Sport

You can join the board of an actual football club in Cheshire if you’re really good at Football Manager

They currently operate in the 14th tier of English football — but can you take them all the way to the top?

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 23rd January 2024

If you’ve ever dreamed of being in the football industry, a local non-league team is giving fans of Football Manager that very chance in the hope of turning their in-game results into real-world success, offering up a share and board position at the club in a truly one-of-a-kind challenge.

In a pretty remarkable and fun little story from just, non-league side AFC Crewe from just down the road in east Cheshire has announced they will be awarding not only an official share in the club but a position on their board to the first person who wins the Premier League with them.

So many new obsessive saves are about to be started over the next few days.

The long-standing footy sim is probably one of the most popular games in the UK and a huge sports title all around Europe, with millions of players trying to take teams at the very bottom of the football pyramid all the way to the top purely for fun — now they have even more of an incentive.

Yes, you can bag yourself a genuine board position and become a shareholder in the club by simply playing Football Manager.

The community-owned club plays in Division 1 of the men’s Staffordshire County Senior League and the Cheshire Women’s and Youth Football League, having been taken over by the Nufan supporter-driven ownership initiative back in June 2022.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gradually consolidating their position in the league as a completely fan-owned club, people can buy into AFC Crewe for just £3.99 a month, allowing them to take part in the running of the club by making key decisions in day-to-day operations.

Building on this model, they’ve opened up their ownership model even further with this FM 24 (Football Manager 24) competition and anyone who has heard the story of Will Still, the FM player whose love of the videogame led him to become the youngest top-flight manager in Europe (yes, seriously), will know just how influential this kind of knowledge can prove to be.

ADVERTISEMENT

As explained in the terms of the challenge, all players and would-be owners need to do is win the Premier League with them and “the first to do it will become an official shareholder and join the club’s board who run the club online. Current board members are also encouraging players to keep them posted.

Such a great idea — and so many partners are about to be annoyed by their other half’s new addiction.

Read more:

To take part, all you need to do is simply download the ‘E20 – England Level 13’ division from the lower league Lower Leagues Database HERE or via Steam.

We can’t explain how much we love this idea — especially because we know how many people are going to take it so seriously that they inevitably fall out with their partners after ignoring them for hours on end.

ADVERTISEMENT

Best of luck to all of you and we’ll see you out on the touchline.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — SEGA/Crewe AFC (via X)

Sport

Lancashire Cricket are offering free programmes to 1,400 kids across the county and Greater Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Lancashire Cricket Foundation offering free cricket to kids in Greater Manchester

The Lancashire Cricket Foundation is offering free cricket programmes to 1,400 kids across the county and the Greater Manchester region this summer.

Offering coaching and games to children from disadvantaged backgrounds whilst also aiming for greater female participation this year, the Foundation’s bursary programme is being opened up to young ones all across Lancashire and various parts of 0161.

Set to deliver opportunities to a record number of kids in 2024, the scheme is part of the nationwide All Stars and Dynamos initiative – now into its sixth year and set up by the England and Wales Cricket Board – and is open to all kids between the ages of 5-11, with more than 5,600 in Lancashire last year alone.

The aim is pretty simple: keep kids active and playing as much as possible, whilst also helping nurture the world of grassroots cricket.

all stars and dynamos cricket for kids greater manchester
Last year, around 1,200 Lancashire kids and beyond were given free cricket bursaries. (Credit: Supplied)

While the eight-hour long kids courses themselves cost £30 for the younger bracket and £40 for those 8-11, bursary places are being reserved for children living in deprived areas and diverse communities, where participation would otherwise be limited.

The programme has proved massively popular all across the North West and thanks to likes of total of the Red Rose’s Community Foundation works, who have brought the scheme to more than 200 clubs and centres across the nation, more than 20,000 children have taken part since it was introduced.

Now that’s one way to put the future of UK cricket in safe hands.

