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!
Kobbie Mainoo signs new contract with Manchester United
Danny Jones
Manchester United supporters can breathe a sigh of relief and start the end-of-season celebrations early, as Kobbie Mainoo has signed a new deal with the club, extending his contract until 2031.
A big win for the Red Devils and their fans.
In fact, many will argue it’s great news for England too, as the promising young Man United midfielder’s place in the national team also looked to be in jeopardy earlier this season.
Having gone from struggling for game time to now having started all but one of the current interim manager, Michael Carrick’s, Premier League games, it’s been quite the turnaround for the newly re-committed first-team star.
After transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano broke the news early on Tuesday, 28 April, Man United has now officially announced Kobbie Mainoo‘s eagerly anticipated contract extension.
Mainoo’s existing terms would have seen his deal run out next summer before the start of the 2027/28 season, but now, a fresh five-year deal could see him stay at Old Trafford until at least the start of the next decade.
Having recently turned 21 and having enjoyed a real revival under Carrick, it’s less of a comeback for Kobbie or even a return to form – he simply needed way more minutes.
The Stockport-born United and Three Lions prospect was said to be on the verge of leaving the club under previous boss Ruben Amorim’s tenure – and not necessarily just on loan, either.
Romano stated that Napoli were one of many suitors who looked odds-on to sign Mainoo on at least a temporary deal this past winter.
Several clubs around Europe were heavily interested in signing Carrington youth academy graduate when it looked as though INEOS were determined to back Amorim, meaning the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ would have missed out on that mazy run against Brentford, and who knows what else in the future…
Most Reds would surely have been left hugely disappointed were this to have happened, especially given how long the Portuguese head coach ended up staying at the club.
However close they got heading into the January transfer window, the prior head coach’s departure meant that Mainoo was given another chance at a dream career for his boyhood club, and he has been very impressive ever since he started getting first-team football again.
It also goes without saying that regular playing time is great news for Thomas Tuchel’s side ahead of the 2026 World Cup, as the youngster has looked more than capable of playing in major finals, including the most recent Euros, where he helped give England the lift in midfield that was needed that tournament.
Speaking in an official club statement, Kobbie said: “Manchester United has always been my home; this special club means everything to my family. I have grown up seeing the impact that our club has on our city, and I relish the responsibility that comes with wearing this shirt.
“From The Cliff, to Littleton Road, to Carrington and ultimately Old Trafford, the journey so far has been incredible. I have the privilege of living my dream every single day, with the same relentless desire to succeed here as when I joined my first training session at the age of six.”
“We can all feel the momentum building inside the club. I am determined to step up and play my role in helping Manchester United to regularly fight for major trophies in the years ahead.” Happy, United fans?
Manchester United home kit for 2026/27 ‘leaked’ online in unboxing video
Danny Jones
Manchester United’s new home kit for the 2026/27 campaign has reportedly been leaked online in a YouTuber’s unboxing video ahead of next season.
We know fake shirts and dupes can be pretty accurate these days, but it looks very much like this could be the real deal.
Shared by dedicated football kit reviewer, ‘Retro Man‘, who has seemingly revealed the latest Man United jersey, this unveiling lines up with the previously rumoured designs circulated on social media.
A Red Devil himself, the creator has teased previous releases that turned out to be true in the past, so we’ll leave it up to all of you to decide how bona fide you think this supposed home strip is. Ever-reliable footy fashion peers, Footy Headlines, have also shared these images:
Uploaded to the channel on 25 April, Retro Man did a full overview of the United 26/27 home shirt, highlighting key features such as a red-forward collar with black and white accents.
That same trim is repeated on the ends of the sleeves – reminiscent of the 2011/12 iteration, only differing in the more crew neck style – and the back of the neck now simply reads “UNITED”.
It is worth noting that this is specifically the replica shirt that most fans will purchase.
Should it prove to be the genuine article, this will be the 11th Manchester United kit by adidas since they returned as manufacturers over a decade ago, a.k.a. the start of the Louis van Gaal era.
Retro Man has since posted another video showing off what he claims to be the ‘authentic’ version, too; you can check it out in more detail down below.
Looks pretty legit…
As you can see, the official player edition that will be worn on the pitch by actual United squad members (though they are still available to purchase by the public) appears to hold some key distinctions.
Besides some differences around the panelling and stitching, there is also a noticeable textured section along large sections of the interwoven fabric as part of the brand’s breathable and trademark ‘Climacool’ technology.
Elsewhere, the badge itself also looks to have a more embossed/raised finish. If this is the real deal, what do you make of it?
This isn’t the only United kit that’s caught some attention of late, either:
Danny Jones -
21st June 2024 
