Manchester is set for more exclusive sporting action as the Super League Basketball (SLB) cup finals are coming to the AO Arena.
Britain’s official basketball league has been through a prolonged period of uncertainty over the last couple of years, but the SLB now looks to be back on track.
Ahead of the 2025/26 Super League Basketball campaign kicking off this September, and Manchester set to host an NBA fixture – just the second time it’s been in our city and the first time in history a regular season game has been played here in the UK – it’s another sporting milestone for 0161.
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Combine that with the football now back underway, and it’s fair to say it’s going to be a busy few months for us Mancs.
Announcing the event this month, the confirmation of the host venue comes some 30 years after our very own Manchester Giants (now simply known as Manchester Basketball) first said hello to their old home ground, the AO Arena.
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The storied sports and entertainment stadium is still the site which attracted the biggest British basketball crowd ever when our local side took on the London Leopards.
It feels only fitting, therefore, that the legendary arena should host the Men’s and Women’s SLB Cup Finals in a blockbuster double-header on Sunday, 22 March 2026.
With the future of basketball in the UK now looking much more secure after a deal to allow overseas players to register for work visas was agreed, the climate surrounding the British circuit looks a lot healthier than it did at the start of the year.
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We are pleased to announce we have received confirmation from Basketball England that they will continue to process Governing Body Endorsements (GBEs) for SLB clubs, ahead of the new Super League season starting next month.
— Super League Basketball (@SprLeagueBballM) August 7, 2025
Speaking on the important breakthrough, Interim Independent Chair, Sanjay Bhandari MBE, said: “We’re grateful to the Home Office and BE for their clarification in resolving this key issue.
“Clubs have shown real ambition and determination throughout the summer, pushing ahead with roster plans in the face of uncertainty. Now that this issue has been resolved, we can all look ahead to what promises to be a thrilling season of SLB with a full fixture list to be announced in the coming weeks.”
The new official Super League Basketball season will commence now commence on 19 September. As for the finals, both the AO Arena and Manchester City Council (MCC) know how big a deal it is to have booked the games.
John Hacking, the MCC’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure, went on to add his own excited statement following the news, too.
“Manchester stands proudly at the forefront of British basketball, and we’re thrilled to welcome Super League Basketball to the AO Arena next year — a world-class venue in a city where elite competition, grassroots development, and community passion come together.
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“From vibrant outdoor courts in Hulme to elite fixtures at the National Basketball Performance Centre, Manchester is a city that understands and supports the game at every level.
“Hosting the SLB Cup Final, the showpiece of the premier professional league in the UK, is a powerful endorsement of our growing reputation, proving that we not only understand basketball – but champion it at every level.”
Tickets will be available pre-sale from Wednesday, 20 August, or you can wait to grab general admission next week (Wed, 27 Aug) right HERE.
Bolton Wanderers sign young Celtic striker on loan
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers have signed young Celtic forward Johnny Kenny on loan for the rest of the season, rounding off a busy January transfer window with a final bit of business on deadline day.
All told, that’s seven new arrivals brought in this month as the League One side looks to continue their promotion push.
The Republic of Ireland international Johnny Kenny is just the latest among a number of offensive reinforcements, with Steven Schumacher looking to both increase his side’s goal output and further shore up the defence.
Still just 22, Kenny has already shown plenty of potential back in the Scottish Premiership, and now the fans will see how he takes to life in the English third tier.
Already scoring six times and registering a couple of assists in 22 appearances across all competitions so far this campaign, the Sligo-born striker is just a couple of contributions away from chipping in with his best overall tally in the league over a full term.
His best senior spell overall came on loan in the Republic of Ireland, where he scored a baker’s dozen of goals and assisted three times for Shamrock Rovers.
While perhaps not the most competitive league, he’s certainly taken some of that form back to his parent club in 2025/26, and now Celtic will get an even better sense of where his level is at right now – as will Bolton Wanderers.