As for the All Stars and Dynamos, in addition to providing a social outlet and activities to help develop fundamental skills on and off the pitch, organisers always ensure to make things fully inclusive and support a wide range of abilities, disabilities and different learning needs.

In addition to the coaching received, every child who registers also receives their very own t-shirt, personalised with their name and number, as well as a range of other benefits including priority access to LCC tickets​, chances to meet players, discounts on merch and lots of other potential prizes.

The paid version of the scheme is still available to those inelligible for the bursary.

Read more:

Jen Barden, Executive Director of the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, said of this year’s efforts: “Through a variety of programmes, the Foundation delivers cricket to more than 110,000 participants in our schools, clubs, and communities, and we have a strong commitment to growing the game of cricket across the county.

“We are particularly proud of the Bursary Scheme that provides young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups with access to cricket. These programmes are vital for introducing the game to more young people, helping them stay active and develop new skills, in a fun, friendly, and inclusive environment.”

Parents can register their children for All Stars and Dynamos Cricket courses and find out whether they qualify for a bursary HERE.

You can also find out more information on taking part and coaching opportunities on the Lancashire Cricket Foundation website.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Lancashire Cricket Foundation

Sport

Everton manager Sean Dyche randomly pops up in the music video for Blossoms’ new single – and he’s great

Danny Jones Danny Jones Everton manager Sean Dyche in new Blossoms music video

Did anyone else think they’d ever see Sean Dyche make his acting debut in the role of a Northern crime boss in a silly little music video for the Blossoms?

No, us neither but that’s the bizarre alternate reality we’re living in, apparently.

Blossoms are currently working on the fifth studio album and have already released their lead single entitled, ‘To Do List (After The Break-Up)’, but now they have a new song out as well, with a rather amusing music video to go along with it and somehow Sean Dyche has found himself the star.

The Stockport band teased the curious collaboration in April, giving us just short glimpses of the Everton manager and former Burnley boss with very little explanation – all we know is that it looked funny and it was.

Sean Dyche stars as the boss in the music video for Blossoms’ latest single, ‘What Can I Say After I’m Sorry?’ As you do.

Dyche is still busy trying to finish the Premier League campaign as strong as possible after successfully navigating the Toffees to safety even in spite of their points deductions this season, but it sounds like keeping them up has given him enough time to moonlight as an actor.

Sending the indie five-piece on a mission to collect something of value (yes, that’s all the info we have at this point as the story is still to be continued), it looks like the Kettering-born coach has a larger role to play in whatever this narrative turns out to be.

Playing what can only be described as some kind of semi-Manc mafia figure on the hunt for a very valuable piece of art, i.e. a big giant gorilla statue – one that many Stopfordians spotted being lugged around various parts of the borough –

They also shared a little bit of BTS footage from the shoot for the music video last week. Some lovely head-bobbing and unassuming surroundings here:

How catchy is that beat alone!?

Read more:

As for the track itself, it’s a bit of stylistic change for the lads who’ve mastered their 80s-tinged indie formula over the past decade but it’s an absolute pop and is already stuck in our heads.

Revealing that they’ve collaborated with contemporary funk, disco and electronic icons Jungle on the track, it doesn’t take too long to hear the influences. Look forward to hearing it at Wythenshawe Park this summer.

You can watch the music video for ‘What Can I Say?’ and the ginger-goatee’d football manager extraordinaire in full character HERE.

He’s not the only footballing figure who’s made an entertainment crossover recently either.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Blossoms (via YouTube)/Virgin EMI

More Sport

Man City star Ian Mellor dead at 74

News

Tributes paid to former Manchester City winger Ian Mellor, dead at 74

Tom Aspinall says UFC 304 Manchester start time is absolutely terrible and unfair on UK fans

Sport

Manchester MMA star Tom Aspinall slams ‘unfair’ start times for UFC 304 at Co-op Live

Wayne Rooney joining The Overlap cast

Sport

Wayne Rooney joins the cast of Gary Neville’s The Overlap

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches