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      in Boxing

      Colin Hart was The Sun’s ‘Voice of Boxing’, he witnessed Ali & Frazier to AJ and Fury and was a world-renowned authority

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      THE first time we met was in the stairwell at The Sun’s former HQ in Wapping, where the smokers would congregate.Colin Hart was an ex-smoker, allowing himself a few passive fumes, chewing a matchstick in place of a cigarette, having recently recovered from throat cancer.Colin Hart was The Sun’s ‘Voice of Boxing’Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdHart poses with Chris Eubank in 1990Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdThe Sun’s boxing man chats with Mike Tyson in 1987Credit: Times Newspapers LtdSmoking was bad for your health. Especially when Harty angered one particular interviewee by lighting up as they spoke.That man was George Foreman, the heavyweight champion of the world, who asked him to extinguish his cigarette.When Harty demanded that he should ‘say please’, Foreman threatened to punch him. A PR man saved him from a good hiding. But Foreman, like so many other greats, would end up becoming a good friend of Colin.Harty spoke out of the opposite side of his mouth to the matchstick. He spoke in his native Cockney. And once you got to know him, he’d speak about decades of rich sporting history.READ SOME HART CLASSICSHe spoke of Muhammad Ali and the Rumble in the Jungle, of Sugar Ray Leonard and the ‘Four Kings’ of the middleweight division.He spoke of Ben Johnson’s failed drugs test in Seoul and the massacre of 13 Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists in Munich, as well as many lighter tales from the eight Olympic Games he’d covered.According to his former colleague Alex Montgomery, he was ‘the only East End Jewish boy I ever knew who had a love of showjumping’.Harty spoke of giving as good as he got to some of the most charismatic and egotistical men in the world. Of the thrill of chasing a tale or an interview. Of the glorious chaos which exists when a major story breaks, at some ungodly hour, in some far flung part of the globe.Most read in BoxingAnd when he spoke, you listened. And if, like me, you grew up loving sport and history and newspapers, you always wanted to ask him more.Harty was cussed at first but soon he became warm and generous and funny and utterly authoritative.COLIN HART: 50th anniversary of Joe Bugner’s first fight with Muhammad Ali, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in 1973Our first meeting was more than a quarter of a century ago, and it was 30 years after Harty had taken up the role of boxing and athletics correspondent on The Sun’s very first day back in 1969 – an association which would last for 56 years.He ‘retired’ when he turned 65 in 2000. Yet he carried on writing columns for this newspaper for another 25 years, right up until his death, and he continued to attend countless world title fights.Immediately after the many major fights I’ve covered, I’ve sought out Harty and asked for his expert view and often for some historical context.He was a great help to me, as he had been to The Sun’s only three previous Chief Sports Writers; Peter Batt, John Sadler and Steven Howard.With a good-natured sneer, Harty would call us ‘the instant experts’, who’d parachute in to cover the biggest stories, using the genuine expertise of Harty and his fellow specialists to make ourselves look good.Hart carries the Olympic Torch in 2012Credit: Simon Jones – News Group NewspapersThe iconic boxing writer poses alongside Muhammad Ali Jr, Michael Watson and John ContehCredit: RexHart chats with Lennox Lewis in 1999Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdLike few other major sporting events, the excitement of covering a world-class prize fight can make your head spin. The benefit of Harty’s wisdom and experience was always valued.In 2017, after Anthony Joshua had knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in an epic fight at Wembley, he told me the bout ranked in the top ten he had witnessed.Given that he had covered all of the fights between Ali, Foreman and Smokin’ Joe Frazier, as well as those between Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Tommy ‘The Hitman’ Hearns and Roberto Duran, this was a relief, because I worried I’d over-egged it while filing copy ‘live’. Still, I must have been too gushing in my praise of Joshua because the next time