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Sir Alex Ferguson pictured through the years from 20-year-old St Johnstone striker to sitting in own Man Utd stand at 80
by Philippa Kaur 30 December 2021, 21:25
SIR ALEX FERGUSON turns 80 today with no end in sight to his reign as the most successful manager in world football.The legendary boss retired from the dug-out eight years ago.
Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates his 80th birthday on New Year’s EveCredit: Getty
The Scot is the most-successful manager in the top-flight’s historyCredit: Getty
But the legendary former Manchester United manager’s 49 trophies is still the biggest haul of any top-flight boss.
His 13 Prem titles put him clear of Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola all put together!
And no one has managed to emulate his 1999 Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble.
Even United have still not recovered ever since his departure.
Despite the efforts of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the club have yet to lift the title again since Ferguson’s retirement.
The Scot enjoyed a landmark career with a host of memorable moments.
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And not all of them occurred at the Theatre of Dreams.
Here Sun Sport takes a brief trip down memory lane to mark the icon turning 80.
Have a great birthday, Fergie!
Fergie was on the brink of giving up football and moving to Canada when he scored a hat-trick for St Johnstone against RangersCredit: Offside
AT 20…
HAVING joined Queen’s Park in his teens as an amateur while he was an apprentice toolmaker in Glasgow, the young Fergie switched to St Johnstone at the age of 19.
He was playing as a forward for the Saints when he reached the age of 20 on December 31, 1961.
Sir Alex Ferguson was lining-up for Falkirk at the age of 30Credit: Scottish News and Sport
AT 30…
SPENT four seasons at St Johnstone and had three years at Dunfermline before a dream switch to Rangers for £65,000 in his twenties.
But by the time he was 30 at the end of 1971, Fergie was playing for Falkirk, having moved to the Bairns when he was 28.
Fergie already had his first piece of managerial silverware by the time he was 40Credit: Getty
AT 40…
BY the time he was 40 on New Year’s Eve 1981, he had already enjoyed his first honour as a boss.
Fergie was 35 in 1977 when he guided St Mirren to the First Division title.
He won three top-flight crowns at Aberdeen with his first in 1980 aged 38 — he went on to lift the 1983 Cup Winners’ Cup.
Sir Alex Ferguson enjoyed European success at United in his 50th yearCredit: Rex
AT 50…
NOW entrenched as Manchester United manager after a rocky first few years, Fergie tasted his first European success with the club in the year of his 50th birthday.
United secured the 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup in Rotterdam, after beating Barcelona in the final 2-1 — Mark Hughes netted both goals.
He celebrated his 60th year with a seventh title in nine years
AT 60…
IN another milestone year, Fergie’s United continued their domination of the English game in 2001.
They won their seventh Prem title in nine years, this time with five games to spare.
The Scot also became the first boss to win three successive English titles with the same team.
Fergie had led United to their 20 league title by the time he turned 70Credit: PA:Press Association
AT 70…
AFTER leading United to their 20th league title in 2011, Fergie revealed he would retire at the end of the season but would remain at the club as an ambassador.
He would also be handed the same role at Uefa before taking up a long-term teaching position at Harvard University.
Fergie now watches games from the Old Trafford directors’ boxCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
AT 80…
SINCE recovering from emergency surgery on a brain haemorrhage in 2018, Fergie enjoys himself by tending to his racing horses, watching games at Old Trafford and spending time with his wife Cathy.
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Sir Alex Ferguson turned Man Utd into a global sporting monster… his trophy-laden reign will NEVER be matched
by Philippa Kaur 30 December 2021, 21:20
AFTER Manchester United had marched to another Premier League title, Sir Alex Ferguson took to the microphone and addressed the crowd.They had come to expect these rituals every May, as silverware was held aloft.
Sir Alex Ferguson turned Man Utd into a monster – his record will never be beatenCredit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns at Old TraffordCredit: Getty – Contributor
But on this occasion he wanted them to know that this was not a foregone conclusion.
