
      A source explained: “Within a few minutes his messages had been deleted and Yaya got a mouthful from the bosses.
      “He repeatedly apologised to them and also said he was sincerely sorry for what he had posted to those in the group.

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      The ‘inappropriate content’ sparked a string of complaints from female players, including Fulham’s Chelcee Grimes

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      England striker Lianne Sanderson was also in the team’s group chatCredit: Getty

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      Scotland’s Julie Fleeting is one of the stars who ‘made their feelings clear about how wrong they thought his messages were’Credit: Scottish News and Sport
      “Not everyone was impressed however and it’s hard to move on from. This wasn’t just banter.
      “To many it felt misogynistic and wrong – and an apology just won’t cut it.
      “At breakfast on Friday morning it was all anyone could talk about.
      “There was no laughter and no one thought it was funny in the slightest.
      “Everyone signed up to Soccer Aid is there with one goal – to raise money for Unicef. This has cast a shadow over the event.”
      Toure was then told this afternoon it was the right thing for him “to step back”.

      This wasn’t just banter. To many it felt misogynistic and wrong.

      A spokesman for Soccer Aid last night told The Sun: “Inappropriate content was shared in a private group text. The message was quickly deleted and a full apology was made to all.
      “Soccer Aid for Unicef has discussed the above with the individual involved and he has decided to no longer continue to participate in this year’s event.
      “While it was an error of judgment, it was felt that the behaviour didn’t align with the values of the event and its cause, and it was the right thing for him to step back from this year’s match.”
      A second insider working on the charity match, which is in its 14th year, insisted that Yaya’s boasts would never have come to fruition – because of Covid-19.
      They said: “There are strict social distancing rules in place at the hotel the teams are staying at so Yaya’s suggestion to his team-mates could never have come to pass.
      “The hotel is blocked off solely for the teams and all those working on the game and there are rules in place. People cannot just come and go.
      “Yaya acted incredibly foolishly and is now paying the price for his stupidity.”
      This year’s match will be played behind closed doors for the first time in its history due to Covid-19 restrictions.

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      £38m winner

      By Daniel Hammond

      SOCCER Aid has so far raised more than £38million for Unicef UK.
      The idea of footballers and celebs taking on each other in an 11-a-side game was initiated by Robbie Williams and mate Jona­than Wilkes in 2006.
      It was held every two years until 2018 when it switched to annually.
      The England team leads the head-to-head with five wins to three.
      From last June, female stars were included in the two squads.
      This year, for the first time in the match’s history the Government and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will both match public donations, meaning every £1 donated becomes £3 – up to £3million – until October 6.
      Unicef provides humanitarian and developmental aid to children around the world.

      The star-studded England squad includes Olly Murs, 36, Mark Wright, 33, and Paddy McGuinness, 47. Last year’s game raised more than £6.7million for Unicef.
      Funds raised this year will go to helping children battle coronavirus around the world.
      Like their Premier League counterparts, the Soccer Aid players will take the knee as a mark of respect to the Black Lives Matter movement before kick-off at Old Trafford.

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      This year’s star-studded line-up includes Mark Wright and Olly MursCredit: ollymurs/Instagram

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      TV host Paddy McGuinness is also playingCredit: PA:Press Association

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      France’s Patrice Evra is one of the male players that have been lined up

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      England’s Wes Brown will also play in the charity matchCredit: PA:Press Association

      Line of Duty’s Compston sends ‘support’ to England Soccer Aid team as DS Arnott More

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      Who is F2Freestylers Jeremy Lynch? Soccer Aid 2020 star playing for World XI

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      JEREMY Lynch won over the British public when he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent – and even received praise from Simon Cowell.
      Here’s what we know about the endearing footballer…

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      England’s Jeremy Lynch celebrates scoring his side’s second goal of the game during the Unicef Soccer Aid match at Old Trafford, Manchester, in 2018Credit: PA:Press Association
      Who is Jeremy Lynch?
      Jeremy Lynch is a London-born football freestyler who makes a living from showcasing his skills off the pitch.
      Aged 15, he dreamed of playing for Arsenal’s Academy and started doing tricks in 2000 after watching a Nike advert.
      In 2008 he made it to the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent, where his mixture of sheer skill and dance prowess brought the audience to their feet.
      He joined his pal Billy Wingrove to run the popular F2 Freestylers Ultimate Soccer Skills Channel on YouTube, with over 50.73million followers across all social media platforms.

      Jeremy has been dating his long-term girlfriend Shauna Louise for the past six years.

      What is Soccer Aid?
      Jeremy returned to the football fundraiser at Stamford Bridge in London in 2019 and bagged himself two goals for England.
      Founded by Robbie Williams, Soccer Aid for Unicef has raised more than £30million for charity since it was founded over 12 years ago.
      The funding goes towards making sure more children in impoverished countries can spend more time at play.

      In 2020 he’s switching sides and lines up with pal Billy as well as Kem Cetinay, Roman Kemp and Patrice Evra for the World XI. More

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      Who is Michael Owen’s wife Louise Bonsall, and how many children do the couple have?

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      MICHAEL Owen will be competing in Soccer Aid as part of the England team.
      He has been married to childhood sweetheart Louise Bonshall but has she has tended to stay away from the limelight.

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      Louise and Michael are childhood sweetheartsCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Who is Michael Owen’s wife Louise Bonsall?
      THE pair met in primary school in 1984 and became childhood sweethearts whilst at Hawarden High School. 
      The pair became engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2004 – which is also Louise’s birthday – when he proposed at their home.
      Originally, they were set to marry at their home but decided against it due to regulations and had a small private ceremony before having a blessing at their home in front of lots of guests.
      Louise has been described as “not your typical WAG” and has a passion in rescuing horses and their home has grounds where she can keep horses and Michael keeps cars.

      She started riding at the age of seven when her and brother Andrew took lessons at the weekends before her passion grew into helping at the riding school and exercising friends horses.

      What was the horse riding accident she had?
      LOUISE suffered from horrible injuries in 2004 after an horse riding accident. 
      She was riding her horse Isobelle when it reared up and unseated her before the horse lost balance and landed on top of her.
      Not long before, Michael had been out with her but he came running back after hearing her scream.

      She spent three weeks in the Countess of Chester Hospital with a back broken in two places and her hip and pelvis in five places.
      This was not the first major horse riding accident for Louise – at the age of 15 she was thrown from a horse and broke her femur – something which caused her to temporarily give up horses as a teenager.
      The 2004 accident saw Louise change her focus and instead of training dressage horses, she moved into rehabilitating horses and became a patron of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre.
      How many kids do the couple have?
      THE pair have four children Gemma Rose, James Michael, Emily May and Jessica. 
      Eldest Gemma was born on May 1, 2003 and they were concerned she would not be able to give birth naturally again following the accident.
      Apart from occasional pain in her back and hip, Louise recovered fully and James followed on February,6 2006.
      Second daughter Emily May was born in October 2007 and Jessica in February 2010. More

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      in Soccer

      Manchester City legend Yaya Toure offered to hire sex workers for Soccer Aid team ahead of UNICEF charity match

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      FOOTBALL ace Yaya Toure has been axed from this weekend’s Soccer Aid after offering to hire sex workers for his team-mates.
      Married dad Toure, 37, boasted he could bring 19 girls to the side’s five-star hotel in Cheshire.

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      Yaya Toure offered to hire sex workers for his Soccer Aid team-matesCredit: PA:Empics Sport

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      Organisers of the UNICEF charity match have axed him from the line-upCredit: Reuters
      He also posted a pornographic video showing a naked woman in a bath in the group WhatsApp chat.
      It sparked a string of complaints from his appalled team-mates, who included several female players as well as celebrities.
      They called on Soccer Aid and ITV bosses to axe Toure from the game, held annually in support of children’s charity Unicef.
      Toure, who has three children with wife Gina, deleted the messages and issued an apology but today got the boot from Sunday’s game.