we met, Harty gave me a gentle verbal cuffing and told me that Tyson Fury was better than Joshua. And he was right.The last time we met was in Riyadh last year, when Oleksandr Usyk had inflicted Fury’s first professional defeat, as Harty had predicted he would.Promoter Frank Warren had flown Harty over and put him up in accommodation far grander than anything granted to today’s working hacks, which delighted him.Hart covered Frank Warren’s fighters for several decadesCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdThe influential writer was on The Sun’s first sports desk in 1969Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdHart, left, speaks to George Foreman in Kinshasa ahead of the Rumble in the JungleCredit: GettyFor two decades or so, we shared a running private joke.“When are you going to write that book?” I’d ask him.“Who’d wanna read that?” he’d reply.Yet any fan would want to read the definitive account of one of sportswriting’s greatest careers.A couple of years ago, he did write that book, at least one covering the boxing part of his career. With the help of fellow journalist Brian Doogan, he wrote ‘The Voice of Boxing: 60 Years At Ringside’.But in these pages, he continued to write several books’ worth of great reminiscences, as well as razor-sharp analysis of the current fight game.That book tells it all about a Londoner who experienced the Blitz as a young child and who would end up ringside with Frank Sinatra at the ‘Fight of the Century’ between Ali and Frazier.While Harty was a boxing aficionado, with a deep well of experience and knowledge about the sweet science, he fully understood the brutality of the game and the controversy over its very existence.After covering the death of the popular 24-year-old Welsh bantamweight Johnny Owen, inside a Los Angeles ring in 1980, he wanted to quit covering boxing, only to be talked round by colleagues.Later he would witness the fearful beatings inflicted upon Michael Watson and Gerald McClellan, which caused life-changing injuries.Harty held immense respect for those brave enough to step inside the ring and while he might criticise a performance, he never doubted a boxer’s courage. On the day when Harty first entered The Sun’s newsroom in 1969, he offered to help a bloke with an Aussie accent who was shifting furniture around, only to find out the ‘removals man’ was Rupert Murdoch.For five and a half decades, he was this newspaper’s ‘voice of boxing’ and plenty more besides.By the time of his death, just days before his 90th birthday, he would be the last serving member of the sports desk’s original staff.Colin’s death is a chance to reflect on a golden age for boxing, for newspapers and for all sport.While Colin was a match-going West Ham supporter for more than 80 years, and would frequently advise us football writers from his seat near the old Upton Park press box, he never covered football professionally.So rich was the sporting landscape, before the advent of the Premier League dwarfed the popularity of all other sports, that he didn’t need to.  And his love for ‘them ‘Ammers’ – and ‘what about them ‘Ammers, eh, Col?’ – remained unsullied by professional cynicism as a result.Colin was a great reporter, wordsmith, story-getter and story-teller.  READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd there was one piece of his advice that came to mind today, as I recall the pleasure of having known him for more than 25 years. “Always be kind to the young kids coming up in this industry,” he told me, “you never know who they’ll get to write your bleeding obituary.”Sporting world pays tribute…THE sporting world has paid emotional tributes to The Sun’s legendary Voice of Boxing.Ricky Hatton said: “I am so sad to hear of the passing of Colin Hart. Colin followed my career from the start all the way through to the big fights in Vegas. Colin is one of the last great boxing journalists and he will be sadly missed. RIP old mate.”Michael Buffer said: “I was honoured to know the legendary Boxing Hall of Fame journalist, Colin Hart, for almost all of my career in the sport. His writings and passion for boxing are universally recognised as among the best ever.”Joe Calzaghe said: “Colin was a real giant of boxing writers and there will never be another like him. He will be sorely missed and my deepest condolences go to his family, friends and colleagues.”Read more tributes including from Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno. More

