Akse P-19 paints a mural of Rashford in Withington
Marcus Rashford scored two huge victories over the weekend.
The first was an impressive 3-1 triumph at Goodison Park; where the striker helped his club grab three precious Premier League points.
But an even bigger win was waiting for the Manchester United striker when he got off the pitch.
As he dusted himself down after the match in Merseyside, Rashford’s phone rang – and the Prime Minister was on the other end of the line.
He told the footballer that his campaign to help children and families was now being considered – with over £400 million provided to low-income households as part of a winter grant scheme.
During the crucial phone call, Boris Johnson explained to Rashford that the government would be providing funding from the start of December until the end of March.
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£170m will be distributed through councils, with 80% put aside for help with food and bills. The holiday food and activities programme will receive £220m investment, with £16m given to food banks.
Initially, the government had voted against Rashford’s new campaign – which asked for a further expansion of free school meals; food and activities during all holidays; and to increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers to at least £4.25 per week.
But for the second time, Rashford has gotten ministers to change their tune.
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The footballer convinced parliament to provide free school meals throughout the summer, and now he’s encouraged ministers to climb down from their commitment to Universal Credit – which they’d previously insisted was the best approach to help low-income families.
☔️ The Covid Winter Grant Scheme is a new £170m #Coronavirus scheme to support children and families this winter.
💷 The money will reach the hardest hit during the pandemic, helping families put food on the table, heat homes and pay bills.
According to Rashford, the new fund would support £1.7 million children in England.
“We asked for three things,” said the footballer.
“They [the government] managed to u-turn on two and they’re willing to sit down and discuss the third.”
Rashford said he thanked the PM on behalf of the families for his support, but he isn’t stopping just yet.
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The United star said that another 1.7 million would still miss out “because their income isn’t quite low enough” to qualify for funding.
Rashford added: “I now call on the government to collaborate with the Child Food Poverty Taskforce”.
“I am fully committed to this cause, and I will fight for the rest of my life for it,” Rashford stated.
“Because in my mind, no child should ever go hungry in the United Kingdom.”
His fight isn’t over.
News
Ruben Amorim has been sacked by Manchester United
Danny Jones
Ruben Amorim has officially been sacked by Manchester United.
The Portuguese head coach managed more than a year in charge of the Red Devils, but following a bad record overall, not to mention a blockbuster interview over the weekend, they have now parted ways.
Now fully confirmed by the club itself, Amorim’s 14-month stint as Man United boss is over, and an interim manager has already been put in place.
Writing in an official statement, MUFC said: “Ruben Amorim has departed his role as Head Coach of Manchester United.
“Ruben was appointed in November 2024 and led the team to a UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao in May.
“With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish.
“The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future.”
For many supporters, it was abundantly clear that an ultimatum was likely, if not already imminent, after his visibly frustrated post-match press conference following the 1-1 draw against Leeds.
There were already reports of growing friction between Amorim and the director of football, Jason Wilcox, and his bombshell quotes on Sunday, 4 December, only added fuel to the fire.
In case you haven’t seen it, you can see the clip in question down below.
United have also confirmed that former player Darren Fletcher will be leading out the squad (which includes his twin sons, Jack and Tyler) in their next game against Burnley this Wednesday, 7 January.
As for who could be installed next, the recently resigned Enzo Maresca has already been linked with the manager’s position, and plenty are already speculating as to which sidelined/loaned-out players could return to the club following his exit.
Regardless of a wealth of initial backing by the INEOS Sports board members, in the summer transfer window, as well as from the majority of players and countless fans, Amorim exits the club with one of the worst win percentages in their history and just 15 victories to his name in nearly half a century of games.
How would you sum up the 40-year-old’s time at Old Trafford, Reds?
Leigh Leopards star Tesi Niu accused of abuse by partner
Danny Jones
Leigh Leopards star Tesi Niu has been accused of physical and mental abuse by a person purporting to be his partner.
The allegations were made on Niu’s own Instagram, who has seemingly commandeered the account to share claims across social media along with various photos, which are yet to be fully substantiated.
An Australian-born former NRL athlete and Tongan international, Tesi Niu, has gone on to become an important first-team squad member for the Greater Manchester rugby club and has been a popular personality among the supporters.
With that in mind, the alleged abuse is one that has deeply troubled the fan base.
Accusations of alleged physical abuse have been made against Leigh Leopards centre Tesi Niu by his partner.
As you can see in the screenshots originally posted on Niu’s own channel and since reshared online, the individual who names herself as Kiani alleges that the 24-year-old rugby league player assaulted her on Christmas Day 2025 before going out and getting drunk.
In addition to sharing pictures of various bruises around her neck, shoulders and arms, the woman also writes that he took her phone and money to prevent her from leaving, as well as detailing that she is now pregnant with their third child.
Kiana Smith has been his partner for more than half a decade.
Circulating online over the weekend (4-5 January 2026), a full investigation into the claims is now thought to be underway.
Neither Tesi Niu’s representation nor Leigh Leopards have yet come out to comment on the allegations, but the Rugby Football League (RFL) have shared an official update regarding the situation.
You can see the rest of the IG stories down below.
As per a statement supplied to News.com.au, the English governing body said: “The RFL are aware of the social media posts. We will not be making further comment at this time.”
Anyone looking to report abusive behaviour can call the Greater Domestic Abuse Helpline, Monday to Friday from 10am-4pm, on 0800 254 0909.
The Manc -
9th November 2020 
