LONDON (AP) — The attack on Iran by the United States and Israel disrupted flights across the Middle East and beyond Saturday as countries around the region closed their airspace and key airports that connect Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were directly hit by strikes.

Airports across the Middle East remained closed Sunday as the conflict moved into its second day. Emirates Airlines suspended all flights to and from Dubai until at least Sunday afternoon. The Qatar airport was closed until at least Monday morning, according to Qatar Airways. Israeli airspace also remained closed Sunday.

The closures have stranded tens of thousands of travelers around the world.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers were either stranded or diverted to other airports Saturday after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace. There also was no flight activity over the United Arab Emirates, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said, after the government there announced a “temporary and partial closure” of its airspace.

That led to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, and the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. The three major airlines that operate at those airports — Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad — typically have about 90,000 passengers per day crossing through those hubs and even more travelers headed to destinations in the Middle East, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Two airports in the United Arab Emirates reported incidents as the government there condemned what it called a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” on Saturday.

Officials at Dubai International Airport — the largest in the United Arab Emirates and one of the busiest in the world — said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.

Though Iran did not publicly claim responsibility, the scope of retaliatory strikes that Gulf nations attributed to Iran extended beyond the American bases that it previously said it would target.

“For travelers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this,” said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group. “You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”

But it is unclear how long the disruption to flight operations could last. For comparison, the Israeli and U.S. attack on Iran in June 2025 lasted 12 days.

‘No one knows’

The situation was changing quickly and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.

Some airlines issued waivers to affected travelers that will allow them to rebook their flight plans without paying extra fees or higher fares.

Jonathan Escott and his fiance had arrived at the airport in Newcastle, England, on Saturday only to find out that his direct flight to Dubai on Emirates airline was canceled, leaving everyone on the flight stuck there.

Escott left to go back to where he was staying with family, about an hour from the airport, but has no idea when he may be able to travel.

“No one knows,” Escott said. “No one really knows what’s going on with the conflict, really. Not Emirates, Emirates don’t have a clue. No one has a clue.”

At least 145 planes that were en route to cities like Tel Aviv and Dubai early Saturday were diverted to airports in cities like Athens, Istanbul or Rome, according to FlightAware. Others turned around and returned to where they took off from. One plane spent nearly 15 hours in the air after leaving Philadelphia and getting all the way to Spain before turning around and returning to where it started.

Numerous airlines canceled international flights to Dubai through the weekend, as India’s civil aviation agency designated much of the Middle East — including skies above Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon — as a high-security risk zone at all altitudes.

Air India canceled all flights to Mideast destinations. Turkish Airlines said flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan were suspended until Monday and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman were suspended.

The airline said additional cancellations may be announced, and many other airlines were suspending flights into the region through the weekend.

Travelers advised to be ‘very creative’

U.S.-based Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv at least through the weekend. Dutch airline KLM had already announced earlier in the week that it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv.

Airlines including Lufthansa, Air France, Transavia and Pegasus canceled all flights to Lebanon, while American Airlines suspended flights from Philadelphia to Doha.

Virgin Atlantic said it would avoid flying over Iraq, meaning flights to and from India, the Maldives and Riyadh could take slightly longer. The airline already was not flying over Iran and said all flights would carry appropriate fuel in case they need to reroute on short notice.

British Airways said flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain will be suspended until next week, and flights to Amman, Jordan, were canceled Saturday.

“Travelers should anticipate that there will be a lot of disruptions,” Harteveldt said. “To be honest, if you haven’t left home, chances are you won’t be leaving home if you’re supposed to travel to or through these destinations for at least several days, if not longer. And if you are returning home, you will have to be very creative about how you get home.”

___

Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Bangkok, Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed.

All you need to know about the Old Firm derby at Ibrox including Sky Sports TV coverage, kick-off time and team news

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The third Old Firm derby of the campaign arrives with the stakes clear: defeat could effectively end either side’s title challenge.

Whilst that scenario isn’t unprecedented, the prospect of the victors still trailing another club marks genuinely new ground.

