THE former wife of soccer star Ray Parlour today won her fight for more than a third of his income.

Karen Parlour, whose marriage to the '1.2m-a-year Arsenal midfielder was dissolved in 2002, had said she had stood by her man on his way to fame and fortune.

And today the Court of Appeal increased the former optician's assistant's '250,000-a-year maintenance to '406,500.

The award - to be reviewed in four years - is in addition to two houses worth more than '1m and a '250,000 lump sum, plus the '12,500 a year Parlour is paying for each of their three children, aged eight, six and four.

The 31-year-old player - who had offered her '120,000 a year - must also pay the costs of the case, estimated at up to '1m for both parties. Three judges had been asked to rule that, in principle, the post-divorce income of a high-earning spouse should be split 50-50.

Mrs Parlour, 33, claimed 37 per cent because her relationship with the Premiership star lasted only seven years.

She said: "I am very relieved at the outcome of the appeal and the settlement agreed.

"However, it has been a difficult and stressful time for all of us and I have not enjoyed my family and I being in the media's spotlight."

Her legal advisers, Clintons, said: "This judgment clarifies a hitherto uncertain area of the law and we welcome it. It will create a greater degree of fairness.

Contributions

"However, it must be emphasised that this judgment will apply in only a very limited number of cases, where the family's income is so high that there is a substantial surplus left after both party's reasonable income needs and those of any children have been met."

Today's judgment recognised that Parlour's income would "plummet" in his mid-30s and that his ex-wife would have to save a substantial sum, put at '294,000 a year, to provide for the future.

In January, High Court Family Division judge Mr Justice Bennett awarded Mrs Parlour '250,000 annual maintenance, ruling that her ex-husband's offer of '120,000 did not reflect the major part she played in persuading him to "grow up" and drop the hard-drinking "laddish" culture that existed among certain Arsenal players.

Her contributions to his career, as well as to the home and the care of the children, should not be played down, he said.

Ray Parlour's legal team argued that Karen's contribution to his success on the pitch was not part of a "joint enterprise" asset.

"He is the one who performs the labour," said Nicholas Francis QC.

The case was heard alongside a similar appeal, also successful, by another mother of three for an increase in the '180,000 a year awarded by the same judge against her wealthy accountant ex-husband.