The padel craze is slowly taking over the country and Europe at large and with Manchester now home to multiple clubs, we’re now preparing to host our first-ever pro-am tournament too.
Unveiled just last month, the new Pure Padel location over in Cheetham Hill is just the second site opened by the growing sporting brand which started out at nearby Alderley Park in Macclesfield and is now set to take the city centre by storm.
Debuting as the sport’s only indoor facility in Manchester, it’s already set itself apart from the equally popular competition and is about to create an even bigger buzz by welcoming the official Pro Am Padel Tour to the region for the very first time – plus some familiar faces.
With the likes of sports personalities such as John Terry, Danni Wyatt, Theo Walcott; Bobby Zamora, Jos Buttler, Mark Noble and Carly Telford, as well as celebrities Jeff Brazier, Spencer Matthews, Kem Cetonay and many more having played in the past, the word is getting out about the competition.
Pro-am tournaments take place all over the world in other spheres such as golf, snooker and tennis, pitting professionals from within the discipline against amateurs – and, in this case, both current and former athletes from different sports – against each other in a series of exhibition matches.
Think celebrity boxing match or a charity football game, only you can actually pick up a trophy at the end of this one.
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Put simply, the Pro Am Padel Tour pairs Britain’s top padel professionals with high-profile guests from the worlds of sport and entertainment for a thrilling, round-robin tournament.
Having launched back in April 2023, the competition is still in its infancy but has already seen some big names and their upcoming Manchester event is expecting even more.
Confirmed celebrities this time around include Olympic swimmer Matt Richards, retired Lioness and Manchester City legend Jill Scott; former England footballer and pundit Joleon Lescott, as well as Man United alumni Phil Jones and Katie Zelem.
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Where the first and only pro-am padel tournament in Manchester will be taking place this year. (Credit: Pure Padel via Instagram)
More sports personalities and celebrity guests are expected to be confirmed soon but even now, there are plenty of names we’d like to see with a racquet in their hands and see just how good they are at the fast-paced court sport.
Scheduled to start at 11am on Wednesday, 20 November, the 2024 Pro Am Tour Manchester edition will be an all-day event and while it is an exclusive event, you can keep an eye on their socials for content from the matches.
Manchester Storm’s ‘own and loan’ scheme returns for 2026/27
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have relaunched their much-loved ‘own and loan’ programme once again ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Having gone from a cult favourite option for die-hards to an increasingly popular choice among their growing number of supporters, it’s a great way for fans to get their hands on what could go on to be priceless collectables.
Set up over a decade and a half ago, the initiative has gone on to be replicated by multiple clubs in the Elite Ice Hockey League, across the country, and indeed beyond.
For anyone unclear on what exactly this scheme means for them, here’s all you need to know.
The own and loan sponsorship is essentially an opportunity not only to support the club and your favourite player, but to essentially reserve a valuable piece of match-worn memorabilia.
Put simply, fans can buy a squad member’s jersey and then loan it back to them for the season.
The shirt – be it home, away, created for cup tournaments or a special limited-edition sweater (of which MCR Storm have designed many over the years) – will then be worn throughout the course of the campaign before being given back to the owner, i.e. you.
Not just simply buying the shirt, but helping back the team’s talent, it’s one of the most direct ways people can contribute to the club.
The Greater Manchester side pioneered the push for this initiative here in the UK in the early 2010s, and with the local side now set to return to the AO Arena, where their journey began way back in 1995, you can expect plenty to mark the comeback with a special sponsored jersey.
Anyone who purchases an away strip will have their name featured throughout home games for the duration of the season – not a bad gift or way to secure a potential future collectors’ item.
You can see every player available to sponsor and find out all the information you need right HERE.
For regular matchgoers at the ‘Storm Shelter’, we’re sure it’ll be bittersweet to say goodbye to Planet Ice Altrincham, but just how excited are you about heading home to the AO Arena later this year?
Featured Images — Manchester Storm (publicity picture)/The Manc Group
Sport
League One set for an all-Greater Manchester playoff final as Bolton book trip to Wembley
Danny Jones
It’s official: we’re all set for a fully Greater Manchester League One playoff final as Bolton Wanderers are the latest to secure a return to Wembley against Stockport County.
The resurgent old Lancashire club clinched their spot in the knockout conclusion of the third division with a single strike in the second leg of the semis, and it wasn’t a bad finish, either.
Beating Bradford City 2-0 on aggregate, Bolton will now play familiar regional rivals Stockport, with Wanderers set to clash with County in a decisive derby once again.
Bolton‘s instinctive volley from Chelsea youth product and former Hull City man, Xavier Simons, resulted in some very satisfying limbs at Valley Parade.
The home fans did have plenty to cheer on the night, with efforts from Metcalfe, Power and Wright all either hitting the woodwork or being deflected just past it.
They thought they were level in the tie at one point after Kayden Jackson put the ball in the back of the net, but it was ultimately ruled out.
Agonising stuff for the Bradford supporters to burst into bedlam before the flag was raised for offside.
Many supporters will argue that the key moment came somewhat against the run of play, but The Trotters won’t care one bit as they book another trip down to the capital.
You can watch the rest of the highlights, including those scenes in the away end, down below.
Speaking even before the game, head coach Steven Schumacher told Sky Sports: “It’s a club we believe is bigger than this division, but this division is not easy to get out of.
“The expectation and the demand to get to the Championship is there, and once you’re in the building and you feel the mood when you win games, when you lose games, you can sense that this is a club that is desperate to get out and get to the next level.
“When you look at the size of both Bolton and Bradford and how well they are supported, both clubs are probably too big to be in League One. But that’s where both clubs find themselves, and one of us has got to find our way out of it if we can.”
You’d dare say he can practically smell promotion via the playoffs now; the local side has come quite a way since the lows of administration in 2019 and the bottom tier of the EFL – not without some heartbreaks in previous playoff finals – but could he be the one to get them back where they belong?
In case you missed the action from the other game, you can see more HERE, and to hear Schumacher’s thoughts after the decisive result, look no further…
Danny Jones -
6th November 2024 