Hearts stand to benefit most from proceedings in Govan, particularly should the match finish level. The Jambos now sit seven points clear following their victory over Aberdeen on Saturday.

Both Glasgow giants faltered after playing subsequent to Hearts last weekend, and a stalemate would serve neither particularly well.

Martin O’Neill restored a measure of Celtic pride with the midweek triumph over Stuttgart, despite elimination from the Europa League.

Danny Rohl can draw encouragement from Rangers’ January victory at Celtic Park, though this time he faces an experienced operator of these fixtures in the opposing technical area rather than the inexperienced Wilfried Nancy.

When is Rangers vs Celtic?

The fixture takes place on Sunday 1 March, with a 12pm kick-off.

Is the game on TV?

Yes, Sky Sports Football will broadcast the match live, with coverage commencing at 11am.

Can I live stream Rangers vs Celtic?

Yes, Sky Sports subscribers can stream the fixture to their devices through the Sky Go app. NOW TV subscribers can access similar coverage via the NOW TV app.

Rangers TV international subscribers can also watch the match live at no extra cost.

What is the Rangers v Celtic team news?

Rangers have doubts over Dujon Sterling and Ryan Naderi. Andreas Skov Olsen is expected to start despite being taken off at half-time in the draw at Livingston.

Celtic’s big decision comes between the sticks, with under-pressure goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel dropped from the victory in Stuttgart in midweek and replaced by Viljami Sinisalo. Auston Trusty is suspended, while Luke McCowan could start.

The world’s autocrats, from Vladimir Putin to Xi Jinping, will surely be sleeping a little less easy after the death of Iran’s supreme leader in an operation backed by Donald Trump.

But the US decision to go to war with Iran without any attempt to gain international consensus – or even the endorsement of Congress – sets a dangerous precedent for the unilateral use of force to achieve foreign policy goals, which could make the whole planet a lot less safe.

Iran latest: Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei is dead

None of America’s Western allies, including the UK, will mourn the demise of Ali Khamenei, 86, who was killed by Israeli airstrikes against his compound in Tehran on Saturday at the start of a blitz of missiles and drones launched by the US and Israel.

Yet the move – which comes less than two months after US forces launched a deadly raid into Venezuela to capture its strongman ruler – further reduces the threshold for any country to deem it acceptable to lob bombs against another sovereign state to resolve a dispute.

“We are in an era of great power politics and this is what it looks like,” Rob Johnson, the head of the Changing Character of War Centre at Oxford University, told me.

The consequences of Mr Trump’s Iran gamble are still playing out.

But three things are already very clear.

Firstly, this intervention – especially as it will most likely not be condemned by the UK and other NATO allies, given they hate the Iranian regime almost as much as the US – will make it a lot harder for the West to criticise the legitimacy of similar attacks launched by their opponents.

For example, Mr Putin can now brush off as double standards the fiery condemnation by Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine even though there was no justification for the Russian attack against Volodymyr Zelensky’s government – in contrast to the demonstrable threat posed by the Iranian regime to its own people and the wider region.

President Xi of China will also be watching events in the Middle East closely and most likely drawing the conclusion that he now has a far freer hand to capture Taiwan by force.

At the same time, a second certainty that world leaders will understand with renewed clarity is the importance of military strength to shore up their survival.

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Trump’s attack on Iran: Is this ‘America first’?

This is especially true for those who seek to defy whoever has the strongest armed forces – which for now at least is the US under Mr Trump.

It sets the stage for even greater militarisation of the world’s most powerful countries and the need for smaller and middling powers to club ever closer together – an observation made by Mr Merz at a major security conference in Munich last month.

Finally, and perhaps most profoundly, is the undeniable unravelling of a set of international rules that evolved from the ashes of the Second World War and are upheld by the United Nations to protect the sovereignty of all countries and the dignity of all people.

With Mr Trump establishing his own so-called “Board of Peace” to rival the UN, the old world order that has existed for decades has never seemed so challenged.

As for what comes next in Iran, it is very hard to predict.

