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.
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.”
Daisy Jackson -
24th January 2022 
