The Manc’s Fantasy Premier League is up and running for the 2023/24 season — and there are prizes to be won
Ah yes, it's once again time to fall out with your friends, waste hours at work rejigging your team and restart the most toxic relationship of your life. Oh, how we've missed you, FPL.
The Premier League is finally back (it always feels like an eternity, doesn’t it?) and you know what that means: it’s time to get your Fantasy teams sorted, pick a clever name to prove you’re funnier than your mates, and pull your hair out every week — and you can do it all with us at The Manc.
All you need to do to take part is join The Manc‘s Fantasy Premier Leaguefor the 23/24 season by joining with the code: lwgqvq. It’s as simple as that. We’re getting excited already. With the new season getting underway on Friday 11 August, you have 6:30pm to get your team all sorted if you don’t already.
Now, while we’re sure plenty of you are already painfully-familiar with the addictive highs and lows of doing the FPL year in, year out, we thought we’d give a quick explanation for those who might’ve never played before.
Don’t worry, it’s dead easy, and you already have the comfort of knowing that The Manc‘s so-called ‘dream team’ is probably going to finish right down at the bottom of the table.
Had to be black and yellowUs doing our team every weekCredit: The Manc Group/Fantasy Premier League app
First and foremost, this is a completely free-to-enter league — we’re sure we’ve all got enough paid little invitationals on the go already — and all you have to do to get started is download the official Fantasy Premier League app, or log in online via a browser.
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The Manc FPL league works just like any other: participants are given £100m to build their best title-winning squad from this year’s 20 Premier League clubs, with one player able to be transferred in or out each week — provided you’ve got enough money, of course.
Oh, and be warned, the best players are obviously the most expensive, so you might struggle to fit Haaland, Kane, Rashford, Salah, and so on all into one team but, hey, you can try.
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You have a total of 15 players to pick but you can only choose a maximum of three players from any one club, so no, you can’t just the entire Man City or Man United squad.
To make things interesting, we’re only using people who play for City or United, were previously at either of the clubs or are born Mancs.
Again, for anyone new to this, as well as having your chosen captain that can score double points each gameweek, as well as a vice-captain to fill in for them if they don’t play for whatever reason, you also have special chips that can be played once throughout the season.
Your free hit allows you to change your team for one round of fixtures only before it reverts back to your previous squad, your wildcard lets you transfer in and out as many players as you like, your bench boost allows you to play your subs as well as your starting lineup (they play when one of your 11 doesn’t), and you’re triple captain does exactly that: triples the amount of points your chosen player will earn.
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Changing your team before each round of games will become a regular obsession/stress for you every week, believe us, but it’s also really fun once you start getting the hang of tactics and outmanoeuvring your mates — just make sure you get your squad sorted before the deadline.
And that’s pretty much everything you need to know about how to play, but if there’s anything else you’re curious about, you can see the full list of Fantasy Premier League rules explained HERE. There you’ll find information about things like double gameweeks and how points are calculated.
Obviously, the person with the most points come the end of the season is the winner and whoever that lucky sod/fantasy football genius is will win a truly mint prize — and no, we have no intention of telling you what that it is at this time. Just trust us, you want to win this…
But fear not, there’ll also be runners-up prizes for people who finish in the Champions League places (2nd-4th), Europa League spots (5th and 6th), as well as the Conference League (7th). There’s even a cup tournament that runs alongside the league which you can win too. Not bad for a free league, right?
Whether you’re a massive footy fan or not, the love/hate relationship of playing FPL every week, getting one over on a work colleague, or picking the wrong captain one week and changing up your team every couple of days, is genuinely addictive (in the best way) – and we wish you all the best for the season.
Wigan Warriors finally reveal next season’s kits following update on delayed release
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors have now officially revealed their new shirts for next season, following a much-anticipated update regarding the 2026 kits, the release of which had been delayed.
The Greater Manchester club lost this year’s Grand Final but still had a strong season, and with another local outfit having been relegated from the division, they are one of just two teams from the region competing for the title in the upcoming campaign.
However, supporters were fretting that they might not be able to get their new threads until after Christmas due to the launch of the latest merchandise being postponed.
