More stories

  • in

    Sam Allardyce sues ‘thug in a suit’ Irish property developer for £3.5million

    SAM Allardyce is suing an Irish property developer once dubbed “a thug in a suit” for £3.5million.Ex-England boss “Big Sam” and his wife claim they paid John Kelly £883,000 to buy and do up two Surrey mansions.
    Ex-England manager Sam Allardyce is sueing ‘thuggish’ property developer John KellyCredit: Getty
    But the deal — which also included buying £100,000 in Bitcoin — fell through, a High Court writ claims.
    Now lawyers for the couple say Kelly, 60, has since “failed to account” for their investment.
    The developer, of Windsor, Berkshire, built a property empire in Dublin in the 2000s worth millions.
    He paid around £350,000 to Girls Aloud to perform at his step- daughter’s 21st birthday.
    READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
    In 2009 he told an Irish court he owned a helicopter, a yacht in Marbella, a Bentley and an Aston Martin.
    But his fortunes collapsed and in 2012 he claimed he was under police protection after paramilitary threats.
    In 2013 convicted fraudster Thomas Byrne accused Kelly, his former business partner, of being a “thug in a suit” and “vampire-like” while on trial at Dublin’s central criminal court.
    The writ by the Allardyces at London’s High Court, against him and his wife, Mary O’Connor, claims they handed over £883,000 to Kelly between 2017 and 2019.
    Most read in Football
    The money was allegedly meant to be used to buy the properties in Woking and Cranleigh, which would be developed and sold for profit.
    Kelly also pledged to use the cash to buy 34 units of Bitcoin for £100,000. But the writ accuses him of failing to pay the Allardyces “any of the sums owed to them”.
    It says Kelly even rang 68-year-old Allardyce, who managed the England football team in 2016, and told him the Bitcoin deal had gone “belly up”.
    The writ is for £650,000, plus £2.5million in interest, with £1,417 per day in interest until the claim is concluded.
    It is also demanding 34 units of Bitcoin be returned or £511,200 in compensation.
    The writ also reveals Kelly committed to pay £200,000 to Mark Curtis, understood to be Allardyce’s football agent, by February 2019.
    Kelly’s defence is yet to be made public. More

  • in

    Moment Aston Villa star Leon Bailey inhales ‘laughing gas’ after partying all night

    ASTON Villa football star Leon Bailey inhales “laughing gas” in images that will shock fans.Footage emerged of the £25million winger sitting in a motor holding a huge balloon.
    Aston Villa football star Leon Bailey inhales ‘laughing gas’ in images that will shock fans and his club
    The images, taken while celebrating his team’s victory at Everton, are captioned ‘Birmingham, 7.19am’
    Bailey left German side Bayer Laverkusen to join Villa in 2021Credit: Getty
    As he sang, Bailey, 25 — in a black T-shirt and cap — put the inflatable to his lips and inhaled potentially deadly nitrous oxide.
    Another image showed him posing with the deflated balloon hanging from his mouth.
    The Jamaican international played in Villa’s 2-0 Premier League win at Everton last Saturday afternoon before being subbed in the 61st minute.
    The Sun understands he later went to a show to celebrate a friend’s birthday before partying through the night — culminating in the footage, captioned “Birmingham, 7.19am”, on Sunday.
    READ MORE ON LEON BAILEY
    Fan, John Parry, who was sent the video, said: “My kid idolises Bailey and has his shirt.
    “This behaviour is appalling.
    “He is meant to be a professional and a role model, but has let himself and the club down badly.
    “This kind of reckless behaviour cannot go unpunished.”
    Most read in Football
    Bailey left German side Bayer Laverkusen to join Villa in 2021.
    The exciting star, who has scored five times for the Midlands side, now faces the wrath of their no-nonsense boss Unai Emery.
    Inhaling nitrous oxide is legal — but it is illegal to supply it due to its psychoactive effect.
    It starves the brain of oxygen and makes users feel light-headed and dizzy and can even cause death.
    Other football stars including Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling have previously been pictured inhaling the legal high.
    Aston Villa were approached for comment yesterday. More

  • in

    Mason Greenwood’s England future revealed after he turned down opportunity to play for another country

