Promising goalkeeper Matty Young has returned to Salford City FC for 2025/26 for a second loan stint following a successful first year last season.
The Sunderland academy product spent the previous campaign on loan at the Peninsula Stadium, enjoying a prolific spell over the festive period, keeping half a dozen consecutive clean sheets between December at the start of January.
Still just 18 years old and impressing plenty up and down the EFL, there was plenty of interest in the boyhood Black Cat (who’s been with the club since he was seven), but with the Tyneside outfit now back in the Premier League and having recently signed two new keepers themselves, minutes looked unlikely.
With that in mind, Salford City have dipped back into the loans market this summer transfer window to secure Matty Young for another 12 months.
Announcing the re-signing on Thursday, 24 July, Salford revealed Young in a series of social media posts, including a highlight reel from his standout showcase last term.
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He went on to register a total of eight shutouts in 20 league appearances, as well as another in their second-round FA Cup tie against Cheltenham, which they went on to win 2-0.
The England youngster has already represented the Three Lions at under-18, U19 and U21s level, with both Manchester City and Man United having reportedly been monitoring the growing prospect.
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Speaking via the club website, he said: I think knowing what I am capable of and my ability on the pitch, I think there is more expectation now with what I can go and deliver on a match day. I have set very high expectations [for] myself to go and push on, and to be the best keeper in the league this year.
“I think the lads will be pushing for automatics this year, if not, the play-offs, so that is something that me and the team will be looking forward to, and that is the end goal at the end of the day.
“It has all come round very quickly, it feels like we only played Carlisle the other day; me and the team are very excited about that first game against Crewe [Alexandra]. Ideally, we want to come here and win, and I feel that will be the first stepping stone on this journey that we are hopefully going to have.”
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The Ammies take on Crewe in the opening round of this year’s League Two competition, and the ambitious young shot-stopper – pardon the pun – will no doubt be looking to lay down the gauntlet as the outright number one as soon as possible.
The ex-Wrexham AFC number, who has flirted with the first-choice spot plenty before, is technically returning to the team for the second time, too.
Now 38, Howard started his career in Arsenal’s youth set-up, going on to represent 13 different clubs, including Scottish side St Mirren, Bolton Wanderers here in Greater Manchester, Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Carlisle, making at least 30 appearances for all of them.
He spent most of his time at Sheffield United from 2012-2015, playing a total of 80 times for the Blades, before joining Wrexham, where he also reached half a century of games.
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It remains to be seen which of the two will push hardest for a spot in the starting XI. Here’s what Salford fans can expect/hope for more of:
Matty Young showed plenty of bright sparks at Salford City in 24/25.
The UK’s only football shirt themed vintage fair is in Manchester this weekend
Daisy Jackson
An enormous vintage fair dedicated to football shirts is landing in Manchester this weekend, packed with more than 35 traders.
The Retro Football Fair is set to take over Diecast near Manchester Piccadilly for a huge celebration of all things footbal.
Expect rail upon rail of vintage football shirts, as well as stalls selling artwork, memorabilia, cards, and loads more.
The event comes from Retro Football Shirts, a business that sources and sells retro and rare football shirts.
The business is owned by Tom Rainsford, who started the journey back in 2018 by selling a few jerseys on Depop – fast forward a few years and it’s now a global website selling jerseys from across UK, European and international teams.
Retro Football Fair is another string to the business’s bow and has been attracting thousands of football fans at every event.
The UK’s only football shirt themed vintage fair is in Manchester this weekend
Now it’s Manchester’s turn, with the huge vintage fair filling Diecast with thousands of retro football shirts on Sunday 28 September.
While the main attraction is those kits, the fair welcomes any trader selling items related to the beautiful game – so you’ll find all sorts of footy-related items on sale here.
The event will kick off at midday and run until 5pm – tickets cost £5 and are available HERE, or on the door.
Manchester City or Manchester United season ticket holders can claim 20% off the full ticket price.
‘The United Strand’ shares update after video of assault at Old Trafford goes viral
Danny Jones
Viral Manchester United fan Frank Ilett, more commonly known online as ‘The United Strand’, has now spoken out in a video update after a clip of him being attacked by another man at Old Trafford was shared across social media.
The 29-year-old Man United supporter was in attendance for the Red Devils’ rainy win against Chelsea in the Premier League this past weekend, and proved a popular figure around the majority of the stadium.
However, despite being previously preoccupied with meeting, greeting and taking selfies with other United fans, his time at Theatre of the Dreams took a more nightmarish turn as one individual began pulling him by the hair before being separated by Reds in the vicinity.
The supporter who assaulted Ilett has yet to be identified, but Frank himself has now opened up on the incident in his latest video.
Sharing a lengthy update across all of The United Strand accounts,
It’s worth noting that Frank didn’t take a break from his daily posting challenge either, as his streak of not cutting hair and recording its now internet-famous growth every day until Man United win five games in a row continues.
But as for the ordeal itself, as you can see, Frank genuinely thought his aggressor was just joking at first.
Just like those around him, it only clicked that the man meant to do him harm when he “properly started yanking my hair”, detailing that he also called him an “attention-seeking [undisclosed expletive]” at the same time.
Sadly, Frank – who not only started this challenge as a silly bit of fun but also to help raise money for charity – went on to reveal that, unfortunately, this wasn’t the only less-than-warm reception he received from fans in and around the stadium.
In addition to the unprovoked attack, Frank says he also received some verbal abuse.
Manchester United are yet to issue any kind of public statement regarding the matter, but subsequent reports have claimed that United officials have been made aware of the footage and are now investigating the incident internally, and will “impose strong sanctions” if/when caught.
Fellow fan account Stretford Paddock (formerly Full Time Devils) responded in the comments: ‘Keep it up, Frank. You’re giving us all a smile at a difficult time as United fans and doing some brilliant things along the way!
Even JD Sports offered their support with a reply, with their social media admin writing, “Keep doing your thing, broski.”
As for Frank Ilett, besides thanking those who helped him in the inexcusable moment of violence, he reiterated that not only did he never expect to still be doing this challenge, but that it was only ever meant to be “something to laugh at in a difficult time as fans.”
His goal was simply to “spread positivity and humour”; we can only hope that he faces nothing but more of the many “positive interactions” that he did in fact enjoy on the day, the next time he visits the ground.
Danny Jones -
24th July 2025 
