Mary Earps and England fans can rejoice as the Lionesses goalkeeper’s long-awaited replica shirts didn’t just drop this week, they sold out within mere hours of going online.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was another brilliant tournament for the Lionesses, making it to their first-ever World Cup final and nearly going all the way. The only dampener on spirits at times was the Nike controversy surrounding women’s goalkeeper kits.
With the sports brand announcing that they would not be manufacturing any replicas of female keeper kits, despite several teams donning Nike at the Women’s World Cup and all outfield shirts being made available, Earps led the charge for them to reverse the decision and provide full representation.
After weeks of public outcry and the tournament ultimately ending, the company finally backed down and confirmed that a limited amount of the Golden Glove winner’s shirts would be made available to buy. Well, they best get restocking because they’re already gone — all of them.
Mary Earps’ England shirts sold out on the same day her TikTok hit 1 million followers. (Credit: Mary Earps via IG)
To absolutely no one’s surprise whatsoever given the fact that half the country spent the tournament banging the drum for them, Mary Earps’ goalkeeper shirts have now completely sold out on the official England store.
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Issuing a statement via her Instagram story, the 30-year-old shot-stopper said: “Didn’t realise these were going on sale today and you’ve sold them out already. More are coming before the end of the year in more sizes (kids and adults) — so stay tuned! Thank you for your incredible support on this, you guys have made this happen!”
The Man United‘s keeper’s club shirts were among the best-selling WSL shirts last season, so the demand was already there in spades, Nike just needed to pull their fingers out.
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All of this happened without any official announcement they had gone on sale and all in a matter of hours. If they need any reassurance as to why they should make more, that should be enough; as for what’s left, this is now the only Mary Earps shirt available online:
Here’s hoping other female goalkeepers get the recognition they are due by Nike.
With Earps having become not only the FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year last season but the Golden Glove Winner at the World Cup and the Lionesses Player of the Year, it’s safe to say she’s become a bit of an icon over the past 18 months or so.
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As for those of you who are looking to grab her kit, you’ll once again have to wait a while before you’re able to but at least they actually exist now.
Featured Image — Mary Earps (via Instagram)/England Store
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 -
10th October 2023 
