Following on from their impressive and closely-ran 2022/23 campaign, Manchester United Women are gearing up for a huge and historic WSL fixture as the Manchester derbyapproaches this month.
After very nearly winning both the Women’s Super League and the Women’s FA Cup last season, not to mention qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever, Man United Women are looking to build on that progress and put a big marker down against local rivals and fellow title contenders Man City.
Better still, they want to ensure this is an even bigger occasion than ever, as not only is the Women’s Manchester derby being held at Old Trafford for the first time ever but the club is also looking to make the much-anticipated match a historic one by getting as many fans through the doors as possible.
With the women’s team breaking a club record late last year as 30,196 supporters turned up to watch the home side smash Aston Villa 5-0, United are hoping to go one better this year by bringing in even higher attendances and maybe even break the WSL record. There’s no better game to do it in.
The current record for best attendance at a WSL game belongs to Arsenal, who had 54,115 fans travel to the Emirates for their match against Liverpool just last month. The game ended in a 1-0 defeat but saw them smash the previous record, also set by the Gunners themselves (47, 367) against Spurs.
Since Old Trafford‘s capacity is nearly 75,000 and the Manchester derby remains a much bigger fixture than its equivalent in North London, both in the men’s and the WSL, surely us Manc can do better? Especially given the fact that match tickets for women’s games are still so affordable no matter how big the team gets.
Manchester, as it has always been, is on the up in every department: music, art, food, fashion and more, but there’s nothing that this city does better than sport. 0161 has always had a deep connection with football but the city is truly becoming one of the biggest champions of the women’s game.
The same goes for women’s football, which thanks to the likes of the Lionesses‘ success at Euro 2022 and incredible efforts at the World Cup, is growing larger and faster than ever before and there isn’t another place in the UK where interest is on the rise like it is here in 0161.
The WSL Manchester derby is one of the biggest fixtures on the Manc sporting calendar. (Credit: Man United Women via Instagram)
Setting an example with their performances on and off the pitch and serving as huge ambassadors for the women’s game to a next-generation eager to get stuck in, there aren’t many bigger and more inspiring club fixtures in the world right now than the Manchester derby.
As both teams are on the rise and guaranteed to go neck and neck for the title again this season, this is a game you don’t want to miss and since it’s two of the best teams in the land are played at both major home grounds for the first time in history, they know how big a clash this is — question is, do you?
With Manchester at the forefront of women’s football and sport in general as it has always been, not only are they giving you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a truly special and global movement, but you can even play your part in history by helping them break the attendance record.
Best of all, with tickets to watch the derby between Man United and Man City Women still just £15 for adults and as affordable as £7.50 for under 16s and those over 65, you won’t get many livelier, family-friendly atmospheres than under the light at Old Trafford. You can grab yours HERE.
Featured Image — Manchester United Women/Manchester City (via Instagram)
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Aspiring artists can get their work displayed on one of the biggest digital screens in Manchester
Danny Jones
Are you a budding artist looking to get your work seen or know some who is? Well, you might want to pay attention because there’s an opportunity to have your creation seen by countless passers-by and on one of the biggest displays in the entire UK over at the Printworks.
If you’ve passed through the much-loved hospitality and leisure complex over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed their roof is now no longer a roof at all, really; the striking ceiling is now a constantly moving image and the largest of its kind in all of Europe.
Meaning that anyone who got their artworks on there would effectively be securing one of the biggest displays and public installations on the continent.
As Printworks themselves put it: “This isn’t just a screen; it’s an artistic stage viewed by millions of visitors every year, with the power to turn a single artwork into a 360-degree sensory experience.”
With that in mind, they’re giving one lucky individual the chance to grab the spotlight and see their creative expression plastered on the 1,000m² wraparound LED canvas.
“Supporting emerging talent and seeing fresh, creative perspectives is always inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what these young artists bring to the table! It was so surreal seeing my artwork on the digital.”
Past installations have included the ‘Spaces Up-Above’ exhibition by world-renowned light artist, Rupert Newman, as well as an International Women’s Day showcase by Heitzman herself, as a fellow Manchester-based creative.
In case you need a better idea of the sheer scale of this screen and why this is such an exciting opportunity for up-and-coming local artists, here’s how they celebrated Oasis returning to Manchester for their Heaton Park reunion gigs this week:
Synchronised with sound and added motion effects, the competition is now open to students who are currently enrolled in college, university or art school.
Better still, you don’t even have to be from or based in the area to take part – this is a nationwide competition hoping to spotlight the best talents in the UK.
All you have to do to enter this exciting competition in Manchester is simply provide Printworks your details and upload your artwork of choice HERE by Sunday, 3 August.
Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade
Daisy Jackson
An iconic ready-to-drink favourite has launched back into the UK – oh yes, Breezer is back.
First launched in the 1990s, Breezers – then pitched as an ‘alcopop’ – were a staple on dancefloors and at barbecues right across the UK.
And now Bacardi has decided to bring these delicious, fruity, easy-drinking bottles back to British shores.
There are three new flavours to try as Breezers return to your fridges – Zesty Orange, Zingy Lime, and Crisp Watermelon.
And Breezer launched back into Manchester last night with a suitably memorable party, turning a spot in the Northern Quarter into a corner shop.
The ‘local Cornerbop’ was stacked with your usual essentials, plus shelf after shelf of these colourful glass ready-to-drink bottles.
Inside the Breezer ‘Cornerbop’ corner shop in ManchesterBreezer is back, in three new flavours
The Breezer relaunch party saw Tarsza and Rennie Peters spinning nostalgic anthems with a modern twist at a pop-up party in a corner shop.
Steve Young, business unit director for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland, said: “We know there is a lot of love for Breezer in the UK, and we are confident a new generation of consumers will fall in love with the new Breezer.
“RTDs are booming, however, the Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages category could do with a bit more excitement. By bringing back Breezer we’re definitely putting the fruity taste into FAB.”
The iconic ready-to-drink classic is back – and better than ever.