British cricketer, Marie Kelly, has won the prestigious University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) Sports Entrepreneur Competition for 2025.
Winning the whopping grand prize of up to £50,000, the Blaze – Nottinghamshire women’s team, formerly known as ‘Lightning’ – and Northern Superchargers star took home the potentially game-changing investment for her own apparel company, Versatail.
Being given the substantial grant late last month, the professional cricket player was presented as the lucky recipient following an intense deliberation process.
Expert judges chose the Birmingham-born young businesswoman from a shortlist of nine finalists selected from countless submissions.
At 29, Kelly fell just within the eligible 18-30 age bracket for the new UFCB Sports Entrepreneur Competition, with 2025 marking a decade of the further education institution here in Manchester.
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Held at Man United’s home stadium, Old Trafford, it’s safe to say that the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ felt like a fitting venue to deliver news.
The judging panel was comprised of UCFB Founder, Brendan Flood; Andrea Chilton, CEO of the English Schools Football Association; Eni Shabani, Founder of Rising Ballers; Adrian Harris, Chief Supply Chain Officer of Castore, as well as the CEO of Altrincham FC, Sam Mackenzie.
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As the founder of Versatail UK, which specialises in women’s and active headwear, including lifestyle caps and bobble hats, Kelly has taken her sporting background to create products that cater specifically to long hair and female-centric styling.
For instance, her label has helped oversee the design ‘Magni-Strip®’ trademarked technology, which allows people to adjust their ponytail heights.
Learn more about the inspiration behind the project here:
Votes were based on five criteria: market opportunity, innovation of the idea, feasibility, the pitch quality, and sustainability/impact of the idea.
Other runners-up included a non-league football app called Touchline, and even an anti-bacterial boxing glove liner conceived by a brand specialist at Amazon.
Speaking on the momentous milestone for her still relatively small start-up, Kelly said: “My main emotion is shock. I really didn’t think I would win – I was here for the experience.
The process really helped me strategise the business and really think about where I wanted to go with it. To be named the overall winner, I’m really delighted.”
“The financial prize takes a bit of the weight off my mind about how to supply the demand that I’ve already got for my products and my caps. Hopefully, I can just really develop the product so it’s even better and service even more women and girls in sports.”
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As for UCFB, aforementioned CEO Flood went on to add: “As we celebrate 10 years in Manchester, we want to celebrate not just our own journey but empower the young entrepreneurs who will shape the future of sport.
“This competition reflected everything UCFB stands for: ambition, innovation, and the belief that the sports industry is powered by creative ideas. The calibre of the entries was incredible, so everyone who made the final judging stage deserves immense credit, but Marie was the unanimous choice overall.
“She has done an incredible job establishing her brand, and we hope that this financial reward can help Versatail continue to cater for the diverse needs of women and girls in sport at an even greater scale.
You can see the full video from the most recent event down below.
If you’re looking to make moves in this space, keep your eye out for when entries open for the UCFB Entrepreneur prize in 2026.
Manchester Storm’s record-breaking return to AO Arena goes down a storm with fans
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Storm have made their grand return to the AO Arena, after more than two decades away from their former home.
And it appears the ice hockey craze (which may have been spurred on by a certain Heated Rivalry) is here to stay, with record-breaking numbers piling into the venue for Sunday’s match against Sheffield Steelers.
The AO Arena has now shared that a record crowd of 11,000 fans attended the long-awaited Manchester Storm homecoming last week.
The action has gone down a storm with fans, with plenty of chatter on social media (and videos of a certain fight) doing the rounds.
Manchester Storm’s homecoming has now smashed the record for an Elite Hockey pre-season fixture, with fans travelling from across Manchester and beyond.
As the team enters this new era, bidding farewell to the ‘Storm Shelter’ in Altrincham that’s been their home for a decade, demand for tickets is continuing to grow.
This is the first time fans have been able to see the club on the ice at the AO Arena since 2004, and last weekend they thrilled supporters with a 5-5 draw agains the Steelers.
Manchester Storm is now set to bring approximately 35 games to the city centre each year, providing a regular programme of major sporting events for Manchester and its visitors.
It also brings elite-level hockey back to one of Europe’s largest indoor sporting arenas.
Gemma Vaughan, General Manager at the AO Arena says, “Tonight is a hugely significant moment for Manchester.
“To welcome Manchester Storm back to their former home after more than 20 years, and to do so in front of a record Elite Hockey League crowd, is incredibly special.
“The response from supporters has demonstrated the strength of Manchester’s passion for ice hockey and the demand for world-class sport in the city. We’re proud to be able to provide a home for the Storm as they begin this exciting new chapter.”
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it
Emily Sergeant
Erling Haaland has answered the all-important question.
The question heard around the world, the question on everyone’s lips, a question that has absolutely nothing to do with football whatsoever… that’s right, he’s answered Letterboxd’s famous question of ‘what are your four favourite films?’.
If you’re unaware of what Letterboxd is, it describes itself as being an ‘online diary platform and app for film lovers’ and it gives users the chance to display their four favourite films at the top of their profile for all to see (and judge).
An extension of this has then been Letterboxd asking celebrities in press junket interviews and on red carpets what their ‘four faves’ are – and it’s gone on to become something of a phenomenon in the film world.
Everyone from massive A-list movie stars, to indie darlings and up-and-coming names have answered this question before, and now (it appears) to be Erling Haaland’s turn.
He’s not the first footballer to be tasked with question though, as the entire Spurs team was ambushed with it by former player – and famously massive cinephile – Alfie Whiteman last year, but it’s fair to say that after the summer he’s had with Norway at the World Cup, achieving international fame in the process, that Haaland is one of the most high-profile to answer it in a long while.
So, what’s on Erling’s list then?
Well, to self-confessed ‘film bros’ out there, you’re not going to find any deep cuts in this selection unfortunately, and you’re probably not going to get any recommendations for movies you haven’t seen before either, but come on, he is only a footballer after all.
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it / Credit: Letterboxd
First up for the Manchester City striker is a pretty common pick by straight white men, it’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and he doesn’t give much of a reason for it, other than just suggesting: “I think you understand why”.
He then follows that up with Ridley Scott’s classic Gladiator, calling it ‘amazing’, before naming 2004’s epic Troy, and then rounding it out with a Christmas favourite for many, Home Alone, adding that he ‘watched it a lot as a kid, and then again now’.
As for fan reaction to Haaland’s four favourites, let’s just say it’s been mixed.
Among the 1,000+ comments on the Instagram video, you’ll find just as many people called him ‘king’ and saying he has ‘goated’ taste, as you will comments like this: “He has the most male gazed top four in history of Letterboxd.”
Danny Jones -
6th November 2025 