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How the Iran attacks unfolded

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The regime is reeling from the loss of its leader and has vowed its largest ever retaliation, though Mr Trump says the response so far – with Iranian missiles and drones fired against Israel as well as Gulf states where US forces are based – is weaker than anticipated.

The US president, who likes the simplicity of bold statements, is already able to portray the mission as having achieved success following the killing of Khamenei.

Read more:
How have Iranians reacted to death of supreme leader?
One dead and others injured at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports

But Iran’s fate is not a short, self-contained, made-for-social-media news story.

As history shows, there is huge peril in any foreign intervention and the consequences of the United States decapitating the Iranian regime will only truly be understood over time.

The top airline has issued a crucial update for travellers on the unfolding situation in the UAE

Thousands of holidaymakers have been left stranded after aviation giant Emirates cancelled all flights in and out of Dubai on Saturday, owing to the escalating situation in Iran and across the Middle East.

The airline issued a “red alert” suspension set to last until at least 3pm local time on Sunday, pointing to a series of regional airspace closures that have rendered the skies effectively off-limits. The carrier is “actively monitoring” the high-stakes situation as authorities race to manage the deepening crisis.

Whilst safety remains the “highest priority,” the move has triggered widespread travel chaos for those caught up in the turmoil.

READ MORE: Belfast anti-war activists holding ‘Stop Bombing Iran’ rallyREAD MORE: Foreign Office warns UK citizens to shelter as flights cancelled after Iran strikes

The update follows confirmation from Iran’s state broadcaster that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Sunday local time during US and Israeli airstrikes, reports the Express.

Emirates’ announcement comes as airlines operating across the Middle East grounded or rerouted flights en masse on Saturday in the aftermath of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

Iran retaliated by launching a series of strikes, targeting Israel and four Gulf Arab nations hosting US military bases — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air were amongst airlines that reduced their flight schedules to Middle Eastern destinations, referencing safety considerations.

The UK Foreign Office instructed British citizens in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to seek immediate shelter following explosions.

Emirates full statement on flights to and from Dubai

Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 3pm UAE time on Sunday, 1 March.

If you are booked to travel in the next 72 hours, your options are:.

– Rebook on an alternate flight. You can rebook on another flight to your intended destination up to 10 days from your original date of travel.

If you booked your flight with a travel agent, please contact them. If you booked with us directly, contact us.

– Request for refund. You can request for a refund of your ticket by completing the refund form if you booked with us directly.

If you booked your flights with a travel agent, please contact them.

We urge all customers to check flight status before proceeding to the airport.

Customers impacted by flight cancellations must contact their travel agency for rebooking. If booked directly with Emirates, please contact us.

Customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting http://emirat.es/managebooking to receive updates We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities. We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused.

The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.

UK Foreign Office issues advice for Britons trapped in Dubai

For any Britons currently in the UAE, the Foreign Office released fresh guidance overnight.

Those already in the UAE are being urged to register their presence with the UK government in order to receive further updates as events continue to develop across the Middle East.

“Due to reported missile attacks, British nationals in the UAE should immediately shelter in place. Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”

The FCDO further advised that British nationals in the UAE should take sensible precautions, taking into account their own personal circumstances.

– Read the UK Government’s fact sheet If you’re affected by a crisis abroad. This includes guidance on how to prepare for a crisis with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and what to do in a crisis.

– Follow advice from the local authorities and sign up to receive information and alerts. Read the FDCO fact sheet: National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s guidance across numerous emergencies.

– Sign up to FCDO Travel Advice to get email notifications on updates as they happen.

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Giving the first UK Government response to Mr Khamenei’s death, Mr Healey told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I think few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death, not least the family and friends of those thousands of young protesters murdered on the streets of Iranian cities.

A fresh wave of explosions has been heard in Dubai for a second day as Iran continues its strikes on the Gulf in response to US and Israeli attacks.

Witnesses said that blasts had been heard in Dubai and the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday, with authorities saying the sounds were the result of successful interception operations.

Thick black plumes of smoke continued to rise from the Jebel Ali port area, where one of the berths caught fire earlier on Sunday because of debris from an aerial interception of a missile.