That winning these titles was hard, it took a lot of work, it was not just about turning up and letting it all happen.
Perhaps he was feeling people simply did not appreciate what it took and wanted them to know.
Perhaps it is only now in the last eight years, and as the great man turns 80 today, that people really comprehend what a phenomenal job he did.
Look at those who have tried to emulate his feats in winning 13 titles and two European Cups.
David Moyes was Ferguson’s ‘Chosen One’, picked in the belief that he would stick to the traditions of the club and keep the trophies coming.
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He aged ten years and was gone in ten months.
Louis van Gaal — and he will probably tell you this himself — was regarded as one of the greatest coaches of his generation.
He promptly bored Old Trafford into a deep sleep, picked up one FA Cup and was gone.
Next was serial trophy winner Jose Mourinho — and he did put two in the cabinet while lifting the club to second in the table.
But after two-and-a-half years the expectation became even too much for him as he combusted.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the wheel and guided the club back on to the right path but just did not have what it took to make the final turn.
It was heart-rending to witness the disappointment in his voice in that final interview after also being axed.
He felt he had come close but just could not do it and when it starts to unravel, it unravels very fast at United.
Good men, good coaches, backed with lots of cash, they have all tried but ultimately failed to emulate the greatest of all.
People expected the conveyor belt of titles to continue running post-Fergie.
The problem was the bloke with the instructions of how to work it had retired and the manual was in his head.
If his successors had continued his incredible feats then he would not have been that special after all — and he was.
Everyone will have their own favourite achievements but, for me, it came in his final years.
In three seasons from 2003 to 2006 United won one FA Cup and one League Cup.
In the league in 2003-04 they were third, some 15 points behind champions Arsenal.
In 2004-05 they were third again, this time 18 points behind top of the pile Chelsea, then in 2005-06 second and eight points behind the Blues.
Ferguson can rest easy in the knowledge his incredible record will never be eclipsedCredit: PA:Press Association
Sir Alex Ferguson had an unmatched passion for the game, from winning trophies to unleashing the ‘hairdryer’ on playersCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Such a run would have done for his successors but he had credit in the bank and used it to rebuild United into champions again, claiming a hat-trick of titles from 2006, five out of the seven up to his retirement in 2013, a European Cup and two other finals.
That takes something special when people start to doubt you.
Goodness, he even delayed his retirement by a year so he could leave with that title in his hands after it was ripped away by Sergio Aguero.
There is another thing — the challenge of Manchester City that came at the end. Many moaned about their inordinate wealth after the Abu Dhabi takeover.
Sir Alex just saw it as another challenge, like Chelsea had been, like Arsenal had presented. Like Liverpool were right at the start, and he saw them all off.
He turned Manchester United into a global sporting monster.
The size of Old Trafford is a testament to his success.
Their global reach grew in his time and, yes, it was hard work.
The only time we ever really saw him vulnerable was in the film, directed by his son Jason, in which he charts the time back in May 2018 when he suffered a brain haemorrhage.
He beat that, too, and as he turns 80 today still looks as fit as someone 20 years younger.
Fergie once said that retirement is for the young. What he meant was you had to enjoy it, make the most of it, still be active.
Well he still very much is. Still kicking every ball at Old Trafford but from the directors’ box now.
He still loves matchday when he hosts guests in his own lounge.
Loves talking football, loves to be around his family.
The pipe, slippers and rug have never, and will NEVER be needed.
This man is something very different, very special.
Happy birthday, Sir Alex.
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Mafia bosses offering top UEFA referees £25k bungs online in bid to fix footie matches
by Philippa Kaur 30 December 2021, 20:00
MAFIA bosses are targeting top UEFA referees with cyber-crime hits to try to fix footy matches.Officials are offered up to £25,000 to swing matches, according to a leaked memo seen by The Sun.
Mafia bosses are targeting top UEFA referees with cyber-crime hits to try to fix footie matchesCredit: Reuters
Criminals are using the phishing techniques fine-tuned during the pandemic to tempt refs to throw European clashes.
