People watching back home as Man City beat Sheffield United in a hard-fought win on Sunday were tickled to see an away fan come flying out from the stands to hug Erling Haaland and, as it turns out, this wasn’t any old supporter — he actually happens to be an ex-world champion boxer.
We thought he looked familiar.
For those of you who missed it, after Haaland opened the scoring following a difficult afternoon over at Bramall Lane, hitting the post with his penalty and scrapping with the home side’s defence for a good 60 minutes, his exasperated celebration was made much more amusing when a fan jumped on his back.
While his teammates initially looked concerned to see the pitch invader come flying over the advertising hoardings, they needn’t have worried as it soon became clear the City supporter just wanted to give their star striker a big kiss and a cuddle. Sure he’s not the only one.
Bruh😂😂 a fan ran on the field and celebrated with Haaland and everyone just accepted it😂😂 pic.twitter.com/HSJGpSveBS
A flying City fan gives Haaland a hug after his header.
Leaping from his seat, he ended up clinging to the big Norwegian number nine’s back like some kind of Manc monkey, planting a big wet one on the 23-year-old’s cheek as the centre-forward reciprocated with a friendly hug of his own.
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The random moment turned out to be not just a humorous but a wholesome one too, as Haaland’s exhausted expression suddenly turned to a wry smile and even as the stewards came to haul off the mystery man, it wasn’t anywhere near as tense a situation as most of these fan interactions tend to be.
All that being said, after the fan was escorted away and City went on to win the game 2-1 without Pep Guardiola on the touchline (still recovering from back surgery), eagle-eyed viewers clocked his face, did some digging and found out that this unknown supporter wasn’t a total stranger after all.
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In fact, not only is he a well-known City fan who has regularly attended matchdays home and away down the years, he’s a famous former boxer and two-time world champion from Crumpsall called Terry Flanagan. Good job it was a happy pitch invasion, eh?…
[🚨] The man who jumped on Erling Haaland today is a twice Boxing lightweight champion named Terry Flanagan, also a #ManCity fan. pic.twitter.com/Fy8bzmYuLL
The 34-year-old fighter from north Manchester won the WBO lightweight title in 2015, becoming the first Englishman to ever do so in that class, and then again in 2017 before ultimately retiring in 2022.
What’s more is that the local lad has always worn his club on his sleeve — or his shorts, to be more accurate, regularly donning blue trunks embroidered with the City badge when in the ring.
Featured Image — Sky Sports/Terry Flanagan (via Instagram)
Sport
Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Shot (via SCFC)
Sport
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Danny Jones -
28th August 2023 