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      in Motorsport

      McLaren totally dominate as Piastri and Norris complete one-two in China with Hamilton having to settle for sixth

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      LANDO NORRIS’ title charge was dented by his own teammate Oscar Piastri who bagged his first win of the season in China.McLaren made another huge statement with a glittering one-two finish in Shanghai ahead of George Russell in third and Max Verstappen in fourth.Oscar Piastri won the third F1 race of his career with a dominant driveCredit: GettyPiastri and Lando Norris scored a 1-2 finish for McLaren ahead of George RussellCredit: ReutersPiastri pulled out an early lead and never looked backCredit: AFPLewis Hamilton was one of three drivers disqualified from the Chinese GPCredit: GettyNorris, who won the season opener in Melbourne and is the favourite to be crowned champion this season, has Piastri firmly in his rear-view mirror with the Aussie’s chances at lifting the title looking equally as strong.The two Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had finished P6 and P5 before they were both DISQUALIFIED after the race, with Hamilton falling foul of excessive skid block wear and Leclerc falling under the minimum weight limit.Piastri held off Russell to lead into Turn 1, while Norris nipped past the Mercedes into P2. Ferrari team-mates Hamilton and Leclerc made contact on a fiery opening lap at the front of the pack while Verstappen dropped back behind them. READ MORE IN F1The seven-time world champion said on his team radio: “I’ve been hit by someone” and there was visible damage on Leclerc’s front wing.Leclerc was told on the radio that he has “20 to 30 points” of downforce loss as a result of the damage to his front wing but he said he can survive until the first stop. Piastri settled into the lead of just and by lap three was just over one second ahead of Norris with Russell in third and Hamilton in fourth. Fernando Alonso suffered a nightmare race as he retired his Aston Martin on lap four with a brake issue. Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKOver laps 14 and 15 the front runners headed for the pit-lane with Hamilton and Verstappen arriving first and rejoining in 10th and 12th respectively. McLaren brought in Piastri and Russell also came in, undercutting Norris, who stayed out an extra lap, as he reemerged from the pits.Lewis Hamilton has perfect response to dismal Ferrari debut as he achieves feat not seen for 35 years By lap 19 McLaren’s one-two was officially restored as Norris nipped past Russell and Alex Albon’s Williams down the backstraight.There was some debating over the two Ferraris with Hamilton coming on the blower to tell his team that he was struggling and holding Leclerc up. The Monegasque 27-year-old was driving like a madman and bizarrely had more pace than his Ferrari team-mate despite his front-wing damage. Hamilton ran the show though and was sassy with race engineer Riccardo Adami, saying “I’ll tell you when we stop” as he was catching Russell ahead of him. On lap 21, Hamilton finally let Leclerc through with the Ferraris snapping at Russell’s heels.There are clearly still some teething issues between Hamilton and Adami with their communications. Hamilton said on the team radio: “Give me some feedback guys. Come on, I need the feedback of where I’m losing.”Adami replied and Hamilton snapped, “Yeah, you told me that already”. The race transformed into a debate over strategies with talks of ‘Plan A, B, C’ flying over the radios on who would make the first move to stop before a warning of rain arrived. Chinese GP top 10 after disqualificationsAfter the triple disqualification of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly, here is the new top 10 standings:1) Oscar Piastri, McLaren2) Lando Norris, McLaren3) George Russell, Mercedes4) Max Verstappen, Red Bull5) Esteban Ocon, Haas6) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes7) Alex Albon, Williams8) Oliver Bearman, Haas9) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin10) Carlos Sainz, WilliamsThere had barely been a peep out of Verstappen throughout and Gianpiero Lambiase said over the team radio “Good pace now Max. Better late than never.” “20 laps remaining, come on” as he hunted down Hamilton. Ferrari hauled in Hamilton for fresh tyres with him only losing one position to Verstappen in the process. Hamilton’s extra pit stop did not work, with him over a whopping 12 seconds behind Verstappen with six laps to go. Meanwhile, Norris was struggling with a brake pedal issue and old tyres as he dwindled behind his team-mate Piastri.Piastri led Norris by over three seconds, whose advantage over Russell was over six seconds, while Verstappen in fifth was snapping at Leclerc’s heels in fourth. With three laps to go, Verstappen finally got the job done on Leclerc with the two battling nose to tail in the closing stages. Further down the order Haas picked up their first points of the season with Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman finishing P5 and P8 with the Ferrari disqualifications, with the latter coming from P17 as he celebrated International Bear Day.Kimi Antonelli scored points again with a P6 finish, while Alex Albon finished P7 for Williams after briefly leading the race on his birthday.READ MORE SUN STORIESPierre Gasly, who originally finished P11, was also disqualified for being underweight, allowing Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz to move up the order and into the points.Meanwhile, Liam Lawson’s nightmare start as Verstappen’s team-mate continued as he finished P12 (up three from the disqualifications), in part thanks to a 10-second time penalty for Alpine rookie Jack Doohan after he pushed Isack Hadjar off track at Turn 14. More