Two people were also injured in Dubai after shrapnel from drones fell on two houses when they were intercepted, a Dubai Media Office statement said.

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Iran has said that it would target US bases in the region, but it has hit a range of other targets across Gulf cities.

Dubai’s international airport, its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel, and man-made Palm Jumeirah Island have all suffered damage.

The Dubai Media Office said in a statement on Sunday morning: “Authorities confirmed that debris from drones intercepted by air defences fell in the courtyards of two homes in Dubai, resulting in two injuries.

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“The injured have received the necessary medical care. Authorities also clarified that the sounds heard across the emirate were the result of successful interception operations”.

Debris from a drone ignited a fire at Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel on Saturday. Authorities said the fire had been limited to the hotel’s outer facade and that no injuries were reported.

Four people were injured after an incident at Dubai International Airport and the terminals were cleared of passengers.

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UK ambassador to the UAE, Edward Hobart, told British nationals to shelter in place on Sunday. In a video posted to social media on Sunday morning, he acknowledged: “I know many of you will have had disturbed nights, woken up to noises and alerts. It’s been a really difficult 24 hours. There’s been hundred of missile and drone attacks over Abu Dhabi and Dubai which have been intercepted”.

Mr Hobart added that he was very grateful for the “swift actions” of the UAE defence forces.

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Israel said that it had launched another wave of attacks on Iran on Sunday, while US president Donald Trump warned of consequences for retaliation.

Mr Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that Iran “better not” attack further on Sunday, saying: “If they do, we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before!”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an air strike yesterday, Iranian state media confirmed. Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said a temporary leadership council would be set up.

Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across Israel early on Sunday, with a series of explosions heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s sophisticated air defence system sought to intercept the latest Iranian offensive.

Reporting contributed from Reuters.

Other criminals jailed in February include a drug dealer who dragged a woman out of her car.

A man who left a woman with a fractured cheek bone and a lorry driver who caused a major crash are among those criminals who were jailed in February. The second month of the year has been a busy one for Cambridgeshire courts.

Among the people jailed is a man who left a 14-year-old girl “broken”, after sending her an explicit photo, and also a drug dealer. Here are five of the worst criminals sent to prison in February.

Mark Broom

Mark Broom, 47, started talking to a 14-year-old girl in March 2024. The girl’s father found an explicit photograph on her phone of Broom, as he was talking to the victim on TikTok and WhatsApp.

The girl’s father contacted police and Broom’s phone was seized from him at his home in Hinchcliffe, Orton Goldhay in Peterborough. The chats revealed Broom told the girl he was 18, asked her what underwear she was wearing, and said he couldn’t wait to be with her.

The 47-year-old used a fake profile photo when talking to her. Broom admitted to one charge of sending a photograph of his genitals to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation in December.

He was sentenced to one year and seven months in prison at Huntingdon Law Courts on February 6. He was also made the subject of a seven-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to monitor any further offending.

Lee Holliday

Lee Holliday, 43, ran towards a woman’s car as she was driving out of the Westwood Centre in Peterborough on July 31, 2025 at around 1.30pm. The woman stopped when she realised Holliday was chasing her, thinking there was a problem with her car.

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Holliday, formerly of Welland Road, Dogsthorpe, opened the back passenger door and got into the back and shouted “drive, drive, they’re chasing me”. The woman told him to get out, and Holliday did.

However, he opened the driver’s side door and tried to grab the keys and steering wheel. He then put his hands around the woman’s neck, tried to pull her out of the car and ripped her shirt and necklace.

Holliday was found guilty of common assault after a trial at Cambridge Crown Court on February 12. He was jailed for two years and five months, which included the activation of a two-year suspended sentence for supplying class A drugs.

Mindaugas Borisas

Mindaugas Borisas, 56, was driving a Mercedes lorry on the southbound carriageway of the A1 between Stibbington and Water Newton at around 4.25pm on July 30, 2025. He crashed into the back of a Skoda Octavia estate that stopped in traffic.

