The first fully indoor padel club is coming to Manchester later this year and is set to open just a 10-minute walk from Victoria Station for anyone looking to come into town for a game.
Seemingly one of the biggest crazes on the planet at the minute, while this is by no means the first padel facility to open in Greater Manchester, it is set to be the only place where you’ll be able to play the increasingly popular tennis-lite sport inside anywhere in the city centre.
With an existing site down the road in Alderely Park, Macclesfield, Pure Padel has already grown a loyal following since opening back in October 2023, but by bringing their expertise nice and central, their super accessible ‘pay to play’ approach is sure to take off even more.
You can see the renders of what the space is set to look down below:
Credit: Pure Padel
As you can see, the state-of-the-art setup will include six indoor panoramic padel courts and a mezzanine viewing platform to watch all the action.
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But there’s much more to this place than just playing surfaces.
Set to include a pro-padel shop, a bistro-style café and bar; fully equipped changing rooms with showers, plus the comfortable seating area upstairs on the mezz, there’s a bit of everything going on here.
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Further still, Pure Padel has ambitious plans to build another 30 padel clubs in the next five years, with eight currently in planning and a further 15 in the pipeline, with further expansion across their home county of Cheshire.
Plus, there’ll be free onsite parking and WiFi available to customers at this latest location set to open in Cheetham Hill – sounds simple but it’s always a nice bonus.
Credit: Supplied
Set up by two experienced Padel coaches – originally from mainland Europe where the game first took off – you can also rest easy in knowing that you’re getting the very experience of the sport you could hope for when Pure Padel lands in Manchester city centre.
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Co-founder and head of commercial operations, Sammy Arora, said: “Padel has taken the UK by storm – and the North West is slowly becoming a padel hub after leaders London and Bristol who set the scene…
“We hope bringing indoor padel to Manchester will help make it even more accessible to those living and working close by. Currently, north Manchester residents are travelling as far as Huddersfield, so we know there’s demand for more padel courts in the city centre that are reachable by car and public transport.
“Choosing a site so close to Victoria station is a real asset – we hope it’ll help bring players into the city centre who will go on to spend on hospitality and shopping to further support the local economy.”
Sammy went on to add: “Manchester’s cold and wet climate (fair point) makes our indoor proposition even more attractive to players who are looking to keep up padel year round. Unpredictable weather can really impact the game, so a club away from the elements ensures the best playing experience.”
Having got hooked on the sport back in Milan, he added: “It’s fantastic to see such a broad mix of people picking it up, from those who no longer play fast-paced racket sports like squash and tennis, or those wishing to step away from work for exercise and to socialise.”
Scheduled to open this August, you’ll be able to book courts simply through Playtomic from 7am right through to 10pm, with the easy-to-use app also enabling first-timers or solo players to find and play with others of a similar level and match them accordingly for a fun and fair game.
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No member fees either, just plain old fun and the ability to play as much or as little as you want without the constraints of the traditional sports club model. See you on the court sometime soon!
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
21st June 2024 
