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Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
England footballers to lose major part of Euro 2025 prize money post-final win
England clinched their second European Championship title in three years after defeating Spain in Sunday's final. However, a significant portion of their prize money could be deducted due to the tax payable on their earnings. The Lionesses had to rally from behind in the Euro 2025 final after Mariona Caldentey netted the opener for Spain in the first half. Alessia Russo levelled the score just before the hour mark, pushing the match into extra time and eventually penalties. Lionesses' goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved two penalties in the shootout, with Chloe Kelly scoring the decisive penalty that sent England fans into raptures. Prior to the tournament, UEFA announced a record £34million in prize money available to the 16 competing nations. A whopping £4.4m was set aside for the champions, including performance bonuses, with participating teams obliged to distribute between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of their prize money among the players, reports the Express. According to The Guardian, the Lionesses agreed on a bonus structure with the FA ahead of Euro 2025, which would see England stars collectively receive a payout of £1.75m if they won the trophy. Following England's victory, leading audit, tax and business advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg, revealed that over three quarters of a million pounds could be deducted from the Lionesses' prize fund and paid to HMRC. England Lionesses stars will be forced to give up a large chunk of their Euro 2025 prize money (Image: GETTY) Robert Salter, a director at the firm, commented: "The Lionesses will be thrilled with their victory at Euro 2025 for what it symbolises and the hard work that went into achieving it. "However, they will face a substantial tax bill to HMRC on their prize money, with a combined total tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) liability of approximately £788,900 for the entire team. "Despite the Lionesses not earning as much as their male counterparts, the average bonuses per player of £73,000 each will ensure that all squad members are subject to an effective marginal tax rate of 47 per cent - 45 per cent income tax and 2 per cent NIC on their income above the £125,140 per annum threshold, meaning they could be paying around £34,300 each in tax." He further noted: "In addition to the tax and NIC payable on the winning bonuses by the players personally, the FA should be liable to employers' NIC on the prize bonuses, which will cost the FA roughly £255,000 more. "Many players are also earning significant amounts through marketing, appearance fees and image rights, which are also taxable. "Their earnings from these sources are likely to surge considerably over the coming months given their success and the ongoing rise in the profile of women's football, meaning HMRC will be reaping even more tax 'wins' in the future."
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ex-England star hailed as 'force for good' as he wins the Sir Bobby Charlton award
Spurs legend Paul Stewart, 60, has worked to protect young sports stars from abuse up and down the country for the past decade. He was contacted by countless victims of abuse after he first revealed his own torment in the Mirror in 2016. One of the pioneers of safeguarding children in UK sport has been recognised with a prestigious award. Ex-England star Paul Stewart, 60, has worked to protect young sports stars from abuse up and down the country for the past decade. He was contacted by countless victims of abuse after he first revealed his own torment in the Mirror in 2016. Since then, his expert training has guided young footballers in Premier League Academies and at all the 72 English Football League's clubs. The Football Association paid tribute to him as he was named as the winner of the Sir Bobby Charlton award. Paul, a dad-of-three, began his work when we revealed his own harrowing story of horrific abuse by his late coach Frank Roper. "Sir Bobby was not only one of the best players in the world on the pitch, he was a gentleman off it," said Paul, of Blackpool, Lancs. "That is why the award means so much to me. Everything about him oozed class, honesty and humility. "He is the type of man that I want the children to aspire to when I do this training. My dad Bert, God rest his soul, was a big Man Utd fan so I wish that he could have been here to see this." The award, confirmed by the FA council, will be presented at Wembley. Paul told the Mirror: "I was lucky enough to win England caps, score in an FA Cup final and pick up a Golden Boot award. But