Last month, a terminally ill Manchester City fan was treated to a heartwarming gesture by the club as he got to fulfil his dream of seeing the Treble trophies in person, along with a few other surprises from his fellow Blues.
Lifelong Man City fan John Cretney was born and raised in Manchester and has never missed a game, be it live or on the telly, but earlier this year he was sadly told he only has around 12 months to live.
With that in mind, in true Blue fashion, one of the first questions John asked his doctor was if he’d be able to see out another season in full. It was at this point that his son David had the idea to write to City and see if there wasn’t some way they could say “thank you to him for being there, always”.
Naturally, the club didn’t hesitate to do their best for the 80-year-old and after learning that he had relocated to Australia — where last season’s historic trophies were on tour — they decided to take them out for the day and pop in to see John. His reaction when they arrived at his door says it all.
Surrounded by his family, John — once a very gifted footballer in his day — said, “I still don’t really believe it’s happening”, as the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League were carried into his home in New South Wales.
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But it wasn’t just the Treble trophies that were part of the visit, with the help of Australian TV station Stan Sport and presenter Mark Bosnich, they even threw in the UEFA Super Cup for good measure.
And the surprise didn’t stop there either, as you can see, the club also arranged for Man City and England centre-back John Stones to send him a special video message thanking him for his unwavering support over the decades.
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Speaking from John to another, the treble-winner said: “You and all the fans are the life and soul of, and a big part of [City’s growth]. We recognise that as players and I just want to thank you for every bit of support.
“I see us all as one and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without each other, so thank you again from me personally and everyone in the team”. We always knew Stonesy was sound.
As his son David explained in his letter to the club, “It’s been a lifetime of early morning kick-offs in the family lounge room,”, adding that his “Dad has often been heard whooping and yelling in the wee hours of the morning across the neighbourhood.”
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Go on, John; there’s no other way to be when you’re watching your team and we’re so glad to know he got this special moment with what is the club’s greatest achievement. Better still, he wasn’t the only one to be taken aback by the surprise either.
Back in Ashton-under-Lyne, fellow City supporter Mark Whittaker — a lifelong Blue from Denton who was sadly diagnosed with malignant melanoma in March — saw the parade of glittering football prizes arrive at his bedside in the Willow Wood Hospice.
Labelling the moment “the only dream [he] had left”, Mark was over the moon as he also received a signed shirt and video message from former City and England winger Peter Barnes. A real touch of class from the club and one that no doubt meant a lot to both Blues and their families.
Featured Image — Manchester City/Willow Wood Hospice
Sport
Manchester United’s statement in full as Michael Carrick is sacked as manager
Emily Sergeant
Manchester United has now released a formal statement following the news that Michael Carrick has been sacked with immediate effect.
Carrick – who initially played for Manchester United as a midfielder between 2006 and 2018 – was first appointed as a caretaker manager in 2021, before he went on to become the interim manager and then men’s first team head coach earlier this year.
Unfortunately though, United have struggled to find form this season – with the team winning only three of their first 15 games across all competitions.
The club’s statement reads in full: “Manchester United can confirm that Michael Carrick has departed his role as men’s first-team head coach.
“Michael rejoined the club in January and guided the team to a third-placed Premier League finish by winning 12 out of the remaining 17 games of the 2025/26 season, accumulating the highest points tally in the league during that period.
“After a disappointing start to the season, the club has come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions.
“Michael is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend. Just as he did as a player, he has conducted himself with the highest standards of dedication and professionalism throughout his time back with the club. His leadership and achievements last season will always be fondly remembered.
“The club intends to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.”
Featured Image – Sky Sports (via YouTube – screenshot)
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‘We couldn’t see f**k all’ – Bizarre Altrincham FC FA Cup clash played in thick fog leaves fans baffled
Daisy Jackson
Altrincham FC’s FA Cup clash with Notts County descended into extraordinary scenes on Saturday night as thick fog engulfed the stadium, leaving supporters struggling to see the players and even broadcasters questioning what was happening.
The bizarre first-round encounter at the J Davidson Stadium saw visibility deteriorate so badly that fans resorted to holding their mobile phone torches aloft in an attempt to follow the action.
What should have been a memorable FA Cup occasion turned into something resembling a scene from a horror film, with the players increasingly disappearing into the mist.
Altrincham Today captured the surreal atmosphere, posting: “Extraordinary scenes here at the J Davidson Stadium. Visibility down to a few yards. No-one has any idea what is going on. Supporters holding mobile torches aloft, like it’s an Elton John concert. It is still 2-2, we think.”
Even television coverage struggled to make sense of the conditions.
Broadcaster Jason Mohammad joked: “Bear with us at the end of the game. We’ve not seen much of extra time where we are. We don’t have the foggiest what’s going on down the away end. Fair play – cracking game and atmosphere!”
One social media user summed up the extraordinary conditions simply, writing: “Altrincham v Notts County is currently being played in a cloud.”
Others were equally bewildered, with one supporter asking: “Spot the ball anyone? #FACup @altrinchamfc on the verge of another league scalp – although who knows what’s going on?!”
Another fan was less than impressed, posting: “Shame we couldn’t see f**k all for most of it”.
Even the stadium’s advertising boards were struggling to make an impression. James Timpson joked: “It was hard to see the investment we have made in to our pitch side advertising boards last night at Altrincham V Notts County!”
It was hard to see the investment we have made in to our pitch side advertising boards last night at Altrincham V Notts County! https://t.co/trW9imo7Xu
The unusual conditions also prompted questions over whether the match should have continued.
One Notts County supporter reflected after the game: “Unlucky guys you gave us a great game and the conditions didn’t help still say it should have been abandoned even though we scraped through!!!! Good luck for the rest of the season lads”.
And it was certainly a dramatic contest before the fog took centre stage.
Notts County initially took the lead through Jacob Bedeau in the 28th minute, but Altrincham responded through Lucas Weaver just before half-time.
Lewis Banks then put the hosts ahead in the 59th minute, raising hopes of another famous FA Cup upset against higher-league opposition.
@altrinchamfc If you say so https://t.co/6ub5YiIogD
However, Callum Roberts equalised for County in the 84th minute, sending the tie into extra time.
With neither side able to find a winner, the match went to penalties, where Notts County eventually prevailed 3-2 to book their place in the second round.
While the result was heartbreaking for Altrincham, the extraordinary conditions ensured the match would be remembered for more than just the football.
For supporters at the J Davidson Stadium, it was certainly one FA Cup tie where seeing wasn’t necessarily believing.
Danny Jones -
26th October 2023 
