Represent Manchester in a free cross-city FIFA battle launching this month
FIFA fans in Manchester have the opportunity to represent their city and win up to £500 and 6 months free Future Fibre from TalkTalk, by taking part in a free cross-city virtual tournament, The Future Fibre City Clash, against rival cities.
A new cross-city gaming battle is launching in Manchester later this month, giving FIFA fans the chance to play in a FIFA 22 tournament against fellow gamers in Liverpool, Birmingham and Leeds.
The Future Fibre City Clash will see gamers across the four cities will go head-to-head from the comfort of their own homes for a chance to win a £500 cash prize and six months free Future Fibre broadband, plus an Amazon eero, all courtesy of TalkTalk.
The top two players from each city who make it through to the qualifying stages will each take home a £100 cash prize too.
Registrations for The Future Fibre City Clash are open until 28 January, with the free tournament set to kick off on 29 January.
After the qualifying stages, the championship will take place on 12 and 13 February.
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FIFA 22. Credit: EA Sports
The virtual tournament will be hosted on Battlefy, the leading online esports tournament platform.
Anyone can enter and players can take part in as many games as they like between 29 January and 6 February.
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Players will need to enter their Manchester postcode to register their details, and have access to a PlayStation 4 or Xbox.
The Future Fibre City Clash will find the top FIFA gaming city but will also discover if Manchester has the best gaming skills, showcasing which city has the most goals and the most wins throughout the competition.
A cross-city FIFA battle is heading to Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Ben Cooper, head of marketing – FTTP at TalkTalk, said: “We’re so excited to launch The Future Fibre City Clash as we make fast, affordable, full fibre broadband more widely available in Manchester.
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“Our Future Fibre packages use the UK’s latest full fibre technology and next generation home Wi-Fi from Amazon eero, meaning they can handle multiple devices at once with ease and without lag or buffering – making it the perfect broadband package for gamers.
“We look forward to seeing gamers represent their city throughout the virtual FIFA tournament and would encourage anyone to join in and have a go at winning some points for their city.”
The Future Fibre City Clash follows the launch of TalkTalk’s Future Fibre packages, with top average download speeds of 900Mb/s in Manchester.
The packages combine the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 technology and 100% full fibre connection, making them up to 24 times faster and up to five times more reliable than standard broadband.
Antoine Semenyo has officially joined Manchester City
Danny Jones
Yes, Man City have got their man and further bolstered their offensive options, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo having officially joined the club.
Having emerged as one of the Premier League’s hottest properties over the past couple of years, Antoine Semenyo has gone from not only being an extremely prolific winger, but beyond a flavour of the month, with multiple teams expressing their interest in recent months.
That being said, despite being linked with local rivals Manchester United, current champions Liverpool and an already heavily staffed Chelsea side, MCFC have now won the race to sign Semenyo – one they seem to have been leading since the start.
Finally unveiled by club media on Friday, 9 January, Semenyo was pictured for the first time in the sky blue strip.
It was long after that the first reports of the deal being ‘agreed in principle” surfaced online, and it became clear that no other suitors stood a chance of snatching him away from the Etihad Stadium.
Semenyo’s release clause was set at £65 million, which is approximately the same figure they sold former striker Dominic Solanke to Spurs for, but inevitable add-ons and bonuses were likely to set a rough club record fee in terms of player sales.
Penning a five-and-a-half-year deal, the 26-year-old’s contract will take him through to at least 2031, with the London-born Ghanaian international still yet to hit his peak.
Frightening stuff for Premier League defenders, to say the least.
Sharing a message with his new fan base via the full club statement, Semenyo said: “I am so proud to have joined Manchester City…
“They have set the highest of standards, and it’s a club with world-class players, world-class facilities and one of the greatest managers ever in Pep. I have so much scope for improvement, so to be at this club, at this stage of my career, is perfect for me. It’s a real privilege to be here.
“My best football is yet to come, I am sure of that. And City are in a great position – still involved in four competitions. I really feel I can help them have a strong second half of the season. The Etihad is my new home. I can’t wait to play in front of the fans here, and I hope to show everyone what I can do.”
Happy with the business, Blues? And as for you neutrals, do you think it’s the right next step for him?
Watch Semenyo’s first full interview as a Manchester City player.
Manchester United fans planning another major protest amid more upheaval around the club
Danny Jones
Manchester United supporters look set to stage another high-profile demonstration in protest against the INEOS Sports ownership group.
This is the latest response to the club’s continuing struggles, and not just the first proper organised mobilisation of the year, but the first since the most recent major march last spring.
Following the sacking of ‘manager’ Ruben Amorim, despite co-owner Jim Ratcliffe and his board of executives insisting that the Portuguese head coach (that distinction proving to be a crucial detail), the local sporting giants are once again starting from scratch and looking for another replacement boss.
With that in mind, militant fan group The 1958 announced their most recent protest ahead of a home fixture next month in a rather bold fashion…
As announced we protest against this dysfunctional co-ownership before Fulham.
Yep, neither Amorim, Erik ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, nor any face even remotely associated with Old Trafford/Carrington is safe from an AI parody.
As for The 1958 group’s actual protest plans, speaking via the BBC this week, the supporters’ trust has confirmed that they will be making a vocal statement outside the stadium on Sunday, 1 February.
Travelling Reds already made their thoughts known with a very blunt, provocative and somewhat controversial banner in the away end at Turf Moor for the 2-2 draw against Burnley.
With Man United approaching a third-round FA Cup tie against Brighton and two big games in the form of a Manchester Derby at home and a trip to Arsenal, they have decided to choose the Fulham game at Old Trafford to stage the march.
Despite admitting that the results under Amorim were no way near good enough, they insist that the – most notably the overarching and Glazer family shadow ever looming over the organisation.
Further details around the actual timings and locations are still yet to be shared by the organisers, but you can expect this to be a well-attended, large-scale event.
Often convening at The Tollgate pub near regular matchday tram stop, Trafford Bar, before walking down Talbot Road towards the ground itself, we imagine Reds will then descend upon the Theatre of Dreams in their thousands.
In case you didn’t already surmise from the video itself, Ratcliffe and co. will be no doubt the subject of the usual chants, as well as more banners and flags.
What do you make of the latest plans, Man United fans?
Nothing will ever be quite as bold as the infamous Old Trafford break-in from 2022 (Credit: The Manc)
Daisy Jackson -
24th January 2022 
