After watching the Greater Manchester club gradually climb the ranks of English football, as well as playing a key role in the 2014 takeover and day-to-day operations ever since, Salford City Chair Karen Baird is leaving the club after more than a decade of service.
For 10 years Baird has played an integral role in bringing stability to the club, securing four consecutive promotions and getting them back into the EFL in 2019, all whilst running her own business which she is now set to leave Salford for to focus on solely.
Writing in a heartfelt statement, the club said: “It is with great sadness but huge gratitude that we see Karen stepping down as Chairman of Salford City Football Club at the end of the season.
“Karen has worked tirelessly for over 10 years whilst also running her own business, Champion. She has been incredible and her passion, dedication, loyalty and love for Salford City could be seen in everything she did; it was never just a job.
It is with sadness and huge gratitude that we announce Karen Baird is to step down as Chairman.
Karen’s commitment, passion and love for the Club has been integral in our history over the last decade, and we cannot thank her enough for her incredible service 🦁
Salford are yet to announce who will be taking over as Chair.
They also went on to acknowledge that “her role became increasingly demanding but her ability to adapt swiftly to the changes was outstanding”, adding that they “cannot thank Karen enough for all her hard work, and wish her the very best in the future.”
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They described her time at the club as nothing short of over “a decade of progress and commitment”. Speaking in an equally emotional goodbye of her own, Karen said that “after an amazing 10 years… it feels the right time for me to step down.
“Since 2013, when I took the reins as Chairman, we have had an unbelievable journey starting with the takeover in 2014 by the Class of ’92, when we were in tier four of non-league, to the quick succession of three promotions in four years with Bernard and Jonno at the helm. The dream of an FA Cup run in 2015-16 was so exciting, and is probably still my favourite memory!…
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“I would like to thank all the fans, committee, owners, football and non-football staff, managers, and all the players who have helped our journey over the last 10 years, and my biggest thanks goes to Gary [Neville] who believed in me to undertake this journey with him.”
As for the Class of ’92 themselves — Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Phil Neville and recently installed CEO, Nicky Butt, who replaced Gary Neville after he stepped down back in November — they were full of gratitude and recognition for their long-term partner.
“Karen has been an inspiring figure at the Club for many years and an outstanding leader both on the football and business side, and we really could not have done it without her.
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“She worked committedly for the Club and in the early years, much of that was voluntary, highlighting just how much the Club meant to her. We would all like to thank her for her dedication and wish her all the best in everything she chooses to do.”
Salford might have just missed out on promotion into League One following their tense playoff defeat to Stockport County last weekend, but they are still miles ahead of where they were 10 years ago and have all the tools needed to keep building — none of which would have been possible without Karen Baird.
Manchester City opens brand-new store at the Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
Manchester City has opened the doors to its new Trafford Centre store just in time for the Black Friday shopping frenzy.
The club has launched the brand-new store in collaboration with retail partner Stichd.
The Manchester City store offers fans a bespoke City shopping experience, including this season’s PUMA kits, the Christmas collection (with a £5 donation to City in the Community (CITC) with specific products), and shirt printing.
Shoppers will be able to browse a range of sky blue shirts, hats, scarves, and gloves, as well as soft toys, mugs, and other collectibles.
There’s already a City store in the Manchester Arndale, which opened a couple of years ago, but its arrival at the Trafford Centre is a new development.
Other existing stores include sites in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, New York City, Seoul and Shenzhen.
Serena Gosling, Director of Retail and Licensing at Manchester City, said: “We’re proud to reveal our latest City Store in the iconic Trafford Centre, Manchester – our third location within the city.
“It provides another touchpoint for fans to interact with the club – at a venue that is a shopping favourite within the North West.
“We know the Trafford Centre attracts huge numbers of local shoppers, and tourists, so we are sure our newest store will provide a convenient location for fans, and of course, at this festive time of year, for those buying presents.
Manchester City opens brand-new store at the Trafford Centre. Credit: The Manc Group
“We look forward to welcoming everyone to the store.”
Will Rodnight, Head of Physical Retail, stichd, said: “We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Manchester City through the opening of this third City store in Manchester at the Trafford Centre.
“Our goal is to create an exceptional retail experience that reflects the passion of City fans. This new location adds another fantastic opportunity to connect with supporters in one of the UK’s most iconic shopping destinations, and we can’t wait to welcome them.”
Kate Pearson, Portfolio Leasing Director at Pradera Lateral – Trafford Centre’s Asset Managers, added: “We look forward to welcoming the new City Store to Trafford Centre. This bespoke new retail offering complements our current sportswear retailers whilst also adding a personalised experience for their supporters. We are excited to see their success once the doors open.”
Oasis and adidas drop yet more new merch in the Live ’25 collection
Danny Jones
The Oasis and adidas love affair isn’t over just yet; it isn’t going anywhere, as the legendary Manc band group and global sports apparel franchise are releasing another batch of merch as part of the smash-hit Live ’25 collection.
After shirts, shoes, jackets and bucket hats galore sold out all over the world, adidas is now toasting not only the end of the reunion world tour but “the year that was Oasis” with a second drop in the already iconic crossover.
If you passed through Manchester at all during their Heaton Park homecoming run, you will have no doubt seen countless examples of the ‘adidas Originals x Oasis’ football shirt collaboration alone, not to mention several other bits of fashion in the official Live ’25 fashion line.
Now, just in time for Christmas, there’s a whole new set being introduced into the range of casual wear.
Simply titled ‘Oasis Live ‘25 Drop 2’, the latest additions to the adidas Originals collection are releasing next month and, obviously, will be sold in stores and online.
While the pop-up stores that opened up here in the city centre all over have now shut up shop, Greater Manchester’s adidas locations on Market Street – which turned into an Oasis fan paradise this past summer – and Pear Mill in Stockport will still be stocking the various bits of Britpop clobber.
Although the most recent items will be exclusively available domestically for now, they will be rolled out overseas in 2026.
Considering how quickly most of it sold out last time, you can guarantee most of the options to fly off the shelves just as fast here in the UK.
Honestly, we’ve only just managed to get our hands on the standard black ‘jacquard jersey’.
As you can see, a good chunk of the second drop is that same footy shirt in different colours and other tees in different lengths/variations.
Scheduled to launch on Friday, 12 December, the ‘Oasis x adidas Originals Live ‘25 Drop 2’ will go on sale at 9am sharpish, so you’d best get ready for a scrap in that digital queue.
Naturally, fans, fashionistas and collectors can expect virtually identical costs for the majority of pieces (and buying in-person will obviously help keep the cost down), though it does look like some price points have been adjusted.
As for the Live ’25 tour itself, now that the dust has settled on the ‘Oasis Mania‘ take two, Liam himself has taken to social media to express his gratitude in the most Gallagher way possible…
Danny Jones -
24th May 2023 