I think that my safeguarding work will be my legacy; this recognition means more to me than all of the accolades during my playing career. " The Mirror has been with me throughout this journey since I first went public with my ordeal in 2016. It has been nearly 10 years and the FA was in the spotlight then because of the scandal. "This shows the progress which has been made." Paul, an ex-Man City, Spurs and Liverpool midfielder, was determined to turn his nightmare into 'something positive' for the game he loves. The Hope Award, named after the late young charity volunteer Charlotte Hope, was awarded to Chris Brown, for his work with Norfolk families facing terminal childhood cancer. Debbie Hewitt MBE, Chair of The Football Association said: 'We are immensely proud to honour Paul Stewart and Chris Brown as the recipients of this year's Charlton and Hope Awards. "These awards were created to recognise those who use football as a force for good and both Paul and Chris embody that spirit through their unwavering and tireless commitment every day. "Their work reminds us that the power of football extends far beyond the pitch, making a lasting change where it matters most. We are deeply grateful for the inspiration they bring to the entire football community, and thank them both for their outstanding contributions." Paul's work to protect young footballers has now spread to other sports. He has the support of Gary Lineker, rugby league giant Kevin Sinfield, ex-England rugby star Brian Moore, Ryder cup golfer Ian Poulter, and Olympic medallist Marilyn Okoro. He is setting up a union for safeguarding officers to give them rights and advice on a par with the Professional Footballers Association, and the bodies representing managers and referees. The union will lobby Government for a Safeguarding Act to protect children after his 'Fundamentals' training courses were recognised as the benchmark for the industry. The role has taken him all over this country and abroad, including a recent trip to Poland. The Mirror told how Paul was targeted as a child by one of the worst offenders in the football abuse scandal, former Blackpool scout Frank Roper, who is now dead. He courageously spoke out after Andy Woodward first revealed his ordeal at the hands of notorious coach Barry Bennell while he was a young player at Crewe Alexandra.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Mark Clattenburg accuses ex-Chelsea star John Obi Mikel of trying to PUNCH him after racial abuse allegations - as he claims Blues wanted 'payback' for John Terry's race row with Anton Ferdinand
Mark Clattenburg has accused former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel of trying to punch him amid his row with the club in 2012. The ex-Premier League referee, 50, says Mikel burst into his dressing room at Stamford Bridge after a heated match between Chelsea and Manchester United in October 2012, during which he was accused of a racial slur. Chelsea alleged that Clattenburg had called Mikel a 'monkey' during the match but he was subsequently cleared by the FA, while the midfielder was later banned and fined £60,000 for threatening the official. Now Clattenburg has speculated that Chelsea were just trying to get 'payback' after their captain John Terry was banned for an incident involving QPR star Anton Ferdinand in a game the year before. Terry was banned, fined £220,000, and stripped of the England captaincy as the FA found he had racially abused Ferdinand - but he was separately cleared by Westminster Magistrates' Court. Clattenburg told Under The Cosh: 'There was a bit of commotion outside the dressing room door [after the Chelsea vs Man United game]. I opened the door thinking, "what the f****** h*** is going on here?" He claims Chelsea were just trying to get 'payback' for the John Terry being found guilty by the FA of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand the year before 'As I opened the door, John Obi Mikel came bursting through and started swinging punches. I ducked. He tried to pin me against the wall and went: "F****** h***!" 'I didn't know what had gone on, I thought somebody had maybe accused me at that point! 'Everyone just went white, like, "f****** h***, what has happened there?" 'The funny thing was, about 30 seconds later, there was a knock on my door. I thought, "not again, Obi Mikel is coming through the door." 'I opened it and it was one of the security guys and he went, "Obi Mikel has left his flip-flop in the dressing room, can he have it back?" 'I went, "are you taking the f****** p***?' Clattenburg has described the mental torment and paranoia of being accused of the slur for which he was cleared. 