Sport

Chorley boxer Jack Catterall’s Co-op Live fight postponed

A rescheduled date is yet to be confirmed.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 31st July 2024

Another unfortunate twist for Co-op Live as the Jack Catterall vs Regis Prograis fight has been postponed.

The Chorley-born and bred boxer was due to take on the American fighter and two-time world champion at the brand-new arena next month but the 31-year-old has suffered an injury which has ultimately ruled him out from fighting as planned.

Having grown up just down the road, Catterall has fought four times in Manchester – most recently in May 2023 with a win by unanimous decision against Darragh Foley – but his next local bout is sadly being pushed back following a fitness issue.

Talk of the fight being called off first broke on Tuesday evening, with ESPN’s MikeCoppinger sharing details on social media, but the reports have now been fully confirmed by promoters Matchroom Boxing and the man himself.

Speaking in a frustrated and apologetic statement on his Instagram, Catterall wrote: “For the first time in my 30-fight career, I’ve had to withdraw due to injury.

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“I want to apologise to everyone who’s bought tickets and made plans to come to the fight. Refunds are available from [the] point of purchase. I’m hoping to have a new date very soon.

“Apologies to my opponent Regis. My health comes first and I always want to ensure I’m at 100% walking into the ring. Thanks again for your continued support, see you all very soon.”

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Although the details surrounding the injury are yet to be disclosed, it isn’t thought to be serious; nevertheless, the Lancashire lad simply won’t be back fit and ready in time to face Prograis.

The fight itself is looking like it will be rescheduled for the fall, most likely October if sources are to be believed, and the arena will be coordinating with those who bought tickets accordingly should they be unable to make the new date and require a refund.

Catterall recently took part in a charity 5k alongside fellow Chorley athlete, Reece Brown, who recently won his first marathon after smashing the Liverpool Half just six months into his running career. The run was set up in partnership with Matchroom to help promote the fight and looked raring to go.

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The venue has had a lot of bad luck on its side since first opening back in April, with multiple setbacks delaying the launch and other unforeseen circumstances such as Nicki Minaj and Stevie Nick both having to rearrange dates.

That being said, the flurry of massive gigs is now flowing and the crowds that gathered inside Co-op Live arena for UFC 304 this past weekend, their first-ever sporting event, were sensational and got to sit back and watch as two regional stars prevailed in fine fashion.

Scouse MMA star Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett added another victory to his unbeaten streak and Greater Manchester native Tom Aspinall defended his interim heavyweight title for the first time during the rematch against Curtis Blaydes with a ruthless stoppage in the first round.

He certainly celebrated like a Northerner too…

Tom Aspinall celebrates title defence in the best way possible – by smashing fast food and calling his next fight
Manc fight fans might have to wait to see Jack Catterall fight at the Co-op but at least they got to see a hometown hero shine.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Image via DAZN/Matchroom Boxing/Co-op Live (supplied)

Sport

The hearing over Manchester City’s 115 FFP charges will officially start next week

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester City hearing over 115 FFP charges start date next week

After more than a year of speculation as to when proceedings will finally start, it has been confirmed that the hearing regarding Manchester City and their 115 FFP charges is set to begin next week.

Man City were first slapped with the laundry list of alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) and failure to comply with Premier League rules on profit and sustainability (PSR) back in February 2023, but little movement on the case has been reported since then.

In that time, they also won the coveted Treble and their record-breaking fourth league title in a row; meanwhile, the club have continued to deny all claims of rule-breaking.

However, it has now been revealed that City‘s hearing will now kick off on Monday, 16 September.

As explained in various reports, given the extended nature of the claims made against the Manchester side, it is estimated that the case could run on for up to two months if not longer.

Furthermore, it is thought a decision isn’t expected to arrive until spring 2025 – again, this is simply due to the number of charges brought up over the best part of a decade.

In case you need a refresher, the allegations levelled at Man City date back to 2009 and concern a supposed nine years of financial irregularities, as well as subverting UEFA FFP rules.

