Sport

Manchester City Women part ways with manager Gareth Taylor just FIVE days before cup final

Interesting timing, to say the least.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 10th March 2025

In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Manchester City have sacked their women’s team manager Gareth Taylor less than a week before a crucial cup final.

Taylor has been in charge of the Man City Women first team since May 2020, having only just signed a new three-year contract last March, however, it now looks as though there’s been a big sea change at the Joie Stadium.

Having been with the club for the best part of eight years, first as a player (1998-2001) and then as a coach, it’s the end of an era not just for City but for him personally too.

Announced on Monday, 10 March, the club revealed that they have “parted ways” with the retired Welsh forward-turned-manager, adding that ex-head coach Nick Cushing will be replacing him on an interim basis for the rest of the season.

Writing in a lengthy statement, the club said: “Taylor has a long-standing association with Manchester City, having been both a player and having undertaken various roles within the boys’ academy prior to joining MCWFC in 2020.

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“He led our women’s team to FA Cup and League Cup success in 2020 and 2022 respectively, before narrowly missing out on last season’s WSL title on goal difference alone.”

MCWFC Managing Director, Charlotte O’Neill, added: “Manchester City prides itself on competing at the top of the WSL and on its outstanding record of qualifying for European competition.

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“Unfortunately, results this season have so far not reached this high standard. With six games of the WSL campaign remaining, we believe that a change of management will breathe fresh life into our bid to ensure qualification for the 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League.”

“We would like to place on record our thanks to Gareth for all of his efforts during his many years at City. Our FA Cup and League Cup triumphs will remain special moments in the history of this football club. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Supporters have been posting their opinions on the news across social media:

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Although not everyone will be totally surprised to see him go – especially after making his frustration at Chloe Kelly’s own departure from the club to title rivals Arsenal rather publicly known in a recent press conference – the timing is nevertheless curious.

With Man City set to face WSL top dogs Chelsea in the Women’s League Cup final this Saturday, not to mention another three crucial knockout ties on the horizon in the next few weeks, sacking a manager seems like a rather bold step by the Blues.

It’s also worth noting that Taylor led them to win the trophy in 2022 and the FA Women’s Cup just two years before that.

For context, their next six games include the final, a two-legged Champions League quarter (also against the East London giants) and a Manchester derby FA Women’s Cup semi.

Even with the league fixtures, there are no small games, as the saying goes.

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As for Gareth Taylor himself, we’ll have to wait to see if the now ex-Women’s manager shares any kind of response in the coming days and weeks but it’s fair to say the decision has been made at a crucial time.

The club currently sit fourth in the table and a full 12 points off the league leaders What do you make of it, City fans – right call or would you have liked him to stay?

As for the men’s team, there could be another interesting development in regards to the backroom staff and a potential new assistant coach:

Fernandinho has reportedly been offered a coaching role at Manchester City
Gareth Taylor might be sacked but another former player might be coming back.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Manchester City (screenshot via YouTube)

Sport

The female-only five mile trail race that’s been running through Salford for over three decades

Danny Jones Danny Jones

The running boom in Greater Manchester is getting bigger every year but for lots of locals, it’s been a regular pastime for much longer and some events like this women’s trail race in Salford have been going for more than thirty years.

Jogging and road racing are one thing but trail running is a discipline all of its own and with such wonderful landscapes to traverse all over the North West let alone just the 10 boroughs, thousands get stuck into it every year.

With that in mind, 2025 marks the 33rd edition of the annual Ladies Trail Race hosted by Swinton Running Club, which sees hordes of female runners turn up to take part and, most importantly, have fun every single year.

Taking place this spring, the latest event makes use of Salford’s largest conservation area and is expecting yet another solid turnout.

Credit: Swinton Running Club (supplied)

Aiming to provide a welcoming space for all women, regardless of background or experience, the Ladies Trail Race gives Mancs a chance to run through some of the most stunning parts of Salford.

The race is a single-lap course spanning five miles that passes the lake at Old Warke Dam and includes sections of Greater Manchester’s famous Bridgewater Canal as well as the beauty of Worsley Woods.

Alternating between trails, woodland terrain and sections of tarmac path, the ease of traversal does fluctuate but is still considered a very accessible level of difficulty, meaning no one should be put off.

Having run through this particular area of Salford ourselves separate from the event itself, we can confirm it’s a wonderful route and a brilliant way to immerse yourself in nearby nature too.

Better yet, it’s a fantastic female-focused event in a space that can often feel intimidating for some.

As Swinton Runners put it, “It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in races and we want to bring women together to push their boundaries and gain a sense of achievement.”

