0161 continues to help champion the growth of ice hockey on this side of the Atlantic as Manchester Storm and the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL)at largemanaged to break respective record attendances.
The Altrincham-based team, who play out of Planet Ice over in the thriving Trafford town, currently sit eighth in the EIHL and even at times when the results are going their way, they continue to pull in some of the biggest and best crowds from around the UK.
Welcoming a total of 52,823 fans into the ‘Storm Shelter’ in 2023, Storm have boasted their best-ever numbers and ticket sales over the past calendar year and the fan base is only getting greater. Massive.
Better still, as per a press release on the club website, 80,745 filed into stadiums across 20 fixtures between Christmas and New Year, with Manchester Storm’s attendances also helping set a new league record for the festive period.
🙌 – 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗠
ICYMI – We saw incredible growth during 2023 with waves of new fans joining the ranks and we look to have an even bigger and better 2024! 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗬𝗢𝗨 for your continued support, Manchester ♥️ #TakeShelter | #Manchesterpic.twitter.com/ykaI4gGXnu
— Manchester Storm | #TakeShelter (@Mcr_Storm) January 3, 2024
Not only was the league-wide tally a 5.5% increase on the same set of games last season (26 December 2023 -1 January 2024) and a whole 12.9% compared to the 2019/20 campaign, but the current average attendance per game now sits at over 4,000.
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A solid foundation that the British and Irish supporter base just keeps building on.
Outside of Greater Manchester, Glasgow Clan set a franchise record crowd of 3,577 on Boxing Day against the Belfast Giants and then went on to beat it again just days later with 3,602 fans turning up to the Braehead Arena for the game against Fife Flyers on 30 December.
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Meanwhile, the Dundee Stars’ crowd of 2,342 against the Giants was also a club record Belfast and are now aiming for their an unprecedented trio of consecutive games with attendances over 2,100. It’s a really good time for ice hockey in the UK right now.
The Storm, Giants, Nottingham Panthers, Sheffield Steelers and Cardiff Devils all enjoyed sell-out games over the holiday season, regardless of the weather and public transport obstacles that fans often face around this time of the year.
With four months left until the end of the regular season and plenty of time to secure a spot in the playoffs, now is as good a time as any to get behind the premier squad of Manc skaters.
Academy graduate Oscar Bobb is leaving Manchester City on a permanent transfer
Danny Jones
Manchester City youth academy graduate Oscar Bobb is leaving the club after sealing a move to Fulham FC.
Despite plenty of loan interest throughout the January transfer window, the Man City attacker has secured a switch to the in-form West London team on a permanent basis.
Bobb looked increasingly likely to leave in some capacity following the arrival of another winger in the form of instant hit, Antoine Semenyo, but it now looks as though his departure is all but confirmed, bar an imminent official announcement.
As reported by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the agreement has now been reached between the two clubs pending a full medical today (Thursday, 29 January).
According to Romano, Fulham will pay Man City approximately £27 million for Bobb’s services, who becomes the latest addition in what has already been a fairly busy period of recruitment.
He goes on to add that “City also mantain [a] 20% sell-on clause, matching rights and future control on the player based on his decision.”
There is no suggestion of a buy-back clause at this time, but given his age and having already made a fair few appearances for Pep Guardiola‘s first team, it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to see him return to the club one day.
Bobb also arrives at Craven Cottage following the exit of multiple wingers and offensive options, including Adama Traore, ex-Man United product Andreas Pereira and Arsenal youngster, Reiss Nelson, whose loan deal has expired and has signed another temporary deal at local rivals, Brentford.
Had it not been for that injury I know he would’ve been class for City for a long time, and let’s not forget that goal v Newcastle pic.twitter.com/inGxi5UjPM
The young Norwegian winger joined the Etihad Campus back in 2023 and went on to contribute a handful of goals and assists, despite limited appearances and some very unfortunate injury issues.
Only seven months ago, his soon-to-be former parent club released a short video charting his return from the sidelines after fracturing his leg – a setback which kept him out for roughly five months.
Plenty of fans have quickly placed him in the so-called ‘what if?’ category of players, and given that he’s still just 22 years old and has already impressed on a number of ocassions for such a big club, we wouldn’t be surprised if he goes on to have a very exciting career.
Can you see the Blues bringing in or letting anyone else go before deadline day?
Tyson Fury has officially revealed his comeback fight after coming out of ‘retirement’ once again
Danny Jones
Tyson Fury has officially announced the opponent for his comeback fight after yet again returning to professional boxing.
Fury supposedly ‘retired’ for seemingly the umpteenth time last January following his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk the month prior, and some even believed it might have actually been his final outing.
Nevertheless, ‘The Gypsy King’ said he was coming out of retirement once more earlier this year, and now his next match-up has been confirmed.
Revealing the other contender as Aslanbek Makhmudo, the fight will be aired live on Netflix only.
Tyson Fury is coming home.
TYSON FURY vs. ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV. Saturday April 11 from the United Kingdom — and LIVE only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/ib7KjT3xIt
Partnered exclusively with boxing magazine, Ring, the bout between Fury and Makhmudo is the latest big fight night to be picked up by the streaming giants.
The most recent example was, obviously, Anthony Joshua’s brutal knockout of influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul this past December.
Makhmudo, just a year younger than his opposite number, is a fellow experienced heavyweight based mainly out of Canada with a decent pedigree of his own.
The Russian, simply known as ‘The Lion’, has a record of 21 wins – more than half of those coming by KO.
With that in mind, he presents a potentially exciting prospect for the famous Manchester fighter, who hasn’t won a proper competitive fight since the defence of his WBC belt against Derek Chisora in December 2022.
Similarly, this should at least see two very well-seasoned pros going head to head.
Many fight fans would argue that there haven’t been enough proper big heavyweight dates since Fury vs Usyk, and even then, we are still yet to get a date for the all-but fully confirmed final fight of the trilogy.
Fury himself did state that the conclusion of their clash is scheduled for this April, but nothing official has been set in stone by any promotion or venue and the new date means it’s even less likely to be any time soon; meanwhile, plenty are still hoping for AJ vs Fury.
The 37-year-old will take on Makhmudo on Saturday, 11 April, and you can bet the world will be watching.
Danny Jones -
3rd January 2024 
