Sport

Man United legend Lou Macari’s grandson, Lewis, scores an absolute screamer on EFL debut for Notts County

An absolute thumper.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 23rd October 2023

Lewis Macari, the grandson of Manchester United and Scotland legend, Lou Macari, scored his first-ever goal in English football on his EFL debut for Notts County this weekend and it was an absolute screamer.

His grandfather, who played for Man United over 400 times and was part of Celtic’s iconic ‘Quality Street Gang’, still gives his name to one of the busiest matchday chippies outside Old Trafford and continues to work on behalf of the club to this day, but now his grandson is carrying the family on the pitch.

Lewis, still just 21, is on loan at the League Two side from parent club Stoke City, where Macari is also revered for his time as a manager across two spells and where his grandad still lives to this day helping the homeless community as he does here in Manchester.

Rifling home the edge-of-the-box rocket from centre-back no less, the youngster helped secure the three points in a 2-1 win against Gillingham in a moment he’ll never forget.

Lou Macari’s grandson Lewis scores his-ever goal in English football.
Here’s another angle. Oof.

As you can see, it was a finish that anyone would make anyone proud, and one more than worthy of his family name, with Macari’s sons Michael and Lewis’ dad Paul both having played professionally at Stoke in the 90s too.

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The match-winner itself helped the Magpies stay within touching distance of Greater Manchester side and league leaders, Stockport County, with their promotion rivals now sat on just a two-point cushion at the top of the table.

While his grandad scored a nearly century of goals from midfield for United and many more during his career, as for Lewis, this was just his second-ever goal in professional football, having previously netted one whilst on loan at Dundalk in Ireland last year.

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Speaking to media after the game, the youngster admitted that it was “all a blur” after he struck the ball, joking that he couldn’t even remember how he celebrated.

What a moment for the young man and his family.

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As mentioned, Macari Senior’s legacy goes far beyond his sporting career and having his name on the front of a chip shop; Lou and his organisation have been helping care for homeless people in Manchester, Stoke and more for several years now, raising over £750,000 for related charities.

The Macari Foundation set up a homeless shelter, The Macari Centre, in central Stoke back in 2016, helping house countless rough sleepers and now providing a bed, four meals a deal and support to around 50 individuals a day.

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Here in 0161, the ex-Red Devil has also played a key role in helping United establish their ‘Big Sleepout‘ initiative, where members of the club and locals camped out inside the Munich Tunnel to raise money for vulnerable young people and homeless charities in the region for the first time last year.

The next sleepout, which is now set to be held in the stands of Old Trafford, takes place next month on 3 November. You can find out more information and how to get involved HERE.

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

Featured Image — EFL League Two/Notts County (via Twitter)

Sport

Salford City manager delivers X-rated, fiery and inspiring speech in new behind-the-scenes series

Danny Jones Danny Jones Salford City manager Karl Robinson angry speech

Salford City FC manager Karl Robinson delivered an extremely passionate and X-rated dressing room speech to his players in a recent clip taken from the club’s new behind-the-scenes series.

The Salford City boss has divided opinion among the supporters during his time in charge at the Peninsula Stadium, but it’s fair to say this no-holds-barred clip will have at least won over a few.

Robinson has been the head coach of The Ammies since January 2024 and missed out on playoff places by just a single point last term, but the Greater Manchester side has made a strong start to the new League Two campaign.

Claiming 16 points from their first eight fixtures, with only Swindon Town and Gillingham having notched more thus far, it seems a fire has been lit under his squad. It would certainly seem to be the case – at least judging by this new footage, anyway…

What you see above is a snippet from just the second episode of SCFC’s new ‘This Is Salford’ online show, which debuted this season and lifts the lid on City, Robinson, co-owner Gary Neville (who has helped produce the digital series) and more.

Although it’s not quite on the scale of the famous Class of ’92: Out of Their League programme and Full Time spin-off special aired on television over the past decade, the recurring YouTube documentary will chronicle matchdays and much more.

The club have also explained that the digital-only show will also be split into two sub-sections; one is the kind of matchday coverage already shared, with the promise that it will always be released within “36 hours of the final whistle”.

Secondly, there will be This Is Salford: ‘Our Story‘ episodes, which they describe as sharing “a deeper level of storytelling, following players, coaches and club staff on everything from transfers to causes they’re passionate about.” Think Welcome to Wrexham, perhaps.

It just so happens the latest instalment caught the 45-year-old’s fuming rant following comments made by a player on the way back into the dugout.

While some fans have responded by commenting, “I’m pretty sure they didn’t want this kind of changing room” – citing past straight-talking managers who went on to be dismissed – the reception has been largely positive, with another replying: “I love the way Robbo commands the dressing room.”

