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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Wigan legend Billy Boston will become rugby league's first knight. And not before time, writes OLIVER HOLT
Billy Boston walks into the lobby of a hotel near Hyde Park Corner wearing a smart blue jacket and the broad smile that harvested more than one million views when the television cameras picked him out in the crowd at Wigan Warriors' Super League match with St Helens six weeks ago. The fans packed into the Brick Community Stadium that day rose to acclaim the man who is a legend in the town and in the sport for what he achieved in the game — he scored 478 tries in 487 matches for Wigan — and the humble, dignified way in which he achieved it. The man who walks into the London hotel with his wife, Joan, and his three surviving children is 90-years-old, but still carries himself like a king of old. He may be growing a little infirm, but there is something regal about him that he will never lose. It seems fitting then that on Tuesday morning, a stone's throw from this hotel at Buckingham Palace, Boston will be knighted by King Charles and smash a barrier that has blighted rugby league for the 130 years it has existed. In all those years, not a single rugby league player has been deemed worthy of being made a knight of the realm. By comparison, rugby union has 20 knighthoods, yachting has 12, motor racing has eight, horse racing has eight and sheep shearing has one. Rugby league was on zero until now, until Billy Boston changed it all. He already has three statues in his honour — in Cardiff, where he was born, at Wembley, where he played in six Challenge Cup finals, and in Wigan — and now there is this. It feels like his last gift to a sport to which he has given so much. He was accompanied to London by Warriors owner Mike Danson and another club legend Kris Radlinski, who is now Wigan's chief executive, both of whom are keenly aware of the wider significance of what will unfold at the Palace. 'We've just never had that breakthrough moment before,' Radlinski says. 'It's funny really because we're always looking at ways to take the game forward and we need superstars. 'One of the problems is we promote humility and create these humble guys, but we actually need them to be superstars. 'One thing about rugby league in our town and many northern teams is everybody lives in the town and access is unbelievable. So it's your biggest strength, but also your biggest weakness.' The lack of recognition for rugby league's heroes is tied up in wider issues. Danson points out that only a small percentage of knighthoods are earned by people from the north. If you're northern and working class, that percentage shrinks even more. Boston has smashed through that barrier, as well. And so he sits in the lobby of this smart hotel, jokes with Radlinski and talks about the life he led when he was growing up in the Tiger Bay area of Cardiff in the 1940s. In his street, there was a chip shop on one corner and a mission on the other. Joe Erskine, who would go on to fight Henry Cooper five times and become Commonwealth heavyweight champion, was a neighbour. 'He could give me a good hiding,' Billy says. Once he started playing for Cardiff in rugby union, though, it was usually him dishing out the punishment. His progress was blocked by claims of racism and so Boston moved north to Wigan, his home ever since. He laughs as he reminisces about being paid a £7 appearance fee for playing in the Challenge Cup final, but what he achieved in the sport has made him immeasurably rich in other ways, treasured by every fan of rugby league and now to be remembered as the man who broke its last barrier. If there is any sadness about his big day with the King, it is that his daughters, Lisa and Angela, who have passed away, will not be there to share it with him and Joan and his children Stephen, Christine and Karen. This moment has been a long time coming. 'You're a gentleman,' Billy says as I leave him and his family to their dinner. The honour, of course, was all mine. Player welfare hypocrisy incoming Next season, when it happens – and it will happen – and a manager at one of the football clubs that has flogged its players all around the world on post-season and pre-season tours or played them in the glorified friendly tournament that is the Club World Cup, moans about player welfare, I request permission to laugh out loud. England are reversing I know that this particular battle ended a long time ago but the truth is that England have gone backwards since Gareth Southgate left. Southgate over-achieved with England for so long that it camouflaged just how ordinary some of our players really are. Once freed from his yoke, the argument went, England would be free to enter a new era of expression and entertainment. I'm still waiting. Sinner's sins quickly forgotten I'm sorry but I can't join in the orgy of celebration about how Sunday's French Open men's singles final was a match for the ages. Sure, I can appreciate that, in other circumstances, it would have been a wonderful contest. And I am delighted that it was won by Carlos Alcaraz, a magnificent player who is worthy to carry the torch left by Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray and the fading Novak Djokovic. But the reality is that Jannik Sinner, the second of the men's finalists, should not even have been playing at Roland Garros. After twice testing positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol last year, he was finally sanctioned in February and let off with a paltry three-month ban that conveniently ensured he did not miss a single Grand Slam event. It astonishes me, frankly, how quickly many people seem to have forgotten that and glossed it over. I presume you have read Sinner's convoluted excuse about how the drug found its way into his system via a cut on the hand of his masseur. It's not quite up there with Tyson Fury's testing positive for nandrolone and blaming it on eating wild boar testicles but let's just say it stretches credibility. 