Jack Grealish has surprised a young visually impaired fan by sending him a signed shirt and a personalised letter written in braille.
It’s fair to say that the Birmingham-born footballer has had quite the eventful week.
After playing an important part in winning the Champions League to help Manchester City complete the historic treble, the 27-year-old went on to properly let his hair down and celebrate in style at the team’s trophy parade, with his entertaining antics being shared all across social media, all before reporting for international duty with England only a few days later.
But even with his busy schedule, Grealish is known for always making time for his fans – as 10-year-old Ralph Mullineaux was lucky enough to find out last week.
The budding para footballer from Cornwall – who is severely visually impaired, and has recently starred in a TV advert for charity Guide Dogs – calls the Manchester City and England winger his “hero”, and admits that he even regularly wears his hair scraped back in a hairband like Grealish so that he can “be just like him”.
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As Ralph’s mum Georgina explained in a social media post, the youngster “really loves how Grealish understands disability”, especially as the footballer often “celebrates” and shares how much of an inspiration his younger sister, Hollie – who has cerebral palsy – is to him.
Jack Grealish with his younger sister Hollie, who has cerebral palsy / Credit: Jack Grealish (via Instagram)
Grealish is notably an ambassador for the Special Olympics, as well as being a long-time supporter of the Saving Lives and Children in Need charities.
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In a bid to let the footballer know how much of a role model he is to him and other young fans everywhere, Ralph decided to send a letter to Grealish written braille – and to his surprise, Grealish sent a personalised letter back, along with a signed Manchester City shirt.
The brilliant moment Ralph received the letter and shirt was caught on camera and shared to Instagram.
“Thank you so much to man of the moment who’s sent Ralph a signed shirt and a personalised letter,” Ralph’s mum Georgina wrote on Instagram.
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“Grealish is Ralph’s hero. Ralph wears his hair like Jack so he can be just like him… Ralph sent Jack a letter in Braille telling him how much of an amazing role model he is. As Ralph has a visual impairment, he really loves how Grealish understands disability and celebrates his sister who has cerebral palsy.
“Ralph was beyond thrilled to get a reply from his favourite footballer, and for it to be in braille, is just so special.
“It’s so nice to see how inclusive and kind Jack and Manchester City can be.”
It seems that the signed shirt and personalised letter from Grealish is just one of a handful of amazing things to have happened to Ralph already in 2023, as Georgina revealed that the 10-year-old has also been accepted onto the England Para Football VI Pathway programme, as well as becoming the star of a TV advert for Guide Dogs – which is a charity that has “helped him so much”.
After all his achievements so far this year, Ralph’s mum has admitted she is “so proud of him”.
Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
“Booking early might also be beneficial for fans dedicated to seeing the band perform.
“You can opt for free cancellation options, in case rumoured dates change, or you’re no longer able to attend.”
Featured Image – Point3D (via Unsplash)
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Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
19th June 2023 