      An insider said: “Everyone at Soccer Aid was disgusted by Yaya’s messages.
      “There is a WhatsApp group for his team, the World XI, and everyone had been chatting in it.
      ‘ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL’
      “Without being prompted, Yaya posted a video of a naked woman in a bath.
      “She was acting in a lewd manner and it was highly inappropriate.

      “He went on to say he could get 19 women like the one in the video to come to the hotel to the pleasure of those playing the match.
      “It was absolutely disgraceful and caused a huge amount of distress to some of the people who received the messages.
      “Soccer Aid is a charity game and is raising money for children.
      “So to have one of the players, especially one who is supposed to be a professional, making such lewd and gross suggestions is despicable.”

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      Toure, 37, has three children with wife GinaCredit: Rex Features

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      He came under fire after posting a pornographic video in a group WhatsApp chatCredit: Reuters

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      Goalkeeper David James was said to be furiousCredit: Getty
      Midfielder Yaya, who left Manchester City in 2018, sent the X-rated messages on Thursday night.
      The WhatsApp group was made up of his team-mates from his World XI side — including ex-Man United star Patrice Evra and female players Julie Fleeting, Lianne Sanderson and Chelcee Grimes.
      Players and coaches from their England XI opponents were also in the group, including Wes Brown.
      A string of complaints were then made to Soccer Aid and ITV, which is broadcasting the match live.
      Goalkeeper David James were also said to be furious.
      The insider added: “The messages turned the stomachs of the women, along with the men.
      “The atmosphere among both teams had been so good and spirits were high. These messages have really soured the mood.
      “Julie, Lianne and Chelcee and David James all made their feelings clear about how wrong they thought his messages were. They called for Toure to be taken off the team.”
      After bosses at Unicef and ITV were notified of the content, Yaya was told to delete them.
      He was then forced to apologise to everyone who received the messages and was warned his place in the squad was in jeopardy.
      However, feelings were running high during breakfast at the hotel this morning, with many feeling he should get the boot.
      ‘AN APOLOGY WON’T CUT IT’
      A source explained: “Within a few minutes his messages had been deleted and Yaya got a mouthful from the bosses.
      “He repeatedly apologised to them and also said he was sincerely sorry for what he had posted to those in the group.

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      The ‘inappropriate content’ sparked a string of complaints from female players, including Fulham’s Chelcee Grimes

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      England striker Lianne Sanderson was also in the team’s group chatCredit: Getty

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      Scotland’s Julie Fleeting is one of the stars who ‘made their feelings clear about how wrong they thought his messages were’Credit: Scottish News and Sport
      “Not everyone was impressed however and it’s hard to move on from. This wasn’t just banter.
      “To many it felt misogynistic and wrong — and an apology just won’t cut it.
      “At breakfast on Friday morning it was all anyone could talk about.
      “There was no laughter and no one thought it was funny in the slightest.
      “Everyone signed up to Soccer Aid is there with one goal — to raise money for Unicef. This has cast a shadow over the event.”
      Toure was then told this afternoon it was the right thing for him “to step back”.

      This wasn’t just banter. To many it felt misogynistic and wrong.

      A spokesman for Soccer Aid last night told The Sun: “Inappropriate content was shared in a private group text. The message was quickly deleted and a full apology was made to all.
      “Soccer Aid for Unicef has discussed the above with the individual involved and he has decided to no longer continue to participate in this year’s event.
      “While it was an error of judgment, it was felt that the behaviour didn’t align with the values of the event and its cause, and it was the right thing for him to step back from this year’s match.”
      A second insider working on the charity match, which is in its 14th year, insisted that Yaya’s boasts would never have come to fruition — because of Covid-19.
      They said: “There are strict social distancing rules in place at the hotel the teams are staying at so Yaya’s suggestion to his team-mates could never have come to pass.
      “The hotel is blocked off solely for the teams and all those working on the game and there are rules in place. People cannot just come and go.
      “Yaya acted incredibly foolishly and is now paying the price for his stupidity.”
      This year’s match will be played behind closed doors for the first time in its history due to Covid-19 restrictions.

