Manchester City youngster Micah Hamilton scored on his senior debut in the Blues final Champions League game on Wednesday night and did so six years on from the last time he was spotted out on the pitch — as a ball boy.
City rounded out their flawless run into the knockout stages by notching a sixth straight win in the group stages against Red Star Belgrade, keeping a perfect record intact as manager Pep Guardiola decided to play the kids after qualification was already well and truly secured.
Amongst that young side was rising starlet, Micah Hamilton, who has been with the club since the age of seven, steadily working his way through the academy ranks and earning his first-ever appearance for the first team this week, having been named in the starting 11 alongside several other young talents.
However, the producers on TNT Sports learned that it wasn’t the first time he’d been out on the grass or even that close to the Catalan coach, as an old clip showed Pep giving the then 13-year-old Hamilton instructions to be quicker getting the ball to the players back when he’d just arrived at the club.
Cut to 2023 and now he’s one of them and still getting instructions from the Spaniard, only this time as part of his squad.
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It felt like one of the special come full circle moments for the young attacking midfielder who could have only dreamed of appearing in the UCL, let alone his debut coming in Europe and then scoring in it.
Now 20, the Manchester-born and bred academy product even had the honour of opening the scoring in the 19th minute, burying a powerful and fine finish into the roof of the opposition net.
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As if the moment was sweet and heartwarming enough to see, Pep apparently had no idea he was the bright-eyed young ball boy and his reaction the moment he found out says it all:
Congratulating his player by simply adding, “What a goal, what a game!”, Guardiola went on to say t
Speaking to club media after the game, the local lad admitted the moment “still hasn’t sunk in” but that he was obviously “delighted” and could only thank the approximately 1,200 travelling fans who made it out to Serbia to support the young team.
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We can only imagine the reaction he’ll get from the home crowd when he inevitably makes his first—sorry, second appearance at the Eithad.
You can watch the highlights from Manchester City’s win over Crvena Zvezda, including Micah Hamilton’s stunning goal, down below:
Featured Images — Manchester City/Micah Hamilton (via Instagram)
Sport
Tributes paid to former Manchester City winger Ian Mellor, dead at 74
Danny Jones
Tributes are pouring following the death of former Manchester City star, Ian Mellor, who has sadly passed away at the age of 74.
Mellor, from Sale in Greater Manchester, played as a left winger for Man City as well as the likes of Norwich City, Brighton, Chester, Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford.
With his family and former club confirming the death on Wednesday, 1 May, social media has been awash with people paying their respects to the seasoned ex-pro who sadly died following a long battle with amyloidosis, a rare and incurable disease which affects organs such as the heart, brains and kidneys.
Replying to his son and ex-Liverpool turned Sky Sports broadcaster, Neil Mellor, the club paid their respects to the former Blue who made 50 appearances for the club.
We're saddened to learn of the passing of our former player, Ian Mellor.
Mellor began his career just down the road at Wythenshawe Amateurs before going on to represent City from 1970 to 1973.
A boyhood fan of the club, he scored 10 goals whilst wearing Sky Blue and also went on to win the Charity Shield with them back in 1972.
Eventually nicknamed ‘Spider’ for a good chunk of his career due to his long-legged stature, he remained attached to the beautiful game for years after his retirement and went on to become a committee member for the Former Players Association at City.
Joining the likes of all his former clubs, Chester City said: “Everyone at [the club] is saddened to hear of the passing of Ian Mellor. Sending all our love to you and your family, Neil Mellor.
His son Neil’s goodbye has touched many online too, calling his dad his “hero” and his “everything”.
He also went on to thank locally-based end-of-life care organisation and charity, St Ann’s Hospice, who have facilities all over Greater Manchester and who helped care for Ian in his final days.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family as well as those whose lives he touched through football during this difficult time.
Featured Images — Manchester City/Neil Mellor (via X)
Sport
Manchester MMA star Tom Aspinall slams ‘unfair’ start times for UFC 304 at Co-op Live
Danny Jones
Local MMA star Tom Aspinall has come out to criticise the start times for UFC 304 here in Manchester, calling it ‘unfair’ for fans here in the UK.
In case you missed that rather big announcement, the UFC is returning to Manchester after nearly a decade and will be the very first sporting event held at the brand-new Co-op Live Arena, which is finally set to open this week following multiple delays (touch wood).
However, in an effort to keep broadcasters and the UFC‘s massive audience back in the US, the fight card will be starting until around 3am – and that’s at the very earliest.
Responding to the decision the Atherton-born and Salford-based fighter posted a video on his socials saying, “As a fan who wants to watch it live, I think it is absolutely terrible”.
He goes on to say that “it’s just not fair on the fans – the UK fans obviously. It’s predominantly an American audience so I understand that, they want to sell to them, but why can’t they sell to them in the afternoon which is our evening time?
While he admitted it “doesn’t make that much difference” to him as a fighter, the 31-year-old went on to ask, “Why can’t the American watch it in the afternoon and Manchester, the UK and European fans can all fly to the event and sell out this new arena?”
“I mean, it’s going to sell out regardless, mate”, Aspinall reiterated, adding that “we’re very lucky to have a pay-per-view event in Manchester” but that forcing the British audience and Mancs to watch something just down the road at a US-convenient time just doesn’t seem right.
There’s been plenty of backlash amongst MMA fans online too, with many stating that it simply goes to show that the UFC as an organisation “don’t care” about overseas supporters as much as they claim to.
As the current interim heavyweight champion, Aspinall will be right up at the top of the billing for UFC 304, which is the first time the event has been in the UK full stop since 2016.
We can only hope for similarly victorious scenes for the North West this July.
As for the shiny new venue, Co-op Live, after a fair few teething problems it looks like they are now on course to open just a week or so after the initial launch date. Not so bad.
Danny Jones -
14th December 2023 