Thankfully, this week, the club not only informed fans that things are getting back on schedule but also officially revealed the Wigan Warriors home and away shirt strips for the 30th anniversary edition of the Super League on Tuesday afternoon.
As you can see, the nearby rugby outfit is staying with Kappa as their manufacturer and, as ever, is sticking with the deep red, white and black colour combos across both jerseys.
Branding the home shirt as the ‘Loyal’ fit and the away one as their ‘Rebel’ version, the kits both feature horizontal stripes and other geometrical variations.
Most notably, Warriors now have a positive update on the status of the kits’ full launch, even if they don’t have an exact timeline just yet.
Writing to fans in an official statement, the club said: “Wigan Warriors are happy to report that [we are] expecting delivery of the 2026 home and away kits imminently.”
They go on to explain that they have been “experiencing significant delays” regarding the supply pipeline, which they say “were beyond the control of the Club.”
Nevertheless, the cogs are moving once again; you can see a closer look at some of the details below.
The home shirt…A.K.A. ‘Loyal’ kitAnd the away jersey…Or ‘Rebel’ strip
Warriors Chief Executive, Kris Radlinski, continued: “We want to thank everyone for their patience and continued support. Due to issues outside of our control, delivery timelines have unfortunately been impacted.
“We understand how frustrating this has been for supporters, particularly so close to Christmas, and we genuinely share that frustration. Please be assured that our team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure delivery as quickly as possible.
“We apologise that we have not been able to provide an earlier update while matters were ongoing. We are pleased to confirm that the delivery has now cleared customs and will be arriving at the Club imminently.”
Although personalisation will not yet be made available due to a focus on processing “as many orders as possible in the shortest time frame”, pre-orders for both shirts are now live, and those interested are being urged to opt for click and collect/visit in store where possible to avoid any further waiting.
Macclesfield FC player Ethan McLeod tragically killed in car crash
Danny Jones
Local footballer Ethan McLeod, who played for Macclesfield FC, has sadly died following a tragic car crash on the motorway.
The Birmingham-born player and former Wolves academy talent was driving back home from Macclesfield’s away game against Bedford Town on Tuesday night when he was involved in a collision along the M1.
Just 21 years old, the talented Cheshire-based forward was a substitute in the 2-1 win over the East Midlands side in the National League North.
The accident is said to have occurred at around 10:40pm on 16 December near Northampton after his white Mercedes collided with a barrier.
You can read the official Silkmen statement in full down below:
“With the heaviest of hearts and an overwhelming sense of surrealism that Macclesfield FC can confirm the passing of 21-year-old forward Ethan McLeod.
Travelling back from Bedford Town last night, Ethan was involved in a car accident on the M1, which tragically took his life. Ethan was an incredibly talented and well-respected member of our First Team Squad, who had his whole life ahead of him.
“But more than that, Ethan’s infectious personality endeared him to everyone that he came into contact with. In giving his all in everything he did, Ethan effortlessly pushed us all to be the best we can be – both on and off the pitch.
“Ethan’s professionalism and unwavering work ethic inspired everyone, and his lust for life put smiles on all our faces – even on the darkest of days. News of Ethan’s passing has devastated our entire Club, and no words can convey the immense sense of sadness and loss that we feel now.
Rest in peace, Ethan McLeod.
The Macclesfield FC forward was involved in a car accident that took his life when travelling back from Bedford Town on Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/A3u7JFmdlE
“The deep mental scars elicited from Ethan’s passing will undeniably never heal”, they continued, “but one thing is for sure, and that is Ethan’s vibrant legacy will never fade, no matter how much time passes in the future.
“Ethan will live in our hearts and minds forevermore, and no matter what the future holds, his unique smile that mesmerised us all will never be forgotten.
“Our deepest sympathy goes out to Ethan’s family and friends at this deeply traumatic time, together with an assurance that we will provide as much support as we can to those who need it. May you rest in peace, Ethan – you will forever be a Silkman.
His past clubs, as well as plenty of other teams, organisations and people in and around the footballing world, are paying tribute to the promising youngster.
Rest in peace.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Macclesfield forward Ethan McLeod who has passed away following a car accident last night.
The 21 year old spent a number of years with the academy setup at Wolves and will be missed by many. #WWFCpic.twitter.com/MSjKaISMKT
Danny Jones -
10th August 2023 
