Sport

Thomas Tuchel officially revealed as the new England manager

Nothing short of an absolutely huge appointment.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 16th October 2024

After a whirlwind 48 hours or so, it’s official: Thomas Tuchel is the next England manager.

Set to take over from Lee Carsley, who has been put in charge of the Three Lions following Gareth Southgate’s exit after this year’s Euro 2024 heartbreak, the German will become the new England boss starting next year.

Reports around Tuchel’s appointment started ramping up over the weekend after the likes of the BBC and Sky News confirmed the decision, The Football Association (FA) and England have now revealed the 51-year-old as the new head coach.

Make no mistake, this is a massive appointment by the FA.

Given that the ex-Chelsea manager has won the Champions League, Club World Cup and FIFA’s Coach of the Year in 2021, not to mention a Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich, a German Cup with Borussia Dortmund; two league titles and a domestic treble with PSG, it’s fair to say his pedigree speaks for itself.

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Having left Bayern at the end of last season, the much-admired coach has been linked with multiple top jobs, most notably Manchester United as pressure continues to mount on Erik ten Hag, but he’s now taken an even more high-pressure role – arguably an ‘impossible’ one, as many people still see it.

As detailed in an official statement, “The confidential process, which saw several candidates interviewed, was led by FA CEO Mark Bullingham and men’s technical director John McDermott, and saw Tuchel identified as the preferred appointment.”

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It has been reported that the national football body is playing the long game and “prepared to wait” for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola but, in the meantime there arguably isn’t a more qualified and successful coach available on the market right now than Thomas Tuchel.

As part of the decision, Tuchel will be joined by internationally renowned Liverpool-born coach Anthony Barry as his assistant manager, who started out his coaching career at Wigan Athletic before joining his new gaffer at the likes of Chelsea and Bayern. Tuchel had this to say about the project ahead:

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The well-acquainted pair are also set to bring a small backroom team along with them to St. George’s Park, with a further coaching update expected in the near future.

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After quietly signing his contract on Tuesday, 8 October, Tuchel is set to start work as the new England manager on 1 January 2025 ahead of the qualification process for the following year’s FIFA World Cup, due to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Meanwhile, interim coach Carsley will remain in charge for the UEFA Nations League group stages which are set to conclude in November before returning to take charge of the England under-21s.

What do we reckon, then – are you happy with the appointment?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Alexander Böhm (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sport

A new finish line has been announced for the 2025 Manchester Marathon

Danny Jones Danny Jones 2025 Manchester Marathon finish line being moved

The 2025 is set to be another historic year for the Manchester Marathon as not only is it tipped for a record turnout for the annual event but there is also set to be a new finish line.

Moving the goalposts, as it were, for the first time in over a decade, the Manchester Marathon finish line is relocating to an even more central location right in the heart of the city and now we know what the home straight is going to be more, we can already picture all the amazing photo finishes.

The process of adjusting the overall route and, crucially, moving the finish line is one that’s taken a couple of years but after much deliberation, the organisers have now nailed down the climax of next year’s event.

Set to be sponsored by adidas once again, the 2025 Manchester Marathon will conclude at none other than the beautiful University of Manchester.

Yes, swapping the final bit of Talbot Road as you come around Trafford Bar tram stop and see the chequered flag near Old Trafford Cricket Ground for the long stretch of Oxford Road that runs in front of the uni, the Manchester Marathon now has a more picturesque finish line than ever.

Official routes change or are at least adjusted every year or so, but those closing moments of glory, emotion and, of course, exhaustion, have been outside the home of Lancashire Cricket Club for as long as most of us can remember.

Nevertheless, with the course now covering more of Greater Manchester than ever, it felt like as good a time as any to spread across more of the city centre wherever possible.

With that in mind, as confirmed on Wednesday, 16 October, next year’s Manchester Marathon will not finish outside the University of Manchester, under the shadow of the Manchester Museum, the iconic Hogwarts-like Whitworth Building and right near the Old Quadrangle.

As if the next map-end wasn’t exciting enough, with the massive Manc date also taking place at the same time as the 2025 London Marathon, the upcoming event will be the single largest day of marathon running in UK history.

where does the 2025 manchester marathon end?
The new home stretch (Credit: Supplied via adidas Manchester Marathon/University of Manchester)

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With more than 36,000 expected to run it next year, the increased capacity for the adidas Manchester Marathon will further boost the economic impact of the event, which already contributes over £29 million annually to the local economy.

Andrew Smith, CEO of the Manchester Marathon said: “We’ve been planning this one for a long time, so it’s a great pleasure to confirm the addition of a truly elite-level finish to our event. We’ve listened to the feedback from our participants and local community, as they are at the heart of everything we do.

“This switch combines what already makes the adidas Manchester Marathon special, with the same epic start under Trafford Arch but with significant improvements to the post-finish experience for our heroes and their supporters.

“Taking place at the same time as London, we know the eyes of the world will be on us, so cannot wait to further showcase everything Greater Manchester and the iconic city centre has to offer. Best of luck to everyone starting out on their marathon journey and see you in April!”

Fancy taking part this time? The first two allocations have already been and gone but you can still register your interest HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — University of Manchester/Supplied

Sport

2024 Manchester Half Marathon makes history after record-breaking year

Danny Jones Danny Jones 2024 Manchester Half Marathon records broke

History has been made following the 2024 Manchester Half Marathon as the annual event had a record-breaking year and reminded us yet again why we love it so much.

Started back in 2016, the Manchester Half isn’t even a decade in yet but it’s already one of the biggest dates on the Manc sporting calendar and draws in huge crowds every year; in fact, this year was the largest ever – at least in terms of runners anyway.

That’s right, this year’s Manchester Half Marathon saw a record 24,000 participants pound the pavement on Sunday, 13 October 2024 and even more spectators line the streets even on a chilly autumn day.

The achievements don’t stop there either.

As well as the most runners in the history of the MCR Half, the 13.1-mile race also managed to raise a whopping £1.4 million (including Gift Aid) for charity. Incredible stuff.

Be it for the official charity partners – Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK and The Christie – or other national and local organisations passionately picked by the participants themselves, they didn’t just give it their all out on the course, they made a huge difference too.

Even better still, as well as some famous faces taking part, the 2024 event also saw three new course records set by three incredible individuals.

Sean Frame smashed the best-ever time in the Elite Wheelchair category, finishing in just 48:24; meanwhile, PUMA athletes Jack Rowe and Lucy Reid both ran personal bests of 1:02:12 and 01:09:13, respectively.

Unreal times and there were plenty more unreal people out there too.

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With an increase of approximately 45% more sign-ups this year, it’s safe to say that the 2024 Manchester Half Marathon was a bumper year for the race and we expect similar scenes in 2025.

Andrew Smith, CEO of Manchester Half event organiser, Human Race, commented: “We’ve just delivered the largest half marathon Manchester has ever seen, and I couldn’t be prouder of everybody involved, including our amazing volunteers.

“I’ve spoken to as many finishers as possible, and the feedback has been amazing. It’s a massive credit to Trafford, and the whole of Greater Manchester, that people are travelling from all over the UK to experience this atmosphere.

“Over a million pounds for charity and rising is particularly special for me and the team, but all the credit for that must go to our incredible participants who have been training and fundraising for months. Today has set a very high bar for next year, but we’re already planning how we can top it.”

Well done to everyone who took part; we’re all super proud of you and we hope the legs have recovered by now. You can sign up for 2025 HERE – see you next year!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Manchester Half (supplied)

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