Some of the accusations made against them also include failing to cooperate with the European football body and the Premier League, as well as offering ‘secret contracts’ so as to pay one particular manager a larger sum than what they recorded in their financial statements.

The final verdict, whenever it is reached, will be handed down by an independent commission and City will still be able to make an official appeal.

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The club itself launched unprecedented legal action against the English top-flight back in June but it doesn’t appear to have been enough to swat away those investigating the books.

It goes without saying that were they to be found guilty, it would be the biggest financial scandal in English football history and could be seismic for the future of money in the sport and regulations surrounding ownership, which have already grown tighter following the charges being issued.

And in case you needed a more detailed refresher on what exactly they are being tried for and what the possibilities are regarding punishment if found guilty, here’s a quick rundown:

What punishment could Manchester City face for FFP breaches?
The outcome and level of punishment following the Man City hearing could vary greatly in severity.

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Featured Images — Arne Müseler (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sport

Billy Harris’ sensational Davis Cup debut helps secure GB’s opening win in Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Great Britain grabbed their first win in the opening game of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage this week with a hard-fought day against Finland which featured a truly stunning debut from would-be dark horse Billy Harris.

‘The World Cup of Tennis’ returned to Manchester’s AO Arena on Tuesday for the next stage of the tournament, with Britain getting their Finals group games underway this past Wednesday and starting as they mean to go on.

It may have been too early to throw in Jack Draper – who despite being one of their most promising squad members is still pretty raw from his draining semi-final defeat in the US Open last week – but, thankfully, experienced Dan Evans got the ball rolling and it became a case of building on the advantage.

That being said, you could tell from the early points of Evans’ opener against world no. 703 Eero Vasa that it was going to be a long day for the home team, as the sets felt drawn out right from the off.

Birmingham’s finest was taken to a tense tie-break in the first set of the day but, tough as always, he weathered the early test and emerged with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over the Finnish underdog who looked to be playing well above form.

Evans’ stamina and resilience were a big factor in their dominant display in the qualifiers last September too, but energy levels can only take you so far and after a tiring first match, Finland piled on the pressure in the doubles fixture where he and partner Neal Skupski just couldn’t quite survive two tie-break sets.

The 34-year-old duo were truly put to the test but, fortunately, the game was already a bit of a dead rubber, as the real star of the show came in the form of surprising debutant Billy Harris from Nottingham, who impressed everyone with his emphatic performance against in the other singles fixture beforehand.

Harris only earned his first ATP Tour win last year and is admittedly a bit of a latecomer to the party, but his journey is an inspiring one: working hard over the last 12 months and simply continuing to push so as to now earn his stripes with a Wimbledon debut earlier this year as well.

At 29, he’s at a crucial point in his prime years as an athlete, so it was important that he did his utmost to leave his mark on the GB squad at his first Davis Cup, and he tackled that objective head-on.

Notching a comprehensive 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win against Otto Virtanen – who is no slouch in this particular tournament – team captain Leon Smith said of the showing: “I’m thrilled for Billy – I think that’s one of the best debuts you’ll have seen. It was that good.”

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Even on an early afternoon mid-working week, the second day of this year’s Davis Cup managed to attract nearly 6,500 fans to the AO Arena (roughly 90% capacity), which just goes to show how much of an appetite there is for the sport here in Manchester.

The opening rounds of the competition’s return to the city after a whopping three decades late last year saw its biggest overall attendance ever in this country and it’s clear Great Britain look very at home playing here.

Our boys take on Argentina in the next round this Friday, 13 September, where hopefully the likes of Draper can come back into the fold and give the likes of Evan, who has struggled with fitness of late, a much-needed bit of rest where possible.

Even without the likes of the now-retired Andy Murray, an injured Cam Norrie and Stockport’s Liam Broady, GB still look to be one of the teams in with a really strong chance of going all the way. Is The World Cup of Tennis ‘coming home’ and just how big a maiden tournament is Billy Harris going to have?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Billy Harris/ATP/Davis Cup (via Instagram)

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