Manchester Remembers have managed to raise over a whopping £35,000 thanks to this year’s charity football match. Incredible stuff.
The charity match set up to raise money for organisations supporting the families of the Manchester Arena victims has now become an annual occurrence and following the 2023 exhibition back in May, those who participated as either a player or a spectator helped bring in over £35k in donations.
Playing at Oldham Athletic‘s Boundary Park stadium in front of thousands of Mancunians and high-spirited spectators cheering on the Celebs and the Legends in equal measure, the game might have ended 7-5 to the ex-pros, but the real winner on the day was Manchester without a doubt.
The two men behind setting up the event, Aaron Lee and Paul Corrigan, shared this update with their followers on Thursday, 22 June, showing their immense total of £35,184.14 in funds raised. A moment to be proud of.
£3️⃣5️⃣, 1️⃣8️⃣4️⃣.1️⃣4️⃣ !!! 🐝
THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR POUNDS #Thankyou to all that came along and supported this years event. We are so proud to be building something special.
— The McrRemembers Foundation™️⚽️🐝 (@McrRemembers) June 22, 2023
All told, with this year’s tally tacked on, Manchester Remembers has now raised well over £110k for charities associated with the 2017 Arena tragedy in just a few short years.
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Speaking to The Manc, co-founder Aaron Lee said: “Myself and Paul would like to say a huge thank you to each and every person that helped bring the event to life. There are too many people to name individually but you all know who you are. To be able to hand over such a huge sum of money makes us really proud and we know the charities will use it to continue supporting young people to achieve their dreams in music, sports and the arts.”
We are always blown away by how Mancs come together in times of struggle but to see our city and the surrounding Greater Manchester area continuing to offer their support for causes like this year after year is a testament to how this community always look after their own.
With sporting legends like Danny Simpson, Ricky Hatton, Wes Brown and more turning up to have a kickabout, not to mention celebrities like Jason Manford, Lloyd Griffiths, Danny Miller and countless others, the word really is getting out about this game.
With a growing reputation, numerous famous faces showing up each and every year and the cause being as special and important as ever, we guarantee the 2024 Manchester Remembers charity match will be even bigger — just make sure you’re there.
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Big up every single one of you who attended or simply donated on the day and it goes without saying that wholeheartedly recommend grabbing yourself a ticket for next year.
Featured Image — Manchester Remembers (via Twitter)
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Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
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Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Danny Jones -
23rd June 2023 