The memo, which was sent to the FA and other governing bodies, warns: “The corrupters made use of cyber-crime tactics not previously seen in reported corrupter messages, possibly pointing to a bleed-over in tactics from more sophisticated groups or even the potential for collaboration with such groups.”
It talks of “incidents in which a suspected match-fixer attempted to recruit referees to manipulate matches via social media”.
It reads: “This evolution may have been accelerated by the Covid lockdown, during which cyber criminals both diversified and intensified their criminal activities, according to Europol.”
The memo adds: “We assess corrupters will likely continue to attempt contact with players, referees and other officials via social media and the use of more sophisticated messages, including personalised content and manipulation techniques.”
The messages are understood to have originated from Asian crime gangs and were sent in English — but it’s not thought British refs were targeted.
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Jude Bellingham slapped with £34k fine over match-fixing comments about referee after Dortmund defeat to Bayern More
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Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence – with the drug found at every stadium we tested
by Philippa Kaur 30 December 2021, 06:32
FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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“It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
“Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
“It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
“People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
“Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
The independent review by former Government drugs tsar Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
“I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
“Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
“It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
“You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
“It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
“I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
“It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
“Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
“If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
“Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”
We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
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David Beckham in line for knighthood after having finances cleared by the taxman
by Philippa Kaur 30 December 2021, 05:55
DAVID Beckham is in line for a knighthood after having his finances cleared by the taxman.The former England captain, 46, is believed to have been formally nominated and moved to the official recommendations list for next June.
Former England captain David Beckham is in line for a knighthood after having his finances cleared by the taxman
The legend was embroiled in a tax-avoidance scheme for ten years but may now receive the honourCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty
It comes ten years after he was embroiled in a tax-avoidance scheme. The taxman upgraded his status from red — meaning he was barred from recognition — to green.
It means the Manchester United and Three Lions legend has finally become eligible to be a Sir after a long-running tax fiasco.
Last night MPs and charity campaigners praised the move, saying a knighthood for one of England’s most successful players — and a prolific charity fundraiser — was “long-overdue”.
It comes ten years after Becks was caught in the Ingenious tax avoidance scheme and blacklisted by the Inland Revenue.
However in August the firm won a multi million-pound appeal against HMRC and Beckham’s representatives approached tax officials to settle his finances.
A source said: “David, like many of the celebs embroiled with Ingenious, had no knowledge of what was going on at the time.
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“His team first proactively approached HMRC almost two years ago, when David made his business independent, and then finally got it all settled, once and for all, this year.
“In 2013 David was told the only reason he was overlooked for a knighthood was because of the tax fiasco. Now it’s been cleared up, there is absolutely no reason for him not to be honoured.
“He would obviously be utterly thrilled with a knighthood — but is under no illusions and will only believe it when he sees it.”
‘Long overdue’
Anyone with financial irregularities is given a “red warning” by the Inland Revenue and barred from honours recognition.
But David, whose heroics for England included a wonder goal against Greece which qualified us for the 2002 World Cup, has now been upgraded from red to green.
The dad of four, who has raised around £50million for charity, is believed to be on the official recommendations list — meaning he has been successfully vetted and is eligible for recognition.
It is now down to the Honours Committee — chaired by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries — to formally approve his nomination next June for the Queen’s Birthday Honours. It would mean his former Spice Girl wife Victoria, 47, becomes Lady Beckham.
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However the star, who played a pivotal role in helping London host the 2012 Olympic Games, could still be overlooked.
Last night the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore — who raised millions for the NHS by doing laps of his garden — praised the move.
The war veteran, who died earlier this year aged 100, was honoured by Becks who visited him at home to present him with an FA-backed distinction.
We’re delighted David is finally in line to receive a knighthood — something he thoroughly deserves. Hannah Ingram-Moore, co-founder of The Captain Tom Foundation
His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, co-founder of The Captain Tom Foundation, told The Sun: “We’re delighted David is finally in line to receive a knighthood — something he thoroughly deserves.