Another lorry, a blue Kia Cee’d estate, and a Mercedes Van were also then involved in the crash. Geoff Brock, 73, of Hillcrest in Bar Hill, who was driving the Skoda, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Borisas pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on February 16. He was handed a sentence of four years and nine months in prison. He was also banned from driving for 12 years and five months.

Kosta Dimitrov

Kosta Dimitrov, 36, kept pestering a woman and claimed to be in love with her before he attacked her on July 2 last year. The 38-year-old woman was sitting with friends in Baker Park, Westfield Road, when Dimitrov approached her from behind.

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He kicked the victim several times in the head and then punched her. Her friends went to get help by telling a nearby couple who pulled Dimitrov away from the woman.

The friends fled and called the police when they were home, believing the victim had been killed. Emergency services attended and the woman was taken to hospital.

The victim could barely speak because of her injuries. On February 23, Dimitrov, formerly of Lincoln Road in Millfield, Peterborough, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and jailed for six years.

Gavin Boot

Gavin Boot, 33, visited his former partner at her Peterborough home on August 17, 2025, less than a month after he was released from prison. The woman had a restraining order against her former partner, but Boot manipulated his way into her home. Boot discovered messages on the woman’s phone and this triggered a violent outburst.

Boot damaged part of the woman’s home, threatened her with violence and tried to stop her from leaving. The victim managed to leave and fled to her friend’s home.

While there, he made threatening text messages and calls, including one where he threatened to “execute” her. He continued to harass the woman, and even sent a video of himself outside her parents’ house.

After appearing at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court (acting as a crown court) on February 20, Boot, of no fixed address, admitted to sending communications threatening death or serious harm, criminal damage and making threats to kill. He was jailed for two years and eight months.

Jack Whitehall once again stepped out onto the BRIT Awards stage, but this time he was presenting the ceremony in Manchester

From his dig at Manchester to his mocking of Victoria Beckham, Jack Whitehall once again stepped out onto the BRIT Awards stage, but this time he was in new territory as the ceremony moved up north for the first time.

Launched in 1977, the BRIT Awards are the premier annual showcase of the UK music industry to celebrate the biggest musical achievements. Originally celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, they became a regular televised event in 1982.

But Saturday night’s (February 28) awards bash saw a multitude of stars descending on our very own city as Co-Op Live hosted the major music event.

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And while the venue may be new, award-winning comedian, actor and presenter Jack was back on familiar turf for his sixth year hosting the BRITs as a former University of Manchester student.

But it didn’t take him long to comment on his surroundings after five years of presenting the ceremony in London and mid a number of moments being censored for broadcast on ITV and ITVX, here are some of the gags from the host on the star-studded night.

Jack Whitehall was missing Harry Styles

The awards ceremony kicked off with a sketch starring Jack, as he reminisced about missing the former One Direction star. In a montage of clips set to Styles’ number one debut single, Sign Of The Times, Whitehall was seen wondering where the singer was, poking fun at his lengthy break from music.

The former Bad Education actor was then seen looking at a corkboard which read: “Where is Harry?” The singer has kept a low profile since his Love On Tour run of gigs came to an end in 2023, but hit the headlines recently after a string of announcements surrounding the release of his long-awaited new record.

As the sketch continued, Jack was seen growing a beard, sporting long hair and looking dishevelled as he awaited Harry’s return, before wandering to the Manchester Co-Op Live arena where the awards ceremony was held. It ended with the comedian looking longingly at Harry’s dressing room door ahead of his performance which opened the ceremony.

He took aim at the ceremony being held in Manchester

To kick off the awards show, the comedian made a string of gags about the ceremony being held in Manchester for the first time in its almost-50 years. He said: “The Brit Awards has done what anyone in their 40s does, moved out of London.”

Referencing the venue, Manchester Co-Op Live arena, he joked: “As a Waitrose man, this is my first ever time in a Co-op.”

The comedian also spoke about Britpop group Oasis, who were formed in Manchester in the 1990s and are comprised of once-feuding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, who reunited last summer after a 15-year split. He said: “Oasis reforming, and the Brits moving here. It really has been a remarkable year for Manchester’s drug dealers.”

