Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has officially been stripped of his captaincy at Old Trafford and while most fans feel it’s the right decision, he is being applauded for handling the situation so gracefully.
The Man United and England star has had a turbulent past couple of seasons, to say the least, struggling for both form and confidence and ultimately being dropped to the bench behind first-choice centre-back pairing, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
As a result of playing fewer games this past season, in particular, many United fans had already speculated that Maguire would be losing his captaincy imminently with Bruno Fernandes having effectively already taken over for the past year or so.
That being said, the 30-year-old confirmed the news himself on social media on Sunday, explaining that following a conversation with manager Erik ten Hag, he will be giving up the captain’s armband and despite being “extremely disappointed”, has assured he will “continue to give [his] all”.
After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain. He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt.
As detailed in his full statement, Maguire says, “After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain. He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt.
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“So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband. Since the day I took on the role, three and half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United and one of the proudest moments of my career to date.
“It’s one of the greatest honours in club football. I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful – on and off the field. I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility and I wish whoever now takes it on every success and they will have my full support.”
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Just as he expressed his gratitude towards the supporters, the fan base has equally praised the struggling centre-back for his “classy” and “mature” response, drawing a very obvious contrast to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo’s handling of his own situation last season.
No leaks to the press, no moaning and disrespecting the club. Harry Maguire deserves respect for the way he handled this 👏🏾 https://t.co/fS8Gt4Dyqc
— John Shin (GoodVibesJohn) (@MrJohnShin) July 16, 2023
I cannot understand why some people are abusing Harry Maguire for making what was a sincere and classy statement.
They seem to be the same moronic fans who felt that the best way to deal with a grievance was to do an interview with Piers Morgan. pic.twitter.com/CS1BtRClKG
— Cantona Collars AKA Larry (@Cantona_Collars) July 16, 2023
As for Maguire’s future at the club, having now clearly been outlined as a rotation player rather than in the first-choice starting 11, everything is still very much up in the air.
The former Leicester man was reported to have been training “three times a day” earlier this month as he prepares to either fight for his place or make himself an attractive prospect for other teams; the likes of Everton, West Ham and even his previous club have all been suggested as possible destinations.
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Regarding the armband itself, it seems likely that Bruno Fernandes will continue to wear the armband for the foreseeable, though no announcement is expected to be made until after United’s next pre-season game against Lyon on Wednesday, with the full squad having now returned to training.
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 -
17th July 2023 