'If I did that,' Serena Williams said at the time the ban was announced, 'I would have gotten 20 years. Let's be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.' And she was right. The truth is Sinner should have been banned for two years but he's one of the biggest draws in a men's game that is trying to come to terms with the retirement of its greatest generation. So he wasn't. It's as cynical and as dispiriting as that.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Tennis icon is completely unrecognizable as he's spotted for first time in months... as insider reveals why he gave up on fame
A tennis legend appeared unrecognizable while stepping out in Beverly Hills this week as an inside source revealed he enjoys the 'anonymity he is blessed with.' The 53-year-old former professional used to take center stage on court, amassing a staggering 14 Grand Slam titles throughout a decorated 15-year career. Yet, in the two decades since putting his racket down, fans have only caught fleeting glimpses of Pete Sampras - including this week. In exclusive Daily Mail photos, the American was captured making a rare public appearance on Tuesday when he was seen on a coffee run in the iconic Los Angeles neighborhood, proving tough to recognize. Plainly dressed in loose-fitting grey workout clothes and green Nike sneakers, Sampras was pictured clutching a Starbucks drinks carrier containing two iced coffees and a hot beverage as he kept his head down. The public sighting, which came amid the French Open - one of tennis's four Grand Slam and the only one to elude Sampras - is just the second in seven months after he was spotted carrying out a similar errand in Beverly Hills back in December. The tennis legend cut a casual figure as he carried out a coffee run in the LA neighborhood But the balding former athlete already looked strikingly different, as he debuted a new salt-and-pepper beard and fuller sideburns. The rare sightings aren't unusual for Sampras as an inside source revealed to the Daily Mail that the 'homebody' has actively shielded himself from the lifestyle of the rich and the famous since officially retiring from tennis in 2003. 'Pete has always shied away from taking on all the benefits of being a celebrity as he has always considered himself a tennis player and a regular dude,' the insider said. 'He loves being a homebody and only selectively is he seen when he goes out, and he loves it. He loves being able to visit his sisters and brother who he is very close with and just more about being a husband and a father and just taking things day by day. 'Through tennis, Pete learned that you have to be your own person to succeed, and that is how he treats life, being his own person and allowing only a few people to surround him in his everyday life. It is what has worked for him for decades and he isn't looking to change anytime soon. He enjoys the more than expected anonymity he is blessed with.' Aside from his photographed routine coffee runs, Sampras has only stepped back into the public eye on limited occasions. He made an appearance at Indian Wells in 2019, and at a Nike event four years prior, with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova all present. Sampras is notoriously private and undertakes very little TV work - usually opting to stay out of the spotlight and keep his personal life to himself. The five-time US Open Champions has endured a past couple of years as he revealed in October 2023 that his wife was battling ovarian cancer. In a statement to the ATP Tour, the American legend said: 'As most have come to know, I am a pretty quiet and private person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I have decided to share what's been going on. 'Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy. 'It is hard to watch someone you love go through a challenge like this. However, seeing our boys step up and be such strong supporters of Bridgette, myself and each other has been amazing.' He and Bridgette have two children from their 25-year marriage - Ryan and Christian - and the family still reside in California. Bridgette, a former Miss Teen USA, is an actress and singer who starred in the likes of the 1997 slasher 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and also had a role in 'The Wedding Planner' alongside Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. Even at the height of his playing powers, Sampras was known to be notoriously private and fame-averse. After winning the 2002 US Open (the last tournament of his career), he flew home to California and declined all media requests. He has been said to have loathed press conferences and promotional appearances and even in retirement would rarely leave his Beverly Hills mansion. In contrast, Sampras's greatest rival Andre Agassi became tabloid fodder due to his relationship with actress Brooke Shields and high-profile alleged affair with Barbra Streisand. Meanwhile, a trio of players whose careers Sampras overlapped with - John McEnroe, his brother Patrick McEnroe and Jim Courier - have all gone on to be respected analysts on TV. During his career, Sampras was the best player in the world and has two Australian Open titles, five US Opens, and an incredible seven Wimbledon wins. He has 64 career singles titles in total - the ninth best in the Open Era - and earned himself over $43million in prize money throughout his career. He retired officially in the summer of 2003, going on to periodically appear in exhibition matches in the years that followed. After the birth of their second son in 2005, both Sampras and his wife Bridgette both stepped away from the limelight to focus on family life.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Darts legend, 79, reveals he keeps an amputated body part in a bottle of VODKA behind the bar of his 18-bedroom Essex mansion
