Sport

Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following delays

Really glad we've still got this year's FIF’—sorry, EAFC*...

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 7th February 2025

Beloved videogame simulator Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following continued delays.

The long-standing game where players take control as virtual managers of football teams has been a mainstay of digital sporting entertainment for more than three decades.

Developed by London-based studio Sports Interactive and published by gaming giants SEGA, the game hasn’t missed a single season since it began life as Championship Manager back in 1992.

However, following two significant delays to this year’s title, Sports Interactive have confirmed that Football Manager 25 has now been cancelled, despite countless pre-orders having already been made.

While the news doesn’t come as a total surprise, with FM25 having first been delayed ahead of its initial November 2024 release date and then moved again to March 2025, many fans would

The statement reads: “Sports Interactive [SI] regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release.

“For the large numbers of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support – we’re very sorry to have let you down. Please see the FAQs below on obtaining your refund.

“We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision.

“Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.”

Insisting that they pride themselves on “delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment”, they simply didn’t feel like they were able to release the latest FM title to a good enough standard in its current state following playtesting.

They go on to add that ahead of working on this, the studio undertook the “biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era”, hence why the significant delays. The news has been met with mixed reactions, to say the least.

You can read the statement in full HERE, in which they also rationalise that it simply no longer made sense or felt fair to expect people to buy FM25 when it was ready only to purchase the next instalment later in the year.

Fortunately, with regular updates as well as community mods and patches to the current Football Manager (FM24 was released back in November 2023), loyal fans have been more understanding about the delays and now the cancellation.

With the focus now shifting to FM26, which should still be released in the autumn window at the end of this year, regular players will just be hoping the get the major refresh and update to the annual release that many have been calling for. After all, this a game that die-hards take so seriously that they can get jobs at actual football clubs…

SI signed off by stating: “Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect. We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.  

“Thank you for reading, your patience and your continued support. Our full focus now returns to creating a new era for Football Manager.”

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Featured Images — Sports Interactive/SEGA

Sport

Explaining the ‘Poznań’ and why Oasis fans are doing it at their Live ’25 reunion tour gigs

Danny Jones Danny Jones

The sun is shining, Britpop is back on top and, more importantly, Oasis are BACK – plus, they’ve got thousands of people that aren’t even Manchester City fans doing the Poznań. Here’s why.

Before you jump down our throats, yes, we’re fully aware of what the popular Man City supporter celebration is (including the fact that it’s nicked); however, we have seen plenty of people confused over what it’s all about.

Including a few in our office who couldn’t give a monkey’s about football, which is fair enough.

So, if like lots of other non-footy-obsessed Oasis fans, you’ve also been wondering A) what the Poznań is and B) why people on the Live ’25 reunion tour have been doing it, here’s a brief explanation.

What is the Poznań celebration?

For starters, if you’ve been keeping off social media completely to avoid any spoilers whatsoever, first of all, well done, your willpower is much stronger than ours.

Secondly, if you’ve never seen it before at all, here’s what it looks like:

It came out of Poland, hailing from the place of the same name and popularised by Ekstraklasa (a.k.a. the Polish first division) football team, Lech Poznań, who have been doing it since the 1960s.

As you can see, the group – and in this case, stadium-wide celebration – sees supporters turning their backs on the pitch/the centre of the arena and linking by wrapping arms around each other’s shoulders and jumping up and down in one, massive, continuous wave.

It is quite a striking visual, no question about that.

Why are Oasis fans doing it?

Come on, you must have put two and two together by now.

Manchester City fans adopted this now iconic celebration more than a decade and a half ago, and have been doing it regularly during big games, big scorelines, and big trophy wins, of which there have been a lot since then.

In fact, aside from the Burnage boys being massive Blues, Liam Gallagher himself actually instructed the Cardiff crowds on nights one and two.

It’s actually said to originate from Turkey or Greece, where it is also fairly commonplace, being simply referred to as ‘la Grecque’.

They’ve even used some pretty biblical official photography from the opening weekend of the reunion tour as the cover art for a live recording re-released of ‘Slide Away’.

It might be the coolest album artwork we’ve seen in a while, to be honest.

The history of the Poznań and its connection to Man City

Be it at Wembley for a cup final or at the Etihad Stadium, where the majority of fans saw the supporter stunt for the first time, it’s become arguably even more synonymous with City than its creators.