“We will never forget the kindness and support that David and his family have shown my late father and our family.”
Last year David also helped The Sun launch its poppy campaign, visiting the Chelsea Pensioners to help boost sales during the pandemic. And he joined Prince William at our Who Cares Wins awards earlier this year.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said last night: “As someone who has been very critical of footballers in the past, I actually think this is long overdue for David Beckham.
“He’s made good on his tax issues, has raised millions for various charities and, of course, was instrumental in our Olympics bid.“
It comes two years after The Sunday Times revealed that David and Victoria were two of Britain’s highest taxpayers, coughing up £12.7million in 12 months.
However, earlier this year he came under fire for agreeing to be an ambassador for Qatar ahead of next year’s World Cup. The Middle Eastern country has been heavily slated over its appalling human rights records as well as its outlawing of homosexuality.
However, he brushed off criticism of the £150million, ten-year deal, insisting he hopes to bring about change “from within” and “use football as a force for good”.
‘He does more than people realise’
Last night a source close to David’s charity work added: “David has been a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador for the past 18 years, and has worked tirelessly for them.
“This year he fronted their global vaccination programme, and he raises around £5million a year to support them, in addition to the women and children’s projects he funds under the umbrella of his 7 Fund. Over the years he has probably raised over £50m for Unicef and other charities and also quietly gives about a million a year from his own pocket.
“He does more than people realise — even in lockdown, he was volunteering locally for Age UK, visiting the Chelsea Pensioners. It’s not just about money — it’s the time he gives. And everyone knows what a massive royalist David is — he is close to Prince William, and loves the Queen, and has been a big supporter of William’s mental health campaign.
“He’s really not expecting anything at this stage — but to receive an honour now would be beyond anything he could ever imagine.”
Ant and Dec, Robbie Williams, Guy Ritchie, Davina McCall and Andrew Lloyd Webber were among 140 celebrities in the Ingenious schemes, which gave tax breaks to film investors.
The firm — which has always denied tax avoidance — was using “sideways loss relief” which allowed investors to offset their potential tax bill against losses made in other areas.
HMRC argued the scheme was a form of avoidance and tried to claw back some £700million — which Ingenious successfully appealed in the summer.
He’s really not expecting anything at this stage — but to receive an honour now would be beyond anything he could ever imagine.A source close to David’s charity work
In 2017 David, dubbed Goldenballs, was publicly embarrassed after private emails he wrote to his then-advisers were leaked. In them, he angrily reacted to being overlooked for a knighthood in 2013, calling the Honours Committee “c***s”.
In 2003 Beckham, who played 115 times for England and was captain for six years, was awarded an OBE for services to football.
He received it from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, watched by Victoria, sons Brooklyn and Romeo, and his grandparents.
A source close to Becks said ‘David has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the past 18 years, and has worked tirelessly for them’Credit: Splash News
They added ‘He is close to Prince William, and loves the Queen, and has been a big supporter of William’s mental health campaign’Credit: Darren Fletcher
David also backed The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards earlier this year, here at the Roundhouse in Camden with Carmella Chillery-WatsonCredit: Darren Fletcher
If the footie legend receives a knighthood, his wife Victoria would become Lady BeckhamCredit: Getty
In 2003 he was awarded an OBE for services to footballCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdTimeline of football legend & style iconClemmie Moodie
BECKHAM enjoyed a 20-year football career which includes the remarkable feat of having won league titles in three countries — England, Spain and France.
Here’s the timeline of his remarkable life:
APRIL 1995: Makes his debut for Man Utd vs Leeds.AUGUST 1996: Scores a halfway line goal for United against Wimbledon.MARCH 1999: Has his first child, son Brooklyn, with fiancee Victoria.MAY 1999: Wins the treble with United after beating Bayern Munich in the Champions League final at the Camp Nou, Barcelona.JULY 1999: Marries Spice Girl Victoria.NOVEMBER 2000: Named England captain.OCTOBER 2001: Scores wonder goal vs Greece that takes England to World Cup.JUNE 2003: Joins Real Madrid’s Galacticos in a £24.5million transfer.MARCH 2005: Opens his first football school, The David Beckham Academy.JULY 2005: Helps London to win their bid to host the 2012 Olympic GamesJULY 2007: Joins Major League club, LA Galaxy. Has two loan moves with Italian giants AC Milan while in LA.JANUARY 2013: Joins Paris Saint Germain in France.MAY 2013: Retires after winning 19 major trophies.
