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 release second drop in retro range as classic ‘Romania’ shirt is revived
Danny Jones
Stockport County FC have released the latest drop in their collection of retro football kits and casualwear, resurrecting the legendary ‘Romania’ shirt as the centrepiece of the new range of old school casualwear.
If you’re a die-hard Hatter, we don’t need to tell what jersey we mean or how iconic it is within the club’s rich heritage.
We are, of course, talking about the 1996/97 third strip that County players and Stockport supporters alike donned in their droves during their historic EFL Cup run.
Teaming with local town centre hotspots SK1 Records and Underbank bar, The Spin Off, for an official launch event, here’s how they debuted it to the public:
It’s anyone’s guess as to which throwback fit they’ll go with next or whether they’ll simply complete the 96/97 revival, but it’s safe to say that both have gone down a treat with the local community.
Revolving around the bright and unforgettable yellow, blue and red jersey itself – the shirt that County had to swap into before they went on to knockout then-established Premier League side Blackburn Rovers away at Ewood Park – the colourway is just as bold as ever.
Here’s a closer look at the second County Classics kit:
It’s no surprise that just like the previous instalment, replicas have been snapped up in no time, as indeed has their current third kit for the 2025/26 campaign, which also pays homage to their history.
Dave Challinor’s side hosts Stevenage Town at Edgeley Park this Saturday, 13 December, before taking on Mansfield away the following weekend – you can expect a fair few Hatters to be wearing the third strip (both the original and the re-issue) at each.
You can see more from this second edition in the County Classic range down below; all of the items are now on sale, and find out how much each piece from the full collection costs HERE.
Featured Images — Stockport County Football Club (supplied)
Sport
Former Salford Red Devils player planning phoenix club after the team’s collapse
Danny Jones
A former Salford Red Devils player is planning to start a phoenix club from the ashes of the fallen rugby league team.
Retired winger Mason Caton-Brown, who played for the Red Devils between 2014 and 2016, is leading the consortium currently being linked with resurrecting the Salford side.
The Greater Manchester sporting institution sadly folded following liquidation on 3 December after a prolonged period of uncertainty and crippling debts.
Despite investors promising funds and multiple adjournments to their winding-up ceremony, time simply ran out and now Caton-Brown and co. are, hopefully, looking to pick up the pieces.
Heading up the move to bring back the beloved outfit, the former chairman of the ‘Forever Reds Supporters Trust’ (FRST), Malcolm Crompton, local entrepreneurs Paul Hancock and Ashley Washington are also assisting with the proposal.
Simply known as ‘The Phoenix Bid’, they are said to have potentially secured a six-figure sum and have already reached some provisional pre-contract agreements with a new coach and several players ahead of the formal offer being taken into consideration.
Publishing a lengthy mission statement on social media earlier this week, the ex-pro wrote: “I moved to Salford from London over 10 years ago, and the club and city welcomed me with open arms.
“It made me who I am today. The Salford City community is like no other, and the club is a big part of that, so when I saw it was at risk of going under, I truly felt the need to be a part of a solution and give back to the club, city and the community.
“But I’m not on my own, I’m part of a team of people that are passionate about what this club means and truly focused on making sure a true Salford RLFC stays alive and is something the fans and the city can call their own.”
Chatting with BBC Sport Manchester in a recent interview, the 32-year-old Enfield-born athlete turned businessman – who also represented the London Broncos and Wakefield Trinity – claims that conversations with investors and stakeholders are progressing nicely.
🗣️ "We are looking to bring this club back to life"
Former Salford winger Mason Caton-Brown has outlined his plans for a new phoenix club.
Salford fans, make sure to listen back to last night's Total Sport.
Signing off the post with a strong assurance, he said: “If our bid is successful, I promise we will do everything we can to protect the club and build a future Salford can be proud of.”
As for the fans, a spokesperson for the aforementioned supporters’ trust dubbed the prospective personnel spearheading the revival as a “powerful and credible team”, with Caton-Brown promising to reveal all the exciting details if the bid gets green-lit.
Speaking in an official press release shared with The Manc, the one-time Jamaican international and adopted Salfordian added: “This isn’t just about rebuilding a club, it’s about rebuilding belief.
“Salford means everything to me as a club and is part of my story. We want to create something the city can be proud of again; a club that stands for honesty, sustainability, and genuine community connection.”
“We’re inviting the people of Salford to stand with us. Together we can rise again, not just to bring rugby league back to this city, but to make sure it thrives for generations to come.”
Do you think The Phoenix Bid will be successful and, more importantly, do you think this group are the right people to bring the club back and get them moving onwards and upwards again?
Blake Keeble -
21st August 2024 
