Lancashire Cricket has announced that Emirates has signed a new seven-year extension of the Club’s headline partnership until 2029.
This makes it the longest and biggest sponsorship in English domestic cricket.
The extended partnership with the world’s largest international airline includes naming rights of the Emirates Old Trafford stadium, as well as shirt sponsorship for Lancashire Lightning’s Vitality Blast shirt, and the Club also says it strengthens “one of the most recognisable and respected” sponsorships in sport.
The partnership began in April 2013, and this extension means that not only will Emirates remain as principal headline sponsor at Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford, but it’ll also be on the front of the Club’s T20 shirt for at least 17 years.
That’s not all either, as on top of the partnership extension, a new dedicated hospitality, conference, and events space named the Emirates Business Class Lounge will be branded up in the historic Pavilion at Emirates Old Trafford too.
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Speaking on the partnership extension, Daniel Gidney – Chief Executive at Lancashire Cricket – said: “This is an historic day for the Club and we’re delighted to announce the Emirates partnership renewal, which positions the sponsorship at Lancashire Cricket as one of the biggest and most recognisable in the game.
“We are hugely proud of our relationship with Emirates, a world class brand with a truly global reach, and this is another very positive step as part of the Club’s continued commercial growth and development.”
— Lancashire Lightning (@lancscricket) May 23, 2022
He continued: “We are incredibly grateful for [Emirates’] support of the Club and we look forward to working with their team over the next seven years and beyond.”
The new partnership extension also comes as Emirates Old Trafford “continues to transform”, even after the £65 million redevelopment work over the past decade, when plans were approved from Trafford Council for work at the ground.
The new project includes plans for a 100-bed hotel extension, 1,025-seater stand, a heritage centre, a guest services hub, and a new retail store facing directly on to Brian Statham Way, and the Club says this continued redevelopment will play a key role in its long-term financial strategy and sustainability moving forward.
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It will also “increase and improve” the facilities that can be used by members and supporters.
Lancashire Cricket has announced that Emirates has signed a new seven-year partnership extension / Credit: Lancashire Cricket
“We are very pleased to be extending our partnership with Lancashire Cricket Club until 2029,” added Boutros Boutros of Emirates on the partnership extension.
“Lancashire is a legendary name in English cricket, and as the world’s largest international airline, we are proud to be playing such a big role in the Club’s growth and success, with the new agreement will make this the longest, and biggest sponsorship in English domestic cricket
“We very much look forward to the next seven years of our mutually beneficial relationship.”
Featured Image – Lancashire Cricket
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Manchester Christmas Markets visitors can now donate glass deposit to local charity instead of reclaiming it
Emily Sergeant
Visitors to this year’s Manchester Christmas Markets now have the option to donate their festive glass deposit to a local charity.
Following on from the return of the massively-impactful StreetSmart scheme – which sees dozens of local restaurants add an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness – anyone who purchases a drink at the Christmas Markets this year can also help out a local charity too.
This year, market goers can support the local charity Real Change MCR by choosing not to reclaim a small deposit on their festive drink glasses.
The Real Change MCR fund is accessed by more than 20 local homelessness organisations and charities that work to provide support for people who are, or have been, sleeping rough.
Grants are awarded to individuals to help them get off – and stay off – the streets.
According to Manchester City Council, the majority of the money funds a deposit on a flat or the first month’s rent, and the charities applying for the funding then provide long-term support to help people continue on their journey to independent living.
For the opportunity to turn a glass deposit into donations for Real Change MCR when you visit Manchester Christmas Markets this year, all you need to do is put your polypropylene glasses into our donation bins and the Council will then recycle them and donate the money to the charity on behalf of all customers.
There’s currently two deposit bins in Albert Square, one in Piccadilly Gardens, and one at Bar 3 on New Cathedral Street.
Manchester Christmas Markets visitors can now donate their glass deposit to a local homelessness charity / Credit: The Manc Group | Manchester City Council
“This is such a simple way for visitors to our fantastic Christmas markets to make a big difference,” commented Councillor Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council.
“All proceeds from the glass deposits scheme will go to Real Change MCR an umbrella fund used by a range of homelessness organisations in the city. They provide funding and practical support to help people experiencing homelessness get back on their feet.
James Charnock from Real Change MCR added: “I would like to say thank you in advance to the people who visit the Markets and deposit their glasses, as the funds raised will make a big difference to the lives of so many people who are experiencing homelessness.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Childish Gambino confirms shock stroke that caused him to cancel his world tour
Danny Jones
Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, has revealed that a stroke caused the cancellation of his Manchester gig and the rest of the shows on his world tour last year.
The multi-talented artist, actor, comedian, writer, filmmaker and jack-of-all-trades, who goes by the Gambino moniker in the music world, was scheduled to play a UK leg as part of his globetrotting series of live dates in 2024.
However, just over a month into the run, which kicked off in August, the 42-year-old musician didn’t just postpone the tour but had to cancel it altogether for the foreseeable future after falling ill on stage.
It has now been confirmed that the reason for this was a stroke, and also a serious problem with his heart, which required surgery.
At the time, he could only confirm an unknown ‘ailment’.
Detailing the incident to a crowd while playing at fellow rapper Tyler, the Creator‘s Camp Flog Gnaw festival this past weekend, ‘Gambino’ delivered the shocking news in a very matter-of-fact manner.
Confirming the stroke and a hole in his heart live to the LA audience on Saturday, 22 November, Glover began by stating that he was having a really good time on the tour, before adding: “I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana, and I did the show anyway.”
“I couldn’t really see well”, he continued, “so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.'” Yep, as simple as that.
He even went on to joke that he was copying fellow actor and singer Jamie Foxx, who also suffered a stroke back in 2023, which presented as a bad headache – one of several sudden signs of a hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke.
You can see the clip down below.
Childish Gambino reveals that he had a stroke and a hole was found in his heart and is why he had to stop his tour pic.twitter.com/YxeQYBWDBA
After visiting the hospital, it was then discovered that he had a hole in his heart, sometimes referred to as a septal defect.
The Stone Mountain-raised musician ended up needing two procedures to fix the problem and is now, thankfully, in good health and able to perform live once again.
Nevertheless, he’s not taking anything for granted after the severe health scare, telling fans on the night: “They say everybody has two lives and the second life starts when you realise you have one; you got one life, guys, and I gotta be honest, the life I’ve lived with you guys has been such a blessing,” he told fans.
His Manchester show at the AO Arena is still yet to be rescheduled, as are any of his UK dates, but we’re glad he’s not only back on the mend but back doing what he does best.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd May 2022 
