Manchester City have become the first Women’s Super League team ever to secure an official stadium naming rights deal, with the formerly known Academy ground nowcalled the Joie Stadium.
Unveiling their new stadium partnership with baby gear brand Joie on Thursday, 14 September, Man City‘s Academy Stadium was given its new moniker, making them not only the first purpose-built women’s stadium in the league but the only club to boast an official naming partner.
The new multi-year agreement is an extension of Joie’s current partnership with City’s women’s team which began back in March when the brand was first named as the Club’s Official Family Partner.
Now set to bear their name around their home ground for the foreseeable, the expanded commercial collaboration has arrived just in time for the new WSL season.
Credit: Supplied
The deal comes after City Football Group pledged to “introduce and improve family-friendly services and building on the club’s commitment to delivering the best possible matchday experience for fans of all ages across all stadium facilities.”
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Lionesses Chloe Kelly, Steph Houghton, Demi Stokes and various other City stars were in attendance, with the first-team trio helping cut the giant ribbon to celebrate the newly renamed Joie Stadium on a rainy morning in Manchester.
Opened in 2014 as part of the club’s continued investment into East Manchester and further development of the wider Etihad Campus, the 7,000-capacity stadium is also home to many Elite Development Squad and youth team matches.
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Manchester City Women’s Managing Director, Gavin Makel, said of the unveiling: “It is a further reflection of the importance, growth and commercial appeal of Manchester City Women and the wider women’s game and we are excited to work together with Joie to maximise opportunities for families at our matches.”
As for the company renowned across Europe for the brand of prams, children’s car seats, highchairs and more, Joie’s senior MD David Welsh added: “We believe that football offers an unforgettable experience for families and by partnering with Manchester City Women…We aim to make it truly accessible for all – whether that’s families with babies or parents of older children who will love playing in the Fan Zone.
“We’re incredibly proud of the steps we are making to help provide an all-inclusive experience and are committed to further developing our offer and ensuring that the Joie Stadium is one of the most family-friendly in the Women’s Super League.”
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The Joie logo will be rolled out across stadium assets and during various City Women’s fixtures, with the brand also promising to offer exclusive prizes and experiences to fans alongside creating bespoke content with members of the first team this year.
The 2023/24 WSL season gets underway on Sunday, 1 October with Man City, who came fourth in last year’s tightly-run campaign, playing West Ham away at 1pm. You can the full list of fixtures HERE.
Sale Sharks help make history at a Cheshire college
Danny Jones
Local rugby club Sale Sharks have helped make history at a nearby college in the North West as they hosted their first-ever girls’ rugby union match last week.
Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College based over in Northwich has a strong sporting curriculum and is continuing to expand its offerings year upon year, with more than 150 students now taking part in various clubs every week.
Established back in 1557, making it one of the oldest in the UK, the school boasts a rich heritage in English education and now, more than half a millennia later, it’s taken another big step for female sport specifically by introducing its brand-new girls’ rugby union side.
Sharing a strong relationship with various clubs around Cheshire as well as Sale Sharks Women and their pathway programme, in particular (on which many members are already enrolled) Sir John Deane’s fielded their first-ever squad in a fixture against Lancaster Royal Grammar School.
As per the Northwich and Winsford Guardian, Deane’s everyged victorious from their inaugural fixture, notching three tries thanks to scorers Eve Spears, Mollie Stamper and Daisy Carroll.
Taking place on the first-team pitch at Winnington Park Rugby Club in the village of Hartford – with whom the school enjoyed an “excellent community partnership” – the game itself was part of a wider ‘festival of rugby’ where student-players learned received first-class coaching and learned crucial skills.
Hoping to become the rising stars among a new generation of women’s rugby, which is seeing a growing interest nationwide, coach Paul Rees explained this important milestone for the college was about more than the result.
“The purpose of this fixture was to provide an opportunity for girls rugby,” Rees told the outlet, “to grow the game at the grassroots level and for Sir John Deane’s to showcase the variety of sports they provide, significantly for girls.”
“I feel privileged to have been a part of this prestigious and historical event which was fully supported by the PE department at college.”
A huge thank you to @SaleSharksWomen who spent the afternoon training with our Women's Rugby Team here at the College yesterday. It was fantastic to see such a big turnout with a mixture of experienced and new players to the game – well done to all involved! 🏉 pic.twitter.com/P5yyl3Ghko
The full-contact clash saw a total of 38 players lace up their boots for the historic school moment after having first got to grips with the task ahead back in October 2024.
Rees went on to credit the Greater Manchester outfit, specifically, for their continued support regarding the new team, who have proven a crucial outlet for those looking to enter girls rugby in the North West.
“Not only do they support the delivery of coaching [Matt Hulme], the coordination [Vicky Irwin] and link to provide the girls to represent regular Sale Sharks College fixtures”, says Rees, “this is invaluable to ensure all players are given the opportunity to represent Sale Sharks and their respected colleges.”
With the national focus as a whole being put on the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup, the importance of initiatives like this cannot be overstated.
Featured Images — Sir John Dean’s Sixth Form College (via Facebook/X)
Sport
Manchester United’s Old Trafford regeneration project backed by UK government
Danny Jones
Manchester United have officially received government backing for the redevelopment of their stadium and the wider regeneration of the surrounding Old Trafford area.
One of the first things that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS Group made a priority after acquiring their minority stake in the club was to bring the home ground up to standard and it looks as though that rather large task is now moving in the right direction.
With Chancellor Rachel Reeves dubbing the Old Trafford Regeneration Project as “a shining example” of the Labour plans to promote economic growth, Man United now have the full blessing of the government ahead of the real work beginning.
Liaising with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Trafford Council specifically to bring plans to fruition, the Old Trafford area as we know is set to be transformed significantly, with a new ‘Wembley of the North’ being the key component of the project.
ℹ️ The Old Trafford Regeneration Project has been backed by the government.#MUFC
The backing of the government means that beyond the club simply paying to redevelop the stadium itself, this will allow for other aspects such as improved transport infrastructure, housing and new businesses to be created as part of Old Trafford’s regeneration.
It’s also worth noting that no public money is on the table at present, with Ratcliffe, the Glazers and co. expected to foot the bill for all facets.
Reacting to the official statement by the UK Treasury, CEO Omar Berrada said: “The delivery of a world-class stadium can be the catalyst for major regeneration of an area of Greater Manchester which requires new investment to thrive again.
“We cannot achieve that wider aim on our own, which is why we welcome the announcement by the Chancellor and the ongoing support of the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Trafford Council.
If we work together, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a landmark project around Old Trafford that the whole region can be proud of.”
This might not be Man United’s home forever. (Credit: The Manc Group)
As for the Mayor of Greater Manchester Mayor himself – who was appointed as a key figure on the Old Trafford Regeneration Taskforce – Andy Burnham went on to add: “With our devolved powers we’re mobilising the whole Greater Manchester system to lock in growth for the next decade and reap the rewards for our city-region and UK plc.
“We look forward to working with the Government on moving freight away from the site around Old Trafford to new locations to open up capacity for our rail network and unlock massive regeneration potential”, he continued, insisting that it will lead to “benefits across the whole of the North.”
Although it still remains unconfirmed whether or not the existing Old Trafford structure will be renovated – which would see an increased capacity of around 87,000 – or whether an entirely new 100k-seater stadium will be built instead, though the most recent fan survey seemed to favour the latter.
Danny Jones -
14th September 2023 
