Ahead of the Women’s Super League Manchester derby on 11 December, we had the pleasure of speaking to Manchester City captain, Steph Houghton MBE.
The 34-year-old City defender and England international has been a stalwart for the side since 2014 and with the Blues in touching distance of United in the table, manager Gareth Taylor will be looking for a statement performance.
Leading by example, Houghton knows exactly what derby day means for the club and the fans.
Here’s what she had to say ahead of the big fixture.
What does the Manchester derby mean to you?
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“It means absolutely everything. I think from the moment I stepped into this club, and even prior to joining, I knew the Manchester derby means absolutely everything to the fans.
“For us as players to pull on the shirt, it’s not just about the game itself, it’s the bragging rights after and just that pride of playing for Manchester and this football club.
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“We know it’s going to be an absolutely massive game, the last time we played at the Etihad it was such an amazing occasion. It’s only good when you do win, so for us as players it’s about taking the atmosphere in and knowing that there are going to be a lot more City fans than there is United.
“Hopefully, put on a great performance, get those three points that we need and Manchester will be blue.”
What are your memories of the last derby at the Etihad Stadium in 2019?
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“I think for us we obviously knew there were a lot of tickets sold [a WSL record of 31,213, in fact]. We all went over to the stadium a couple of days before to get some familiarity with where we’d be on matchday.
“You then as a player start thinking about what will happen. But then that moment when you’re warming up and the crowd are cheering you and shouting your name, and then the moment when Caz Weir scored, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a noise like it.
“I think when you play in those games it’s about making the most of it. It’s going to be a great occasion, it’s been a long time coming since we played at the Etihad so it’s just about going and enjoying it and embracing it.”
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw is averaging over a goal a game at the minute, what makes her so special?
“I think for me, in terms of the chances she’s getting at the moment, she just seems to be putting every single one away. When you have strikers in that form you just have to keep on giving her the ball because she will create something.
“You saw against Everton it’s not just her scoring, she’s producing goals for other people as well. In terms of training, to play against her and mark her is so difficult because of that physicality and she’s starting to show that on the pitch now.
“It was her first season last year, so it takes a while for people to get used to how we play but come this second season she’s started so well and let’s hope that continues.”
City also have a 100% home record against United. How much do you think that will play into the result?
“Not just against United, our home record is pretty impressive. When we play at the Academy Stadium but especially against United, we want to win so badly, and I think it’s finding that balance of wanting to win but also sticking to what we do.
“I think over the previous seasons we’ve managed to do that and take the occasion out of it and treat it like a normal game. We have to give United respect, at the moment they’re in great form so, for us, it’s just about concentrating on ourselves and producing a performance we’re all going to be proud of.”
Popular activewear brand Tala launches physical shop in Selfridges
Daisy Jackson
Tala, a popular British athleisure brand famed for its flattering range of womenswear, has officially launched in Selfridges.
The fashion label has opened a pop-up in the Trafford Centre today, showcasing a selection of its beautiful clothing and accessories.
The brand, founded by entrepreneur and influencer Grace Beverley, is famed for its stylish sports bras, comfortable leggings, and flattering dresses and tops.
Tala has built up a loyal following thanks to collections like DayFlex, Sculpt Seamless, Signature Sweats, and 365 Sculpting Lounge, much of which will be available to browse inside Selfridges.
It’s the first time Tala has ever had a physical retail presence, launching in all four Selfridges stores across the country (including Manchester’s two department stores at the Trafford Centre and Exchange Square).
The pop-up space at Selfridges Trafford Centre has been decorated with soft neutral colours, halo lighting, and plants.
Tala’s range of athleisure is now available to browse in Selfridges in ManchesterTala has opened a pop-up inside Selfridges Trafford Centre
Grace Beverley, who will greet shoppers at Selfridges Trafford Centre tomorrow at Tala’s launch event, said: “Anyone who knows Tala knows that we – and I – are completely product-obsessed, so for customers to be able to try on their favorite Tala pieces in person is incredibly exciting, and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than Selfridges, a retailer that holds so much history within its walls.”
Morgan Fowles, CEO of Tala, added: “We’re very excited to be launching Tala at Selfridges. It’s a milestone moment to experience our brand in a physical retail environment for the first time, to feel and experience the quality and unique attributes of our products that set our brand apart.”
And Bosse Myhr, buying director of menswear, womenswear, and childrenswear at Selfridges, said: “Selfridges has selected a beautiful edit of new and best-selling Tala products and will bring them to life in their exciting and unique retail environment.
The fountains outside Selfridges at the Trafford Centre, Manchester
“Known for curating the finest and most innovative brands whilst sharing our commitment to ESG, Selfridges provides the perfect backdrop to connect with a broader audience whilst strengthening our bonds with our community.
“We are thrilled to welcome activewear brand, TALA to Selfridges as their first physical retail partner globally. It’s really important at Selfridges to nurture and platform emerging brands, and so we are super excited to be working with talented entrepreneur and founder Grace Beverley.”
A curated selection of highlights from Tala’s range is now available to browse in person in Selfridges Trafford Centre and Selfridges Exchange Square – and you need to get your hands on these leggings to believe how soft they are.
Science and Industry Museum reveals ‘gloriously gross’ half term events lineup
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most-visited museums has unveiled its exciting events lineup ahead of half term in a couple of weeks time.
Fancy diving into the “gloriously gross” world of our brilliant bodies?
It’s certainly not an invite you get every day, but as schools across Greater Manchester break up for half term at the end of this month, and parents and carers gear up to entertain the little ones, the Science and Industry Museum has, thankfully, just announced a wide range of events and activities especially for the holidays.
Anyone who considers themselves to be “curious about the incredible inner workings of the human body” are invited to join in with the series of anatomy-themed special events, star-studded appearances, and half term transformations.
And the best bit is that a good chunk of the events planned are actually open for you to get involved with for completely free of charge.
As the curtains on Operation Ouch! are due to close for good on Sunday 9 June, the museum has chosen to dedicate the entire month of May to celebrating the record-breaking exhibition and making sure it goes out in “a blaze of glorious grossness” by having it inspire all the upcoming ‘brilliant bodies’ events – and this half term is no different.
The Science and Industry Museum has revealed its ‘gloriously gross’ half term events lineup / Credit: Science Museum Group
As well as exploring the exhibition before it closes, mini Mancs can also bring a bear (or any soft squishy friend) to the museum and take them round the departments of the ‘Teddy Hospital’, as well as learn all about looking after their brains, bones, and bottoms with fun and fascinating activities, and find out how their skeleton works, what their poo is made of, and why we have blood.
The museum‘s team of Explainers will also be back in action this half term.
They’ll be putting on interactive science shows packed with “fun facts and wow moments” that explore how and why our bodies are all the same, but different too.
There’s so much to discover and explore about our ‘brilliant bodies’ at the museum this month / Credit: Science Museum Group
Away from the ‘brilliant bodies’ events, if you haven’t had the chance the make the most of the museum’s smash-hit gaming exhibition, Power UP, then this upcoming half term is the ideal time to do so.
Revolution Manchester, the museum’s interactive Experiment gallery, and the Textiles Gallery are also open for exploring for free all throughout the half term week.
Both free entry tickets to the museum, and charged-for tickets for Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You and Power UP, can be booked now on the Science and Industry Museum website.