He made digs at the Bafta controversy

As the ceremony got under way, Jack cracked a joke about the recent controversy at the Bafta film awards and the fact a racial slur was not edited out of the broadcast.

After Sam Fender and Olivia Dean collected the first award of the night, Whitehall warned that the ceremony could get a bit “raucous” but reassured viewers there was someone operating the bleep button. He joked: “It’s the guy who did the Baftas, he’s the best in the business. Nothing gets past him.”

A joke about Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham

Jack also cracked a joke about Lord Peter Mandelson, which was removed from ITV’s coverage of the ceremony. He said: “I’m down here, guys, at the tables, I’m in and amongst it, the Brit Awards is absolutely swarming with celebrities tonight.

“I think I saw Calvin Harris over there, who else have we got? Oh my God, it’s Andy Burnham, yes, legend, the only party he’s allowed into these days. And Lisa Nandy, this must be the politicians’ table, I wonder who else is here…”

Paddington had too much marmalade

Jack made another joke about the Bafta film awards last week – this time referencing Paddington Bear’s appearance at the ceremony. The beloved bear, who was appearing from the production currently being shown in the West End, strutted on the red carpet and presented an award at the Baftas.

Referencing this, the host joked: “We also invited Paddington Bear to give out an award tonight, like he did at the Baftas.” Speaking to Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Mark Berry, professionally known as Bez, the comedian quipped: “Though I think it may have been a mistake putting him on your table this evening. He’s had a little too much marmalade.”

The camera then panned to reveal two bear legs wearing bright red wellington boots hanging out from underneath the table.

And a jab at Lady Victoria Beckham

Ahead of musician Mark Ronson’s performance during the ceremony, Jack made a jab at Lady Victoria Beckham. The Spice Girl and fashion designer hit the headlines since the start of the year after her eldest son Brooklyn claimed in a post on Instagram that his mother “hijacked” his first dance with his wife at his wedding and danced “inappropriately” on him.

Referencing this, Whitehall said: “It’s now time for a very special performance from a musical genius whose fingerprints have been over practically every hit album of the past two decades.” He added: “Manchester, prepare to throw shapes like you’re Victoria Beckham during a first dance – it’s Mark Ronson.”

The winger was an important part of the side that romped their way to the League One title in 2008

You can feel the warmth in his voice as he reminisces about tormenting his former boss.

For Tommy Butler and his team-mates, drinking their way through the fine establishments of Wind Street was just as much a part of being a Swansea City player as stepping out and doing the business on a Saturday.

That’s despite the disapproval of Kenny Jackett, whose attempts to rein in his unruly, but largely talented rabble of a squad were doomed from the start.

“Kenny came in one day and just said he didn’t want us going out,” the former winger tells WalesOnline..

“He was just saying ‘it’s not good for you. You’re professional players. What are you doing? I’m here and you’re out two, three nights a week’.

Jackett, in a desperate attempt to try and keep his squad under control, tried to get his players to sign an agreement preventing them from going out.

Needless to say, his efforts were largely ignored.

“It probably didn’t help that probably 80% of us were single lads,” Butler says. “We’re all living in apartments around the city, so like again from a management point of view, it’s a nightmare. There was no way you were going to keep us all in, it’s just not going to happen.

“You’re just hoping that the lads will do the business on the pitch. And we did, in fairness.

“We could have been a lot better if we didn’t go out as much, but we’ve still done all right, you know what I mean?

“We were probably out two, three times a week. And we still smashed the league and did it in a really good way. That was when Swansea started to play the way we all know now.

“Looking back you think ‘what if I lived properly and I lived right and I ate clean’, but I always say Swansea was probably one of the most enjoyable times I had in my career.”

The move to south Wales was something of a second chance for the Irishman, who after making his breakthrough at Sunderland in the Premier League had been compared to the likes of Joe Cole.

But a string of injuries and the dismay of Peter Reid’s departure dented his progress, and at one point even left him wondering whether he still had a future in the game at all.