    MASON Greenwood will never again be selected for England by Gareth Southgate, The Sun understands — even though the striker has rejected a switch to Jamaica.The Man United ace, 21, has not given up on his Three Lions dream, despite falling out with the England manager.
    Mason Greenwood will never again be selected for England by Gareth Southgate, The Sun understandsCredit: Rex
    He is waiting to hear if United will re-integrate him after charges of attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour were dropped last month.
    Greenwood qualifies for Jamaica via his mother’s side, and rules state he could be eligible to play for them in September.
    Jamaica Football Federation boss Dennis Chung said: “He is only 21 and so has a very bright future ahead of him and I think he will add value to any team he is on.”
    However Greenwood is keen to resurrect his England career after making his debut at 18 away to Iceland in 2020.
    READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS
    The next day he and team-mate Phil Foden were sent home after smuggling two women into the team hotel in breach of Covid rules.
    Greenwood has not played for his country since.
    A source said: “He is clinging to the hope of playing again at the highest level.
    “But Southgate places a great deal of importance on not only a player’s talent, but how the squad gels.”
    Most read in Football More

  • in

    Lionel Messi splashes out £175,000 on 35 gold iPhones for his World Cup-winning team and staff

    LIONEL Messi splashed out £175,000 on 35 gold iPhones for his World Cup-winning team and their staff.The Argentinian star commissioned the 24-carat devices for every member of the winning squad and had them delivered to his Parisian apartment on Saturday.
    Lionel Messi splashed out £175,000 on gold iPhones for Argentina’s World Cup-winning team and staffCredit: Reuters
    The 24-carat devices have the player’s names, numbers and the Argentinian logo engraved on them
    Each phone has the player’s name, number and the Argentinian logo engraved on it.
    Last night a source said: “Lionel wanted to do something special and blingy to celebrate his proudest moment.
    “He got in touch with entrepreneur Ben Lyons and they came up with the design together.
    Ben, CEO of iDesign Gold, said: “Lionel is not only the Goat but he’s one of IDESIGN GOLD’s most loyal customers and got in touch with us a couple of months after the World Cup final.”
    READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
    “He said he wanted a special gift for all the players and staff to celebrate the amazing win but didn’t want the usual gift of watches.
    “So, I suggested gold iPhones inscribed with their names and he loved the idea.”
    Argentina triumphed in Qatar last year — with Messi, 35, named Player of the Tournament.
    A source said: ‘Lionel wanted to do something special and blingy to celebrate his proudest moment’Credit: Getty More

  • in

    Jungle queen Jill Scott lined up to become first-ever female coach of a men’s side as she joins Man City

    JUNGLE queen Jill Scott is set to become a youth coach at Premier League champions Man City.The Lioness, who won I’m A Celeb in November, is being lined up to eventually work with the club’s men’s teams.
    Jill Scott is set to become a youth coach at Premier League champions Man CityCredit: Getty
    The Lioness, who won I’m A Celeb in November, will be the first-ever female to coach a pro male teamCredit: Rex
    No female has ever managed a pro male team but Jill, 36, who helped England’s women win Euro 2022 last summer before retiring, is taking her coaching badges.
    She could make millions through brand deals and has been flooded with TV offers.
    But although she is set to be a pundit at this summer’s women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Jill is determined to make her mark as a football coach.
    She has already reached Uefa B level and is now looking at her A licence, which would allow her to coach at a higher level.
    READ MORE ON Jill Scott
    And her first step in becoming a boss will be to coach some of the boys and girls at City’s academy.
    Jill, who made 111 appearances as a player for City’s women’s side, said she had been inspired by watching men’s manager Pep Guardiola at work.
    She said: “I went to a couple of his training sessions, which was great, and he came to watch some of ours.”
    Of the 12 teams in England’s Women’s Super League, only four have female managers.
    Most read in Football
    The star boss in the women’s game is Chelsea’s Emma Hayes, 46, who has been tipped to one day take charge of a men’s side.
    She was recently linked with the job at Championship side Queens Park Rangers but missed out.
    Man City are the current Premier League champions. Pictured Erling Haaland and Phil Foden More

  • in

    I’m Europe’s top scorer and I’ve scored more goals than Erling Haaland & Marcus Rashford combined this season