Romeo Beckham joins dad David Beckham to watch thrilling Arsenal loss More
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What would I tell 19-year-old me? GET OFF social media, says Raheem Sterling
by Philippa Kaur 29 December 2021, 21:15
FOOTIE idol Raheem Sterling has revealed the key advice he would have given his teenage self: “Get off social media.”The Manchester City star told how he was hurt to read a barrage of online abuse when he started to play for England at 19.
Raheem Sterling has revealed the key advice he would have given his teenage self: ‘Get off social media’
Sterling told how he was hurt to read a barrage of online abuse when he started to play for England at 19Credit: Getty – Contributor
He spoke out while guest editing Radio 4’s Today programme, during which he chatted to England boss Gareth Southgate, his mum Nadine and broadcaster Amol Rajan.
Asked by Southgate what he would tell himself when he was 19, he said: “Come off social media — don’t read anything about yourself.”
He went on: “When I first came into the team, I was getting man of the matches.
“It was all nice. I was playing for England and really excited about that stuff.”
Clicking his fingers a single time, he added: “And then one thing happens and it’s constant bad, bad, negative, negative.
“When you’re putting this information into your brain, there’s only one way you’re going to react.
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“You’re going to feel down about yourself. You’re going to start overthinking. The one thing you don’t want to do as a human being, not just a footballer, is to overthink.
“I’d say, Stay away from looking at anything in regards to myself.”
Sterling, a hero of the Three Lions team which reached the Euro 2020 final, also spoke about dealing with racism and claimed racist incidents were quickly forgotten about.
He said: “I think a lot of the time when racism comes up and something has happened, a lot of times in football, and in the majority as a society, we tend to address it for that period, that five days, or that week, and then you know we normally brush it up under the carpet.”
He also told of his journey from playing football on the streets of Brent in North West London.
He endured “tough periods” starting out in the game.
And he said: “The one thing I always say, if anyone asks about being professional, is that no one gives you how it’s gonna pan out, no one gives you the formula.
“A lot of times you’ve got to face scenarios that you’ve never faced before.”
Sterling, 27, said he struggled at 18 and 19 to understand how to handle the various pressures.
He told the show: “Once you’re maturing and you understand how to deal with these things because you’ve now been through it, you build that mental resilience.”
The winger scored three goals in the Euro finals and made Uefa’s Team of the Tournament.
But he reckoned that personal praise meant little after England lost to Italy at the final hurdle.
The one thing you don’t want to do as a human being, not just a footballer, is to overthink.Raheem Sterling
He said: “The last couple of years with Gareth, you can see the steps we’ve been making as a team on the field and off the field.
“Everyone after the tournament was congratulating me and I was like, ‘Congratulating me for what?’
“They were like, ‘No, you had a lovely tournament’. I was like, ‘That’s not what the team set out to do.’ It was really disappointing.”
Sterling also credited Southgate for uniting the Three Lions squad since he took over as manager five years ago.
England had suffered one of their darkest days in major tournament football when they were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland, ranked 34th in the world and with a population of just 330,000.
England have since finished fourth at the 2018 World Cup — their first semi-final appearance at the tournament for 28 years — and the final of Euro 2020 this year.
Southgate’s exciting young side will head to Qatar next year among the favourites to win the 2022 World Cup.
Sterling said: “After the Euros in France, the team came out of that with really bad press.
“It was a really difficult period over the next couple of years. The belief wasn’t there within the team.
“When Gareth came in, he really tried to make us understand that yes, that’s what the scarring is — but how are we going to change it?
