One of the biggest podcast releasees of 2021 is coming out of Manchester.
Messi, Zlatan, Gerrard… what drives some of the modern-day giants of football? Who is the greatest player this century? 21st Century Football: A Complete Guide (So Far) is on a mission to figure this out. The new podcast will celebrate the best of the beautiful game this side of 2000, launching Monday 1st March.
Championing the greatest players of the last twenty years, the pod sees host Will Brazier, sports presenter and producer, joined by a regular panel of guests to dissect the career, honours, stats and stories behind legendary players. Regular guests include football analyst Statman Dave, YouTuber Stephen Tries and Adam Brown
Crowd Network
The new podcast is produced by Manchester’s audio-on-demand network Crowd Network, and is the company’s first show to be recorded solely in its home city. 21st Century Football will be the network’s 12th podcast since launch in September 2020.
Launched in September 2020, Crowd Network is an audio-on-demand network on a mission to become Europe’s largest podcast network. Home to shows including The Joe Marler Show, Death of a Sports Star and Quiz Chat Repeat with Miquita Oliver, Crowd Network makes ground- breaking audio that makes people feel part of something bigger than themselves.
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Crowd has recently signed a number of established podcasts as it looks to become Europe’s biggest podcast network by 2025, including Football Book Club, Le French Rugby Podcast, and The Fertility Podcast. Original Crowd titles include true crime thriller Murder in House Two, Geraint Thomas Cycling Club and We Didn’t Start The Fire.
Crowd Network
Will Brazier, host of 21st Century Football, said: “Although the stars of each of our episodes are some of the biggest names in football, their legacies have been relatively unexplored as compared to the sporting icons that came before them. We’ve seen some of the best players of all time emerge post-2000, so we wanted to use the pod to finally figure out who is the greatest this century. We look at the insane stats and bizarre stories so we can really measure the impact they’ve each had on the game.
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“The series has so much scope to grow, and we’ll be looking at the managers and coaches behind some of the greatest players this century as the pod progresses.”
21st Century Football: A Complete Guide (So Far) will be available for download on all major podcast platforms from 1st March, with new episodes released every Monday.
Manchester’s Club de Padel claps back at ’embarrassing’ copycat ASOS product
Daisy Jackson
A local Manchester business has sarcastically pointed out the glaring similarities between a new t-shirt on ASOS and one of its own designs.
Club de Padel has a range of retro-inspired merch with UN:IK, a small independent streetwear brand also based here in Manchester.
Its collection of t-shirts, hoodies, tracksuits, hats and bags often feature a design of an illustrated padel ball (which to the untrained eye is basically a tennis ball) in motion.
But this week a t-shirt appeared on ASOS that also featured an illustrated padel ball in motion, just in a slightly different colour palette.
The ASOS version, which has now been removed from sale, also undercut Club de Padel’s price by £6.
Since Club de Padel took the ’embarrassing’ copycat product public on their Instagram page, ASOS has launched an investigation and taken it off their website.
The sports venture, based at Deansgate Square and the only padel club in Manchester, wrote: “Love the new designs ASOS, kinda reminds us of something though…
The ASOS t-shirt that Club de Padel has said copies their merch. Credit: ASOSClub de Padel’s t-shirt created by Manchester brand UN:IK. Credit: Club de Padel
“Ah. Well that’s embarrassing… We’ve got a new line coming soon with UN:IK Clothing you’re just gonna love ASOS.
“In the meantime we made this for you @asos, save your design team a job.”
An ASOS spokesperson said: “We take intellectual property issues very seriously and have removed this product from sale while we investigate further.”
Of the Club de Padel and UN:IK collaboration, aka the real deal, UN:IK says it has ‘served up a staple for us, retro inspired leisure pieces with Manchester’s first ever padel club’.
Club de Padel in Manchester has gone public to poke fun at ASOS
They wrote: “Inspired by owners after a trip to Spain, Club de Padel has hit the city with a wave and the lifestyle brand we have created with them reinforces the fastest growing sport across Europe.
“Our classic vintage washes and oversized fits, working with independent designs as always on this local independent partnership. Don’t be afraid to the sport, we’ll guarantee you love it as much as these clothes.”
Manchester Remembers release unbelievable new kits featuring iconic Manc landmarks for 2024 charity match
Danny Jones
The Manchester Remembers Foundation have just released the official kit designs for this year’s upcoming charity football match and they’re utterly amazing.
The 2024 Manchester Remembers charity game is fast approaching, with this year’s edition set to take place in July and the excitement is really starting to build – especially with kits as eye-catching as these.
Roping in help from local media and production company Badger and Coombes, as well as getting Lionesses legend Sue Smith involved in the kit launch, the brand new Legends and Celebs kits have finally been revealed in extremely fine fashion.
Lovingly made once again by Oldham-based kit manufacturers, Hope and Glory, and with Salfordian fashion brand Marc Darcy Menswear serving as the main sponsor, the new shirt designs feature incredibly detailed drawings of recognisable locations around Manchester. Just look at them:
— The McrRemembers Foundation™️⚽️🐝 (@McrRemembers) April 19, 2024
The 2024 Manchester Remembers kits have officially been unveiled.
As you can see, iconic Manc landmarks like Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium take pride of place in the semi-opaque sublimated pattern on both the white and black versions of the kit.
Other noticeable buildings include Manchester Cathedral, the Central Library, Manchester Central (formerly the GMEX) and even a nice little nod to the Metrolink and Bee Network, just to name a few.
The incredibly detailed design pays homage to the city we all know and love and is a big step up from the already very well-received kits from last year’s charity match.
Once again, all the proceeds from the shirt sales go straight back into the Manchester Remembers Foundation and its partnered charities, which raise money for the families of those sadly lost in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.
Celebs stripLegends kitYou can pre-order the shirts ahead of their release in May HERE and they’re very affordable compared to most footy kits these days.
With a whole host of exciting names taking part in the 2024 edition of the charitable community-driven event, including ex-Manchester United stars Antonia Valencia and Danny Simpson, local celebs like soap star Adam Thomas, YouTuber ‘Angry Ginge’ and many more, it’s going to be a momentous day.
This year marks just the third time the game has been held but the amazing people attached to this non-profit, not to mention the thousands that have turned up to see the wholesome fixture, have already helped raise over £117k for the associated charities. Unbelievable stuff.
Returning to Oldham Athletic‘s Boundary Park for the second year running, tickets for the game on Sunday, 28 July are already available and priced at only a fiver for under 16s and just £10 for adults, it’s one of the most uplifting and affordable afternoons of live sport you’ll find the region.
If you’ve not heard about this truly inspiring annual match until now, you can find out more HERE.
The Manc -
26th February 2021 