Credit: SRC

For context, when running-based campaign group SheRaces took a poll of 400 female runners to see if they’d be interested in a women-only race, the response was conclusive: 87% said they would – sadly the figures in

Speaking to The Manc, one of the event’s founding members, Margaret McClelland, told us: “I was there back in 1991 when we started the run.

“It was the brainchild of one of our members, Marie Henderson who found when she joined that the club, which even at the time had a high percentage of women runners compared to most clubs, that she enjoyed the camaraderie, the joy of running together with a supportive ‘family’.

“The club had hosted the ‘Women’s Own 10km’ run for a number of years […] Marie thought that we should get our own race back up again and whilst the men were very much involved it was a race for women, organised by women.

“The aim was to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for women to run, whatever their ability or goals. The first, last and everyone in between is as important as each other and for them to keep going, showing what running can do in terms of feel good, with the bonus of it not costing very much to do.”

It’s events like this and the strong base of female runners here in Greater Manchester that have helped pave the way for contemporaries like the upcoming Women’s Run Series by RunThrough to come to Heaton Park.

You can watch the 25th-anniversary video made for the City of Salford Women’s Run down below, and if you’re interested in taking part in the 2025 Ladies Trail Race, it takes place on Sunday, 4 May with a bright and early 9am start time.

You can sign up HERE – best of luck, runners!

There’s passion, heritage and female empowerment behind this much-loved and long-standing running event.

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Featured Images — Swinton Running Club (supplied)

Sport

Fan favourite Raffi Quirke has signed a new deal with Sale Sharks

Danny Jones Danny Jones Raffi Quirke signs new contract extension with Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks fans will be happy to hear that highly-rated youngster Raphael ‘Raffi’ Quirke has committed his future to the club after putting pen to paper on a fresh new contract.

The 23-year-old scrum-half has been dubbed as “one of the best signings in years” by supporter and now the England international is looking to further repay their faith and support by staying with the Sharks Family for the foreseeable.

Confirmed via the club website on Tuesday, 11 March, Quirke has now signed a two-year contract extension with his boyhood team

The announcement video wasn’t too shabby either.

“Northern born and bred”, as the club have proudly proclaimed and having once been described by the Daily Telegraph as being “as North West as Coronation Street” Quirke played his junior games at Broughton Park Rugby Club before joining the Sharks Academy at the age of 18.

After playing rugby since he was five years old and above his age group on many occasions, not to mention having become a North West champion triathlon champion at just 13, he was always bound to be an athlete – Sale fans will just be glad every day that he stuck with this sport and chose dark blue.

Bursting onto the Gallagher Premiership scene in the 2020/21 season, becoming the youngest Sale Shark in his position in league history when he made his debut against Harlequins at the age of 19, he’s proven to be an extremely impressive member of the squad.

It wasn’t long before the pacey half-back’s talent earned him his first call-up to Eddie Jones’ England squad for the 2021 Autumn Nations Series.

He’s about as quick a nine as you’ll find.

Speaking on the new deal, the Manc sporting star said: “It’s such an exciting time to be a part of this club because I really believe that we’ve got the team and we’re close to winning some big trophies.  

“Everyone wants to win trophies but to do it here, at my hometown club, playing with some of my best mates and with my whole family watching every week would be so special. Training and playing with some of my best mates is brilliant.

“I love coming into Carrington every day because it really feels like home. I’m fully focused on playing as well as I can for Sale but I want to be involved with England too. With so many of our lads in the current squad, I know this is the best place for me to be.”

Put it this way, if you’re getting edits like this made in your honour, it’s fair to say you’ve got a pretty passionate personal following:

Quite the highlight reel already, even at such a young age.

As for Sharks Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson, he said of Quirke extending his contract: “We wanted Raffi to find form so he could come to the table and get what he deserves for the calibre of player that he is. We feel like he has done that in recent games and he’s shown what a brilliant player he is. 

“He’s a gamebreaker, he’s homegrown, he’s devoutly Northern and he’s got the ability and potential to be one of the world’s best in his position. He’s got work to do to get there, but we want to go on that journey with him.

“He’s the latest of many of our young, homegrown lads who have committed to the club because they understand our higher purpose, and they know how special it is to play and train with their best mates.  

“They want Sale Sharks to become the team and the club we know it can be, and for Raffi, that commitment is as much of a plus point as his talent.”

The future’s looking bright for the local rugby union outfit, especially as they look to keep investing in young players and the next generation of international talent.

Sale Sharks sign highly-rated Harlequins hooker, Nathan Jibulu
Raffi Quirke isn’t the only name to have signed a new contract at Sale Sharks.

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Featured Images — Sale Sharks (x/YouTube via screenshot)

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