Manchester United have announced the extension of ‘safe standing’ at Old Trafford, with more rail seats set to be installed in the Stretford End.
There’s been a slight upturn in the mood around Man United over the last few days, at least in the immediate aftermath of their tense win against Chelsea in the Premier League this past Sunday.
On top of a crucial three points for the head coach, Ruben Amorim, senior management has now revealed the next steps for the safe standing section of the Theatre of Dreams’ liveliest stand.
Confirming the plans on Tuesday, 23 September, INEOS and the executive board have green-lit the further extension of the safe standing provision in the home ground, which could see more than 7,500 rail seats in total.
Work has begun to expand our safe standing section at Old Trafford 🏟️
As detailed in an update on the club website, Manchester United have now begun a “significant expansion” of their rail seating facilities, with an estimated 6,000 additional safe standing seats now set to be installed in the second tier of the Stretford End.
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The statement goes on to read: “The project will double the current provision of rail seats inside the stadium, making Old Trafford one of the Premier League’s leading venues for safe standing.
“The first phase of seats will be in place for the upcoming fixture against Sunderland. However, the section will remain licensed as seated for that game until the installation is completed and formally approved by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA).
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“The club expects the installation work to be finished by the end of October, though formal approval from the SGSA to use the area as safe standing may follow at a later date.
“This latest development reflects the club’s ongoing investment in enhancing the matchday experience, with safe standing widely recognised for boosting atmosphere while also improving safety.
Although the Red Devils are aiming to move into a brand new stadium within the next half a decade or so, these will no doubt be welcome changes among an otherwise divided fan base.
While they won’t be in their iconic sporting arena forever, supporters have been calling for more safe standing and rail seating year after year, with the last expansion approved back in 2023.
The advent has been gradually making its way back into the game here in England over the best part of a decade now, with many backing the push in the ground to improve the overall fan experience.
That being said, with the changes set to be brought in for their next home game early next month, and the introduction of more flags, as well as even tifos and pyrotechnics, plenty of figures (both inside and out of the club) are trying to make it a top-tier football destination once again.
Two Manchester Basketball players have been named in the SLB Team of the Season for 2025/26
Danny Jones
A pair of Manchester Basketball players have been named in the latest SLB Team of the Season for 2025/26.
The most recent UK Super League Basketball (SLB) campaign is set to wrap up this month, with the playoffs taking place down in the capital, but there are other awards to be handed out before then.
It remains to be seen how ‘The Final Four’ phase will play out at The O2 in London on 17 May, but we can definitely take joy in moments like this.
Announced on Thursday, 7 May, Manchester Basketball confirmed that duo Max Jones and Jordan Johnson have joined the rest of the league’s roster of the best players this term.
As detailed on the club website, “Max has averaged 17.4 points in the SLB in 32 games – he’s been a starter for the franchise and was also named in the ENBL All-Star Five in Germany last month.
“Jordan averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 assists in 30 games in the SLB, had a stellar European campaign and hit 30 pts in just over 27 minutes in the SLB Cup Final.”
Commenting on social media, one fan wrote: “Both JJ and PJ have been so great at the PG spot all year. I feel this is a joint award for them both, but they can only fill one spot for the accolade. If we wanna be a serious club to build upon year on year, JJ also needs to be in an MCR jersey next year.
“We absolutely have the pieces to build around. JJ’s nerve is sooooo cool under pressure. You can just tell they wanna loft a meaningful trophy, and it’s gonna happen if we as a club plan and build the way we need to.”
Plenty of supporters have also stressed the importance of making sure that the board tie down the likes of Jones and other big talents this summer; the rest of the Molten All-League Team of the Season for 2025/26 can be found below.
It’s also worth noting that teammate Tim Adetukasi and women’s team star Irene Oboavwoduo have each been named in the SLB’s British Team of the Year in their respective divisions for 2026.
Writing in a club statement reflecting on a great week of recognition for the resurgent club, General Manager Dominique Allen said: “We are really proud to be a club flying the flag for British players.
Both Tim and Irene have made a real impact on and off the court. We’re really happy for both of them that they are getting some well-deserved recognition.”
Well done to all the MCR stars who are helping get the franchise back on its feet following such a major rebrand across the board.
Here’s looking forward to another promising and productive year for Manchester Basketball.
Manchester City win first Women’s Super League title in a decade
Danny Jones
After a decade of hope and hard work, Manchester City have finally won the Women’s Super League once again in a huge moment for the local club.
Lifting not just their first division title in 10 years, but only their second WSL trophy since the modern female football era began in 2010, it felt like only a matter of time to many supporters.
Ending a six-year Chelsea supremacy, this is also manager Andrée Jeglertz’s first at the helm of Man City’s women’s team, who arrived at the club with a strong silverware record at the start of this season.
These were the scenes at home base as one key result sealed their status as champions:
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) May 6, 2026
City Women secured the WSL title following third-placed Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton on Wednesday evening.
They even managed to do so with a game to spare and a six-point gap over the west London club, which has won so much over the past few years.
Speaking in an interview with club media after confirmation of the win, captain and Euro 2025-winning Lionesses defender, Alex Greenwood, said: “[It feels] absolutely incredible. “A moment – we as a team, me personally – us as a club has waited so long for”.
“An incredible moment, it’s an incredible feeling. I’m so glad we got to spend this moment together as a group. Just an absolutely incredible feeling.”
With fans watching both at home, along with the first team themselves, the celebrations have already begun as the team shared a look back at how they got here.
You can see the recap posted on social media in full below.
Commenting on his latest accolade, the Swedish head coach added in a full club statement: “There’s never been doubt about the talent in the group, but there is something else about talking about being winners and champions. We started that early, and we believed in that. That’s led us through this year.
“It hasn’t been easy; it’s been hard work every day, but we had a strong belief that we could be sitting here in May and be champions. That is the first thing, and we definitely deserve it.”
Congratulations to the Cityzens on a well-deserved and long-awaited WSL title; could this be the start of another sporting dynasty of dominance over in East Manchester? Only time will tell…
In other news around the Etihad Campus, the women’s, EDS and academy team stadium is also set to host the final of the FA Youth Cup later this month.
Danny Jones -
23rd September 2025 
