Newly promoted Stockport County are set to supply free PE kits to thousands of school kids in and around the local region.
Fresh from another successful domestic campaign, climbing back into League One as Champions after 12 years, the Greater Manchester side is making sure to translate the progress seen on the pitch this season into more positivity across the Stockport area too.
The brand-new initiative set up by the club’s Community Trust arm will see more than 3,500 PE kits delivered to school children across the borough in time for the new term this September, with the goal of handing out a further three-and-a-half times that amount by the end of 2025.
Focusing on primary school ages specifically, the hope is to get more and more kids active and participating in football, sports and other forms of physical education from an early age – a deeply important cause when it comes to the next generation.
Stockport County is delighted to announce the launch of its new Kits by County campaign, as the club aims to raise enough funds to provide 12,500 PE kits for Stockport's Primary School kids.
— Stockport (C)ounty (@StockportCounty) May 9, 2024
Stockport County are hoping to give out thousands more free PE kits to Stopfordian kids by September 2025.
Teaming up with school wear manufacturer Trutex, the scheme will ensure that kits adhere to most schools’ standard PE requirements: white polo shirts, a pair of black joggers and a pair of black shorts.
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Better still, the brand has agreed to provide these kits to County and, in turn, to primary school pupils at a significant discount. The importance of drives like this cannot be overstated given the ongoing cost of living crisis being seen all over the country.
Pressures on the family purse continue to be a contributing factor for primary school children not taking part in PE as many families with disposable income struggle to afford the cost of a new PE kit every term.
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As per an official release from the club, half of the local primary school children get their main exercise from PE at school and, sadly, 30% of primary school leavers go into secondary education classed as obese.
That’s where initiatives like this can help make all the difference – as does their regular County Camps sessions, not to mention the annual ‘County in the Park’ event, which lets kids play on the actual pitch at Edgeley at absolutely no cost to parents.
⚽️ Our ever-popular County Camps holiday football sessions are returning this half-term
🥅 Plenty of football-based fun and games for children (including a FREE girls-only session)
Even more concerningly, it was found that not only is turning to school without a PE kit an immediate obstacle that sees many kids sit out lessons but research also found that children were reluctant to borrow PE kits from schools out of embarrassment.
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County Community Trust CEO, Alison Warwood, said: “Not having a PE kit, shouldn’t be what stops children from taking part in physical activity. The school’s ‘lost and found’ bin sadly comes with a playground stigma and if children are to enjoy PE in school, they need their own kit to take pride in.
“As a result, the Club’s owner, Mark Stott has agreed to fund 3,500 PE kits for Stockport primary school kids in September, targeting families most in need, including those who fall outside of traditional indicators such as universal credit and the pupil premium, receiving little-to-no help.”
In the town’s most deprived areas, it’s thought that up to 90% of primary school children could benefit from an initiative such as this. So, the club are also aiming to raise enough money so that it can provide 12,500 PE kits for primary school children in 2025, with £2 from every Stockport County shirt sold next season going towards funding the kits. A great idea for an important cause.
Hatters fans or those simply looking to help do their bit can also make a direct contribution via their dedicated JustGiving page HERE. Let’s make sure the next generation keeps moving.
Man City Women put an end to Chelsea’s unbeaten run as they take Champions League lead
Danny Jones
Manchester City Women have taken a crucial lead in the Champions League quarter-final after making it past Chelsea to finally end their lengthy unbeaten run.
The Blues took on the WSL leaders for the second time amidst a series of four consecutive meetings across all competitions this month, having only just lost to Sonia Bompastor’s side in the League Cup Final this past weekend.
Missing out on the trophy could have seen City dip their heads but returning interim head coach Nick Cushing made sure that his team responded by bouncing back.
Now taking a 2-0 lead into the second leg of the quarters, there is still the chance of winning silverware this season – though there is definitely still work to be done.
