England international and former Manchester City star Raheem Sterling‘s charity has recently become a Patrons and donor of the HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton.
Yet another reminder that Raz is an absolutely top lad.
The Raheem Sterling Foundation was officially announced as a partner of HideOUT YZ in the East Manchester district on Monday, 24 October, with the footballer’s organisation echoing the vital Gorton‘s site values: “working diligently to bring inspiring changes to young people who need it most.”
We are committed with @HideOut_YZ to improve social mobility for young people and provide guidance to break down barriers, secure opportunities and access better education.
In the current times of need, organisations like HideOut are more valuable than ever before.
— The Raheem Sterling Foundation (@RSfoundation) October 24, 2022
The youth charity and community centre’s aim is to provide young people with a safe space to participate in sports and other activities; make new friends, get inspired or simply relax.
While sport plays a big role in HideOut YZ’s youth community – hence Sterling‘s connection to the initiative – its central purpose revolves around “keeping children and young adults off the street” and reminding them of the importance of learning a skill.
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HideOut caters to people aged 8-19 and up to 25 for those with additional needs, introducing individuals to over 20 different creative and sporting activities every night for just 50p — a vital local resource, especially when schools are closed.
Beyond just keeping young people busy and entertained, the centre also offers employability and enterprise support, helping Manchester‘s youth develop their entrepreneurial skills, find apprenticeships and pursue valuable qualifications, both academic and professional.
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For instance, to celebrate the partnership, Sterling’s foundation teamed up with talkSPORT to launch a ‘Broadcast Academy’, which will help deliver skills and knowledge to those looking to go into broadcast media after they leave education.
You love to see it.
🔍We're looking for 6 young people to take part in the year-long project!
⚽ age 14-19 ⚽ interest in football ⚽ interest in a career in media ⚽ be a #HideOutYZ member
The foundation’s Chair of Trustees Clive Ellington said in a statement: “We are proud to be announced as Patron of HideOut youth zone.
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“Its vision and values supporting young people match that of the Foundation, and we look forward to working closely with them helping to educate, inspire and empower the young people of Manchester.”
Located next to Gorton Park, the facility opened in 2020 and is part of the national OnSide Network charity, originally founded back in 2008. Since then, 14 youth zones have been set up across the UK.
Gorton’s state-of-the-art HideOUT YZ is the most recent to have been opened and cost £6.6 million to build, signifying a massive investment in the Greater Manchester area.
Despite leaving 0161 for a return to London life, it’s clear that Sterling still has a deep affection for Manchester and having put down roots here for seven years – not to mention understanding the importance of having outlets like these at a young age – he’ll always be an honorary Manc in our eyes.
If you or a young person in your family is looking for somewhere to keep busy, stay active, learn or simply keep out of trouble, the HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton is a safe haven full ran by wonderful people.
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The youth centre is open for seniors (13-19) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, while the junior club (8-12) runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is also the Sunday Club for both age groups.
You can find the full list of opening times and information for those with additional needs HERE.
Featured Image — HideOut Youth Zone/Raheem Sterling Foundation (via Twitter)
Sport
Pep Guardiola apologises for ’embarrassing’ camera operator confrontation
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has apologised after confronting a cameraman following the Premier League fixture against Newcastle United this past weekend.
The Blues boss was left visibly frustrated as Man City were beaten 2-1 away at St James’ Park by Eddie Howe’s side following a flurry of three finishes in the space of just six minutes.
However, this wasn’t the only action pitchside during the game, as not only have some supporters argued they should have had a penalty as Phil Foden was brought down in the box, Pep was also seen engaging in a loaded exchange with opposition captain Bruno Guimarães, as well as a camera operator.
Guardiola has since apologised for the incident, confessing he was left “embarrassed” by his own conduct and admitting that even “after 1,000 games, I’m not a perfect person – I make huge mistakes.”
As you can see, the Catalan coach approached the member of the broadcasting team following a fairly widespread spat both during the second Newcastle goal and following the full-time whistle.