      13

      £38m winner

      By Daniel Hammond

      SOCCER Aid has so far raised more than £38million for Unicef UK.
      The idea of footballers and celebs taking on each other in an 11-a-side game was initiated by Robbie Williams and mate Jona­than Wilkes in 2006.
      It was held every two years until 2018 when it switched to annually.
      The England team leads the head-to-head with five wins to three.
      From last June, female stars were included in the two squads.
      This year, for the first time in the match’s history the Government and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will both match public donations, meaning every £1 donated becomes £3 – up to £3million – until October 6.
      Unicef provides humanitarian and developmental aid to children around the world.

      The star-studded England squad includes Olly Murs, 36, Mark Wright, 33, and Paddy McGuinness, 47. Last year’s game raised more than £6.7million for Unicef.
      Funds raised this year will go to helping children battle coronavirus around the world.
      Like their Premier League counterparts, the Soccer Aid players will take the knee as a mark of respect to the Black Lives Matter movement before kick-off at Old Trafford.

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      This year’s star-studded line-up includes Mark Wright and Olly MursCredit: ollymurs/Instagram

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      TV host Paddy McGuinness is also playingCredit: PA:Press Association

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      France’s Patrice Evra is one of the male players that have been lined up

      13

      England’s Wes Brown will also play in the charity matchCredit: PA:Press Association

      Wayne Rooney sparks Soccer Aid rumours after announcing ‘short-term managerial role’ with Derby’s permission More

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      Who is F2Freestylers Billy Wingrove?

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      BILLY WINGROVE will grace the Old Trafford pitch for the Soccer Aid clash on Sunday.
      Yet, he is no stranger to big grounds and crowds, often entertaining fans at Man United as well as White Hart Lane and Wembley Stadium.

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      Billy Wingrove has become known across the world for performing football skills at part of F2FreestylersCredit: Rex Features
      Who is Billy Wingrove?
      The 37-year-old Londoner was born on December 17, 1982.
      He is a life-long Tottenham fan with his father playing for Spurs during his career.
      But Alan Wingrove also turned out for Arsenal, along with Billy’s cousin Greg Lincoln.
      Billy has not been as successful in his regular football career, only turning out for the likes of Enfield, Ware and Broxbourne Borough in the non-league system.

      He has 102,000 subscribers to his The Wingrove Family YouTube channel.
      The channel says: “Follow us on this incredible journey by smashing that subscribe button! 😉
      “Loads of love Billy, Kate, Amelie, Roman and Baby Dustie! Oh and our little dog Suki too.”
      Is he a famous freestyle footballer?
      Along with friend and partner Jeremy Lynch, Wingrove runs the YouTube channel for F2Freestylers.

      The duo have over 10m subscribers and often film with world stars like Neymar, Eden Hazard, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and even NFL’s Odell Beckham Jr.
      They give tutorials and challenges on a wide range of skills, also recreating famous goals.
      Alongside their channel, they have also performed at stadiums across England like Manchester United’s Old Trafford.
      F2Freestylers often appear in adverts for the likes of Coca-Cola, O2, Barclaycard and Disney.

      Which Soccer Aid team will he play for?
      Despite hailing from London, Wingrove will turn out for the Rest of the World team at Soccer Aid.
      He will be coached by former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.
      Yet, Wingrove will likely be excited to play alongside Premier League legends such as Robbie Keane, Claude Makelele and Yaya Toure.
      The England team, captained by Olly Murs, will feature a trio of Coles – Joe, Ashley and Andy – as well as  David James and his pal Jeremy Lynch.

      Freestyle footballer Jeremy Lynch performs on Britain’s Got Talent More