Inside footballer Dennis Wise’s wild life as ‘Crazy Gang’ hardman – from £3m punch to setting teammates’ clothes on fire
HE'S the lovable rogue who was never far from trouble during his 20-year playing career.
But these days football legend Dennis Wise is a reformed character and proud dad-of-three.
And he's become the second Premier League dad whose daughter is turning heads on Love Island.
, 19, entered as a Casa Amor bombshell last weekend - following on from Michael Owen's eldest Gemma appearing on the ITV2 show last year.
During his football years central midfielder Wise was embroiled in numerous scandals and controversies, and even found himself in trouble with the law.
Here, we look back at the 56-year-old's wild life, from setting his teammates' belongings on fire to the punch that cost him £3million.
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Blue Peter scandal
In 1983 Blue Peter was rocked by controversy when BBC staff discovered vandals had broken into the show's garden at the rear of BBC Television Centre.
Fuel oil had been poured into the pond, which killed several goldfish, while a 100-year-old urn donated by a pensioner had been smashed up.
A plaque made by a disabled child was also destroyed, sparking public outrage.
Although the identities of the vandals were never discovered, it was rumoured that Wise and fellow footie star had something to do with it.
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In a BBC interview in 2000, Les, 56, addressed the rumours, saying: "What I will say is I helped a few people over the wall.
"We were just kids. I didn’t do anything other than help a few people over a wall. It was just a bit of fun.”
When asked if his mate was involved, he said: “I’m not at liberty to say whether Dennis Wise was one of them.”
But speaking in 2017, Les appeared to backtrack on his comments, claiming the interview had been a joke taken out of context.
'Crazy Gang' years
In his teens, Dennis kicked off his football career as an apprentice at Southampton, but that was cut short when he fell out with manager Lawrie McMenemy.
In 1985, aged 18, he signed with Wimbledon FC, which had earned the nickname The Crazy Gang due to their aggressive style of play, macho behaviour on and off the pitch, and the expensive practical jokes they played on each other and their managers.
The rowdy bunch had a reputation for their lack of discipline, with pundits calling out their unprofessional approach to the game.
Wise became a prominent member of the team and admitted in 2014: "We did get up to mischief. We did some strange things and funny things and those things you can get away with in those times.
"We did things like letting fireworks off in hotels, put Vaseline on people's car windows, let down tyres and burning Eric Young's Brighton bag.
"He constantly brought it in after joining from Brighton and it got on our nerves after a while, so we burnt it... you would never see these type of things happening now."
Dodged jail
After a successful stint at Wimbledon, Wise's breakthrough came in 1990 when he joined Premier League side Chelsea for a then-record fee of £1.6million.
Despite his wild reputation he was made captain, but cracks started to show during the 1994-1995 season, when he was sent off for swearing while playing Leeds United.
In March 1995 he was found guilty of smashing through the glass partition of a cab and punching its 65-year-old driver.
He was ordered to pay £1,234 in compensation, including £100 for damage to the driver's glasses, and was stripped of the captaincy.
Although he was handed a three-month prison sentence, it was overturned on appeal.
That [holding] cell was the loneliest place on Earth. It was cold. It was desolate. I was tearful. I was scared. I am not ashamed to admit it
Dennis Wise
In 2017, Wise recalled: "That [holding] cell was the loneliest place on Earth. It was cold. It was desolate. I was tearful. I was scared. I am not ashamed to admit it.
"It dawns on you how lucky you are outside. I realised that I could lose everything through five minutes of madness."
That wasn't the end of his troubles; during the 1998-1999 season Wise missed 15 matches for bad behaviour. He received three red cards and was charged (but later cleared) for biting the arm of Real Mallorca star Elena Marcelino.
He also had spats with Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole, Olivier Dacourt and Patrick Vieira.
'£3million punch'
After 11 years at Chelsea he was sold to Leicester City for £1.6m in 2001.
On July 18 the following year Wise had a bust-up with his teammate where he punched him, breaking his nose and jaw.
After a two-week investigation Leicester made the decision to terminate his contract, costing Wise £3million.
While he later won an appeal to have the decision thrown out, the dismissal was eventually reinstated.
In a chat with The Sun at the time he said: "My sacking was a disgrace. Did you see West Ham players vote to sack John Hartson when he kicked team-mate Eyal Berkovic in the face and it was shown on national TV? No."
'Calmed down'
Following a stint with Millwall Wise put his wild past behind him when he married wife Claire in 2004, after eight years together.
Fellow hardman and former Wimbledon and Chelsea teammate Vinnie Jones was his best man at the bash in Stoke Poges, Bucks.
Wise prefers to keep his personal life under wraps and little is known about Claire, however he regularly posts adorable snaps of them together, including some on holiday in luxury spots like Dubai.
The couple share three children together - Henry, Amber and George.
Reflecting on family life, Wise said: "It's lovely having kids. I stay in a lot more now and enjoy time with them. They have calmed me down."
The proud dad is said to be 's Love Island appearance, and has even signed her up to ex-Love Islander Gemma Owen's agents.
Wise is no stranger to reality TV, having appeared on I'm A Celebrity in 2017 - where hosts Ant and Dec constantly joked about him being a "very small man".
At the time he said the biggest "special occasions" he'd be missing by going on the show were "kids’ sporting fixtures and friends’ big birthdays".
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Henry, 23, has followed his father's footsteps; he was a substitute for Watford in the FA Cup three years ago - almost two decades after celebrating alongside his dad at Wembley.
In recent years Wise has successfully invested in property - including a golf course - and runs a non-profit organisation that raises money for people with disabilities, which is believed to have raised over £1m.