Darts legend Bobby George has revealed that he keeps a bizarre conversation piece in the bar of his lavish Essex mansion. The 79-year-old was one of the stars of the sport's first golden age in the 1980s, known for his extravagant style, flamboyant entrances and love of gold jewellery. While fans flocked due to his unique character, George was also certainly no slouch at the oche and won several major competitions, including the News of the World championship on two occasions. In his new book — Still Here! The King of Bling — George made a shocking admission that proved his eccentric habits haven't abandoned him since retiring from sport. The TV pundit revealed that he keeps an amputated toe in a bottle of vodka that has pride of place in the bar situated in the 18-bedroom 'George Hall' residence self-built on land he purchased in 1994. George has been forced to have four toes amputated since 1999 due to a genetic condition and while three were medically discarded, he was permitted to keep the first. 'Nobody believes me, or at least they don't, until they see me without my socks on,' George wrote in his new autobiography. 'Or if they come to my bar in George Hall and see the evidence for themselves. There's some sort of gene in my body that has caused the toes to pop out of their socket and cross over. 'It got so bad that I couldn't get my shoes on. I couldn't walk without checking my balance each step. It was so painful on some days that if I'd had a sharp enough knife I would have chopped them off myself. 'There was nothing that the medical profession could do, so it became "Operation Toot-Toot-Tootsie Bye-Bye". George added that he quickly recognised an unconventional potential for the newly-removed digit. He added: 'It didn't hurt and once the deed was done, Phil showed it to me and I asked him if I could keep it. 'Phil presented it to me in a little jar but said that he couldn't give me the proper stuff — formaldehyde, maybe? — as it was poisonous. 'But if I used vodka instead, that would preserve it beautifully. So I took it home and popped it in some vodka and now it has a permanent home behind the bar in George Hall. 'Whenever anyone comes to the house for a drink, I whip it out and ask them if they want a cocktail or a cocktoe? 'It's also meant that, over the years, if I've been away from home for any length of time and my wife, Marie, is missing me, she can always suck my toe!'
Al Bawaba
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Al Bawaba
Emotional Farewell: Rafael Nadal Receives Hero's Tribute at Roland Garros
On Sunday, Philippe-Chatrier Court transformed into a theater of nostalgia and reverence as thousands of fans rose to honor Rafael Nadal, not as a competitor, but as a legend. Also Read Rafael Nadal pulls out of Australian Open due to injury Dressed in a dark suit rather than his iconic headband and athletic gear, Nadal walked into the arena where he built an unmatched legacy, greeted by roaring applause and chants of "Rafa!" echoing through every corner of the 15,000-seat stadium. This emotional tribute came exactly 20 years after his debut on the same court, where, at 18, he secured his first win in the French Open. Now, two decades later, he returned not to play, but to be celebrated. Tears, Memories, and a Standing Ovation A video montage played on the big screens, showcasing the ferocious left-handed forehands, the fist pumps, the passionate 'Vamos!' screams, and the relentless hustle that defined his game. As the clips rolled, Nadal was visibly moved. His voice cracked, his eyes welled up, and eventually, the tears came. Speaking in French, English, and Spanish, he shared his heartfelt thanks: "This is tough," he said in French. "I don't know where to begin after 20 years on this court. Wins, losses – but above all, moments that moved me deeply every time I stepped out here." Records That May Never Be Broken 112 wins and just 4 losses at Roland Garros. 14 titles in 14 finals, all held on this very court. 22 Grand Slam titles overall, with at least two in each of the sport's four major tournaments. These numbers explain why a steel statue of Nadal was erected on the grounds of Roland Garros even before his retirement — a rare honor for a living athlete. Tennis Icons Pay Their Respects In a moment that brought together decades of rivalry and respect, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray walked out to embrace Nadal and celebrate his extraordinary career. Their presence added a symbolic seal to the occasion, a salute from the very few who could truly grasp the magnitude of Nadal's achievements. A Lasting Mark on the Court As the ceremony drew to a close, a new plaque was unveiled near the court, bearing Nadal's footprint, name, and a sketch of the French Open trophy, a permanent tribute to the king of clay. In his final remarks, Nadal spoke directly to the crowd: "Thank you, France. Thank you, Paris. You gave me emotions and memories I never dreamed of. I may no longer play in front of you, but my heart and soul will always remain connected to this magical place."
