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England’s World Cup-winning right-back George Cohen has died aged 83.

The footballer played every minute of England’s World Cup-winning 1966 campaign, including the final against West Germany.

He won 37 caps for England across his footballing career, the entirety of which he spent playing for Fulham.

The club wrote on their website: “Everyone at Fulham Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our greatest ever players – and gentlemen – George Cohen MBE.”

Fellow World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst led tributes, posting in a tweet: “Very sad to hear my friend and England teammate George Cohen has died.

“Everyone, without exception, always said that George was such a lovely man.

“He will be sadly missed, my heartfelt thoughts are with George’s wife Daphne and his family.”

Grew up a mile from Fulham

Born in Kensington, west London, in 1939, Cohen joined his local side Fulham, whose stadium, Craven Cottage, was just over a mile from his home.

Initially working as a member of the grounds staff, he signed a professional contract in 1956 and made his debut against Liverpool as a 17-year-old in March 1957.

He went on to make 459 appearances for the club, scoring six goals, before retiring at the age of 29 due to a serious knee injury.

In the run-up to the 1966 World Cup, Cohen was battling with Blackpool’s Jimmy Armfield, at the time England’s captain, for a starting spot.

But an injury to Armfield in the lead-up to the competition allowed Cohen to cement his place in Sir Alf Ramsey’s side.

England's George Cohen (l) Looks On As Captain Bobby Moore (r) Kisses The Jules Rimet Trophy After England Won The 1966 World Cup Final Beating Germany 4-2 At Wembley Stadium.
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Cohen looks on as Bobby Moore kisses the World Cup trophy

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World Cup glory

Playing in his favoured right-back role, Cohen provided key overlapping runs in an England side that played narrow through the midfield and up to the two forwards.

He started at right-back in the 1966 final against West Germany at Wembley, helping the Three Lions to a 4-2 extra-time victory – England’s only World Cup win.

He played seven more times for England, making his final appearance in November 1967 in a win against Northern Ireland.

File photo dated 18-05-2016 of George Cohen who has died aged 83. Issue date: Friday December 23, 2022.

‘Best full-back I’ve ever played against’

An attacking right-back with the pace, strength and stamina to get up and down the pitch, Cohen was hailed as “the best full-back I ever played against” by the supremely talented Manchester United winger George Best.

He was awarded an MBE in 2000 alongside Roger Hunt, Alan Ball, Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles after a campaign to honour the England stars who had not initially received awards for their 1966 heroics.

Cohen’s death means Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Bobby Charlton are now the only two of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning starting XI still living, alongside squad players George Eastham, Terry Paine and Ian Callaghan.

In 2016, a statue was erected outside Craven Cottage to honour Cohen on the 50th anniversary of England’s World Cup win.

Inscribed below the statue are the words: “Fulham player. World Cup winner. Gentleman.”

‘Fulham royalty’

Cohen finished his career as Fulham’s fourth-highest appearance-maker, after Johnny Haynes, Eddie Lowe and Les Barrett.

Speaking at the time of the statue’s unveiling, Cohen said: “I mean, to think that they had made a statue; I find it absolutely wonderful that they even thought I was worthy of it.

H.M. Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with England's George Cohen
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The Queen shakes hands with Cohen

“Especially as it was alongside Johnny Haynes, the greatest name in Fulham’s history.

“To be alongside him, it was rather unbelievable. It was great to think that not only the Club, but the supporters had wanted to put a statue of me there.”

In later life, Cohen, who was awarded the Freedom of Hammersmith and Fulham for his World Cup heroics, campaigned for research into cancer and dementia.

George Cohen

He was a father of two who was married to his wife, Daphne, for more than 60 years.

Cohen was also the uncle of rugby star Ben Cohen, who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with England.

Paying tribute to Cohen, his club wrote: “He is, quite simply, Fulham royalty.

“All of our thoughts are with Daphne, his beloved wife of more than 60 years, sons Anthony and Andrew, his grandchildren and extended family, as well as George’s many, many friends.”