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      in Soccer

      ‘I talked to the agent’ – MLS club confirm Kevin De Bruyne talks with Man City icon set to leave on free transfer

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      KEVIN DE BRUYNE has spoken to San Diego as he weighs up his future.The Manchester City captain, 33, is out of contract in the summer and unlikely to agree new terms with the eight-time Premier League champions.Kevin De Bruyne is out of contract at Man City in three monthsCredit: RexDe Bruyne has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia but is thought to prefer a move to Major League Soccer.San Diego, the newest MLS club, still have a designated player slot available.While talks have been held with De Bruyne and his representative, San Diego insist nothing is imminent.That’s because they reckon the Belgian international’s wage demands would be too much for their budget.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLTyler Heaps, San Diego’s sporting director, said: “Those rumours, I don’t know where they come from. I talked to the agent.“The agent has many players, obviously.”Every time I see it, I say, ‘Are you the one that is saying all this stuff?’“He’s a fantastic footballer and he loves this area.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK“He goes on holidays here every single year, but I’m not sure where that rumour keeps coming from.“I’ve had conversations with him, but I’ll tell you what, those wages won’t fit our budget at the moment in terms of what his expectations are.”New £34m Man City star Abdukodir Khusanov looks emotional as he’s gifted £135k Mercedes on return to Uzbekistan San Diego are MLS’ latest club, having played their first ever game in February.They are yet to lose a game and sit second in the MLS Western Conference. More

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      in Soccer

      ‘We need to help him’ – England boss Thomas Tuchel reveals his masterplan to make Jude Bellingham even BETTER

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      THOMAS TUCHEL wants Jude Bellingham to save his energy for decisive moments — and channel his emotions.The Real Madrid midfielder played the defence-splitting pass that set up Myles Lewis-Skelly for the first goal of England’s 2-0 victory over Albania.Thomas Tuchel earned a 2-0 win in his first match in charge of EnglandCredit: AlamyJude Bellingham earned his 41st England capCredit: GettyBut boss Tuchel reckons there have been times, including at last summer’s Euros, where Bellingham tries to do too much.He said: “He is always ready to give everything.“But we need to help him so that within a structure, he can play more economically and still have the same impact — or maybe even more.“We need to make sure that the leaders — and he is one of the leaders — and the key players walk in the same direction, play in the same rhythm and help each other out.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“And play a little more disciplined maybe, to save some energy for the decisive moments.”Tuchel loves the passion that Bellingham shows.The German said: “He loves to talk to the ref and the linesmen.“Jude’s a very emotional player on the pitch and you just see he hates to lose. You see the desire to win.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK“I think he’ll keep this hunger and learn to channel the emotions a little bit.”Tuchel had his ups and downs managing superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain and can use that experience to help Bellingham flourish.Jude Bellingham’s girlfriend Ashlyn Castro releases emotional statement on relationship history He said: “Jude is and will be a key player for us. And he is happy to take the responsibility.“He’s always able to make the difference so we need to find the structure to make the most of it.”Tuchel —  whose next challenge is tomorrow’s game against Latvia — enjoyed his debut as Three Lions boss.He beamed: “It still feels great. I love the group of players. Now we’ll try to squeeze the best out of them.”England ratings vs Albania as Lewis-Skelly enjoys dream debut but Tuchel fails to solve Foden issue By Tom BarclayMYLES LEWIS-SKELLY made history and Harry Kane extended his own record-breaking as England sunk Albania in Thomas Tuchel’s first game.Lewis-Skelly became the youngest player to score on his Three Lions debut and top goal-getter Kane notched his 70th international strike as Tuchel began his World Cup qualifying campaign with a modest 2-0 win.New boy Dan Burn partnered Ezri Konsa in central defence at Wembley, while Marcus Rashford and Curtis Jones were also handed starts.Meanwhile, Tuchel wrestled with the same issue faced by predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate – deciding where to fit in Phil Foden.Left-back Lewis-Skelly, 18, slotted home on 20 minutes following a delightful turn and even better pass from Jude Bellingham.But England stuttered after the break – until skipper Kane classily took down a Declan Rice pass and curved home the clincher.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated the Three Lions in German manager Tuchel’s opening match… More