“The team has grown as one. We want to do things as a collective. The one thing about this team is, when you come in the building, we are so integrated.”
Southgate said the decision for the team to take the knee before games to highlight racial injustice was another factor that helped unite the Three Lions ahead of Euro 2020.
A lot of times you’ve got to face scenarios that you’ve never faced before.Raheem Sterling
He said: “The lads didn’t realise how powerful that would be, going into the tournament, and they wanted to be judged on the football.
“I wanted to represent the players in the best way I could.”
Southgate also opened up about the racial abuse directed at Sterling and team-mates, Danny Rose and Callum Hudson-Odoi by Montenegro fans in March 2019.
He said it proved a key moment for the England team.
He explained: “A lot of things happened including George Floyd that educated me.
“[By taking knee] we could send a message.”
As well as becoming an England hero Sterling, has won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups at City.
He said he owes that success to a series of mentors in his life — including Southgate.
The player now hopes to offer similar support to young people through his charitable foundation.
In November he unveiled The Raheem Sterling Foundation at his old school, Ark Elvin Academy, in Wembley.
It aims to improve social mobility for young people in London, Manchester and Kingston, Jamaica, where he was born.
Sterling said he felt a “personal connection” to the work his foundation does and said the aim is to instil a belief in kids to keep chasing their dreams.
The star stressed under-privileged children need to believe that they can break through what he says is an invisible barrier.
Come off social media — don’t read anything about yourself.Raheem Sterling
He said: “If you grew up in a certain area you feel like there’s certain limits that you can’t reach.
“I think that’s what my whole dream or focus was when I was creating the foundation . . . trying to get people, young individuals, to understand there is that barrier that you can break up.”
Sterling lived in a three-bed bungalow with ten members of his extended family in Jamaica.
He was just two when his dad Phillip was shot dead by gangsters.
When his mum moved the family to the UK they lived on the tough St Raphael’s Estate in Neasden.
The little boy helped his mum clean hotel rooms as she tried to make ends meet.
Sterling recalled how he and his older sister Lakima would go with her on the early shifts and argue over who cleaned the toilet.
As a reward Nadine, a trained nurse who now runs a care home, would allow them to choose breakfast from the vending machine using change she found on the job.
Sterling began his career at local club Queens Park Rangers.
At their academy he was scouted by London sides Arsenal, Chelsea and Fulham as well as Liverpool and Manchester City.
Nadine encouraged him not to choose clubs in the capital to ensure he escaped London’s gang culture.
He was signed by Liverpool in 2010 and played 95 times before switching to City five years later.
He has since played 211 times for them and scored 85 goals.
He has played for England at under-16, 17, 19, and 21 levels and has now scored 18 goals in 72 senior appearances.
Nadine said her son’s success is a “dream come true”.
She added: “Looking back at everything he has achieved, as a mum, I can say I am truly proud and I’m truly happy.”
Sterling added that his younger self would be “gassed — very happy” with the success he has now achieved.
And he said it is important for him to stay “in touch” with that little boy who was always “chasing something”.
‘Lions can take heat to lift Cup at Qatar’
RAHEEM Sterling believes England can win the World Cup in Qatar next year.
The 27-year-old, who scored three times while starring at Euro 2020, told BBC Radio 4 the Three Lions would love nothing more.
Raheem Sterling believes England can win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022
Sterling said: ‘We have a wonderful manager here that tries to give us the environment to perform at the highest level’
He said: “You can see the steps we’ve been making on and off the field.
“Yes, the Euros was a great journey but we were really disappointed.
“We want our hands on a trophy.
“There is nothing more important for me — and the lads will agree — there is nothing bigger than winning a major tournament for England.
“I don’t think you could beat that for us as players.
“I think we have players at the right ages, challenging for the right things and have the mentality to be the best in their position.
“We have a wonderful manager here that tries to give us the environment to perform at the highest level.”
The Manchester City ace added cheekily: “Hopefully with that speech I will get a place on the plane.”