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‘I think you’re looking for us’: Video shows moment Sara Sharif’s family detained on plane

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'I think you're looking for us': Video shows moment Sara Sharif's family detained on plane

Footage of the moment 10-year-old Sara Sharif’s alleged killers were detained after police boarded their plane back to the UK has been played in court.

As they are approached by officers, Sara‘s stepmother Beinash Batool is heard saying: “I think you’re looking for us.”

Batool, 30, Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 42, and uncle Faisal Malik, 29, are accused of carrying out a campaign of abuse against her culminating in her death at her family home in Surrey on 8 August last year.

The defendants, along with five of Sara’s siblings, aged between one and 13, flew to Pakistan the following day.

Sara’s body was found by police in a bunkbed on 10 August after Sharif called police from Pakistan to say he had beaten her “too much” for being “naughty”.

A murder investigation was launched involving agencies including Interpol and the National Crime Agency to locate the defendants.

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They returned to the UK on a flight from Dubai to Gatwick Airport on 13 September.

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‘I beat her up too much’

The clips of officers’ body-worn video shown to the jury on Friday captured the moment police boarded the plane and detained the defendants at 7.42pm, seven minutes after touchdown.

After Batool addresses the officers, Sharif, who had been sitting next to her, is asked to follow them.

The three were then taken off the plane and arrested.

Sara Sharif. Pic: Surrey Police
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Pic: Surrey Police

A post-mortem examination established Sara had sustained extensive and significant injuries over a sustained period prior to her death.

The jury heard on Friday how concerns were raised by Sara’s school about bruising on her body in June 2022 and March 2023.

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Several items seized from Sara’s home were also reviewed by the court, including a leather belt which had full DNA samples at both ends for Sara, Sharif, and Malik.

A cricket bat was also found to have Sara’s DNA profile on it, along with the DNA samples of Sharif and Malik.

Neither item had a DNA trace of Batool.

The court also reviewed the defendants’ bank accounts – both joint and separate.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.

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Girl, 13, ‘critical’ after being found stabbed next to A63 in Hessle – as six teenagers arrested

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Girl, 13, 'critical' after being found stabbed next to A63 in Hessle - as six teenagers arrested

Six teenagers have been arrested after a 13-year-old girl was found with multiple stab wounds on a roadside near Hull.

Police said she was found around 6.50am on the A63 in Hessle with “life-threatening injuries” including “lacerations to her neck, abdomen, chest and back”.

Four boys and two girls – aged between 14 and 17 – were quickly arrested in a nearby wooded area and are being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder.

Members of the public came to the girl’s aid before emergency services arrived, Humberside Police said.

Detective Superintendent Simon Vickers said they “believe the attackers knew the victim” and the circumstances are still being investigated.

“The girl remains in hospital in critical condition and her family are being supported by officers at this difficult time,” he added.

The boys arrested are aged 14, 15, 16 and 17, and the girls 14 and 15.

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Cordons are in place around a wooded area off Ferriby High Road while investigations continue.

Police said they would have an increased presence in the area over the weekend and have asked anyone with information or video to get in touch, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

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Ex-soldier Daniel Khalife tells court it was a ‘foolish idea’ to have someone with his ‘skillset’ in prison

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Ex-soldier Daniel Khalife tells court it was a 'foolish idea' to have someone with his 'skillset' in prison

A former soldier has told a jury his escape from Wandsworth prison to avoid being held with sex offenders and terrorists showed his “skillset”.

Daniel Khalife, 23, who was being held accused of passing secrets to Iran said he was “never a real spy” but planned a fake defection to the state following his arrest after watching American television show Homeland.

He said he wanted to be moved to a high-security unit because he was getting unwanted attention from the sex offenders on the vulnerable prisoners wing and feared a move to Belmarsh prison because, as a British soldier, terrorists wanted to kill him.

Khalife said he first wanted to “make a show” of escaping, acting suspiciously and covering himself in soot from a food delivery lorry on 21 August last year, while he was working in the prison kitchen.

