Bolton Wanderers made it a historic visit to Wembley this weekend, not only managing to win their first trip to the national stadium in over a decade, but also managing the largest attendance anywhere in Europe.
Your regular reminder that Greater Manchester is absolutely massive, in every sense of the word.
Putting four fine finishes past Plymouth Argyle to win the EFL Trophy on Sunday, The Trotters made it an emphatic victory 100 years on from becoming the first team to lift the FA Cup at Wembley in the legendary ‘White Horse Final’, where upwards of 200,000 fans are thought to have attended.
The EFL Trophy was their first piece of silverware in 34 years, so it was only fitting that more than 34,000 Wanderers joined Plymouth fans in descending on Wembley to cheer on their team — the highest anywhere on the continent across this round of fixtures. Mint.
The official @PapaJohnsTrophy Final attendance at Wembley is a remarkable 79,389, making this the highest attended game in all of Europe this weekend.
After sending the travelling fans into raptures barely four minutes into the game with Kyle Dempsey’s opener, and then again just a few minutes later through Dion Charles, Bolton’s supremacy was cemented right from the off.
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Elias Kachunga’s calmy-slotted effort just as early into the second half made it 3-0 and effectively killed off the game there and then. Thankfully, once again, the away support who had journeyed more than 200 miles were treated to a fourth and final goal barely three minutes later. Wonderland.
Manager Ian Evatt said after the game, “I’m extremely proud of the way the players performed on the big stage and I’m extremely proud of this football club”.
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It was a good day to be a Bolton fan, as you can see:
Hinting at Bolton’s precarious situation just a few years ago — when they nearly went bust entirely — Evatt went on to acknowledge: “We’ve had a hell of a journey. We almost lost it. Sharon and the ownership group have saved the football club and rebuilt it from top to bottom.”
“We’ve built a connection with the fan base, with the town, with the community”, he added, declaring the team as the “heartbeat” of the town and that “you could feel that connection with the 34,000+ fans that travelled.”
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He concluded by stating that the club “owed them a good day like this and that “this is hopefully the first of many.” Congratulations to the Bolton boys and well done to the fans for turning up in their droves
You can watch highlights of Bolton Wanderers vs Plymouth Argyle in the Papa John’s Trophy final down below:
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)
Sport
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 -
3rd April 2023 
