After fleeing Kyiv to land a fittingly named vintage football shirt store here in Manchester, Stunner has now sadly confirmed that they have closed their city-centre site.
Sweethearts Polins Vynohradova and Serge Shcherbyna formed Stunner back in 2017, eventually opening their Manchester site in February 2022 following the breakout of the Ukraine War.
The Stunner brand ignited their passion for film photography, football and 90s aesthetics, by providing hundreds of authentic football kits from the era and into the 2000s, creating a hub of creativity and culture. They’ve been a great addition to our sport-loving city.
But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom; this isn’t goodbye forever and the couple is staying positive, insisting that they’re excited about “getting back on the road”, and we can assure you that their incredible journey isn’t ending here.
Credit: Instagram/The Manc Group
In a statement via Instagram, the Stunner duo said: “First of all, don’t panic, we’re only closing the physical store. You can still place your orders online and we’ll ship them to you worldwide.
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“The original idea of [the] Stunner store in Manchester was always to have it for one year, regardless of how it goes, and we’re glad that we managed to pull it off.”
So yes, Manchester natives can breathe a sigh of relief. Stunner confirmed the continuation of the online store that provides worldwide shipping, even hinting towards the re-opening of a new store elsewhere.
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Their story is a truly fascinating one; a couple dozen shirts and an Instagram page ended up expanding into Kyiv’s largest flea market before a journey across Europe to eventually land right here in rainy Manchester.
Explaining the hardships behind running Stunner between and what led to the closing of their store on Friday, 23 August, the pair went on to add: “Running a football store when there’s just the two of you means that other things have to be put aside.
“Though it’s lots of fun and the best way to meet like-minded people, it’s also time-consuming and very demanding. We knew that it would mean sacrificing football travels and now the time has come for Stunner to get back on the road.
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“We want to take you to more football grounds and cities around the world, and who knows, maybe one of them will be a perfect fit for the third Stunner store.” As big fans of these guys, we can only hope they come back stronger in the second half.
From escaping the grasp of a devastating conflict in Ukraine to closing their store later this week, the couple ended their beautiful statement by saying: “Come have a beer with us this Friday, August 23rd and grab a bargain on our final day at 9 South King Street.”
The disappointed but hopeful announcement on socials was only met with equally heartwarming reactions in turn, with customers showing a lot of love for Stunner.
One commenter wrote, “Super happy to have visited this space. Excited to see what you have to share coming up”, while another said: “So excited to see what’s next for you guys & so grateful to have met you through the store.”
We’re so relieved that this won’t be last we’ll hear from the folks over at Stunner, even if their flagship Manchester city centre shop and first-ever brick-and-mortar space has closed.
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We have every faith they’ll be back bigger and better than ever and, in the meantime, you can still order from their incredible online catalogue HERE. до скорої зустрічі.
Stockport County to open new club shop in heart of town centre
Daisy Jackson
Stockport County FC will be opening a new County Store in the heart of Stockport, selling official merch and tickets.
The club has announced it’s taking on a unit at the Merseyway shopping centre, close to the former Debenhams building.
From its new ground-floor location, Stockport County will be able to offer supporters even more access to the club, stocking a wide range of official merchandise including exclusive products and new releases.
Merseyway has welcomed more than a quarter of a million visitors in a single week over the summer – a record-breaker – and the new Stockport County club shop will join new arrivals like Søstrene Grene, Lovisa, Grape Tree, and Shoe Zone.
Gavin Bailey, CEO of Stockport County said: “We’re delighted to be opening another County Store in the heart of Stockport town centre.
“As a Club, it is really important that we continue to strengthen our presence across the borough and make it as easy as possible for supporters to engage with County.
“Merseyway sits at the heart of a thriving town centre and this new location will give supporters a really convenient way to shop for County merchandise or purchase tickets whenever they are in town.
“It is also an incredibly exciting time for this part of Stockport. There is significant investment taking place across the town centre and the plans for Mersey Square will completely transform the area immediately surrounding our new store.
“We’re really pleased to be playing a small part in that wider regeneration and establishing another permanent County presence right in the centre of the town.
“We’re also looking forward to working alongside the fantastic network of retailers and businesses already based here. We have received tremendous support from the Stockport business community over recent years and we’re proud to be joining them.
““”We want the store to feel unmistakably County, with exclusive merchandise, new product ranges and plenty more planned as we continue to develop our retail offering.”
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Skills at Stockport Council, said: “Stockport County means a great deal to so many people, so it is brilliant to see the club bringing a new store into the town centre. County are a huge part of Stockport’s story and identity, and this move is a real vote of confidence in the town centre as a place where people want to be.
“The store is a welcome addition to Merseyway and will bring something distinctive and proudly Stockport to the retail offer. As our £2bn regeneration programme continues to reshape the town centre, it is important that we celebrate the businesses that make Stockport special and County is absolutely one of them.”
Victoria Nichol, Centre Manager at Merseyway Shopping Centre, said: “Stockport County is a huge part of this town, so having a County Store at Merseyway will be a significant addition for us and for the town centre. It will put the club right in the heart of Stockport and give supporters a new place to visit beyond match days.
“Merseyway is going from strength to strength. We’ve welcomed new retailers, seen record footfall over the summer and built a year-round programme of events that bring people into the centre. The County Store will add to that momentum, joining a fantastic mix of high street brands, independent businesses and community spaces.”
Further details, including the opening date and opening hours for the new County Store, will be confirmed in due course.
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.
Blake Keeble -
21st August 2024 
