Manchester United fans might have had to swallow yet another league title for Man City, but they are still hoping to put a dent in their chances of winning the treble as they are now calling for Erling Haaland to be banned from the FA Cup final after swearing on live TV.
The celebrations after City‘s latest title win have already spawned plenty of memes in just a couple of days — Haaland rocking up to the title party in his pyjamas, cooking his own tea in a restaurant and running off to dance mid-interview just to name a few — but the star striker’s little outburst on telly is causing a bit of a stir.
ln case you missed it, the 22-year-old ambushed Sky Sports whilst they were chatting to Jack Grealish after full-time to tell him, “I f***ing love you, you know that?”
As is usually the case with the big Norwegian personality, it was undeniably funny:
United fans might want Haaland banned for swearing, but he continues to crack us up regardless.
Now, we all know this was just a little bit of fun and isn’t even the first time Haaland has sworn on TV, but aside from being flagged as inappropriate for a live broadcast pre-watershed, United fans watching on were almost immediately taken back to over a decade ago and Wayne Rooney.
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The club’s all-time leading goalscorer and England legend was hit with a two-match ban which saw his miss the 2011 FA Cup semi-final against Man City, no less, after shouting “f***ing come on!” down the camera following their 4-2 comeback against West Ham when Rooney scored a hattrick.
Despite leaving the fans, players and Sir Alex Ferguson outraged, the decision to suspend him was upheld following a failed appeal and United had to do without their then-in-form star man for the semi against City, which they went on to lose 1-0 after a Yaya Touré winner.
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Naturally, although the controversial instance happened 12 years ago, many Reds are demanding that the same punishment be handed down to Haaland as a matter of parity, not to mention they’d do anything to see this year’s record-breaking golden boot winner miss the FA Cup final.
The particulars on why United fans believe Haaland should be banned from the FA Cup final.
Wayne Rooney got 3 match ban in 2011 for swearing on live TV, this saw Rooney miss the FA cup semi final against Man City which we lost 1-0, if same rules apply then surely Haaland should be banned for the FA cup final🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/vGpd3nQPtB
While it seems that the Football Association (FA) are unlikely to take the matter any further, with writer Martin Lipton reporting that Haaland “will not be probed over his use of the f-word live on Sky Sports on Sunday”, it’s fair to say that one half of Manchester has a pretty valid grievance.
Nevertheless, if reports are to be believed, “FA disciplinary chiefs do not believe any action is required and that there are no plans to investigate” — sorry, United fans.
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Do you think it’s only fair that he faces similar treatment or should a harsh decision be kept in the past where it belongs?
We’re not saying that City necessarily need Haaland to take that step closer to the treble but it’d certainly help.
Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
Danny Jones -
23rd May 2023 
