Football has an incredible ability to bring people together – and perhaps no club illustrates this better than Angels United FC.
A very different kind of football team, Angels United were originally formed by a group of fathers – all of whom had suffered the devastating loss of a child.
By getting together, they realised they could all “play the beautiful game that they love 90 minutes…and thrive in that environment”.
A club rep explains: “When we take to the pitch we support each other and it gives the opportunity to represent our Angels on the pitch.”
Courtesy of Angels United FC
This special sports team is expanding, too – becoming a support system for entire families.
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According to club representatives, Angels United have widened their focus because “it isn’t just fathers who are affected: It’s mothers, brothers, sisters who also experience grief”.
Their new mission is to help anyone who has suffered heartbreaking bereavement – making sure that mums and partners of players are involved with all the decisions that need to be made in relation to the club.
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Angels United are still very in the early stages, having only played their first game in October 2020.
They’re also still on the lookout for a permanent home; seeking support from local businesses to act as sponsors.
But what the club lacks in experience, it makes up for in ambition – with some very big plans for the future.
Going forward, Angels United are hoping to bring in a mental health professional or counsellor – who will work alongside players and families.
They’re also aiming to become a registered charity; raising awareness about what people go through after suffering a child bereavement.
“There are words such as ‘widow’ for someone who has lost their husband, [but] as far as we are concerned there is no word to describe someone who has lost their child,” Angels United reps explained.
“We call them family and [we] want to be that shining light and safety net for families who reach to us.”
If you’d like to learn more about how you can get involved with Angels United, contact the club via their social media pages on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter.
Sport
Both Manchester United and Manchester City named as teams with the least amount of local fans
Emily Sergeant
Both Manchester United and Manchester City have been identified as being teams with the least amount of local fans, according to a new survey.
We all know that supporting a local team can be seen as a mark of credibility among a certain kind of football fan, while on the flip side of that, not following a local team is often associated with being a ‘glory hunter’. But which Premier League clubs have the highest – and lowest – proportion of supporters living close to home?
Well, YouGov decided to use its profiles data to analyse the fanbases of all 20 Premier League clubs for the 2026-27 season to get the answer to this once and for all.
And it’s fair to say that it’s not looking the best for the Manchester teams.
The study found that, overall, Brighton & Hove Albion is the Premier League’s most local team – with 56% of fans based in the South East.
Sunderland (50%) and Nottingham Forest (49%) supporters are the next-most likely to live in the same region as their teams, followed by Aston Villa, Brentford, Ipswich, Leeds, Fulham, Hull, and Crystal Palace fans rounding out the top 10.
At the other end of the table, Manchester United has the second-lowest proportion of local supporters, with only a quarter based in the North West (23%), with one in six (17%) actually living in London instead.
And then as for Manchester City – who are widely considered to be the most successful team of the modern era – it has ranked fourth-bottom for local fans, as a quarter of the club’s supporters are based in the North West, with a fifth based in London (19%).
But although both United and City have found themselves towards the bottom end of the ranking, they are not the worst offenders.
That title, unfortunately, does belong to another North West team though – Liverpool.
Liverpool is the club with the lowest proportion of ‘local’ supporters, as just a fifth are based in the North West (21%) with the next highest concentration of fans can being found in London.
Featured Image – Johnny Gios (via Unsplash)
Sport
Manchester Storm game postponed just one week after AO Arena return due to ‘technical issue with the ice’
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Storm’s second game back at the AO Arena had to be postponed over the weekend due to a ‘technical issue with the ice’.
The ice hockey team made a record-breaking return to the venue earlier this month, attracting some 11,000 fans to watch their match against Sheffield Steelers.
But just one week later, as Manchester Storm prepared to face off against The Nottingham Panthers, the game had to be postponed.
Fans were already inside the legendary venue when a ‘technical issue with the ice’ became apparent and the game was called off.
Manchester Storm and the AO Arena said they ‘sincerely apologise’ to supporters and ticket holders for the disruption.
The game has now been rescheduled to Wednesday 14 October, with tickets valid for the new fixture.
The full statement read: “Unfortunately today’s Manchester Storm game vs The Nottingham Panthers has been suspended due to a technical issue with the ice.
“We sincerely apologise to supporters and ticket holders for the disruption and would like to thank everyone in attendance for their patience.
Kate Jackson -
3rd November 2020 
