Sport
Man City’s Alex Greenwood vows ‘We’ll be back’ as Lionesses fly home from Women’s World Cup
It's coming home... just not yet.
The Lionesses came agonisingly close to making even more history on Sunday after just missing out on the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but as England’s women’s team head home, defender Alex Greenwood has vowed, “We will be back” in a heartfelt statement.
One of countless players that shone in the tournament, the Man City centre-back was understandably emotional as she took to social media to address the fans following the 1-0 loss to Spain in their first-ever World Cup final but, like the spirit this team has continued to exhibit, she was also defiant.
As she wrote on Instagram, Greenwood admitted, “This one hurts a lot and will for a while.
“However I just want to say Thank you to the whole team I have just spent the last 9 weeks with, it was an incredible journey with amazing people, I am so proud of you all.” Sarina Wiegman and her squad boarded the team plane on Monday morning and are due to arrive back in the UK on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old went on to add, “Thank you Australia, incredible hosts and fantastic people, you have given me some amazing memories I’ll cherish for life.
“Finally, thank you to our fans, here and at home; your support has been unbelievable and we are so thankful for that. Sorry we couldn’t bring it home!!”
Nevertheless, she ended on the perfect note which once again summed up everything we love about this group of players: “Humble in victory, gracious in defeat, we will be back!!”
You’re damn right they will.
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Speaking after the full-time whistle, her defensive partner and team captain Millie Bright said: “It’s hard [to take] but that’s football, it can go your way, it can go against you.
“They’re a fantastic team — I think first half we weren’t our best, second half we definitely put the fight in; we had chances, hit the bar but we just couldn’t finish it today, so congrats to them… A lot of emotion but really proud of the team and to come this far, play in a World Cup final, not many players do that. I’m really proud…
“I don’t think there’s much you can say at the minute; emotions are high, a huge amount of disappointment… but I think in a couple of weeks when it settles in we’ll be really, really proud and this is not it from us: we’ll bounce back I’m sure… The goal is always to win, our mentality is to win and we’ll never stop trying to be successful and be champions”.
You already are, both in Europe and to the people of this nation, and we know full well you’ll bring it home next time. Having spoken to Greenwood a few months back not long after their incredible Euros win, it was already hugely apparent how much the Lionesses have done for the women’s game already.
They should be nothing less than incredibly proud — we know we are.
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Featured Image — Lionesses (via Twitter)/Alex Greenwood (via Instagram)
Sport
Wigan unites in paying tribute to ‘much-loved’ local sports fan, Darren Orme, after body is found
Danny Jones
Wigan teams and the rest of the community have been paying tribute to local fan Darren Orme, whose body was sadly found earlier this week.
The passionate Wigan Athletic and Warriors supporter was a regular at both The Brick Community Stadium and the Latics’ former home, Spingfield Park. He was tragically found dead on Monday, 24 March, after being declared missing nearly three weeks ago.
As a “much-loved” personality among the regular footy and rugby crowds, his loss has hit both fan bases and the town as a whole hard, with countless locals sharing their condolences over the past few days.
Paying their respects to “a popular supporter” known to “thousands” for his “tireless efforts following the Latics“, the club shared a lengthy tribute to Orme on Tuesday.
The 54-year-old was last seen around 9pm on 5 March around the junction between Woodhouse Lane, Scot Lane and Beech Hill. Large-scale searches had been carried out by the local authorities and groups of volunteers following his disappearance.
His body was eventually located the body along a stretch of the River Douglas near Stadium Way just down from The Brick and Robin Park Arena.
Greater Manchester Police have since said they believe there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
The Official Wigan Athletic Supporters Group – which Orme was a member of for the best part of four decades – said they have been left “devastated” by his passing, adding: “Darren was Wigan Athletic through and through, and he lived and breathed blue and white.
“We know that Darren will always be cheering Latics on in spirit.”
As for Wigan Warriors, who recognised him as an equally beloved character up in the stands, the team joined their footballing counterparts in paying a heartfelt tribute, with hundreds of fans laying flowers and wreaths outside the ground.
Writing as part of a joint statement on the club website, the rugby league side said: “We join in sending our sincerest condolences to Darren’s friends and family, and we ask supporters to respect their privacy during this extremely difficult time.
“As a Football Club, Wigan Athletic will pay tribute to Darren with a minute’s applause at the home fixture against Barnsley on Saturday, 29 March (3pm kick-off) whilst a minute’s applause will be held at Wigan Warriors’ game against Salford on Sunday.
“We would like to thank the Wigan community, including supporters of both Clubs, for coming together over the last few weeks in search of Darren. We encourage supporters to pay their respects and share their memories of Darren.
“Flowers, shirts, and scarfs can be laid at The Brick Community Stadium alongside Dave Whelan’s statue, while a Book of Condolences will be located in the Stadium Reception for fans to sign.”
Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, his fellow supporters and all those whose lives Darren Orme touched – rest in peace.
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Featured Image — Greater Manchester Police/Wigan Warriors
Sport
Two Greater Manchester-based Paralympians pick up MBEs following Paris 2024 heroics
Danny Jones
A pair of Paralympians born just down the road and honed two discipline-leading national performance centres here in Manchester have officially been awarded MBEs.
The Northerners doing the country proud – sounds about right.
First off, if the name Poppy Maskill doesn’t ring a bell, the promising Paralympic was Team GB’s best-performing para-athlete at Paris 2024 this past summer, contributing a total of five medals towards the nation’s joint-third-highest tally.
After her heroics at the Games, the teenager who turns 20 this weekend (Saturday, 29 March) was the recipient of an early and very prestigious birthday present, becoming one of the youngest individuals to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in history.
She was named on the New Year’s Honours list back in December but finally collected her latest medal in person this week following a ceremony at Windsor Castle, being honoured by King Charles III personally.
Hailing from Middlewich just less than an hour away from our city centre, Maskill might be a Cheshire girl by birth, but this young sporting gem is being polished right here at the state-of-the-art Manchester Aquatics Centre (MAC).
The youngster became the first Paralympian to pick up gold back in August after not only winning the 100m butterfly but smashing the world record in the process, too.
Competing in the S14 class – a category for athletes with intellectual impairments – she finished the heat with in just 1:03, surpassing the previous best by more than half a minute. But her impressive performance didn’t stop there.
MAC regular Maskill went on to win two more golds in the S14 100m backstroke and 4 x100m S14 freestyle relay, as well as a pair of silver medals in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley S14. Just incredible.
Poppy Maskill wasn’t the only Greater Manchester-based para-athlete who was recognised this month, though, as Stockport‘s very own two-time Paralympic champion Sophie Unwin was also presented with the accolade for her services to sport.
Named a member of the Order along with her co-pilot Jenny Holl, Unwin’s Paris 2024 medal haul included a double of golds in the women’s B 3000m individual pursuit and the road race tandem B, not to mention a silver in the road time trial and a bronze in the 1000m time trial at Paris 2024.
Following in the footsteps of fellow MBE and Stopfordian cycling legend, Dame Sarah Storey, who won her 19th gold medal to become Britain’s greatest Paralympian of all time – having made the most of MAC and the National Cycling Centre over in East Manchester during her career – the borough did us proud.
30-year-old Unwin has kicked on just as strong in the new year as well, notching a narrow victory to set an unofficial (unfortunately) world record of 4:36.737 in the women’s tandem at the 2025 Lloyds National Track Championships here in Manchester.
Just keep all the medals coming, if you ask us…
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Featured Images — Stuart Grout (via Flickr)/Pit-yacker/Albinfo (via Wikimedia Commons)/Poppy Maskill (via Instagram)
