A survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing has kept his promise to the paramedic who saved his life by taking him to see Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup over the weekend.Better still, he’ll be taking him to the final as well.
Martin Hibbert, who was tragically left paralysed following the Arena attack, struck up a special friendship with paramedic Paul Harvey after the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) veteran was crucial in saving his life in the hours after the bombing.
Despite being instructed to take Martin to Wythenshawe Hospital on 22 May 2017, Paul chose to take him to Salford Royal‘s major trauma unit to be given a blood clotting agent — a crucial decision that stopped him from bleeding to death. His daughter Eve also survived severe brain injuries on the night.
Knowing full well that he played a huge role in saving his life on the night, Martin promised that if United ever made it to an FA Cup final, he would take him along as a thank you and on Sunday, with a bit of help from the club, the pair went along to see them beat Brighton in the semi-final.
Promised @peejayharvee I’d take him to an FA Cuo Final if we ever got there and today I hold true on my promise. Everyone close to me knows Paul, as he’s the Paramedic that saved my life on the night of the Arena terrorist attack. Thank you @ManUtd for not letting me down!!! See… pic.twitter.com/siYDopdpMW
The Arena survivor and his life-saving paramedic watching United win at Wembley.
With United beating the Seagulls 7-6 on penalties and booking their spot in the FA Cup final — the first time it has ever been a Manchester derby — Martin will be seeing out his promise to the fullest and taking Paul along to cheer on their team again in the club’s second final this season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester, Martin said that “if it wasn’t for a lovely guy called Paul Harvey, I definitely wouldn’t be here”, explaining how although Paul knew he had survived, the two had never found each other until the hero’s wife spotted him on an ITV documentary about the attack.
Meeting up afterwards and discovering that he was also a big Red, he took him on his first of many visits to Old Trafford just a few years ago, making his FA Cup promise and enjoying a “special relationship” ever since. Paul sadly suffered similarly serious spinal injuries following an accident in 2021.
ADVERTISEMENT
With Paul having recently left the NWAS after more than 22 years of service, going on to become a PCN para, he was then surprised by Martin just a few weeks ago with tickets to the semis (his first-ever trip to Wembley) and the belief that United would make it to the final — and now they have. Storybook stuff.
Emotions all over the place last night, my last time in green 🚑💚 Goodbye after 22 years, but pastures new ahead!! A new challenge & nearly 50 😮😉 Thankyou to my Green family 💚 pic.twitter.com/BKxU2fysIf
He went on to add that “[Sunday’s win] was about more than just football: it was about love, friendship and what can come out of something so horrible… something beautiful”. Heartwarming stuff and beyond well deserved — we only hope that the pair get the result they’re hoping for on 3 June.
With his spinal cord being severed in the attack, the 46-year-old survivor has gone on to become a massive disability advocate and campaigner, becoming both a motivational speaker and the vice president of the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).
ADVERTISEMENT
As if this pair weren’t inspiring enough, last year Martin went on to become the second paraplegic to ever summit Mount Kilimanjaro and has raised nearly £1 million for the SIA. Simply incredible.
Featured Image — Martin Hibbert/Paul Harvey (via Twitter)
Sport
Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
Danny Jones -
25th April 2023 