“You talk about mental health now, but you just didn’t know much about that back then,” he added.

“Looking back I probably just needed a bit of guidance. I was coming in every day, and I wasn’t looking forward to training.

“Howard Wilkinson was manager at the time and that was a probably big catalyst for me leaving because it was so boring. It was so daunting.

“We were in front of the screens all day. It was like being in a classroom, which I hated.

“I wasn’t enjoying training. I didn’t even bother coming to games because it was boring, a boring way of playing. I’m an out and out winger, and I wasn’t being utilised properly.

“I just needed to get out for a while, get as far away as possible and heal. But looking back I probably wasn’t emotionally astute enough to deal with it.”

Short spells at Dunfermline and Hartlepool followed, before a proposal from an ambitious League One club in south Wales came onto his radar.

Butler, like so many other prospective Swans signings over the years, fully admits he didn’t even really know where Swansea was.

But after taking a closer look, he saw a squad that he felt had the potential to achieve something special.

“They had good footballers down there,” he remembers. “Lads like Leon Britton, Leon Knight, Garry Monk, all these lads that have started up quite high in their careers and my agent felt they had the potential to go through the leagues.”

Despite giving him a hard time, Butler also has nothing but praise for his time with Jackett, whom he says brought out the best of him and his team-mates.

However, it was under Roberto Martinez he enjoyed his best spell as a player, although Butler and his team-mates weren’t initially convinced by the Spaniard’s methods.

“I remember Roberto did this talk. He just said, ‘lads the average number of passes per game in League One is around 180. We’re gonna be averaging 700, 800 passes a game. We’re gonna play fluid football, building from the back.

“We just looked at each other in disbelief thinking ‘does this bloke realise what league we’re in?’.

“We thought he’d be sacked after maybe five or six games.

“But Roberto knew the players he had and knew his coaching techniques could get the best out of us.”

Butler himself played 50 games in all competitions in that season, scoring six goals, as the club romped to promotion as champions.

“I always say to people that if I’d had Roberto when I was 18, 19, I definitely think I would have played a lot more games and had a better career.

“Not because the other managers weren’t good. i just think Roberto wouldn’t have allowed certain behaviours, especially from young players.”

That’s not to say Swansea’s drinking culture disappeared under the Spaniard’s watch, mind.

“He obviously didn’t like the fact that we drank alcohol, he said to us that it was bad and that it poisons the muscles and things like that.

“But, Trunds, obviously a brilliant character, he’d be standing up again and he’d be like, ‘no, no gaffer. I like a bevvy after a game, it relaxes me’, and you could tell by the manager’s face that he was just thinking ‘what am I dealing with here?’

Nevertheless, Martinez’s reign proved a roaring success, not just in terms of results, but also in laying down the foundations of what would later become the fabled ‘Swansea Way’.

But while the football was pretty, the sheer determination to win running through the squad often created a volatile atmosphere behind the scenes.

“We were fighting every day,” he chuckles.

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing at times is it? We were all such competitive lads and it would be rare for us to get through a week where there wouldn’t be a few scuffles in training.

“But then it was like ‘Oh sorry mate, didn’t really mean that. I just wanted to win’, and we’d get on with it.”

The welcome Butler gave Andrea Orlandi, who arrived as part of Martinez’s Spanish contingent in late 2007, perhaps summed it up.

On Orlandi’s very first day, Butler took it upon himself to give the club’s latest continental import an unforgettable welcome – by shooting him with a BB gun in the leg.

“It was almost beautiful,” he says. “All these new Spanish joined and they were all handsome lads and good footballers.

“So we were just laughing one day saying ‘lads, we can’t be having this. They’re good players and they’re all so beautiful as well’.

“We just felt some drastic measures were needed and we had a bit of a warped sense of humour as you can imagine.

“Andrea comes out with his hair slicked back and he’s coming out and looks great.

“I’m just thinking ‘no way. He could take my position this kid, look at him’.

“I don’t know how I hit him actually. He was a good distance away.