The tournament’s controversial debut in the Middle East means games will have to be played in the winter to avoid searing heat.
Ace Raheem with proud mum Nadine
Sterling with England stars taking the kneeCredit: Getty
Danny Rose was racially abused by Montenegro fans in March 2019Credit: Rex Features
Southgate and Sterling reflect on racism following Euro 2020 final defeat More
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David Beckham in line for knighthood after having his finances cleared by the taxman
by Philippa Kaur 29 December 2021, 21:00
DAVID Beckham is in line for a knighthood after having his finances cleared by the taxman.The former England captain, 46, is believed to have been formally nominated and moved to the official recommendations list for next June.
Former England captain David Beckham is in line for a knighthood after having his finances cleared by the taxman
The legend was embroiled in a tax-avoidance scheme for ten years but may now receive the honourCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty
It comes ten years after he was embroiled in a tax-avoidance scheme. The taxman upgraded his status from red — meaning he was barred from recognition — to green.
It means the Manchester United and Three Lions legend has finally become eligible to be a Sir after a long-running tax fiasco.
Last night MPs and charity campaigners praised the move, saying a knighthood for one of England’s most successful players — and a prolific charity fundraiser — was “long-overdue”.
It comes ten years after Becks was caught in the Ingenious tax avoidance scheme and blacklisted by the Inland Revenue.
However in August the firm won a multi million-pound appeal against HMRC and Beckham’s representatives approached tax officials to settle his finances.
A source said: “David, like many of the celebs embroiled with Ingenious, had no knowledge of what was going on at the time.
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“His team first proactively approached HMRC almost two years ago, when David made his business independent, and then finally got it all settled, once and for all, this year.
“In 2013 David was told the only reason he was overlooked for a knighthood was because of the tax fiasco. Now it’s been cleared up, there is absolutely no reason for him not to be honoured.
“He would obviously be utterly thrilled with a knighthood — but is under no illusions and will only believe it when he sees it.”
‘Long overdue’
Anyone with financial irregularities is given a “red warning” by the Inland Revenue and barred from honours recognition.
But David, whose heroics for England included a wonder goal against Greece which qualified us for the 2002 World Cup, has now been upgraded from red to green.
The dad of four, who has raised around £50million for charity, is believed to be on the official recommendations list — meaning he has been successfully vetted and is eligible for recognition.
It is now down to the Honours Committee — chaired by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries — to formally approve his nomination next June for the Queen’s Birthday Honours. It would mean his former Spice Girl wife Victoria, 47, becomes Lady Beckham.
However the star, who played a pivotal role in helping London host the 2012 Olympic Games, could still be overlooked.
Last night the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore — who raised millions for the NHS by doing laps of his garden — praised the move.
The war veteran, who died earlier this year aged 100, was honoured by Becks who visited him at home to present him with an FA-backed distinction.
We’re delighted David is finally in line to receive a knighthood — something he thoroughly deserves. Hannah Ingram-Moore, co-founder of The Captain Tom Foundation
His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, co-founder of The Captain Tom Foundation, told The Sun: “We’re delighted David is finally in line to receive a knighthood — something he thoroughly deserves.
“We will never forget the kindness and support that David and his family have shown my late father and our family.”
Last year David also helped The Sun launch its poppy campaign, visiting the Chelsea Pensioners to help boost sales during the pandemic. And he joined Prince William at our Who Cares Wins awards earlier this year.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said last night: “As someone who has been very critical of footballers in the past, I actually think this is long overdue for David Beckham.
“He’s made good on his tax issues, has raised millions for various charities and, of course, was instrumental in our Olympics bid.“
It comes two years after The Sunday Times revealed that David and Victoria were two of Britain’s highest taxpayers, coughing up £12.7million in 12 months.
However, earlier this year he came under fire for agreeing to be an ambassador for Qatar ahead of next year’s World Cup. The Middle Eastern country has been heavily slated over its appalling human rights records as well as its outlawing of homosexuality.
