This year’s Tour de France has been packed with plenty of action and there’s a big reason that plenty more Brits and Mancs, specifically, have been watching: two of the best riders this year are a couple of brothers from Bury.
If you’re not clued up on the cycling world then you might be forgiven for not knowing the names Adam and Simon Yates and even for those clued up, the blokes from Bury were still considered relative outside contenders before the start of the race.
Nevertheless, the two twins from the Greater Manchester borough have been battling it out right at the top end of the competition and while the current two frontrunners are comfortably ahead of the pack as we head into stage 11, the Yates brothers are still well in contention for top 10 finishes.
If they play their cards right for the remainder of the tour, they could even take third and fourth. Who knows? It’s a long old race.
Emerging as leaders in the opening stage on Saturday, 1 July, Adam Yates took control of the yellow jersey after the first 113 miles with brother Simon in tow right behind him, meaning that there was a one-two finish for the Mancs on the opening weekend.
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Adam ended up finishing in 21st after stage two and behind Simon but retained the yellow jersey and did so right through to stage four after once again finishing first in stage three and still registering a strong time the following day, with Simon still boasting third in the standings at that point.
The leading Bury brother eventually conceded the yellow jersey but only dropped down to fifth overall with the slower of the two Yates sat not far behind in seventh. In fact, by stage seven, Simon had overtaken Adam before the pair swapped places once again.
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Regardless, the two have stayed within touching distance of each other throughout and have been delighting fans back home. Here’s Adam Yates reacting to his first stage win — safe to say, he was a bit knackered…
A delighted but exhausted Adam Yates reflects on his Tour de France stage win 🗣 pic.twitter.com/73S7Bkblq4
Thankfully, the Yates boys happily traded back and forth, sharing each other’s slipstream and maintaining their momentum and have continued to help each other in spells despite under different banners — Adam racing for UAE Team Emirates and Simon with Team Jayco-AlUla.
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Better still, the brothers haven’t let the competition get in the way of the usual familiar banter, posting images with captions like, “Pesky younger brothers hey…” and even a bit of self-deprecation, with Simon joking that he is the “slowest man to ever wear the green jersey.”
Here’s hoping they finish the Tour de France 2023 nice and high and can boast some colours come 23 July. Keep it going lads, us Mancs are right behind you!
Featured Image — Tour de France/Simon Yates/Adam Yates (via Instagram)
Sport
Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Shot (via SCFC)
Sport
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Danny Jones -
12th July 2023 
