A charity football match played last month in honour of the Manchester Arena attack victims and their families has raised over £80,000.
With this year marking five years since the bombing that saw 22 people tragically lose their lives on 22 May 2017, the Manchester Remembers match was played ahead of the anniversary last month at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium – with star-studded teams of ex-professionals and celebrities lacing up their boots for the occasion.
Famous Manc comedian Jason Manford played for the celebrity team on the day, alongside Bolton-born actor, comedian, and TV presenter Paddy McGuiness, while ex-Manchester City stars Shaun Goater and Trevor Sinclair featured for the former players team, along with other ex-professionals Paul Merson, Matt Le Tissier, Wes Brown, and Clayton Blackmore.
‘King of the Jungle’ Danny Miller, Love Island star Callum Jones, and comedian Steve Royle also played for the celebrities team.
Former Manchester City players Peter Reid and Joe Royle were in charge of coaching the celebrities’ team, and longtime football manager ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce headed up the team of ex-players.
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The Manchester Remembers match was played on Sunday 3 April at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium / Credit: MCR Remembers (via Twitter)
The Manchester Remembers match was put together by local business owner Paul Corrigan and firefighter Aaron Lee – who was one of the first responders to attend the scene of the incident, and who had already raised over £40,000 for charities and also established the ‘Hive 22 Running Club’ in the aftermath of the Arena attack.
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And now there is a further £82,492 from the match to add to the already-impressive total.
Taking to Twitter to announce the final fundraising total now that it’s all been tallied up, MCR Remembers thanked everyone “for all your support”, and confirmed that all benefitting charities will receive £16,498 each.
Worth the wait…
£8️⃣2️⃣,4️⃣9️⃣2️⃣.0️⃣0️⃣ !!
Eighty Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Ninety Two pounds !!!
— The McrRemembers Foundation™️⚽️🐝 (@McrRemembers) May 16, 2022
The funds were raised for five different charities set up by the families of the victims of the Manchester Arena attack – Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust, Liv’s Trust, The Megan Hurley Foundation, The Remembering Nell Foundation, and Eilidh’s Trust.
“What happened on that night shocked not just Manchester but the world,” Aaron Lee said ahead of the match.
“We had to do something special and remember those that were so sadly taken from their families and felt launching a city-wide football game would help us raise funds that could really make a difference.”
Molly-Mae Hague and adidas drop new collection inspired by matcha and iced lattes
Daisy Jackson
Today, adidas has finally released its hotly-anticipated parnership with Manchester-based influencer Molly-Mae Hague.
The social media superstar has collaborated with the sportswear giant for a limited-edition footwear collection inspired by matchas and iced lattes.
Molly-Mae and adidas Originals have just given fans a look at the shoes for the first time.
The star has curated a limited-edition collection of iconic Originals silhouettes – a Samba and a Superstar.
The first is the Samba Matcha shoes, a premium leather and suede shoe in a soft green colour, with double pink and white laces.
The other is a Superstar II Latte, which again features double laces in coffee-coloured hues, but in the iconic leather Superstar silhouette.
In behind-the-scenes footage of the design process on Molly-Mae’s Amazon Prime documentary series, Behind It All, she described them as ‘matcha cool girl in London’ shoes – and the vision has definitely come to life.
Molly-Mae said: “Seeing my creative vision come to life on two iconic adidas Originals silhouettes that have long been staples in my wardrobe is a true dream.
“Being so closely involved in the design process and creating products that feel fun, timeless, and an authentic extension of my own personal style has been the best experience.
“I am so excited to see how others style them in their own way.”
Steve Marks, VP Brand adidas UK commented: “At adidas, we partner with individuals who define style through authenticity and a deep-rooted connection to our brand.
“Molly-Mae’s relationship with adidas Originals has developed organically over time as a key advocate of the brand and this partnership represents a natural evolution – bringing her signature aesthetic to two of our most iconic silhouettes.”
The limited-edition adidas Originals x Molly-Mae collection drops in stores and online on 9 April, priced at £100 per pair.
Greater Manchester’s homicide rates have now dropped to a ‘historic’ low
Emily Sergeant
Homicide rates in Greater Manchester are now at the lowest they’ve been for 25 years, according to new figures.
Thanks to a major programme introduced by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to prevent violent crime and keep communities safe, known as the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), it has been revealed that the region’s homicide rate has fallen by 32% in 2025 to what is its lowest level on record since 1990.
If you’re unfamiliar with what the VRU is, it brings together GMP, Greater Manchester Probation Service, health and education professionals, youth justice, local authorities, and the voluntary, community and faith sector to address the underlying causes of violent crime.
It’s this multi-agency approach that’s said to be delivering ‘tangible results’ and driving a reduction in violent crime in Greater Manchester.
As well as homicide rates, the VRU’s partnership work with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is also said to be having ‘major impact’ across the region on issues like knife crime.
Thanks to operational activity helping to disrupt serious violence and remove more weapons from the region’s streets, the police have also recorded that knife crime in Greater Manchester has fallen by 15% in the last year too.
Following a steady decline since 2021, rates of personal robbery have fallen by 17% in the last year in Greater Manchester.
Greater Manchester’s homicide rates have now dropped to a ‘historic’ low / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Additionally, A&E attendances due to assault decreased by 3% in the same time period, with a 9% reduction among young people aged 10–24, and ambulance callouts for assault also fell by 9% in relation to this.
GMCA says that the reductions in demand for emergency services, as revealed in the latest figures, prove just how much the VRU’s combined prevention and enforcement approach is working.
“These latest figures show the real progress being made in tackling violent crime and making our streets safer,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham.
“Reductions in knife crime and homicides don’t happen by chance – they come from early intervention, our strong partnership with the police and our work with communities to tackle the root causes of violence.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th May 2022 