Speaking via club media this week, Neville teased the series as going further in the amount they intend to reveal compared to the likes of Manchester City’s All Or Nothing or Together: Treble Winners docuseries, for instance.

Admittedly, not everyone has been convinced by the reaction from Robinson captured during their away trip to Notts County back on 9 August, going on to win the game 2-1.

One person accused him of ‘blagging’ and possibly playing up his anger towards the camera, while others have already seen it as evidence backing up why they have performed well thus far. Either way, they were victorious on the night and are currently third in the table.

Neville reiterated that “We need to get this out there as it happens. It needs to be in real time. It’s their Salford, it’s the fans’ Salford, and we want to show it.”

You can watch the episode in full and see what exactly sparked the fiery speech by Karl Robinson on the Salford City YouTube channel down below.

What do you make of the tirade?

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Featured Images — Salford City FC (screenshots via YouTube)

Sport

Manchester United announce record revenue despite on-pitch struggles

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Manchester United have declared a record revenue figure for the full 2025 fiscal term, even with their poor performances on the pitch over the past 12 months.

They may still be a continually struggling Premier League side who seem to be in a perpetual state of transition, but they remain nothing short of a global giant in terms of sporting brands.

Yes, despite Man United recording two of the worst finishes in domestic history in the previous two campaigns and head coach Ruben Amorim having already overseen the worst start to a top-flight season in the modern era following the defeat on derby day, the football club has reached a monetary milestone.

According to their official reports for the fourth and final quarter of the financial year, they brought in a record-breaking £666.5 million throughout 2024/25 – but, as always, it’s more complicated than that.

Released on Wednesday, 17 September, Manchester United PLC confirmed that they had managed to record the biggest revenue figures on several fronts despite crashing out of the Europa League, finishing 15th in the table overall and failing to secure a place in any European competition this season.

The first half of Amorim‘s tenure at Old Trafford saw the club’s worst competitive placing since 1973/74, a.k.a. the last time the Red Devils were relegated from the first division.

Nevertheless, a fresh shirt sponsorship agreement with Snapdragon, new brand partnerships with the likes of Coca-Cola, an extension of their contract with travel experience company, SportsBreaks, and numerous other deals saw United achieve a record commercial revenue of £333.3m.

Elsewhere, match revenue was also up and reached new heights, tallying approximately £160.3m in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2025 – the most they have ever registered when it comes to ticket sales, concessions, and other transactions in and around game days.

Controversial increases to some ticket prices and seat changes no doubt helped tip the scales in that respect, but it’s also worth clarifying that they still posted overall losses of £33m.

Although this number is a reduction of more than 70.8% what they lost last year (£113.2m), there is still plenty of concern among supporters over how money is still not only being spent but moved around.

Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS board did pay sizeable chunks of MUFC’s debt, which has piled up at an alarming rate in the two decades since the Glazer takeover, but there has still been plenty of borrowing.

In addition to a number of shorter-term loans, there has also been an increased level of amortisation and significant transfer spending this summer, despite being admittedly cash-strapped.

As well as actually having less money to play with over the past 12 months, they are also set to receive less in TV rights and broadcasting revenues this season due to not making it into any European competition, hence why they went on a post-season Asian tour to try and make up for funds lost.

It’s estimated that the business earned a further £8 million from these games, but it’s also worth noting that significant sums have been spent not only on new signings but also on severance fees and redundancy packages, so it’s hard to assess how much this extra injection helped with the fine margins.

Divisive CEO and former City Football Group exec, Omar Berrada, wrote in the comments section of the full findings and financial report: “As we settle into the 2025/26 season, we are working hard to improve the club in all areas.

“On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men’s and women’s first team squads over the summer, as we build for the long term. Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives.”

Yet again, it’s worth noting that the same ‘streamlining’ her refers to includes sacking over 450 staff across two rounds of lay-offs.

He adds: “We are also investing [in upgrading] our infrastructure, including completion of the £50m redevelopment of our men’s first team building at Carrington, on time and on budget, following prior investment in our women’s team facilities, to create a world-class environment for our players and staff.

“Meanwhile, planning continues to meet our ambition of developing a new stadium at Old Trafford as part of a transformational regeneration of the surrounding community.

Manchester United’s Old Trafford regeneration project backed by UK government
Total Manchester United revenue may be up but they’re about to shell out seismic outlay for their new stadium costs.

Berrada signs off by insistig that for the club to have “generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrates the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United.

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“Our commercial business remains strong as we continue to deliver appealing products and experiences for our fans, and best-in-class value to our partners.”

“As we start to feel the benefits of our cost reduction programme, there is significant potential for improved financial performance, which will, in turn, support our overriding priority: success on the pitch.”

What do you make of Manchester United’s 2024/25 annual report and how it fits into the wider picture/struggles elsewhere around the club?

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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