The world of Padel is becoming one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet and that momentum isn’t only getting bigger as it has now been revealed that the largest Padel facility anywhere in the North is set to be built right in Greater Manchester.
Although there are already a few places to play the increasingly popular tennis spin-off, including Deansgate Square’s Club de Padel – the first dedicated space for the sport anywhere in Manchester – this latest addition to the Manc sports circuit will be the biggest of its kind outside of London.
After plans were officially approved on Monday, 8 April, The Padel Club’s brand-new location is set to land in Trafford by the end of 2024, with construction set to start this summer.
The announcement also accompanied a slate of new CGIs from developers Peel Waters, giving us a glimpse of what the new 11-court and multi-purpose facility will look like.
PLANNING APPROVED @ThePadelClub is coming to @TraffordCity! 11 courts, (9 indoor courts & 2 open-air courts) An onsite clubhouse for relaxation and socialising On site retail Coffee bar and dining options. A dedicated fitness & conditioning area EV Charge points And so much more! pic.twitter.com/0k0OgrkEaU
Manchester’s newest state-of-the-art Padel facility is set to arrive by the end of the year.
Consisting of nine indoor courts, these being the first to open in the region, two open-air playing surfaces as well as leisure offerings including food and drink spaces, an integrated gym area and an exclusive clubhouse to chill in, the aim looks to be encouraging players spend hours on end here.
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Currently based out of Wilmslow and with Padel having recently landed at the likes of South Manchester Sports Club over in Gatley, The Padel Club’s expansion in Trafford marks a huge step forward for the discipline as they look to take shape in one of the North’s biggest sporting hubs.
Kristopher Ball, founder and chief executive at the brand, said of the announcement: “We are incredibly excited to expand our Padel Club to the vibrant grounds of TraffordCity.
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“This new facility marks a pivotal moment for us, and we look forward to welcoming both seasoned players and newcomers to experience the joy of Padel in this world-class destination.”
This will be just the third sports facility offering Padel anywhere in Greater Manchester. (Credit: Peel Waters)
Trafford Council signed off the £2.5m redevelopment of the 1.5-acre site this week as the new development promises to be a major new venue not only for sport, but health and socialising, not to mention benefitting economic growth and providing new jobs for the local area.
Original investors in Padel include past and present sportsmen Michael Vaughan, England cricket legend Jos Butler, as well as ex-Man City stars and Premier League veterans James Milner and Shay Given.
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Former national team captain turned commentator, Vaughan, said of the new development: “This is going to be fantastic. I’m delighted to be involved with The Padel Club and so pleased that TraffordCity has been given the go-ahead.
“I can’t wait for the Padel community to grow”, he added. “In my humble opinion, Padel is the best sport that incorporates all abilities, all ages and is so much fun.” We can’t lie, we’ve had a few people in the office get involved of late too and we’re becoming firm fans ourselves.
Wayne Rooney joins the cast of Gary Neville’s The Overlap
Danny Jones
Wayne Rooney has secured a new job just a few months on from departing as Birmingham City head coach, with the Manchester United and England legend being named as the latest member of The Overlap team.
Set to join the cast of the popular Stick to Football online series alongside the likes of former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane, as well as the rest of the recurring panel.
Rooney is also set to feature on various other shows across The Overlap channel, including the likes of their regular fan debates and other interviews with athletes and well-known figures.
They announced the signing in true transfer window fashion as well.
As transfer expert Fabrizio Romano quips in the video, Rooney “has signed an agreement with The Overlap” and is expected to make his debut very soon
‘Wazza’ has appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports in recent weeks and has even been spotted playing some FIFA with comedy YouTuber AngryGinge as part of his pro clubs series, but hasn’t been in a steady role since being sacked as the Birmingham manager at the start of the year.
Having already appeared as a guest in one of the most popular episodes of Stick to Football and clearly sharing a strong chemistry with his old friends – as well as the likes of fellow Scouser Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright – it looks to be a natural fit for the sport-based channel.
The 38-year-old revealed some pretty interesting details about his playing and managerial career last time around, not to mention some of the other offers he’s had since…
Rooney reiterated during his own interview that his primary focus is still on coaching and finding his next managerial role, but for the time being, he’ll be bringing the insight of another ex-pro to the popular YouTube channel.
Speaking on his latest move, the former striker said, “I’m excited to announce that I will be joining my good mate Gary Neville and the team at The Overlap to appear on the channel across some of their brilliant shows on YouTube and the podcast. I can’t wait to get started”.
With an episode from at least one of their series going out most weeks, you can expect to see the footballing legend back on the channel soon.
Featured Images — The Overlap/Wayne Rooney (via Instagram)
Sport
Manchester City star Erling Haaland is now a playable character in Clash of Clans mobile game
Danny Jones
In yet more proof that footballers just live in an entirely different world from us, Manchester City star Erling Haaland has popped up in the popular mobile game, Clash of Clans – and it’s not just a little cameoeither.
Haaland‘s no stranger to the odd brand deal, so when we saw him cutting a promo for Clash of Clans we weren’t too surprised, but it’s safe to say we weren’t expecting to see footballers pop up in video games besides FIFA (sorry, EA FC) at any point this year.
The big number nine is not just a famous face to help push the already hugely popular mobile strategy and city-building game, they don’t need it; it turns out the lethal goalscorer is now going to be an actual playable character in the latest Clash of Clans update.
He even turned his hand to a bit of acting in the trailer:
As you can see, the 23-year-old stars in the new advert which sees troops appear in his home whilst he’s playing the game before being sucked into the game world.
Starring as the Barbarian King, he’s the first real person to ever feature in the game and will be available through a month-long football-themed seasonal event in-game.
When we stop and think about it, the Norwegian striker is pretty much a perfect fit given his Scandinavian heritage and the obvious Viking theme surrounding the franchise – not to mention the fact that he’s apparently been playing the game since he was 10.
He’s also been dropping a hint or two of late, in case you didn’t pick up on them.
Speaking on the collaboration, Haaland said: “I’ve been a huge fan of the game for a long time and know everything about it, so to appear as an in-game character is really cool”.
As for Finnish developer-publishers Supercell, CoC’s general manager Stuart McGaw said in an official announcement: “When we heard Erling Haaland was a fan of our game and that he wanted to partner with us, it was really a dream scenario.”
Haaland will be available to recruit in the game until 31 May, plus, if players raid his village and take down the Barbarian King himself, they can win additional rewards and a place on the leaderboards.
Danny Jones -
9th April 2024 