Addressing the supporters deal in a club statement, Schumacher said: “We’re delighted to have signed Johnny to continue a really strong month. He is a player who we rate very highly and is someone we identified last summer as someone who would really strengthen our attacking options.
“He’s since played regularly and scored goals at a high level, so [he] will be a big addition for us. We didn’t think he would be available during this window, but once we were made aware Celtic would allow him to leave on loan, we acted really quickly to get the deal done.”
With other acquisitions such as attacking midfielder Ruben Rodrigues and winger Corey Blackett-Taylor, who has already scored on his debut, there’s suddenly some real squad depth to draw from.
As for Kenny, the promising youngster has every intention of quickly becoming the main man at the Toughsheet Stadium, taking on the number nine shirt.
Speaking in his first full interview as a Trotter, Kenny admitted that the interest has been there for some time and that the deal has been a longer process than the eleventh-hour nature might suggest, but reiterated that Bolton “reached out to [him] a lot during the summer.”
He’s made it clear that his aim is not only to increase his regular first-team minutes but also to make sure he is well and truly in the final national team picture.
Ireland are yet to find out if they qualify for the 2026 World Cup – pending a tricky playoff tie this March – but Kenny clearly wants to make sure there’s no doubt in terms of selection should they make it through the challenge.
Elsewhere in the EFL, another big attacking loan deal was done by local promotion rivals Stockport County, who have managed re-sign Louie Barry for a third spell.
Louie Barry returns to Stockport County for a third loan spell
Danny Jones
One of the most popular Stockport County stars, whether that be a permanent player or a loan signing, has returned to the club by popular demand: Hatters, rejoice, because Louie Barry is back at Edgeley Park.
In one of the most heavily rumoured January transfer deals of this window, Aston Villa youngster academy product Louie Barry has been confirmed for a third County stint, getting reacquainted with Stockport on deadline day.
Having come through not only Barcelona’s famous ‘La Masia’ system, but West Brom’s youth setup and then Aston Villa, his most successful spells of senior football have come at the Greater Manchester club.
Parent club Villa recalled him only to send the youth prospect back out on two other lacklustre loans (much to the disappointment of County supporters), but now he’s going back to well, and is hopefully set for a return to form. Unveiled in a dramatic video at the local Plaza Theatre, fans are already buzzing.
Who doesn’t love a bit of old-fashioned paegantry, eh?
Still just 22 years old, Louie Barry remains highly rated by his foremost employers, but has had few opportunities to try and impress his parent club.
Barring a handful of cup appearances, the Sutton-born attacking midfielder – often deployed as a winger during his two previous terms – the majority of his professional minutes have been with County.
His second visit to the then-League Two side was even better than his first, and all told, he scored 25 goals in 45 games, not to mention more than a dozen assists across his appearances off the bench and an increasing number of starts as he became an increasing talisman in the team.
Unfortunately, one thing that has been consistent throughout his professional career thus far is struggles with injuries, which have certainly derailed his last two loan deals to Hull City and Sheffield United.
It remains to be seen whether he is at the level of the Championship or beyond, but with the now third-tier outfit currently chasing promotion, this may prove to be the perfect test.
Should be able to stay fit, it goes without saying that he’ll quickly knit back into the first-team squad, and with fellow fan favourite Isaac ‘Tanto’ Olaofe having also been re-signed on a half-season loan deal, it’s been a popular period of recruitment overall.
Pair these deals with the signing of Adama Sidibeh, and suddenly, manager Dave Challinor has some real strength in depth when it comes to offensive options.
What do you make of the acquisition, Hatters? Will three prove to be the magic number, and could another promising visit to SK3 be the start of a potential permanent deal somewhere down the line?
You can see Louie Barry’s first full interview back as a Stockport County player down below.
Barry is aiming to be back fit soon, though it’s unclear if there is an option to buy in the contract.
Danny Jones -
18th August 2025 