Despite journalists recognising a natural amount of frustration and passion amidst the narrow loss and speculation over decisions, he went so far as to say he wasn’t “ashamed” of his actions at the time and doesn’t like or condone this kind of behaviour.
He was also seen smacking his seat in the dugout after conceding as well as after missed chances by his own players.
Pep assured that he apologised to the cameraman within seconds, remarking, “I am who I am” and reminding football fans that he is a human capable of acting on instinct just like anyone else.
He also clarified that the bulk of his issues on the day were to do with the officiating, taking umbrage with the referee’s decision-making in multiple instances.
You can see the clip down below:
"I feel embarrassed and ashamed when I see it"
Pep Guardiola apologises for his behaviour towards a camera operator after the defeat at Newcastle. pic.twitter.com/wVYfJDbnLm
As for his conversation with Guimarães, he wouldn’t disclose any details of their conversation, but did insist to one reporter that they share a good relationship, confessing that he is “an emotional guy” and can often appear particularly animated as he is known for gesticulating.
It seems that the 54-year-old was just annoyed over the potential penalty, but match-winner Harvey Barnes’ brace in particular, too.
Not only were there questions of a foul on new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – whose shot-stopping was otherwise excellent for the majority of the match – but Guimarães was supposedly offside in the build-up to the strike.
Regardless, Pep went on to add that the confrontation with the cameraman, Donnarumma’s booking for dissent, and general disappointment have been “immediately forgotten”, and all eyes are now focused on City’s big European meeting with Bayern Leverkusen.
You can see the highlights from Newcastle vs Man City down below.
Scott Carson reveals important behind-the-scenes role at Manchester City
Danny Jones
Recently retired goalkeeper Scott Carson has revealed the unsung but important role he had behind the scenes during his time at Manchester City.
The 40-year-old ex-pro called time on his playing career after more than two decades and six years in sky blue, having made just two appearances for the club during a period in which they won 11 trophies.
Carson officially hung up his gloves on 23 October 2025, following his contract expiration, and since then has found himself carrying out a number of interviews, including one with Fozcast, hosted by another fellow shotstopper who spent time in Manchester, Ben Foster.
While lots of people have joked that he did very little to earn the flurry of medals so late in his career, or at the very least theorised as to what he actually did behind the scenes, he’s now been more open than ever about the largely sidelined spell.
🗣️ "When people had to be serious, they were serious"
Scott Carson reveals what it was like working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/HZGjVkrso0
Sitting down with Sky Sports, the Cumbrian keeper confirmed that initially it was, indeed, just a case of serving as not even as a rotation option but a back-up third choice.
Nevertheless, he’s an experienced veteran with 11 different teams on his CV, including Leeds United, Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday – though only a handful of games for each – as well as half a century of appearances at Wigan Athletic before his longest stints at the likes of West Brom and Derby County.
While this job usually involves purely training, helping keep other players sharp, he says that after settling into the Etihad Campus a little more, he found himself performing a much more influential, albeit largely unsung, role in the background.
Getting validation from manager Pep Guardiola that the side “needed more of that”, he essentially ended up providing valuable seniority and motivation amongst the group, despite only playing a couple of times.
Bidding farewell to the Whitehaven-born cult hero, the club wrote: “During his time at City, Carson has been praised by goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor and peers Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno for his work ethic and the effect of his positive attitude amongst the group.”
Speaking about Guardiola specifically, he hailed the Catalan coach for having overhauled modern football in this country, as well as giving him the secondary task of supporting his teammates, be it via boosting morale and ‘picking up’ those left frustrated by matchday selection.
As well as noting his widely publicised detail-oriented nature, he also made a point of recognising that Pep himself was “evolving each season”, whether or not everyone else saw it.
In short, he said he has helped improve the quality of the Premier League and, more specifically, that he helped redefine what a goalkeeper can be in the division.
You can watch the rest of the interview in full down below.
Danny Jones -
26th October 2022 
