In a wholesome bit of news coming out of Greater Manchester and crossing into Scotland, four friends from Stockport are set to take on the infamous Loch Ness 24 challenge to help raise money for The Christie Hospital.
Local brothers James and Joe Madeira, and their two lifelong friends, Joel ‘JJ’ Kinsella and Joel Walsh, first met back at Cheadle Hulme School and have been best friends ever since, but now they’re set to grow an even stronger bond by becoming teammates in one of the UK’s toughest endurance challenges.
Dubbing themselves ‘Team Lochedin’ (already off to a great start), the group of 23-year-olds will be taking on Loch Ness 24, and if you’ve never heard of it before, it’s no mean feat.
The gruelling 24-hour off-road running race can be taken on solo or as part of a team relay as participants traverse along the stunning shores of Loch Ness to complete as many seven-kilometre laps as possible along trails that weave through ancient Scottish pine forests and beaches.
Credit: The Christie (supplied)
For Team Lochedin, the event marks the South Manchester group’s first-ever ultra-marathon adventure. As James Madeira explained to The Christie: “Two of us hadn’t ever really run further than from the sofa to the fridge, so it’s fair to say a few eyebrows were raised when we first told people we were each planning to run an ultra-marathon in Scotland.
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“We decided to take on the Loch Ness 24 to show our support for the incredible work of The Christie Charity and also to challenge ourselves to our physical limits.
“Whilst we cannot fully comprehend the tough journeys faced by cancer patients, this ultra marathon pushes us out of our comfort zones and symbolises the physical and mental determination and resilience shown by the strong individuals supported by The Christie.”
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Running on behalf of their close friend Cam, as well as James and Joe’s Auntie Annie who are both undergoing cancer treatment at the moment, they said that getting to undertake this “adventure together makes it even more special”, noting that The Christie has played a role in each of their lives at one point or another.
James went on to add: “We have witnessed first-hand the unbelievable care and support provided by the hospital to a number of our friends and family members at a time when they needed it most […] we feel that we have a duty to raise money for this incredible hospital and play a tiny part in contributing towards an amazing charity and foundation.”
The lads have been training up hard around Manchester over the past few months, as well as undergoing an intense training camp in Wales, uploading their runs to Strava and getting plenty of group runs done together in the process.
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Admitting there’s a potent mix of excitement and nerves, the knowledge that they’re running on behalf pf such an important cause is keeping them motivated, joking, “If we spot Nessie along the way, well, that’s just a bonus!”
Aiming to complete a total of 200 kilometres during the 24-hour period with at least one team member running at all times, they’ve got some serious graft ahead of them, so if you want to help spur them on by doing your bit, you can donate to their fundraiser HERE.
Salford RLFC finally confirm new head and assistant coaches
Danny Jones
Salford RLFC have finally announced their new head and assistant coach picks as the new rugby league season fast approaches.
The Salfordian phoenix club had already confirmed they’d reached provisional pre-contract agreements with a new boss and several players following the news of the consortium bid that kept the sporting institution alive, but now they officially have a new leadership team to get behind.
Following Salford Red Devils’ resurrection by the aforementioned investment group – though it still remains unclear whether this will eventually include a full rebranding – familiar face Mike Grady and his assistant Dave Hewitt are now in place.
They replace ex-boss Paul Rowley, now at St Helens, and his assistant, Kurt Haggerty, who both left in October and September of last year, respectively.
Sharing the news in an official statement on their new Instagram account amid a major overhaul of their online presence, the local side wrote: “We are proud to announce Mike as the new Head Coach of Salford RLFC, joined by Dave Hewitt as Assistant Coach.
“Mike brings over 12 years of coaching experience across club and international rugby, most recently leading the Salford Women’s team and previously coaching at Widnes.
“His appointment marks another big step forward in our rebuild, combining experience, passion and a deep understanding of what Salford rugby league stands for: hard work, resilience and exciting rugby.
“Joining him, Dave Hewitt, former St Helens and England Academy player, will focus on developing our attacking play and nurturing new talent.”
Hewitt also played for Oldham RLFC across three spells, as well as Rochdale Hornets.
As for the board, they sign off by adding: “Together, Mike and Dave represent the energy and belief driving this new era for Salford RLFC.”
With several ‘key announcements’ soon to be made, we can expect a better idea of what the new and hopefully improved Salford will look like in time for their opener against the Roughyeds in the Championship on Friday, 16 January.
It is worth noting that the club have yet to reveal any actual squad signings.
As for co-owner Caton-Brown, who knows all about the club and the community from his several years playing in the area, we have the pleasure of chatting with him first-hand about the vision for their future.
As a result, Pep Guardiola and co. have decided to cut the 20-year-old’s loan spell at Championship outfit Watford FC short to bolster their ranks along the backline.
The Italian journalist gave the reports the ‘Here We Go!’ seal of approval on Monday, 5 January, following confirmation of Gvardiol‘s ankle problem.
“Man City act fast as Josko Gvardiol will now be out for several weeks with injury”, he writes, “and so Max Alleyne returns.”
Himself a bit of a utility player, having also been deployed in defensive midfield on occasion, the Bristol-born youth academy product could prove a useful option in various positions across the pitch.
While Guardiola admitted that the versatile Croatian star’s issue “doesn’t look good” – this being the same ankle he had surgery on back in November 2025 – it remains to be seen how serious his Portuguese teammate’s muscle concern is.
Romano continues: “Alleyne has been doing great at Watford on loan… City informed the London club this morning, even if they’re very happy [with] how they managed Max over recent months. Club-to-club good relationship, City wanted Alleyne in their squad ASAP, and Watford let Max leave today.”
The England prospect has represented his country in every age group from the under-17s to Lee Carsley’s U21 side, and has certainly impressed on the national stage.
Danny Jones -
15th August 2024 