Man City Women managed to end the East Londoners’ winning streak thanks to a brace from substitute Vivianne Miedema, who came on in the second half and managed to open the scoring by sniffing out a rebound off the bar just before the hour mark.
The turn and cross in from Mary Fowler – a shining light in City’s season thus far who created plenty of big chances and nearly grabbed another assist – was sublime but the instinct to swallow up the loose ball proved to be crucial in giving the home team the edge all night.
In truth, the initial header from Laia Aleixandri was strong and kept out by an impressive save, but Miedema’s willingness to cover great ground meant she was in the right place at the right time.
You could say it was a similar story for her second.
Notching her second of the night and 31st goal overall in just 35 UWCL games, a simple side-step to change lanes as she ran into the box
✨ MAGIC MIEDEMA
She let's the ball to the work and then places it beautifully to double Manchester City's lead!
Speaking after the match, the 28-year-old forward said the result is “a massive confidence boost for us going into the next two [fixtures against Chelsea]”, insisting that the fight shown in the first half half game them the belief to say “we can actually win today.”
As for Cushing, he told the club’s media shortly afterwards: “I was confident if she got chances, she’d score, we just have to create those moments for her. Tonight, we saw many and she thinks she should’ve had a hat-trick!”
City Women play Chelsea for a third time this weekend, once again hosting them at the Joie Stadium only this time in the league, before playing that decisive second leg down in the capital next Thursday, 27 March. Will a two-goal advantage be enough? We’ll have to wait and see.
Sir Gareth Southgate says young men ‘need better role models’ – and more of them
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer and England manager Sir Gareth Southgate has called on contemporary society to do better when it comes to young men, insisting that boys today need real role models.
In fact, not to put words in his mouth, but he isn’t just calling out for more of them; more precisely, he believes they need better ones than some of the figures who have found a following in recent years.
Speaking in one of his first public addresses since being knighted in the 2025 New Year’s Honours list and one of a scarce few since stepping down as the Three Lions boss, Southgate gave a lengthy speech as part of the BBC’s annual ‘Richard Dimbleby Lecture’.
The former Crystal Palace, Middlesborough and Aston Villa defender touched on a number of topics in his discussion, including the troubling rise of “callous, manipulative and toxic influencers, whose sole drive is for their own gain” and are finding increasing popularity on social media.
Southgate has strong opinions on the current archetype of ‘role models’ that young men are gravitating towards.
Southgate went on to express the crucial nature of “identity, connection and culture” in contemporary society, insisting that current values are drifting off course.
He went on to state that because of the swirling questions surrounding masculinity, “young men end up withdrawing, reluctant to talk or express their emotions […] They spend more time online searching for direction and are falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming, gambling and pornography.”
Southgate also believes that “if we make life too easy for young boys now, we will inevitably make life harder when they grow up to be young men”, arguing that we are at risk of creating a culture where they fear failure so much that “they fail to try, rather than try and fail.”
Drawing from his own experience as a player and his famous penalty miss in Euro ’96, as well as his multiple attempts at winning a major tournament as the national team coach, he reflected on how these experiences made him who he is today – experiences he navigated through thanks to role models.
Put more simply, he suggested that we need to return focus to the importance of teachers, sports coaches, youth groups and ‘proper’/traditional role models, rather than simply allowing the next generation of young men to resort to poor examples online.
"We have to show young men that character is more important than status."
Gareth Southgate demands leaders step up to become positive role models for 'isolated' young men. pic.twitter.com/FMlnqjppQi
The timing of Southgate’s speech hasn’t been lost on large swathes of the British public, in particular, in light of the hit Netflix drama, Adolescence.
Revolving around the story of a young boy accused of a violent crime towards a young girl, the four-part series touches on incel culture, the growing ‘manosphere’ digital community, controversial figures like Andrew Tate and more.
You can listen to Southgate’s lecture on young men and the importance of role models in full HERE.
Danny Jones -
15th May 2024 
