Jude Bellingham's dad Mark: Ex-player, called 'disgrace' by Geoff Hurst, 'split' from wife

Mark Bellingham, the father of football stars Jude and Jobe, has played a pivotal role in their meteoric rise. A former non-league footballer and police officer, Mark retired from the force to manage his sons' careers alongside their mother, Denise.

It's safe to say that without their father's guidance, Jude and Jobe wouldn't be where they are today. However, Mark, 49, has also caused a stir, recently confronting a senior figure at Borussia Dortmund after his youngest son was substituted during a match. Jude's unexpected omission from Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad has sparked doubts about his World Cup prospects, while the Bellingham parents have found themselves back in the spotlight this week due to matters concerning their personal lives...

Early life and police career

Born and bred in Southend, Mark supported his local team before relocating to the Midlands. He joined the police force and quickly climbed the ranks at West Midlands Police, eventually becoming a sergeant.

The Bellingham brothers clearly inherited their father's footballing talent. While Mark may not have reached the same heights as his sons, he had a highly respected career in non-league football.

He represented numerous clubs, including Leamington, Stourbridge, Sutton Coldfield and Halesowen, often playing in midweek matches before heading off to his night shifts with the police. He hung up his boots in the late 2010s, having scored over 700 goals.

Role in sons' lives

Following his retirement from the police force, Mark devoted himself to overseeing his sons' professional trajectories, proving instrumental in facilitating Jude's transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid and Jobe's subsequent move from Sunderland to Dortmund. Their father's footballing pedigree and industrious nature have undoubtedly shaped both Jude and Jobe's talents and determined mindset. Their mother, Denise, 57, has been equally pivotal.

Upon Jude's departure from boyhood club Birmingham City at the age of 17 to join Dortmund in 2020, Denise relocated with him, while Mark stayed behind with Jobe. In 2023, when Jude signed for Real Madrid and Jobe moved to Sunderland, Mark accompanied Jobe to the north-east, while Denise relocated to Spain with Jude.

Discussing his parents, Jobe once said: "Before being great parents, they're great people. I've grown up around them and seen the way they interact with other people, seen the way they treat people. When you have people like that, you don't have to be told how to behave, you pick that up from them."

Clashes with media

Mark has reportedly been embroiled in fiery confrontations with members of the press. According to the Daily Mail, a journalist from another publication was "met with a stream of invective that was unpleasant enough and hostile enough for him to be startled" after enquiring about Jobe's future following an intra-squad England Under-21s match at St George's Park. Mark is believed to have had other confrontations with journalists.

Geoff Hurst criticism

Mark has drawn the ire of England World Cup-winning legend Sir Geoff Hurst for confronting a Dortmund official after Jobe had been substituted in a match against St Pauli. He reportedly got into a heated altercation with Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, voicing his frustration over both the substitution and the team's performance in the 3-3 draw.

The incident made headlines in Germany and caught the eye of World Cup hero Hurst. Speaking at an event in Bristol, the last surviving member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning team expressed his displeasure at Mark's actions. According to the Sun, he said: "A thing that has irritated me is a picture in one of the papers about the most powerful man in English football - and it's Jude Bellingham's father.

"He was complaining when his son was taken off in a game - and that is an absolute joke. If you don't eradicate that kind of thing, that is an absolute disgrace."

In response to the incident, Dortmund reinforced their ban on agents and family members from the dressing room area. Kehl said: "The active area is and remains reserved for players, coaches and management, not families and advisers. That won't happen again. We have clearly informed everyone involved of this."

Split from his wife

After expertly steering their sons' careers, Mark and Denise have reportedly parted ways after over 20 years of marriage. The couple were recently spotted sitting separately during Jobe's match against Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League, sparking whispers about their marital status.

Following German reports of a "dangerously tense atmosphere" surrounding the family at the match, sources close to the pair have confirmed that Mark has become close to Shelley Punshon, a divorced mother of two from Stourbridge and a detective constable with West Mercia Police.

It is unclear how the duo crossed paths, but Ms Punshon posted a photo of them together on her public Facebook page in August. The picture shows a beaming Mark standing behind Ms Punshon, his arm draped around her.