He was spotted and reported to security but was “pretty shocked” when nothing happened so decided to take the “full measure,” he told the jury.

Undated handout photo of sling under the truck used in the prison escape of Daniel Khalife, which was shown to a jury at the Old Bailey, London, during his trial. Khalife, 23, is alleged to have fled his Army barracks in January 2023 when he realised he would face criminal charges over allegations he passed classified information on to the Middle Eastern country's intelligence service. Later, while on remand, he is alleged to have escaped from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023 by tying himself to the underside of a food delivery truck using bedsheets. Issue date: Wednesday October 23, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Army. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ..NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
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A makeshift sling. Pic: Met Police

Talking about his escape for the first time at his Woolwich Crown Court trial, Khalife told how he fashioned a makeshift sling from kitchen trousers and carabiners used by inmates to keep their possessions safe from rats.

He attached it to the Bidfood lorry on 1 September last year, to see if it would be spotted by officers at Wandsworth or other prisons on the delivery route.

“I put the two carabiners and the makeshift rope underneath the lorry,” he said.

“When I had made the decision to actually leave the prison I was going to do it properly so I tested the security not just in Wandsworth

“Strangely, over the coming days, I could see it but it wasn’t spotted in Wandsworth or any other prison.”

Then on the morning of 6 September, Khalife said he concealed himself underneath the lorry, resting his back on the sling as the lorry was searched.

“They did normal checks around with torches but they didn’t find me. After that, a governor came to the tunnel and said, ‘Have you searched the vehicle?’

“I was facing upwards. There was action around the lorry.”

Daniel Khalife
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Daniel Khalife joined the Army aged 16

He said that when the vehicle stopped he “came out underneath the lorry and stayed in the prone position” until the lorry moved off.

Khalife, who joined the Army aged 16 and took up a post with the Royal Signals, based in Beacons barracks, Staffordshire, said he made no attempt to leave the country and had no intention to “run away” from the charges he was facing.

He was arrested three days later on the footpath of the Grand Union Canal in Northolt, west London, after a nationwide manhunt.

Asked why he had not handed himself in after his escape, Khalife said: “I was finally demonstrating what a foolish idea it was to have someone of my skillset in prison. What use was that to anyone?”

“I accept that I left the prison and didn’t have any permission to do so,” he said. “I accept absolutely that I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

Daniel Abed Khalife
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Daniel Khalife

Inspired by Homeland

The court has heard Khalife initiated contact with Iranian intelligence officers after he was told he could not pass developed vetting because his mother was born in Iran.

Khalife told MI5 he wanted to be a “double agent” and he said in court he thought he would be “congratulated” but described his arrest as like a “punch in the face”.

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Wearing a blue checked shirt and chinos, he said police were “blinded at the prospect of a successful prosecution” but he did not think being in prison would be in “the public interest”.

“I didn’t do anything that harmed our national security. I wanted to put myself in a position where I could help my country,” he said.

“I believed I could continue my work actually located in the state – the state being Iran.”

Khalife said he took inspiration from watching Homeland, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, in which Americans and terrorists go undercover, on Netflix.

“I had seen one of the characters in the programme had actually falsely defected to a particular country and utilised that position to further the national security interests of that character’s country,” he said.

“The country in question, Iran, thought it was real. She did it to further the interests of her own country.”

Khalife told jurors he is a “patriot”, adding: “I do love my country. All I wanted to do was help. I never wanted to do any harm, I never did do any harm.”

He added: “It is tragic it has come to this and I would do anything to go back to my career.”

Khalife, from Kingston, southwest London, denies a charge of committing an act prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state under the Official Secrets Act between 1 May 2019 and 6 January 2022.

He has also pleaded not guilty to a charge under the Terrorism Act of eliciting information about Armed Forces personnel on 2 August 2021, perpetrating a bomb hoax on or before 2 January 2023 and escaping from prison on 6 September last year.

The trial continues.

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