Wags have set tongues wagging in years gone by – will Russia 2018 be the same?
The Wags were banned from the players in South Africa 2010 after causing a distraction in Germany 2006 with £4,000 shopping spree and showdowns in nightclubs
THE Eastern Bloc is set to get a lot warmer as Gareth Southgate has given permission for his stars to bring their Wags to the World Cup in Russia.
The England boss said yesterday: “I will absolutely encourage families to come and see the lads after a game.”
Footballers’ partners were banned in 2010 and almost axed before Brazil 2014.
Now England’s glamorous other halves can look forward to Russia next summer.
But will current Wags such as Dele Alli’s girlfriend Ruby Mae be as much of a distraction as their predecessors?
Here, we look back at the wives and girlfriends who set tongues wagging.
GERMANY 2006
Photographers followed every move of DAVID BECKHAM’s wife VICTORIA, ASHLEY COLE’s other half CHERYL, PETER CROUCH’s girlfriend ABBEY CLANCY and WAYNE ROONEY’s partner COLEEN as the original Wags glammed it up in sleepy Baden Baden. On one spree, the girls blew £4,000 in an hour on shopping and drinking.
ELEN RIVAS — FRANK LAMPARD’s then-fiancée — ended a showdown in a nightclub by shouting “f*** off” at locals.
The team crashed out in the quarter finals. RIO FERDINAND said later: “People worried more about
what they were wearing than the games.”
SOUTH AFRICA 2010
After failing to qualify for Euro 2008, England boss FABIO CAPELLO cut Wags’ time with his stars to just one day.
The ladies were said to have complained — and the ban did not work. Germany’s 4-1 win sent a humbled England crashing out.
POLAND & UKRAINE 2012
Boss ROY HODGSON gave Wags the chance to stroll around Krakow with their partners. Coleen Rooney paid £14,000 for a private jet to visit her man.
Italy beat England in the Euro tournament’s quarter finals.
BRAZIL 2014
After dithering on whether the Wags should be allowed on the pre-tournament tour, Hodgson let them go to Brazil.
But they were upstaged by Colombian singer SHAKIRA — dating Spain’s GERARD PIQUE — and CRISTIANO RONALDO’s Russian model girlfriend IRINA SHAYK. The team were thumped by Italy and Uruguay.