'That John Obi Mikel situation, I didn't want to come back. I wanted to finish refereeing after that. It was an absolute disgrace what happened,' he said. Terry has always denied the allegations and he was cleared in court after being charged 'I had a family, a child, a mortgage. If I had left, what could I do? I didn't have anywhere to go. 'I was accused of being a racist. I was supposed to have called him a monkey after the Chelsea vs Man United match. 'It took around a month of investigating by the FA. For the first few days I couldn't eat or drink. You go through questioning yourself - have I done it? 'How could I referee? I was in bits. I was mentally gone. We threatened to strike because we felt the behaviour of the football club was wrong. 'To leave us out high and dry and with the media outside my house ever day of the week, being accused of something I hadn't done was tough. 'That moment of attempted assault - he never laid a hand on me but swung at me a couple of times - I don't know if they're thinking, "f***, we're in trouble here, he's trying to report." 'All the match observer was talking about was, what I was going to report. Nothing about racism, all it was about was, what I was going to report. What happened in the dressing room with Obi Mikel. And an hour later I was accused of being a racist. 'I know the game was volatile and a lot was going on. I don't know if he was just upset with the result and lost it. Had he been drug tested? Players didn't like being drug tested. So maybe he couldn't go the toilet. All these little things upset people. I thought he was just upset and I'd got in the line of attack. 'He shouldn't even have got near the dressing room with the security. Where did the security go? 'He got banned three matches a lot later after my investigation went on. 'I think it was a payback for John Terry and Anton Ferdinand at QPR vs Chelsea., where Terry was accused of saying some words to Anton.'
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Lionesses' Beatlemania-like homecoming shows women footballers are FINALLY getting the honour and respect they deserve
WITH Chloe Kelly inevitably at the front of the bus, the Royal Marines band struck up Sweet Caroline and the parade was off. Inching down the Mall — British royalty's ceremonial thoroughfare — the Lionesses were accorded all the trappings of a state occasion. 11 11 11 Banned by the FA for half a century, ridiculed and written off by others, women footballers were now receiving the honour and respect they have long been due. And much of the admiration was coming from mums, who had brought their daughters along to soak in the inspirational Lioness magic. Among them was Kerry Randall, from Gloucester, who made a last-minute decision to bring her brood — Kaydee, six, Hadley, seven, Lennox, ten, Macey, 12 and Cole, 14. The 37-year-old early-years educator told me: 'It's nice for the girls to see we're equal to the men — if not better sometimes.' Daughter Macey added: 'It shows that women can succeed in life.' Holding a giant poster of Beth Mead, student and football coach Tillie Sykes, from Bromley, South London, said: 'The win meant everything to me. It's a giant step forward for women's football and for women in general.' Proper recognition for the Lionesses' achievements has taken a long time — but now it's unmistakably here. Standing ten deep around me as the bus passed, the Beatlemania-like roar from tens of thousands of female voices was deafening. There were plenty of blokes in attendance, but with so many women cramming along the railings lining St James's Park, the testosterone was drowned out. Michelle Agyemang, the tournament's 19-year-old breakout star, seemed a little overawed by the ecstatic scenes that were unfurling as the bus passed a sea of phones. There were plenty of blokes in attendance, but with so many women cramming along the railings lining St James's Park, the testosterone was drowned out. Inside Lionesses' boozy Euro 2025 celebrations as stars party with pizzas, beers and loved ones after win over Spain No one was swilling tinnies, let alone chopping out lines of coke in the Portaloos. And nobody felt the need to shove a lit flare up their bottom, as a smashed fan had before the English men's Euro 2020 final defeat at Wembley. Passing alternate Union flags and St George Crosses on the Mall, the procession soon reached Buckingham Palace. I'd half expected the wrought iron gates to swing open and a flunky to beckon inspirational coach Sarina Wiegman inside to collect an honorary damehood then and there. It's no more than the likeable 55-year-old Dutch former PE teacher deserves. 11 11 11 Her squad shuffled on to a makeshift stage in front of the Victoria Memorial. Beneath the gilded monument to one English Queen, there now gathered more than two dozen others. Seated on a throne above the Lionesses was the marble figure of Queen Victoria, her memorial topped with the glinting bronze statue of winged victory. 