John Stones and Kyle Walker are apparently in the process of adopting “Big Dave” the stray cat from England’s World Cup hotel in Qatar.
Football might not be coming home, but Dave is.
While much of the country is understandably still a little disappointed following the Three Lions’ exit from the 2022 World Cup this past weekend, we can probably all agree that one of the more wholesome stories from tournament is the fact defensive duo John Stones and Kyle Walker befriended a cat they found hanging around the squad’s hotel.
Deciding to name him Dave, the Manchester City teammates were pictured with the cat most evenings and would often take to social media throughout the tournament to share general updates about their new feline friend and what he was getting up to – and people just absolutely loved it.
It’s fair to say that Dave – or “Big Dave”, as he was sometimes known – has become somewhat of a cult hero over these past couple of weeks, with fans and the media asking the pair on several occasions in interviews and press conferences how he was getting on.
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The two Yorkshiremen even referred to Dave as their “good luck charm” during the tournament.
“First day we got there… Dave pops out,” Stones explained in a Diary Room interview, “Every night he’s sat there waiting for his food.”
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“He was just there one day so me and Stonesy adopted him,” Walker also told England’s official media channel earlier in the World Cup campaign.
“Dave is welcome to the table… some people really don’t like the cat, but I love him.”
After finding out that Dave was in fact a stray cat, Stones and Walker promised to adopt him if they won the World Cup – but despite Gareth Southgate’s men exiting the tournament, reports are now suggesting that Dave is coming home anyway.
Speaking in the build-up to the Quarter Final game against France this past Saturday, Walker said: “Dave is fine. He had a little scrap with another cat the other night. I think they are fighting over territory and the food, but he’s doing well.
“Hopefully I can stick to my promise that he will come home with us if we were to win the World Cup.
“Dave’s fine, thank you for asking.”
John Stones and Kyle Walker are adopting ‘Big Dave’ the stray cat from Qatar / Credit: Kyle Walker (via Instagram)
According to report, Dave left Al Wakrah just two hours after the squad had departed their hotel and will first head to a local veterinary clinic.
Once he is at the veterinary clinic, Dave will need to have a blood test and receive some vaccinations, then will be required to spend a total of four months in quarantine before he heads to his new home here in the UK.
While it hasn’t been confirmed who will be looking after Dave in the future, all we know is, he’s officially coming home.
Featured Image – The FA
Manchester
Morrissey claims sole credit for The Smiths’ iconic Salford Lads’ Club photo shoot idea
Danny Jones
Morrissey is once again raising the issue of credit and disputes over The Smiths’ legacy, as the controversial former frontman has now claimed that their iconic photo shoot outside of Salford Lads’ Club was entirely his idea.
The 66-year-old lead singer turned solo star from Urmston is no stranger to sparking debates and attracting controversy, and it seems his latest is to do with one of the most iconic images in British music history, let alone just Greater Manchester.
The Davyhulme-born bard and divisive artist goes on to claim that the other co-founding members of the iconic Manc band initially viewed as more of his “lunacy” – the suggestion seemingly being (as it often is with Morrissey) that they simply didn’t understand the ‘genius’ at the time.
Many of his most die-hard fans still believe that most don’t and never will.
He even jokes that, in another life, it could very well have been something entirely different and random, such as the Kellogg’s factory in Trafford, basically suggesting that other members would have simply followed suit.
In his words, he argues that “now millions of people come from all over the world to be photographed on that very spot, it is claimed as a Smiths idea. It wasn’t, it isn’t, and it never shall be.”
Once again, this is by no means the first time he’s called into question, ‘who did what’ and/or who owns what bit of intellectual property; in fact, there was apparently another one of these instances with Johnny Marr only recently.
‘Moz’ and Marr have been at loggerheads pretty much ever since the group disbanded back in 1987, and still look to be far away from seeing eye to eye on virtually anything.
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Marathon 2026 this weekend
Emily Sergeant
The adidas Manchester Marathon returns to the streets of Greater Manchester this weekend.
Known for its flat route and incredible Mancunian crowd support, the Manchester Marathon returns this Sunday (19 April 2026) – welcoming more than 42,000 participants and 140,000 spectators for one of the UK’s biggest running events.
Now the second-largest marathon in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe, Manchester Marathon attracts both elite athletes, charity participants, and first-time marathoners alike.
The event is, once again, set to place Greater Manchester at the centre of the UK running calendar, bringing communities together across the city’s streets.
Millions of vital funds will also be raised for official charities, like The Christie, Cancer Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and British Heart Foundation, alongside other associate charities.
And, of course, in order for the event to take place as smoothly and safely as possible, Manchester City Council has announced that a number of road closures and other measures will be put in place across the weekend.
Here’s everything you need to know.
The adidas Manchester Marathon returns on Sunday 19 April!
