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.
The legendary Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
One of the most iconic teams to ever walk the Earth, the Harlem Globetrotters, are coming to Manchester city centre for an forgettable night of basketball and entertainment.
Announcing a 2025 UK tour, Harlem’s finest crossing the Atlantic to visit a select few British cities and we’re very lucky to be one of them.
Soon set to land on the court and the big stage at AO Arena this Spring, expect big players, and even bigger crowd and a fantastic atmosphere.
Approaching their momentous 100th anniversary in 2026, the Harlem Globetrotters have contributed massively to the global growth of basketball over the decades.
They might be a household name over in America but it’s a true privilege getting to see them overseas, especially here in our hometown.
Now a fully fledged exhibition team still creating memories all over, they continue to be one of the most entertaining basketball brands on the planet.
Famed not only for popularising the slam dunk, the fast break, the forward and point guard positions and the sport’s well-known figure-eight drill, they changed the face of the game forever and now you can see them doing what they do best in one of the UK most legendary arenas.
Experience the thrill of the Harlem Globetrotters live in action as they showcase breathtaking basketball innovation and plenty of fanfare to boot.
Here’s a little teaser of what’s to come:
From mind-boggling trick shots to expert ball-handling skills, every game promises excitement and laughter. Set to take on their arch nemsis, the Washington Generals, they’re set dribble, spin, slam and dunk their way past the competition.
But we’re not just talking a single game – this event is all about interaction.
Prepare for a proper fan experience like never before as the crowd becomes just as an integral part of the excitement as the players do. There’ll be the one of the best dunk contests you’ll ever see, exclusive pre, post and in-game fan engagement opportunities, a Halftime Skills Showcase and plenty more.
In addition to plenty of atmosphere created by the dedicated DJ, not to mention plenty of slapstick comedy and general showmanship throughout (they do it all, these lot), the audience will be given multiple chances to see the Globetrotters extraordinary talents up and close and personal.
For instance, make sure you don’t miss the ‘5th Quarter’ after the buzzer as people will be giving all access to a Globetrotter Meet and Greet, where every fan is invited down to the court for an autograph from their favourite Harlem Globetrotter stars.
Best of all, this a high energy family friendly for people of all ages and walks of life to enjoy.
Set to arrive at the AO Arena on 23 April before they travel across the rest of the world, the Harlem Globetrotters are made for a sport-loving Manchester crowd.
Featured Images — AO Arena (supplied)/The Manc Group
Sport
Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following delays
Danny Jones
Beloved videogame simulator Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following continued delays.
The long-standing game where players take control as virtual managers of football teams has been a mainstay of digital sporting entertainment for more than three decades.
Developed by London-based studio Sports Interactive and published by gaming giants SEGA, the game hasn’t missed a single season since it began life as Championship Manager back in 1992.
However, following two significant delays to this year’s title, Sports Interactive have confirmed that Football Manager 25 has now been cancelled, despite countless pre-orders having already been made.
While the news doesn’t come as a total surprise, with FM25 having first been delayed ahead of its initial November 2024 release date and then moved again to March 2025, many fans would
The statement reads: “Sports Interactive [SI] regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release.
“For the large numbers of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support – we’re very sorry to have let you down. Please see the FAQs below on obtaining your refund.
“We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision.
“Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.”
Insisting that they pride themselves on “delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment”, they simply didn’t feel like they were able to release the latest FM title to a good enough standard in its current state following playtesting.
They go on to add that ahead of working on this, the studio undertook the “biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era”, hence why the significant delays. The news has been met with mixed reactions, to say the least.
Don’t worry only gotta wait till November!!! Only in February FFS
— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) February 7, 2025
You can read the statement in full HERE, in which they also rationalise that it simply no longer made sense or felt fair to expect people to buy FM25 when it was ready only to purchase the next instalment later in the year.
Fortunately, with regular updates as well as community mods and patches to the current Football Manager (FM24 was released back in November 2023), loyal fans have been more understanding about the delays and now the cancellation.
SI signed off by stating: “Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect. We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.
“Thank you for reading, your patience and your continued support. Our full focus now returns to creating a new era for Football Manager.”
Lighting a candle for the people who collect a physical copy of every Football Manager, with no FM25 their collections will be ruined forever. pic.twitter.com/M1S5LiLJtQ
Blake Keeble -
21st August 2024 
