Lionesses and Manchester United Women’s keeper Mary Earps has once again called out Nike over the ongoing women’s goalkeeper kit saga, with thousands now having signed a petitionurging them to change their minds.
In case you missed it, Nike‘s decision not to manufacture and sell replica female keeper kits this year loomed large over the 2023 Women’s World Cup after England‘s no.1 publicly criticised the sports brand over what they labelled merely ‘financial strategy’.
With millions of fans urging the global franchise to adjust and stock not only Earps’ kit but that of all the other goalkeepers at this year’s women’s tournament, the company finally issued a pubic response but, for many, it was seen as somewhat of a non-statement.
Reacting to the statement on Instagram, the 30-year-old said, “Nike, is this your version of an apology/taking accountability/a powerful statement of intent?”, as well as sharing images of the support she has been receiving online — including a petition that’s now been signed by more than 136,000.
Credit: Mary Earps (via Instagram)Swathes of England supporters and non-football fans alike have signed the Mary Earps petition.
The petition notes how the Nottingham-born shot-stopper’s Man United shirt was also the third-best-selling and ultimately sold out last season, insisting, “We need to unite and demand this decision is overturned. We need to show togetherness and support Mary and ask Nike to rethink their decision.
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“Let’s make them see just how important our female goalkeepers are. How respected they are and how many young girls aspire to join them in the future. Any type of exclusion is unacceptable in this day and age and we need to show we will not stand for it.”
Concluding by saying, “Mary and all female goalkeepers, we love and respect you. You are inspirational and we are behind you”, the Change.org petition is now well on its way to 150,000 signatures as it’s clear plenty of Brits still want to show support and buy the kit.
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In fact, the demand for the Lionesses kits, in general, shot up by nearly 4,000% ahead of the World Cup final and Earps’ shirt was one of the most in-demand, and even in the more immediate aftermath of the decision going public, a massive mural of the Golden Glove winner was erected near Old Trafford.
In their statement addressing the mounting pressure from fans, Nike said, “We hear and understand the desire for a retail version of a goalkeeper jersey and we are working towards solutions for future tournaments, in partnership with Fifa and the federations.”
However, as Earps said at the time, she had been given the same assurances that they would begin manufacturing and selling women’s goalkeeper kits to the public after they failed to do so for the Euros.
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Whether or not Nike will change its position sooner rather than later remains to be seen but one thing is clear: football fans are not letting up.
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
23rd August 2023 