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      in Soccer

      I drove 400 miles in a minibus with my kids to watch England in Euro 2024 final… now I’m hoping to play at World Cup

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      JORDAN HENDERSON drove seven hours and 400 miles in a minibus to watch England’s Euro 2024 final loss in Berlin after being dropped by Gareth Southgate.Now the Ajax midfielder — who became Van Henderson by taking his family on the gruelling trip — is hoping to go the full distance with new boss Thomas Tuchel to next year’s World Cup.Jordan Henderson made his England return in Friday night’s 2-0 win over AlbaniaCredit: GettyThe former Liverpool captain ended his 16-month international exile with a cameo appearance in Friday’s 2-0 Wembley qualifying win over Albania.Tuchel believes Henderson’s experience throughout the qualifiers will be vital and there is no debate over his love for England.This was proved by his dash from pre-season training in Amsterdam to the German capital to watch England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in July.Henderson, 34, had featured in six Euro qualifiers for Southgate but was left out of the squad after his ill-advised switch to Saudi Arabia. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut asked about his decision to watch his mates at the Olympic Stadium, Henderson revealed: “I didn’t know until late whether I could go due to the training times and schedule.“But when I found out I could go, there were no flights anywhere. I couldn’t go from England, couldn’t go from Amsterdam.“So then I looked at how far it was and hired a van for me, the family and the kids. And we drove across. It took seven hours.“I felt I’d been a part of the qualifying campaign. I was in every squad right up until the Euros.Most read in FootballHenderson made sure he was in the stadium for England’s efforts at the Euro 2024 final in GermanyCredit: RexBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK“I was watching on the telly and it was hard — but all I wanted was the lads to do well and win.“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. But I was happy I went to watch them live. I just needed to be there.”’That was missing’ – Brutally blunt Thomas Tuchel reveals disappointment in Rashford and Foden’s England performancesThere were some stunned reactions from England fans who were also driving to Germany when they saw the Henderson family at service stations along the route. He added: “When we needed the toilet or just popped into the garages, it was quite funny to see some of the fans.“It was nice to see them but obviously I would have rather been with the team.”The experienced midfielder has enjoyed a decent season with Ajax — despite one blip in January when the club were considering selling him to Monaco to save money on his wages.But he has also had a positive impact off the pitch and helped the club move six points clear at the top of the Eredivisie.While Hendo’s return was met with groans by some England fans, it was a clever move by Tuchel as the team lacked leadership in Germany.So did Henderson fear that his international career was over? He replied: “Not really, otherwise I would have retired.“I was disappointed last summer but I still feel physically fit and I was never going to shut that door. Deep inside, I always wanted to come back.“Whether or not I got the opportunity wasn’t down to me but thankfully I kept my head down, kept working hard, kept doing the right things.”I’ve had a good season this year with Ajax and thankfully, I got the opportunity to come back.“From my first cap up until now, anyone can see my commitment to England.“I have always wanted to give absolutely everything, every time I’ve been here — and that will never change.“You see the experience all over the pitch but also you need a mixture of young players coming through. We have that with this squad.”As he stressed ahead of Friday’s game, Tuchel believes that communication was an issue among the England players in Germany.And when it comes to talking on the pitch, as Liverpool’s players will remember, Henderson does a lot of it.READ MORE SUN STORIESHoping to win his 83rd cap against Latvia at Wembley on Monday, he added: “It’s not just down to one player to communicate. “You need five or six communicating all the time on the pitch. The more people talk, the better.”Thomas Tuchel has praised Henderson for his leadership and communication skillsCredit: Getty More