Road closures will be in effect in parts of Manchester as thousands of runners raise millions for charity, visit https://t.co/mfxYlLe1z5 for full details about road closures. pic.twitter.com/UjS0vtsO4n
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 11, 2026
Manchester Marathon 2026 – Road Closures
6am on Saturday 18 April – 4am on Monday 20 April:
Oxford Road – from Grosvenor Street to Hulme Street
Rosamond Street West – from Oxford Road to Jenkinson Street
Booth Street West – from Higher Cambridge Street to Oxford Road
Booth Street East – from Oxford Road to Rumford Street
Dover Street – from Oxford Road to Brighton Place
Ackers Street – from Oxford Road to Portsmouth Street
Chester Street – from Oxford Road to Chester Street car park entrance
Newman Street – from Oxford Road to Loverose Way
Sidney Street – from Oxford Road to Grosvenor Street
Grosvenor Street – from Oxford Road to Upper Brook Street
Cavendish Street – from Oxford Road to Lower Ormond Street
York Street – from Grosvenor Street to end of street
Sunday 19 April
From 4:30am to 11:59pm
Oxford Road – from Whitworth St West to Hulme Street
Wakefield Street – from James Leigh Street to Oxford Road
New Wakefield Street – from Great Marlborough Street to Oxford Road
Hulme Street – from Great Marlborough Street to Oxford Road
Charles Street – from Oxford Road to York Street
Chester Street – from Chester Street car park entrance to Cambridge Street
Rosamond Street West – from Boundary Lane to Higher Cambridge Street
From 4:30am to 7pm
Newman Street – from Loverose Way to Princess Street
Higher Ormond Street – from Lower Ormond Street to Boundary Street West
Lower Chatham Street – from Lower Chatham Street to Boundary Street West
Boundary Street West – from Higher Cambridge Street to Higher Ormond Street
Rosamond Street West – from Higher Cambridge Street to Jenkinson Street
Higher Cambridge Street – from Cavendish Street to Lloyd Street North
Burlington Street – from Pencroft Way to Higher Cambridge Street
Lloyd Street North – from Higher Cambridge Street to Monton Street
Denmark Road – from Pencroft Way to Aberdeen Street
Cecil Street – from Denmark Road to Dilworth Street
Acomb Street – from Denmark Road to Dilworth Street
Sanctury Close – from Acomb Street to end of close
Burleigh Street – from Denmark Road to end of street
Aberdeen Street – from Denmark Road to end of street
The full list of road closures for the Manchester Marathon have been announced / Credit: Supplied
From 4:30am to 8pm
Oxford Road – from Grafton Street to Hathersage Road
Grafton Street – from Oxford Road to Nelson Street Hospital Entrance
Nelson Street – from Oxford Road to Hospital Access Road
Denmark Road – from Aberdeen Street to Oxford Road
From 7:30am to 1pm
Chester Road – from Chester Road to Deansgate Interchange
Chester Road – from Deansgate Interchange to Bridgewater Viaduct
Great Jackson Street – from Chester Road to Silvercroft Street
Bridgewater Viaduct – from Chester Road to Whitworth Street West
Deansgate – from Chester Road to Owen Street
Westbound off slip – from A57(M) to Deansgate Interchange
Eastbound off slip – from A57(M) to Deansgate Interchange
Chorlton Road – from Deansgate Interchange to Stretford Road
Jackson Crescent – from Chorlton Road to Barrhill Close
Royce Road – from Shawgreen Close to Elisa Street
Lower Moss Lane – from Chester Road to Bramfield Walk
Barrack Street – from Chester Road to Tatton Street
Hulme Hall Road – from Chester Road to Ellesmere Street
Manson Avenue – from Chester Road to Malt Street
Malt Street – from Chester Road to Manson Avenue
Princess Street – from Bridgewater Way to Nancey Street
Ellesmere Street – from Chester Road to Hulme Hall Road
Trentham Street – from Chester Road to Dinton Street
Cornbrook Road – from Chester Road to Dinton Street
From 7:30am to 2pm
Stretford Road – from Chorlton Road to Talbot Road
From 8:30am to 6:30pm
Edge Lane – from Kings Road to Wilbraham Road
Edge Lane – from Wilbraham Road to Kingshill Road
Ryebank Road – from Daresbury Road to Edge Lane
Hampton Road – from Daresbury Road to Edge Lane
Wilbraham Road – from Edge Lane to Albany Road
Whitelow Road – from York Road to Wilbraham Road
Manchester Road – from Nicolas Road to Wilbraham Road
Brundretts Road – from Groby Road to Wilbraham Road
Barlow Moor Road – from Groby Road to Manchester Road
Nicolas Road – from Manchester Road to Manchester Road
Manchester Road – from Barlow Moor Road to Seymour Grove
Longford Road – from Oswald Road to Manchester Road
Brantingham Road – from Keppel Road to Manchester Road
Kensington Road – from Oswald Road to Manchester Road
Railway Terrace and Buckingham Road – from Clarendon Road West to Manchester Road
Stratton Road – from Strathmore Avenue to Manchester Road
Upper Chorlton Road – from Seymour Grove to Chorlton Road
Sylvan Road – from Upper Chorlton Road to Whalley Road
From 9am to 7pm
Chorlton Road – from Upper Chorlton Road to Stretford Road
Stretford Road – from Chorlton Road to Cavendish Street
Bonsall Street – from Bus Gate to Stretford Road
Slip Road (Southbound off slip) – from Princess Road to Stretford Road
Epping Street – from gates to Oxford Court (allowing access) to Stretford Road
Cavendish Street – from Stretford Road to Cambridge Street
Boundary Lane – from Stretford Road to Bronte Street
Burlington Street – from Boundary Lane to Pencroft Way
From 10am to 5:30pm
Oswald Road – from Kensington Road to Wilbraham Road
A number of parking suspensions will also be in place on the day / Credit: Supplied
There will also be a number of one-way traffic restrictions in place, even including on the M60 Junction 7, Chester Road (clockwise and anti clockwise slip roads closed) from 6.30am to 7.30pm on the Sunday (19 April).
Parking restrictions will also place.
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For more information about all the road closures, traffic and parking suspensions for the weekend can be found on the Manchester City Council website here.
Emily Sergeant -
12th December 2022 
