A group of lifelong Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle fans are set to have their years of service and support rewarded by becoming part of the Guard of Honour at this year’s EFL Trophy final.
Drummed up with lead sponsor Papa Johns, six deserving and long-serving supporters from each side have been selected to be part of a special pre-match ceremony that will see them join the congratulatory Guard of Honour as they usher the players onto the pitch for the final of the historic cup competition.
Welcoming heroes from their respective teams onto the hallowed ground of Wembley, these faithful football fans and seasoned match-goers will not only get to line up in front of the tunnel as so many players have before, but they will also arrive like royalty on a private coach and get to meet club legends.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience is part of the EFL’s wider community programme aimed at providing opportunities for over 55s, such as the Extra Time Hubs dotted around the country which help arrange activities and social spaces for ageing football fans all across the UK. This is what we like to hear.
Veteran Bolton fan, Bob GrenvilleLifelong Plymouth fan, Cynthia JagoA dozen dedicated Bolton and Plymouth fans will help give the Guard of Honour in the 2023 EFL Trophy final
Those who have been selected, many of whom are retired, were recognised not only for their unerring support but for their own unique and fascinating stories down the years.
ADVERTISEMENT
A Bolton fan for more than 70 years, Stella Peel was just 14 when she used to sneak out of the house to go games as her father didn’t like her watching football.
As for the Argyle fans involved, veteran Dave Boobier has been a supporter since the first post-WWII season of 1945/46, and Dave Sellick was witness to the incredible match which saw the late, great Pelé and Brazilian giants Santos beaten by his side 3-2 at home back in 1973. Imagine that.
ADVERTISEMENT
Behind every fan is a backstory and these lot have seen more than their fair share down the years.
The Papa Johns EFL Trophy Final kicks off at 3pm on 2 April, with Wanderers facing up against The Pilgrims in the Greater Manchester side’s first visit to Wembley in 12 years.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt said his club’s fans “deserve a big day out” after this season and everything they’ve been through in recent years. His squad will no doubt do everything they can to try and deliver.
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.
Danny Jones -
29th March 2023 
