Nearby non-league football club Glossop North End are preparing for what is set to be one of their biggest games in years as they prepare to take a team of Manchester United Legends.
Founded back in 1886, the centuries-old side has a rich sporting heritage from early amateur friendlies to playing in the North Cheshire League, the Lancashire, Manchester and Cheshire combination division to the North West Counties League (NWCL) today.
Based at The Asgard Engineering Stadium on Surrey Street in the Derbyshire town, North End – or ‘The Hillmen’, as they’re colloquially known – bring in loyal local crowds without fail every week but are set for an even bigger attendance than usual this summer.
Announced at the end of last month, Glossop will be facing up against a team of Man United Legends players for years gone by in an exciting exhibition match in just a few months’ time.
Glossop take on some familiar Manchester United faces this July.
In collaboration with the Glossop Heritage Trust, the ‘Peakites’ are set to welcome Red Devils of old on Saturday, 12 July for an unforgettable fixture.
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Although the full squad of retired pros is yet to be confirmed, the likes of 1999 Treble-winners Wes Brown and David May, as well as former midfielder and one-time Premier League winner Luke Chadwick.
To make things even more interesting, the club also offered supporters the chance to sign up for the Legends team and play alongside the ex-footballer, with the application fee going directly back into the club on what is already going to be a big day in terms of funding.
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It goes without saying that Glossop natives jumped at the opportunity and the limited places were snapped up in a heartbeat.
As for who the lucky four chosen players will be, we’ll just have to wait and see.
⚪️𝑺𝑶𝑳𝑫 𝑶𝑼𝑻⚪️ We can now officially announce that ALL 4 places on the Man Utd legends side for our game on Sat 12th July are now SOLD OUT ! Thankyou to everyone who has sent enquiries & purchased the places.
Charity and exhibition matches like these are always a big win for grassroots football, regardless of the result after the full-time whistle and with both North End and United fans set to grab tickets, it’s sure to be a sell-out day at Surrey Street.
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With coverage from ITV Granada, it’ll be a memorable day for the area, no doubt about that – special occasions like this remind us of how important the beautiful game is to local communities.
Tickets for Glossop vs Man United Legends will be available from 1 March and it goes without saying they won’t be on sale for long, so if you fancy coming along to the game you best be quick about it.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Danny Jones -
3rd February 2025 