“He came up to me afterwards and he tried to fight me and I just said ‘look mate, this is normal around here. you’re going to have to get used to this’.

Promotion to the second tier brought about a more professional atmosphere, but there was still plenty of edge burning away in that dressing room.

What’s more, Orlandi was by no means the only figure to receive both barrels from the Irishman.

Just ask referee Mike Dean, who sent Butler off during a chaotic South Wales Derby with Cardiff City at Ninian Park.

The winger wasn’t even on the pitch, but flew off the handle after Dean gave a late penalty that would ultimately see Ross McCormack cancel out a young Joe Allen’s strike in an eventful 2-2 draw.

“It was just a soft penalty, especially in a derby,” he says.

“I was fuming. I just lost it. I think we would have gotten to the play-offs if we won that game. I think I’m not sure.

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“I was there, red mist came down, and at the final whistle I stormed onto the pitch and went over to him.”

What followed was an astonishing 18-page wrap sheet, which was presented to Butler during a tense meeting with Martinez the following Monday.

“He just said to me ‘Tommy, a red card? How did you get a ******* red card you weren’t even on the ******* pitch.

“He called me into the office on Monday and pulled up the report from the FA.

“It was like a scroll.

“I could see Graeme Jones in the corner of my eye. He was holding his laugh in and Roberto was just like ‘Here is what Mike Dean has said about your red card in his report: ‘You are bottom of the ******* food chain. You’re a ******* disgrace. You are a joke. You’re a cheat. You’re a cheat. I hope you die’, and all this stuff.

“I was just thinking ‘holy ****’.

“Graeme Jones was looking at me and thinking ‘you’re a psychopath, there’s something not right with you’.”

Butler fully holds his hands up to his role in what was clearly one of the more unsavoury episodes of his career.

Luckily for him, the bond with Martinez just about remained unbroken, although the Spaniard would move on at the end of that season, with Paulo Sousa coming in.

Butler made just nine league starts under the new boss before Brendan Rodgers arrived, an appointment that would ultimately push the Swans to the brink of the big time.

However, not for the first time in his career, a serious injury in April 2010 would ultimately sabotage his hopes of playing any part in what was arguably Swansea’s finest hour.

“I had a hip flexor rupture, which I would eventually retire from,” he remembers.

“I said to Brendan, ‘look I’m close to getting fit’, this was the summer I first met him and he actually gave me an extra year on my contract.

“I was never going to play for him with the injury, but it was a sign of a brilliant human.

“He pulled me into the office, and just said ‘I think you’ve had a hard time with injuries. But I know about you, I spoke to people about you. I’m going to give a year to just use as a way to get fit. You’re not going to get fit for me. But you should be fit and ready for another team then to try and I want to see you do well’.

“I always think I was very lucky to have managers like Brendan and Roberto. If I’d had other managers I probably would have retired at around 24, 25.

Butler would never play another minute for the Swans, and despite short stints in non-league, his professional days were over.

“Every time I came back, the surgeon said, look, because you’re 31 your body won’t heal as quick. It won’t heal like a 21-year-old.

“He said ‘given the trauma you’ve sustained in that area you’re just going to have to have a real sit down and think about health now. Forget about football and think about your health.

“It was obviously disheartening because you’re only 31. But every time I tried to do certain kind of manoeuvres on a pitch, it just didn’t work, you know.”

After a brief spell working as an agent, Butler’s now studying for a Masters in sports performance at Northumbria University, which he supplements with a bit of coaching.

Having made his breakthrough in the Premier League, he admits there’s some disappointment at not tasting the the top flight again, although looking back there’s also an acceptance that some of the vices during his playing days may have been a factor.

“I think around 80% of the injuries were probably my own fault. When you look back, you think, you know what, was I really getting the right sleep in? Was I really eating the right foods? Was I hydrating properly?

“Probably the most of the time, the answer was no.

“But I met so many brilliant characters, especially down at Swansea.

“They were some of the best people I’ve ever met. It’s testament today that I’m still in WhatsApp groups with most of them now. That’s a rare thing in football.

“I’m sure many of the other lads feel the same.”