With less than a fortnight until the first game, the folks at Printworks are ready and raring to go for Euro 2024 – so much so that they’ve decided to kick things off themselves with a free football tournament this weekend.
But it comes with a bit of a twist.
Ever heard of Panna football? Well, even if you haven’t, chances are you’ve seen it plenty of times before; think those noughties ‘joga bonito’ adverts, FIFA Street and playing on the cages in the park with your mates.
In short, Panna is street football at its finest and most skilful, prioritising trickery, tekkers and lightning-fast footwork above all else, and now Printworks is hosting a free tournament where you can watch, learn and take part.
Most Panna arena are usually circular or octagonal (Credit: Supplied)
Being set up in the Pumpyard area of the recently renovated entertainment and leisure centre, the 6x6m Panna pitch will see competitors aim to beat each other by scoring more goals than their opponent or by playing the ball through the other player’s legs, i.e. ‘Panna’.
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We usually just call it a nutmeg here in the UK but, you know, each to their own.
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as skinning another player up, especially in front of a crowd, but Printworks is making things even more interesting by giving away prizes to those who show the most skills over the weekend.
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What’s more is you’ll have plenty of tunes to keep your rhythm on the ball flowing and a pretty much constant light show going on above you thanks to their state-of-the-art digital ceiling, which just so happens to be the biggest in Europe.
The already eye-catching display will show bespoke football-themed content but we’re hoping it’ll be the talent on the day that leaves people most mesmerised. Expert freestyler, Roman Brezovsky, will also be joining in with the fun on Saturday, entertaining the crowds with his quick footwork and hat full of tricks.
Children of all ages and adults alike can join in on the fun completely free, pick up tips for the football tournament as well as capture all the best content from Printworks’ massive new digital screen.
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Once again, the event is only on this weekend (8-9 June from 11am to 4pm) but there’s also going to be a shed load of discounts at various in-house bars and restaurants throughout the Euros, including free pints and a whopping 25% off drinks packages throughout the tournaments at Walkabout.
We can only do about three consecutive kick-ups, so we might sit this one out but we hope to see lots of you there showcasing your skills and getting in the mood for football coming home.
Featured Images — Prime Video (supplied via Printworks)/The Manc Group
Sport
Tommy Fury announces huge fight against former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall
Daisy Jackson
Tommy Fury has announced his next major boxing match – against a rather unlikely opponent.
The Manc boxer and former Love Island star will face Eddie Hall, who once reigned as the World’s Strongest Man and was the first person on the planet to deadlift 500kg.
The match, billed as Beauty vs The Beast (we’ll let you decide who’s who…), will take place at the AO Arena this summer.
Tommy Fury and Eddie Hall will be facing off in Manchester as part of the Misfits Boxing series, a sports promotion company founded by YouTube sensation KSI.
26-year-old Fury – younger brother of heavyweight legend Tyson Fury – remains unbeaten, seeing off all-comers in the crossover boxing world.
As for 38-year-old Eddie Hall (nicknamed The Beast), he retired as a strongman competitor, where he’s previously been crowned the World’s Strongest Man, and has now pivoted into combat sports.
The pair have collaborated recently on several videos online, taking on challenges like a One Punch Knockout and a breakfast eating competition.
But this will be the first time they’ve publicly faced off in the ring.
Misfirst Boxing has once more delivered the biggest match-ups possible in the crossover boxing space, with Fury vs. Hall promising to be a titanic tussle that will captivate fans around the world.
Tommy Fury vs Eddie Hall, Beauty vs The Beast, will take place on Saturday 13 June at the AO Arena in Manchester – you can get tickets HERE.
Corey Blackett-Taylor ruled out injured for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers winger Corey Blackett-Taylor has been ruled out for the rest of the season following injury.
With not that long left in this year’s campaign and the playoff scrap set to ramp up even further in the coming weeks, it’s an unfortunate twist of fate for the Trotters.
Despite still being only a relatively recent signing, having just joined Bolton in the most recent January transfer window, it didn’t take long for him to make a good impression.
Scoring on debut in a 1-0 away win against AFC Wimbledon, the 28-year-old is now set to miss the remainder of the 2025/26 term, letting supporters know the news on Friday, 27 March.
Blackett-Taylor was forced off in the game against Rotherham United after pulling up in the wake of taking a shot, ultimately being subbed in the first half.
It was quickly confirmed to be a thigh injury, and while the specific nature and severity of the damage haven’t been fully detailed, he has now informed fans that his season is over.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “Instantly from arriving at the club, I felt the passion and support from the fans, club, staff and players.
“I have no doubts [about] the club achieving their targets of promotion – I want to say a huge thank you for making me feel so welcomed and comfortable. Unfortunately, my season is concluded due to my injury, but I’ll be here supporting the team to the very end.”
He isn’t the only impactful League One player at a side eyeing up the Championship to have been hampered by setbacks on the physio bench, with rivals Stockport County also confirming an absence at this crucial point in the campaign.
Not ideal for either of the Greater Manchester hopefuls.
Once again, while the recovery period for both of these players has already begun, the exact timelines for their return remain to be seen.
That being said, chances are we’ll see the Derby County loanee back in action before Hills, though we’ll have to wait to find out whether it will be at the Toughsheet Stadium or back with his parent club.
Who do you think is going to clinch that third promotion place at Wembley come this May?
Danny Jones -
5th June 2024 
