Manchester City and Lionesses star Alex Greenwood is said to be “alright” after a serious head clash with an opponent left her needing medical attention during England’s games against Belgium on Tuesday night.
The Liverpool-born defender looked seemingly concussed after clashing heads with Belgian forward Jassina Blom early in the first half as medics rushed on to attend to her.
Greenwood, 30, ended up needing oxygen on the pitch and a neck brace before being quickly stretchered off for further assessment. Jess Carter came on to replace her as fans prayed for a swift recovery.
Thankfully, the latest from the England camp is that the Man City centre-back regained consciousness not long after and is now “alright”, according to head coach Sarina Wiegman.
The horrible head collision between Alex Greenwood and Jassina Blom… looks like Greenwood will no longer play pic.twitter.com/y3mOUSGCih
— Adéyọ̀nú Olúwadémiládé Akínwùmí (@RealDemiAdeyonu) October 31, 2023
Speaking to media after the Nation’s League game — which ended in a disappointing 3-2 defeat against the home side — Wiegman confirmed, “She’s alright; she’s walking, so she’s alright, but she had to go off, that’s what everyone saw.”
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Fellow Lionesses defender and former City teammate Lucy Bronze added: “I’ve been told that she’s doing well and that she’s ok”, adding, “It was just not nice to see her in pain. Obviously, when it’s a head injury, it’s something you can’t take lightly.”
The long-serving England right-back went on to praise the reaction from those on the touchline who rushed on to help Greenwood: “The medical team were superb on the pitch in making sure she was safe. I wish her a good recovery.”
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Greenwood is still recovering and being monitored, so is yet to speak out following the scary head collision, whereas her opponent Blom was able to play on wearing a head bandage. You can watch the highlights of the match here:
Alex Greenwood’s head clash came around just 20 minutes into the game.
It goes without saying that head injuries in contact sports have become a more prevalent issue in recent years as a result of the latest research on concussions and, thankfully, there are now clear guidelines on whether or not a player is able to continue.
We’re sure we speak for everyone in wishing Alex a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing her back out on the pitch again soon.
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We had the pleasure of speaking to the WSL star and European champion back in 2022, during which she shed some light on what the growth of the women’s game has been like. You can watch the full interview down below:
Featured Image — Alex Greenwood (via Instagram)/ITV Sport
Sport
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 -
1st November 2023 
