The return of the British Basketball League’s legendary and much-loved All-Star Game is fast approaching, and three Manchester Giants players across the men’s and women’s teams have been selected for the roster.
Arriving at the CopperBox Arena in London on Sunday, 17 March, the BBL All-Star fixture is back to mirror the annual game of the same name made popular by the NBA, with the month-long fan vote for this year’s lineup opening back in January and ending on Valentine’s Day.
Fittingly, we’re absolutely in love with the 2024 roster as it features not one, not two but three players from the Manchester Giants, including husband and wife pro duo Jamell and Georgia Anderson, as well as rising US and women’s team star Myah Pace.
Massive by name, massive by nature.
⭐️ Jamell Anderson, Myah Pace and Georgia Anderson will represent the Giants in the 2024 All-Star Game!
As well as these three Manchester Giants, local player LaQuincy Rideau of Cheshire Phoenix has also made the cut. Up the North West!
The trio of Giants will compete in the men’s North team as well as the women’s squad for the inaugural year of the female All-Star event.
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Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anderson is one of the most exciting forwards in the league with the second-highest average steals and some really good free-throw stats to boot.
As well as returning to the British sporting calendar after a decade-long absence, this year also sees the first-ever Women’s All-Star Game, with both Georgia and Myah making the landmark roster.
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Although Anderson is set to captain her side while Pace and her husband opposite are set to make appearances off the bench for their teams, all three making their way onto their respective rosters in the first year of the event’s return and amidst challenging season is not to be overlooked.
You can see both lists in full here:
Three Manchester Giants players across a total of 22 top talents is not bad at all. (Credit: Supplied)
With the starters on each team being decided by the fan vote itself, it’s great to see the Andersons, Pace and plenty of other Northern talent on show as the British Basketball League continues to gain more eyes year after year.
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The Women’s game is set to tip off at 12:30pm ahead of the Men’s fixture at 15:30, with the iconic slam-dunk competition and three-point contest scheduled to feature between the two games, as well as the presentation to the inaugural entrants to the League’s new Hall of Fame.
Promising plenty of entertainment on and off the court, including a live performance from R&B/dancehall singer-songwriter, Amaria BB — who will take to the court for the Men’s halftime show — there’ll be plenty of fanfare and, hopefully, plenty buckets to go with it.
We wish all the best to our Manchester Giants and the All-Star North teams this year and if you’re interested in heading down south to see the excitement, you can still grab a ticket HERE.
WWE is returning to Manchester for first-ever box office televised event
Danny Jones
The WWE is coming back to Manchester for what looks set to be one of their biggest overseas event yet, let alone just here in 0161.
Following spectacles such as WWE Live and the ‘Road to Clash in Paris’ last summer, WWE is bringing proper SmackDown scenes to the UK and Europe early next year.
Announcing the blockbuster booking on Monday, 10 August, WWE has chosen the Co-op Live arena to host an unprecedented first televised edition outside of the US this coming January.
Confirming an all-star cast of competitors for one of the franchise’s biggest promotions, this one is a must-not-miss for Manc wrestling fans.
As per the caption of the announcement: “WWE brings the 2027 Road to Royal Rumble European Tour to Co-op Live, the first ever WWE televised event.
“Fans will see their favourite WWE Superstars in action including Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk, Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan, ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes, Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins, World Tag Team Champions The Vision and many more.”
Last time the world-famous sports entertainment company came to our city, we got to see the likes of Jey Uso, Rhea Ripley, GUNTHER, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and more.
Safe to say that we have been fortunate enough to see many of their most famous faces grace the canvas already.
Manchester, of course, isn’t the only domestic/European ‘Road to Royal Rumble’ date on the calendar in 2027 either.
For anyone looking to grab tickets for the next Manchester WWE show at Co-op Live, you can sign up to find out all the details at the first opportunity right HERE.
Once again, official Co-op members get early access via the venue’s exclusive pre-sale window, and you can expect general admission to sell out fast, so keep your eyes peeled…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Co-op Live)/The Manc Group
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New number ‘confirmed’ as Marcus Rashford returns to Manchester United
Danny Jones
Against the odds and the transfer gods, local lad Marcus Rashford has officially rejoined Manchester United for pre-season, and it looks as though his new shirt number has been revealed.
It’s one with a fair bit of significance for a couple of reasons, too.
Yes, despite it looking nailed on for Rashford to have all but left Man United ‘for good’ following two loan stints at Aston Villa and a successful spell at FC Barcelona last term, the Wythenshawe winger has returned to Carrington and now looks set to be reintegrated into the squad.
Just goes to show that besides the Red Devils having seen plenty of sagas in their time, anything can happen in a transfer window.
As you can see, the homegrown United academy product turned first-team star and England international was spotted driving into the team’s training complex to link back up with his former teammates and, indeed, some new faces since he left.
The last time Rashford played for his boyhood and still parent club was back in December 2024, and his most recent loan deal to Barcelona was expected to be made permanent provided he performed well – which, with 14 goals and 10 assists, he did.
Plenty of Barca fans were more eager to see him join his self-proclaimed dream destination full-time, too.
However, not only were the Catalan giants ultimately unwilling to pay the estimated €30 million transfer fee for his services – not to mention his significant wage demands – but after they decided to sign Newcastle and fellow Three Lions attacker Anthony Gordon in a similar position, it never came to fruition.
Now seemingly set to be given another chance in the senior setup and a chance at getting into the first-team squad under Michael Carrick, who has seen every up and down of Rashford’s time at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’; he’s also set to carry on wearing the same shirt number he did for the ‘Blaugrana’.
Reportedly set to take the vacant #14 jersey, which has been free since Christian Eriksen left the club in May 2025, it provides some kind of continuity from his fruitful chapter away from home.
Not only did Rashford supposedly select the shirt while in Spain due to his admiration for Thierry Henry, who famously shared a similar kind of inside forward role throughout his career, but it’s been noted by many fans that it’s also the same number his best mate Jesse Lingard used to wear.
While it remains to be seen how happy the 28-year-old is to have ended up back at Old Trafford, this has at least served as a nice little full-circle coincidence for some supporters.
As for the apparent reintegration process itself – what do you make of it, Reds: are you among those glad to see him back in United colours, or do you think he should still look at a move away from the club in the near future?
Danny Jones -
5th March 2024 