It was 2010, and the blue half of Manchester was hosting Lech Poznań in the group stage of the Europa League, but despite a 3-1 victory on the grass itself, more eyes were fixed on the stands themselves.

An army of 6,000 loyal Lech Poznań fans travelled for the game and had the ground quite physically bouncing with a shade of slightly darker blue, so when Emmanuel Adebayor wrapped up a hat-trick, the home support decided to turn the jubilation on their opponents and do it themselves.

It was all in good spirit, of course, but it went down a pretty instant hit with City fans and has only grown more prevalent and regular ever since.

Perhaps one of the funniest sights in recent years is Noel Gallagher being too hungover to join in, which also led to one of the coldest-looking images of the songwriter ever, and one that was quickly dubbed a perfect album cover for the next High Flying Birds album or, who knows, maybe another Oasis record?…

Ok, this is still up there in the cover art competition too.

So, yeah: that’s pretty much the long and short of it, we just thought it would help if we quickly explained the Poznań to anyone wondering why Oasis fans have been doing it.

Basically, if it was that big over in Wales, don’t be surprised if you see a literal sea of people flood Heaton Park before turning their backs to the stage, which seems to be triggered once Liam introduces ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol.’ It’ll be interesting to see if Man United fans get involved.

And finally, just imagine how much more epic this is going to be back home in Manchester as we brace for quite possibly the biggest headline gig the region has ever seen…

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Featured Images — TNT Sports (screenshot)/Oasis (via X)

Sport

Outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx to open flagship store in Manchester this week

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Outdoor clothing brand Arc'teryx to open flagship store in Manchester this week

Premium outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx is opening its first brand store in Manchester this week – and its first UK shop outside of London. 

In the brand new two-storey retail space, shoppers will find everything they need for their outdoor adventures, whether it’s hiking, climbing, or snow sports. 

The new store will be packed with technical, high-performance outerwear and equipment, from footwear, packs and accessories to Arc’teryx harnesses you can try out in-store. 

Everything is designed with a commitment to perform in even the most demanding of environments – and yes, that includes the brutal rain of the North West of England…

It’s a fitting location for Arc’teryx to open a milestone new store, just 25 miles from the Peak District and the gritstone climbs that helped to shape trad climbing in the UK.

Inside the 567 sq metre shop on New Cathedral Street, there’ll also be a ReBIRD™ Service Centre that will offer free gear repair, care, and washing services, ensuring your equipment stays in peak condition season after season.

That’s alongside a dedicated Community Area designed for events, movie nights, and gatherings, plus a local map that highlights the best spots for climbing, hiking and trail running around Manchester. 

UK athletes and local ambassadors will be sharing their favourite places to visit, inspiring your next adventure. 

Once inspiration strikes, you can pick up a local trail book in the community area, and buy these top-of-the-range bits of kit, choosing from Arc’teryx’s core assortment, including trail and climb gear, with snow gear to follow.

Local artists will be on hand to create inspirational artworks, starting in July with an installation from NOTS. 

Sven Radtke, General Manager Arc’teryx EMEA, said: “Manchester is a vibrant urban hub that serves as a launchpad for outdoor enthusiasts. Its proximity to diverse natural landscapes makes it a gateway to the outdoors and a haven for hiking, climbing and other activities.

“Our goal is to help our core communities get out, doing what they love, equipped with the most high-performance gear to reach their goals.” 

The Canadian brand is already distributing products through more than 2,400 locations worldwide, but this new Manchester opening is a key milestone for adventurers in the UK.

Arc’teryx opens on 6 New Cathedral Street on Thursday 10 July. 

OPENING HOURS

  • Mon – Sat: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
  • Sun: 11:30 AM – 5:30 PM

To celebrate the opening, Arc’teryx is running a series of events and experiences:

  • 10 July – Store opens
  • 17 July – Grand Opening Party (RSVP opens on 11 July and will be linked on Instagram @arcteryxuk)
  • 18 July – 6.30pm-9.30pm – Grand Opening Climbing Party at the Big Depot Climbing Centre
  • 19 July – Grand Opening Day in Store with several activations

Follow @arcteryxuk for more information about the opening celebrations, or visit the events page.

Featured image: Supplied

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