    A NON-league striker has netted more goals this season than Erling Haaland and Marcus Rashford combined.Player-coach Brett Pitman, 35, has 43 in just 34 games, making him the top scorer in Europe.
    Portchester ace Brett Pitman has 43 goals in just 34 games this seasonCredit: BNPS
    Erling Haaland has scored 27 nets for Manchester City in the Premier League this seasonCredit: Getty
    Marcus Rashford has bagged 14 goals for Manchester United so far this seasonCredit: EPA
    His tally for Hampshire side AFC Portchester dwarfs Haaland’s 27 in the Prem for Man City and Man United star Rashford’s 14 — and is almost double Chelsea’s entire total.
    Brett, who helped Bournemouth get to the Prem, said: “Compared to when I was playing in the top flights of football, it is pretty easy to score goals.”
    The ex-Bristol City star has five hat-tricks, one more than Haaland, firing his side to the top of the Wessex ­Premier League, England’s ninth tier.
    He has scored “headers, tap-ins, long rangers” but added: “I don’t want to get too carried away, Haaland is playing in the Premier League. I’m not.”
    READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
    He has bagged five hat-tricks – one more than £64m Haaland – and has scored twice as many goals as Chelsea this season.
    And if his stunning goals per game ratio of 1.25 continues his tally will reach 60 by the end of the season.
    Pitman, originally from Jersey, signed for the tiny village of Portchester – known for its medieval fortress – partly as a favour to a mate.
    Before making the leap from Bristol Rovers last season he had played for Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Ipswich Town.
    Most read in Football
    He said: “I’m playing for a great team at the moment and that really helps.
    “We have got good players all over the pitch and it’s not just me that has been scoring goals.
    “I expected to score a lot of goals when I moved to Portchester, I still feel pretty fit.
    “I’ve scored a variety of goals this season, headers, tap ins, long rangers.
    “I know what I’m good at now and I’ve got the experience to know where I should be on the pitch.” More

  • in

    How Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae have become America’s favourite new reality TV couple – and will make MILLIONS stateside

    MOST couples leaving Love Island find the only thing shorter than their new careers is their romance.Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague are the exception to the rule and are now set to break America, earning millions in the process as they cement their place as the Posh and Becks for the Instagram generation.
    Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury are poised to become a global power coupleCredit: Social Media
    Tommy poses with his belt after defeating Jake Paul in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Molly-Mae with new arrival, baby BambiCredit: Instagram
    Power couple Molly-Mae and Tommy’s earnings
    The power couple, both 23 years old, met on the ITV2 show in 2019 and were reportedly worth £7million before Tommy took to the boxing ring against Jake Paul on Sunday night.
    Now, thanks to his victory against the American YouTuber in Saudi Arabia earning him a fanbase beyond the UK, PR experts believe Tommy will only see his earning power grow, with the help of super-influencer Molly-Mae.

    The Manchester-born boxer is reportedly set to receive a £1.6million purse from his victory against Jake – as well as 35 per cent of the pay-per-view money, taking his earnings up to at least £3.7million for the fight.
    Experts have predicted he’ll earn £10million by 2025, and that both Molly-Mae and Tommy will use this exposure in the States to break America.
    Read More on Tommy Fury
    PR Expert Jack Cooper, from Ed Hopkins PR, told us: “In terms of Tommy’s career, this was a huge step for him not only in terms of boxing but overall exposure for his brand.
    “He could certainly now be commanding up to six figures for a multi platform campaign, depending on the brand.”
    Meanwhile, Molly-Mae is already the highest paid Love Island star of all time, earning £4.8m a year for her role as creative director for Pretty Little Thing as well as £2million more from sponsored posts and her fake tan Filter brand.
    And with the birth of their first child Bambi last month, she is already eyeing a move into the lucrative “mumfluencer” sphere.
    Most read in Boxing
    Of all the couples to meet on Love Island, it is these two who have managed to monetise their profiles so effectively.
    Savvy Molly-Mae, from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, candidly described her decision to appear on the show as a “business move.”
    Already an established influencer before she entered the villa, she claimed that she wasn’t “bothered” if she found love or not.
    While she did end up falling for Tommy, and establishing one of the most enduring relationships to come out of the show, the couple only finished second.
    But her plan to boost her profile worked, and brands were queuing up to partner with her.
    The blonde star has spoken of how she shunned a £2million offer from a well-known high street brand because she didn’t wear their clothing, choosing to instead partner with Pretty Little Thing, the fast fashion giant.
    Two years later, they rewarded her loyalty by making her creative director.
    Ben Jeffries, CEO of Influencer, explained: “Influencer marketing is built on trust and authenticity, and it is incredibly transparent to followers when a brand partnership isn’t authentic.”
    Molly-Mae hammers home her “authenticity” with her enormously popular YouTube vlogs, in which she shares the details of her life, from driving to pick up Starbucks to going to the cinema with Tommy.
    Her most recent vlog, about the birth of baby Bambi, in which Molly-Mae reveals she pooed while giving birth, had 2.2million views.
    Tommy, who makes frequent appearences on Molly-Mae’s social channels, was a boxer before going into Love Island, although very much in the shadow of his heavyweight champion brother Tyson Fury.
    While brand work also poured in for him, Tommy chose to remain focused on sport but it has enabled him to reach an audience beyond the confines of UK reality TV.
    ‘Sexy, engaging couple’
    Culture expert Nick Ede agrees: “I think that Molly-Mae could really do well in the USA with Tommy by her side.
    “Her fabulous life is great fun and her social media is engaging.
    “Breaking the USA will always be hard for anyone.
    “But Molly-Mae and Tommy are a sexy, engaging couple.”
    Key to their success is that the couple see nearly everything in their life as content that can be monetised.
    Despite a terrifying break in at their Manchester apartment in 2021, in which thieves made off with £800,000 worth of items Molly had flaunted online, she wasn’t put off sharing the details of the Cheshire mansion she and Tommy bought last year.
    Her Instagram account Molly Maison documents the interior design and renovation of the £4million six-bedroom home, with the likes of England footballers Marcus Rashford, 25, and Jordan Pickford, 28, as neighbours.
    Announcing the beginning of her “new chapter” to her Instagram followers, she wrote: “I know a lot of you won’t have been expecting me to do a home account as I have become a lot more private about what I post of our home life.
    “However, having a home account is something that I have always dreamed of doing.”
    The account has 1.2million followers and opened up a new revenue stream from partnerships with home brands.
    And it seems the couple may have their eye on using daughter Bambi to earn even more dosh, too.
    The Sun has seen new documents filed to Companies House indicating she is undergoing a total overhaul of her portfolio, which will allow her to consider new brand opportunities.
    A source said: “Molly has top level advisers around her and is able to draw on their expertise.
    “She’s streamlining her businesses under the one name which will allow her to explore other avenues without setting up new firms.
    “It makes total sense as she begins to explore options around her new ‘mumpreneur’ image since she had Bambi.”
    Tommy and Molly met on ITV’s Love Island in 2019Credit: Rex
    Molly-Mae shows off her curves in a bikini in IbizaCredit: Instagram
    Tommy and Jake fight on Sunday nightCredit: Getty
    Champ and brother Tyson cheers Tommy’s winCredit: Enterprise
    Nick Ede believes the couple may have chosen their daughter’s unique name for strong branding.
    He said: “Her daughter’s name Bambi is brilliant and can be used from a brand point of view.
    “It’s fun and unique and also has a place in everyone’s childhood memories from the Disney film.”
    Nick predicts that Molly-Mae will follow in the footsteps of Towie’s Billie Faiers and Ferne McCann, as well as Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon, by designing baby clothes for PrettyLittleThing.
    He said: “I can see Molly-Mae jumping on this bandwagon and appealing to her millions of fans by creating a baby-wear line.”
    Tommy faced online criticism throughout Molly-Mae’s pregnancy, as well as since Bambi was born, due to the fact he left his partner and new child in favour of training for his fight against Jake.
    In fact, he was so focused on beating Logan Paul’s brother that he moved out of their mansion and into a “hellhole” apartment.
    Before the fight, he told Sky Sports: “I’m in a training camp. I’m in bed nine o’clock every single night, I’m up 4.30/5am running. Solely focussed on this man.
    “One man is flying around the globe, coming here to do media stuff going here, there and everywhere and you’ve got one man that’s living in a hellhole.
    “I’ve moved out of my own house, I’m living in a little apartment, I’ve gone back to the dog mindset.”
    However, he proved his love for his daughter by wearing a jacket and shorts emblazoned with ‘Bambi’ when he entered the ring, while Molly-Mae sent supportive messages from home.
    Jack Cooper says the next move for Tommy should be to work with a “top-tier athletic brand” like Gymshark or MyProtein, and release a gymwear range for men.
    Breaking the USA will always be hard — they are more about talent there — but Molly-Mae and Tommy are a sexy, engaging couple.Nick Ede, culture expert
    He adds: “I’m sure the likes of Nike, Adidas are very much having internal talks.
    “I think this could be a huge move for him and could be a multi million pound deal.”
    But whatever happens for the couple, there’s no doubt they’re on their way to the big leagues, as they build Brand Hague-Fury.
    Read More on The Sun
    He finishes: “Together, as a couple, the opportunities are endless, from male and female clothing ranges, a homeware brand, to now even a baby brand.
    “With the status of online presence and combined following as well as winning over the nation and not making any wrong moves since leaving the villa, this power couple are definitely on their way to the rich list.” More

  • in

    Boxing could see its first billion-viewer bout after Jake Paul and Tommy Fury clash

    BOXING could see its first billion-viewer bout after US YouTuber Jake Paul fights reality telly star Tommy Fury tonight.Experts say we are entering a new sporting age in which young social media fans will pay record sums to see their idols battle it out in the ring.
    Jake Paul and Tommy Fury pose after a weigh-in, a day before their match, in RiyadhCredit: AP
    Boxer Tommy Fury was on the 2019 season of Love IslandCredit: AFP
    Tommy and Jake are set to split a huge £8million fight purseCredit: Reuters
    Boxer and former Love Islander Tommy, and Jake, who has more than 20million YouTube subscribers, are set to split a huge £8million fight purse.
    Millions will tune in, despite both fighters being novices with only 14 bouts between them.
    The previous record came when Floyd Mayweather Junior took on Manny Pacquiao in the “Fight Of The Century” in 2015.
    Pay-per-view subscriptions generated £333million, with 4.4million watching the fight in the United States alone.

    But if Jake beats Tommy, he will go on to fight 29-year-old London-born YouTube star KSI, who has 41million subscribers over two channels, and 10billion video views.
    Boxing promoter Kalle Sauerland said on talkSPORT: “The whole nation would watch it.
    “The potential audience, without a doubt, you’re talking well over a billion views.
    “A billion is probably conservative. The numbers are insane.”
    Most read in Boxing
    Father-of-one Tommy, 23, says he feels like he has “won the Lottery” as he takes on 26-year-old Jake in front of a 15,000-strong crowd filled with A-listers at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia.
    The bout is expected to break UK pay- per-view records, with BT Sport charging £19.95 to see it live.
    Jake will be guaranteed £2.7million, plus 65 per cent of the pay-per-view receipts, giving him a potential £7.2million payday, including sponsorship.
    Tommy is getting £1.7million and 35 per cent of the PPV takings, giving him an estimated total of £3.8million.
    There is an additional £830,000 prize for the winner.
    Tommy’s reality TV partner Molly-Mae Hague will see the fight at home, having given birth to their daughter Bambi last month.
    Despite having had only six fights, Jake, from Cleveland, Ohio, is so sure of victory that he offered to change the terms to winner takes all, and added: “Tommy doesn’t know what he’s getting into, and after Sunday he’s going to hate the sport.”
    On the 5 Live Boxing With Steve Bunce podcast, Tommy hit back: “The guy can’t fight and I’m going to expose that on Sunday night.
    Read More on The Sun
    “It’s a massive fight and we’ll have A-list celebrities ringside. What more could I ask for? And thank God I’ve got Jake Paul and not a Russian with 30 knockouts. I’ve won the Lottery, haven’t I?
    “My life’s changed in the blink of an eye. One day I had nothing, clothes with holes in them, and I open my eyes again and I’m here. I’m taking it all in my stride.” More