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      in Motorsport

      F1 Chinese Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Lewis Hamilton looks to bounce back from disaster debut as Verstappen and Co feature

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      FORMULA ONE makes the trip up north to Asia after the new season debuted in Australia last week. Last time out, Lando Norris took home the chequered flag in a McLaren’s MCL39 that looks to be the envy of the entire grid. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell made up the rest of the podium. Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut failed to live up to expectations as he finished 10th at Albert Park.But the seven-time world champion has started the weekend brightly in China, claiming his first win for the Italian team in Saturday’s sprint race.Hamilton starts 5th on the grid on Sunday, while McClaren’s Oscar Piastri is on Pole.Race time: 7am GMTTV channel: Sky Sports F1Starting grid: 1. Oscar Piastri, 2. George Russell, 3. Lando Norris, 4. Max Verstappen, 5. Lewis Hamilton, 6. Charles Leclerc, 7. Isack Hadjar, 8. Kimi Antonelli, 9. Yuki Tsunoda, 10. Alex Albon, 11. Esteban Ocon, 12. Nico Hulkenberg, 13. Fernando Alonso, 14. Lance Stroll, 15. Carlos Sainz, 16. Pierre Gasly, 17. Ollie Bearman, 18. Jack Doohan, 19. Gabriel Bortoleto, 20. Liam LawsonBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSFollow our live blog for updates…How much do the drivers win?F1 is one of the most lucrative sports in the world – and they get a pretty penny for winning a race as well.Copy linkCopiedHamilton’s tacticsHamilton used all of his experience to win the Sprint earlier in the weekend.He shared the front row with Max Verstappen, and nobody can forget the huge fight they had for the title in 2021. But, Hamilton made sure he stayed just ahead of Verstappen, so he was forced to drive through dirty air.Copy linkCopiedRemembering Eddie JordanThis weekend marks the first weekend of racing since the passing of the legendary Eddie Jordan.Drivers such as Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna raced for Jordan, who had a huge impact on the sport.Copy linkCopiedFull starting gridOscar PiastriGeorge RussellLando NorrisMax VerstappenLewis HamiltonCharles LeclercIsack HadjarKimi Antonelli Yuki TsunodaAlex AlbonEsteban OconNico HulkenbergFernando AlonsoLance StrollCarlos SainzPierre GaslyOliver BearmanJack DoohanGabriel BortoletoLiam LawsonCopy linkCopiedWelcome to SunSport’s coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix!The 2025 F1 season has already seen a lot of twists, with the Chinese GP seeing a third different pole sitter in three races.McLaren’s pace at the front has given them a second pole in two GP’s, as Aussie Oscar Piastri will start at the front, after Lando Norris was there last week.Between them was Lewis Hamilton in yesterday’s sprint, as he converted a pole to a win, and Piastri came home second.Defending four-time world champion Max Verstappen is still waiting for his first win of the season.Just to add to the drama, Mercedes driver George Russell has split the McLaren’s, and starts second in the GP. Remember: in the UK, the race starts at 7am, so get your alarms set!Copy linkCopied More

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      in Soccer

      I lost both of my grandfathers to suicide, we must do more to help, says Championship star Will Vaulks

