Newly promoted Stockport County are set to supply free PE kits to thousands of school kids in and around the local region.
Fresh from another successful domestic campaign, climbing back into League One as Champions after 12 years, the Greater Manchester side is making sure to translate the progress seen on the pitch this season into more positivity across the Stockport area too.
The brand-new initiative set up by the club’s Community Trust arm will see more than 3,500 PE kits delivered to school children across the borough in time for the new term this September, with the goal of handing out a further three-and-a-half times that amount by the end of 2025.
Focusing on primary school ages specifically, the hope is to get more and more kids active and participating in football, sports and other forms of physical education from an early age – a deeply important cause when it comes to the next generation.
Stockport County is delighted to announce the launch of its new Kits by County campaign, as the club aims to raise enough funds to provide 12,500 PE kits for Stockport's Primary School kids.
— Stockport (C)ounty (@StockportCounty) May 9, 2024
Stockport County are hoping to give out thousands more free PE kits to Stopfordian kids by September 2025.
Teaming up with school wear manufacturer Trutex, the scheme will ensure that kits adhere to most schools’ standard PE requirements: white polo shirts, a pair of black joggers and a pair of black shorts.
ADVERTISEMENT
Better still, the brand has agreed to provide these kits to County and, in turn, to primary school pupils at a significant discount. The importance of drives like this cannot be overstated given the ongoing cost of living crisis being seen all over the country.
Pressures on the family purse continue to be a contributing factor for primary school children not taking part in PE as many families with disposable income struggle to afford the cost of a new PE kit every term.
ADVERTISEMENT
As per an official release from the club, half of the local primary school children get their main exercise from PE at school and, sadly, 30% of primary school leavers go into secondary education classed as obese.
That’s where initiatives like this can help make all the difference – as does their regular County Camps sessions, not to mention the annual ‘County in the Park’ event, which lets kids play on the actual pitch at Edgeley at absolutely no cost to parents.
⚽️ Our ever-popular County Camps holiday football sessions are returning this half-term
🥅 Plenty of football-based fun and games for children (including a FREE girls-only session)
Even more concerningly, it was found that not only is turning to school without a PE kit an immediate obstacle that sees many kids sit out lessons but research also found that children were reluctant to borrow PE kits from schools out of embarrassment.
ADVERTISEMENT
County Community Trust CEO, Alison Warwood, said: “Not having a PE kit, shouldn’t be what stops children from taking part in physical activity. The school’s ‘lost and found’ bin sadly comes with a playground stigma and if children are to enjoy PE in school, they need their own kit to take pride in.
“As a result, the Club’s owner, Mark Stott has agreed to fund 3,500 PE kits for Stockport primary school kids in September, targeting families most in need, including those who fall outside of traditional indicators such as universal credit and the pupil premium, receiving little-to-no help.”
In the town’s most deprived areas, it’s thought that up to 90% of primary school children could benefit from an initiative such as this. So, the club are also aiming to raise enough money so that it can provide 12,500 PE kits for primary school children in 2025, with £2 from every Stockport County shirt sold next season going towards funding the kits. A great idea for an important cause.
Hatters fans or those simply looking to help do their bit can also make a direct contribution via their dedicated JustGiving page HERE. Let’s make sure the next generation keeps moving.
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Manchester City (press shots)
Sport
Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Danny Jones -
15th May 2024 
