Everton boss in raid horror
Sylvia and Peter Cross
EVERTON manager Carlo Ancelotti will still be at the helm of tonight’s Premier League match against Fulham despite masked raiders breaking into his home while his family was inside.
Police were called to the address in Blundellsands, Crosby, just after 6.30pm on Friday after the 61-year-old football boss’s stepdaughter, Chloe, disturbed two men searching the property.
Mr Ancelotti was not there at the time but a number of people were inside, although no one was hurt, according to a source.
The raiders then ran from the house with a safe.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: “We are appealing for information after a safe was stolen in a burglary in Crosby on Friday.
“The offenders were described as wearing black waterproof clothing, possibly with white writing on, and black balaclavas.
“The property will be forensically examined and CCTV opportunities are being explored.”
There have been a string of raids on the homes of Premier League footballers in recent years, with criminals believed to scour social media and strike when they know they are away on fixtures.
In July, the home of Liverpool midfielder Fábio Henrique Tavares, known as Fabinho, was burgled while he celebrated the team winning the title at Anfield.
Jewellery and a grey Audi RS6, which was later recovered in Wigan, were stolen.
Merseyside Police said it is not currently linking the burglary on Mr Ancelotti’s home to any other incidents.
A spokesman for Everton confirmed that Mr Ancelotti would still be managing today’s game, which is due to kick off at Goodison Park at 7pm.
He said neither the club nor the manager would be commenting on the burglary.
WHEN Peter, now 84, spotted Sylvia across a crowded pub back in 1961 he admired her instantly, prompting his friend to shout, “Hey, my mate likes you!”
It may not be the stuff of Shakespeare but it certainly got the job done – the pair exchanged phone numbers and went on their first date shortly afterwards.
Sylvia, then 18, remembers feeling spoiled by this chap six years her senior: “I was young, really, I didn’t know what I was doing. He was a bit older than me and he had a lovely blue sports car. At that age I thought, ‘Cor, this is nice’. I was very flattered and it went really well.
“He had a lovely smile, was cheerful and had nice blond hair. He looked after me, brought me presents, took me out and dressed up in a nice suit to come and meet me, like we did in those days.”
After 57 years of marriage – and two daughters and five grandchildren – they say they try to do things to please one another as often as possible. This year has offered a unique challenge, but they have managed to navigate it and are as strong as ever.
Sylvia, 77, said: “Luckily we both get on.we have a nice home. Understanding and supporting one another through difficult times is key.”
Surrey-based Silent Pool Distillery treated the eight lockdown lovebirds to gin and afternoon teas to celebrate this unique Valentine’s
Day
TERROR survivor Malala has been bingeing on classic British sitcoms like Only Fools And Horses to help get her through lockdown boredom.
The 23-year-old, who was shot by the Taliban in 2012, told Desert Island Discs host Lauren Laverne: “I watch the old British sitcoms... like Blackadder, Only Fools And Horses, Yes Minister. I am just a big fan, I love those shows.”
Malala has no recollection of the attempt on her life, when the Taliban boarded her school bus in the Swat Valley, Pakistan – her first memory was waking up in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, which specialises in treating injured military personnel.
She said: “I remember opening my eyes and I was trying to process whether I was alive or I was still sort of in that dream when you are not really dead and you are trying to get up but you can’t, and I was grateful when I realised I was alive.”
The youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner – for her work in empowering women’s education – when aged just 17 in 2014, Malala is now settled in the Midlands city.
She spoke about adjusting to her new home and the speech she gave to the UN on her 16th birthday, now known as Malala Day.
She said: “Firstly we had to understand the accent. So when I gave the speech, I said ‘Malala Day is not my day, today is the day of every girl’. “Then I started practising it in my Brummie accent. I love this accent.”
She attended Oxford University, which meant she could get experiences she had missed. She said: “I started hanging out with friends, I started going to college balls, music events.
“When you are with your friends you are just having one of your best times ever.”
Malala chose Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never among her desert island discs, her book was Plato Complete Works and her luxury item lip balm.
Listen to the full interview on BBC Radio 4 at 11am today.
‘I am a big fan of those shows’