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      WILL VAULKS knows all about the devastation that follows suicide.The Oxford United star’s two grandfathers both took their lives within 18 months of each other while he was in his early teens.Will Vaulks says the deaths caused ‘enormous destruction’ in his familyCredit: GettyHywel Edwards took his life just a day after watching Vaulks play footballVaulks described paternal grandfather Tom as wonderful to be withVaulks, 31, was just 13 when he and his family were left heartbroken when paternal grandad Tom died aged 67,  six months after he had initially tried to kill himself.And then the Wales midfielder’s maternal grandfather Hywel took his life aged 78, a day after watching his then 15-year-old grandson playing youth football for Tranmere.Now Vaulks wants to raise awareness for one of the biggest — yet “most forgotten” — killers.The latest 12-month UK Government figures showed 4,377 people died by suicide, that is an average of 12 deaths every day.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe U’s ace told SunSport: “Suicide is the biggest killer in men aged under 50 and women under 35.“So the biggest threat to your friend or family member’s life at that age isn’t a heart attack, cancer or a car crash . . . it’s from themselves.“We talk about cancer research and the need to learn CPR — which is important and great — but suicide gets forgotten.“So we must do everything to help get the numbers down.”Most read in FootballYou’re Not AloneEVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicideIt doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:Both grandfathers were much loved and Tom was a larger-than-life  character who would take his grandson for a spin on the back of his red Kawasaki 500 motorbike.Vaulks recalled: “He used to look after me, my brother and sister when our parents were away.“And he would say, ‘When the cat’s away, the mice play!’“I couldn’t have asked for a better grandparent so you can only  imagine the feelings I had when he chose to take his life. It was so  difficult for my dad and family.”At the time it was not understood why Tom had decided to end his life although with the benefit of hindsight years later the reason is perhaps less mysterious.His grandfather, who was divorced from Vaulks’ nan, was deeply depressed and complained about a stomach pain he could not get diagnosed.It is felt he feared getting old and not being able to continue doing the fun things he enjoyed.Then, in 2008, his other grandfather Hywel left home in circumstances out of character.Vaulks said: “My grandmother Brenda woke up to find he wasn’t in bed and had gone out.“He didn’t take a coat or get properly dressed so hadn’t gone out for a walk.”Police were called and a helicopter and search dogs sent out to comb the area.Loving grand-dad Hywel took his own life aged 78Tom, who died aged 67, is pictured with his son and grandchildrenBut eventually after a few hours it was Vaulk’s mum and Hywel’s daughter Ruth who discovered his body.Only the evening before he had been watching Vaulks playing football but he went home at the full-time whistle rather than stick around, as he normally did.That evening his mum went to check on him and Vaulks explained: “He told her, ‘You do know I love you, don’t you?’“It was a lovely thing to say to his daughter but it has been hard for my mum down the years because she has been left with many unanswered questions like was it a sign and should she have spotted it?“But he had made his decision at that  point and unfortunately we will  never know exactly why.”From experience, no one who is struggling is a burden. People want to help, people love you and you must love yourself too.Will VaulksPeople who take their lives are in the deepest of torment and often feel they are a burden to families and friends but, as Vaulks explains, the decision to die by suicide leaves a trail of devastation that is far worse for those loved ones left behind. He said: “The destruction the two suicides left for my family was enormous.“We had a normal family life which was happy, healthy and great.“The best way to describe it is it’s like a bomb going off within the family unit.“Suicide leaves a complex grieving process that some people do not  manage to get through. As a family, we fortunately did.“But I became a bit numb to normal passings because you feel bitterness in the way you lost your grandparents.“They both thought they were best out of the equation.“I’d say to anyone who is struggling, the burden you leave by taking your own life is 100 fold for those you leave behind.“From experience, no one who is struggling is a burden. People want to help, people love you and you must love yourself too.“I’ve spoken to suicide survivors who look back now and live happy, healthy fulfilled lives.”Championship side Oxford became the first club last month to sign up for a suicide prevention charity’s workplace pledge.United’s new partnership with Baton of Hope will see the U’s deliver in-house, personal  suicide prevention training to all its players and staff.Hywel was great to be around as a kid, saying Will VaulksTom became depressed in later life and worried about a stomach painIt coincided with the third anniversary of Oxford legend Joey Beauchamp taking his own life at the age of 50 after years of mental- health struggles.Vaulks, who also wants the EFL to get on board, says there are stereotypical myths  surrounding suicide.He said: “People always have one answer like he or she was a gambling addict, had an affair, took drugs — all hyper motive things.“Sometimes those issues are relevant but a lot of the time it’s not the case.“People have struggled silently for a long time and not had the help they need. At the moment, in the NHS, mental-health help is not there.“The charity’s founder is Mike McCarthy and his  son Ross was on a waiting list for six months and died two months into it. That sort of time frame for help isn’t acceptable.”Vaulks is sure prevention is better than cure and urges everyone to play an active part.He added: “People don’t wake up one day and decide to take their own life.A friend might be acting erratically, maybe drinking five pints instead of two or vice-versa, or acting quieter or louder. There are times when people are at crisis point and help lines or emergency services need to be called.Will Vaulks“The thing we can all do is to check in  twice. We all know when someone asks, ‘How are you?’ that a person usually replies, ‘Good’.“If you notice a slight change in your friend or people you don’t speak to so often, just  ask again, ‘No, really, how are you — is everything fine?’“We don’t need to have deep conversations but we do need to delve more into how people are feeling.“It’s proven eight to nine minutes of talking can be enough to lift someone’s mood and prevent them spiralling downhill.“A friend might be acting erratically, maybe drinking five pints instead of two or vice-versa, or acting quieter or louder.“There are times when people are at crisis point and help lines or emergency services need to be called.“But we must try to stop these things before they become major issues.READ MORE SUN STORIES“So if you feel happy and fulfilled, pass that on to people, even in the street.“We can live a competitive, fun and aggressive life — but still look out for others.” More