'They didn't want us on their pitches' When the King's great, great, great grandmother died in 1901 women didn't even have the vote. It took another 27 years before all women over 21 were finally enfranchised, giving them the same voting rights as men. Women's football had a similar struggle to win acceptance in a male-dominated world. Amid the scenes of hysteria, I thought back to the day in 2010 when I met Edna Broughton, then 80, who was the Chloe Kelly of her day. Edna, who sadly didn't live to see the Lionesses' two Euro triumphs, was star striker for the world-famous Dick, Kerr Ladies football team, which was founded in 1917. In its heyday they played in front of 53,000 fans at Everton's Goodison Park, and beat a French side in the first ever women's international. The team were treated like superstars — but in the stuffy Football Association corridors of power, it caused deep consternation. Minutes from a 1921 meeting read: 'Complaints have been made as to football being played by women and the Council feel impelled to express their strong opinion that the game is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.' So women footballers were banned from all FA-affiliated grounds — and incredibly, it lasted for 50 years. I love the fact that they're so proud to be English and that it doesn't matter what colour or race you are. That brings people together. Pat MacFarlane, 64, fan at the parade Edna, who played for Dick Kerr from 1945 until 1959, told me: 'They were chauvinists — they didn't want us on their pitches. 'I think the men were worried because we were becoming as popular as they were.' So yesterday's celebrations were also for those who came before the Lionesses, and for the young girls who will follow after — not just as footballers, but as leaders in industry and politics who will have fed off the Lionesses' guts, drive and will to succeed. As student Katie Baird, 18, from Guildford, Surrey, put it: 'The women's teams had massive crowds before they were banned — but now we're back.' Her friend Lauren Mutch, 19, added: 'The Lionesses' victory was nothing short of inspirational. They showed the men how it's done.' In their St George plastic bowler hats, Joyce Allison, 79, Elizabeth Elrick, 73, and Pat MacFarlane, 64, had travelled from London's East End to witness the joyous scenes on the Mall. Teacher Pat told me: 'When I was a kid, only boys were allowed to play football. We were told you weren't allowed to play.' Of the Lionesses, she said: 'I love the fact that they're so proud to be English and that it doesn't matter what colour or race you are. That brings people together.' 11 11 11 11
Metro
a day ago
- Sport
- Metro
Tributes to 'shining example' Charlton Athletic footballer, 10, who died
Tributes have flooded in for a young footballer who tragically passed away. Charlton Athletic announced the death of Ethan Ade-Oduwale, 'a cherished member' of their academy's U10s team. His cause of death has not been revealed. The senior team held a minute's applause for the promising youngster before a pre-season game at the JobServe Community Stadium. One family member posted on Instagram: 'My nephew. Fly high lil' brother, may god guide over you.' A spokesman for the League One club said in a heartbreaking tribute: 'Ethan's smile, energy and enthusiasm for football will always be remembered by his teammates and the staff within the academy. 'From the moment he stepped onto a football pitch at Sparrows Lane, his desire to succeed spread across every session and his love of football will forever be remembered. 'A shining example of what football should look like for any young player with his love of the ball, teammates and respect of all those who came across, Ethan will be sorely missed by all.' Club Chairman Gavin Carter said the entire club were devastated to learn of his passing. 'Our thoughts, heartfelt condolences, and full support are with Ethan's parents and family', he said in a statement. Academy Manager Tom Pell said: 'Everyone within Charlton Athletic's academy is absolutely devastated to find out the news of Ethan's tragic passing. 'On behalf of everyone within the academy, we are sending our thoughts, prayers and sincere condolences to Ethan's parents Adeola and Esther and the rest of Ethan's family and friends. 'In due course, we will share information on our plans to pay tribute to Ethan across the academy to ensure that he is always remembered. His beaming smile will never be forgotten. 'Rest in peace, Ethan.' MORE: FA chief speaks out on Sarina Wiegman's England future beyond next World Cup MORE: How much do women footballers get paid? England player salaries revealed MORE: Jess Carter proves there's no room for error as a Black player