However, he brushed off criticism of the £150million, ten-year deal, insisting he hopes to bring about change “from within” and “use football as a force for good”.
‘He does more than people realise’
Last night a source close to David’s charity work added: “David has been a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador for the past 18 years, and has worked tirelessly for them.
“This year he fronted their global vaccination programme, and he raises around £5million a year to support them, in addition to the women and children’s projects he funds under the umbrella of his 7 Fund. Over the years he has probably raised over £50m for Unicef and other charities and also quietly gives about a million a year from his own pocket.
“He does more than people realise — even in lockdown, he was volunteering locally for Age UK, visiting the Chelsea Pensioners. It’s not just about money — it’s the time he gives. And everyone knows what a massive royalist David is — he is close to Prince William, and loves the Queen, and has been a big supporter of William’s mental health campaign.
“He’s really not expecting anything at this stage — but to receive an honour now would be beyond anything he could ever imagine.”
Ant and Dec, Robbie Williams, Guy Ritchie, Davina McCall and Andrew Lloyd Webber were among 140 celebrities in the Ingenious schemes, which gave tax breaks to film investors.
The firm — which has always denied tax avoidance — was using “sideways loss relief” which allowed investors to offset their potential tax bill against losses made in other areas.
HMRC argued the scheme was a form of avoidance and tried to claw back some £700million — which Ingenious successfully appealed in the summer.
He’s really not expecting anything at this stage — but to receive an honour now would be beyond anything he could ever imagine.A source close to David’s charity work
In 2017 David, dubbed Goldenballs, was publicly embarrassed after private emails he wrote to his then-advisers were leaked. In them, he angrily reacted to being overlooked for a knighthood in 2013, calling the Honours Committee “c***s”.
In 2003 Beckham, who played 115 times for England and was captain for six years, was awarded an OBE for services to football.
He received it from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, watched by Victoria, sons Brooklyn and Romeo, and his grandparents.
A source close to Becks said ‘David has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the past 18 years, and has worked tirelessly for them’Credit: Splash News
They added ‘He is close to Prince William, and loves the Queen, and has been a big supporter of William’s mental health campaign’Credit: Darren Fletcher
David also backed The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards earlier this year, here at the Roundhouse in Camden with Carmella Chillery-WatsonCredit: Darren Fletcher
If the footie legend receives a knighthood, his wife Victoria would become Lady BeckhamCredit: Getty
In 2003 he was awarded an OBE for services to footballCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdTimeline of football legend & style iconClemmie Moodie
BECKHAM enjoyed a 20-year football career which includes the remarkable feat of having won league titles in three countries — England, Spain and France.
Here’s the timeline of his remarkable life:
APRIL 1995: Makes his debut for Man Utd vs Leeds.AUGUST 1996: Scores a halfway line goal for United against Wimbledon.MARCH 1999: Has his first child, son Brooklyn, with fiancee Victoria.MAY 1999: Wins the treble with United after beating Bayern Munich in the Champions League final at the Camp Nou, Barcelona.JULY 1999: Marries Spice Girl Victoria.NOVEMBER 2000: Named England captain.OCTOBER 2001: Scores wonder goal vs Greece that takes England to World Cup.JUNE 2003: Joins Real Madrid’s Galacticos in a £24.5million transfer.MARCH 2005: Opens his first football school, The David Beckham Academy.JULY 2005: Helps London to win their bid to host the 2012 Olympic GamesJULY 2007: Joins Major League club, LA Galaxy. Has two loan moves with Italian giants AC Milan while in LA.JANUARY 2013: Joins Paris Saint Germain in France.MAY 2013: Retires after winning 19 major trophies.
Romeo Beckham joins dad David Beckham to watch thrilling Arsenal loss More
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Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence – with the drug found at every stadium tested
by Philippa Kaur 29 December 2021, 07:44
FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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“It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
“Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
“It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
“People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
“Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
The independent review by former Government drugs tsar Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
“I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
“Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
“It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
“You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
“It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
“I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
“It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
“Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
“If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
“Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”
We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
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