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      Moment Marcus Rashford’s £700k Rolls-Royce is towed off motorway after tyre blew out

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      MARCUS Rashford’s £700,000 Rolls-Royce had to be towed off a motorway following a tyre blow-out.The on-loan Aston Villa forward, 27, was on England duty when the car broke down on the M60 on Friday.Marcus Rashford’s Rolls-Royce had to be towed off a motorwayCredit: mancpicss66The on-loan Aston Villa ace, 27, was on England duty when the car broke downCredit: AlamyThe £700,000 car’s tyre blew out and was stranded for an hourCredit: ZenpixThe motor was stranded on the side of the M60 on FridayCredit: mancpicss66It was not known who was driving. The posh motor was stranded for more than an hour at the spot near where another of his Rolls was written off in a 2023 crash. The vehicle was so badly wrecked, Rashford was forced to flog it for a hugely discounted £184,000 at auction.The forward then replaced it with an almost identical car in May last year – opting for white instead of grey.READ MORE ON MARCUS RASHFORDA source said: “Rashford hasn’t had much luck with his Rolls.“The first one was written off and then the second one breaks down.“He’ll be questioning the £1.4million he’s splashed out on two identical cars.“Let’s hope he has more luck on the pitch.”Most read in FootballRashford’s first Mansory Wraith had only 1,000 miles on the clock when it was involved in a collision as he left United’s training ground in Carrington.He’d been on his way home from his side’s 1-0 Premier League win at Burnley when his 2.5-ton vehicle ploughed into a pole on a traffic island, claiming another driver veered into his lane.Footballer Marcus Rashford has bought a brand new £700,000 Rolls Royce WraithPhotos showed the car took a pounding in the crash, with extensive damage to the front, left front wing and a mangled rear left wheel and bumper.Luckily both drivers escaped without injury. More