Cristiano Ronaldo will walk out at Old Trafford this coming Saturday for his second Manchester United debut, resulting as the pinnacle moment in one of football’s most famous club returns.
The iconic number 7 is highly likely to be in the starting lineup against Newcastle when the Premier League returns at the weekend following an international break.
What may have just been a run-of-the-mill home game against The Magpies has now become a spectacle that the entire footballing world will be watching, or trying to watch, due to the match not being shown on live television in the UK.
Paul Pogba takes on Newcastle Players // Sky Sports
Unfortunately for millions of Manchester United fans, not even a Cristiano Ronaldo return is enough for the bigwigs in league football to fall on their ‘3pm blackout’ swords.
For those who don’t know, or do know but just haven’t cared to research it, the 3pm blackout prevents matches taking place during 2.45pm and 5.15pm from being broadcast on live TV (or at least the major UK broadcasters).
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The argument is that TV cameras cause low attendance in stadiums, or it did back in the 1950s and 1960s when people would prefer to watch the game on the box than spend more money making a day of it at a ground.
Saturday 3pm Priceless banner hangs at a lower league stadium
There is argument for and against the blackout. On one hand, fans need incentive to visit stadiums and enjoy a proper day out at the footy, however, in 2021 it’s not a hard task to sell out a match – even lower league football is experiencing a post-pandemic attendance boom – and therefore many pundits think the 3pm blackout has run its course.
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Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan told TalkSport: “I do believe there is no need for a 3pm watershed because originally when it was brought in, I think Bob Lord at Burnley was the architect of it, and believed that attendances would diminish with live football being put on and taking away from 3pm kick-offs.
“That doesn’t exist anymore because you can fill stadiums ten times over. Perhaps you should change that.”
Below is a brilliant thread by the ESPN’s Dale Johnson on why the 3pm blackout isn’t used elsewhere in the world but why it is so important to English football.
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No one seriously expects a season ticket holder at Rochdale or Torquay to stop going because you can watch Man United or Arsenal at 3pm on a Saturday.
It's thousands of walk-up, casual fans who keep the turnstiles ticking with new cash.
However, on the argument of Ronaldo’s influence, Simon believes one player shouldn’t be the catalyst in changing such a historic rule. He said: “We can’t sit here and say, on one hand, player power has got out of hand and then change a protocol that exits because one Herbert is rocking back to England to play games.”
Many believe the 3pm blackout still works in the UK and is something that keeps the balance in English football just right – especially for lower league clubs.
Sky Sports
On a Saturday at 3pm you are right in the middle of your weekend and many, many local businesses such as pubs, bars and cafes benefit from the crowds brought in by a live game of football.
In the TalkSport comment section, one user put it perfectly. “I lived in England for 10 years, North/South/Midlands, and so many folk I knew would drop in to a local 3pm game, some bringing their kids along for a day out. The local cafes, pubs, shops, etc see the benefit too.
“Start televising Premier league 3pm games and all this takes a hit. No doubt about it. It would only take 10 fans to change their Saturday 3pm habits to see an approx £10k hit to a lower league club and surrounding businesses.. all to the benefit of the clubs that need it least.
“Would be crazy to change it.”
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Greater Manchester clubs and Kellogg’s team up for free kids’ football camps this summer
Danny Jones
A whole host of Greater Manchester clubs are teaming up with cereal brand Kellogg’s this summer to hold tens of thousands of free football camps for kids this summer.
Joining the nationwide initiative alongside dozens of other teams across the country, local sides including Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Salford City and more will be taking part in a glorious sporting summer helping the opportunity to stay active and entertained during the holidays.
Kellogg’s Football Camps and similar schemes from the company have been running for many years and this latest edition is set to be the biggest yet, with 300,000 completely free days of footballing fun set to be offered out to children aged 5-14 all over the UK.
With the multiple clubs from in and around the region enlisting their help, not to mention Euro 2024 and the Olympics just on the horizon, it’s going to be a great couple of months for the little ones.
With the likes of Stockport County, Wigan Athletic and other nearby organisations such as the Foundation 92 (the educational charity arm formed by the Man United’s Class of ’92 group) getting involved, the physical activity-driven programme will be a great outlet for kids this school break.
This fresh push for physical activity comes after recent research found that 90% of parentsin the North West would like their child to experience less screen timeand take part in more outdoor activities and 7/10 of mums and dads from the region feel there aren’t enough accessible activitieslocal to them.
Entry for the Kellogg’s camps kicked off this month and will run until 24 June, with around 2,500 places released every week. The sessions themselves will run throughout July and August 2024 as well as a handful in June and September.
To mark the occasion this year, they also revealed the world’s longest football scarf featuring a total of 74 different teams from England, Wales, and Scotland, measuring approximately 100m long.
The vast majority of parents polled said they felt participating in team sports can help build crucial life skills and that’s exactly what the campaign is hoping to achieve. Brilliant stuff.
Kellogg’s has long held not only a local connection to Greater Manchester but a partnership with English football in general (if you have one of those old footy cereal bowls you know all too well), so it’s nice to see them still getting involved and help parents keep their kids occupied for a little while this summer.
The sign-up process is pretty simple: merely grab a promotional box of the brand’s cereal which millions of British kids already eat for their cereal, scan the barcode to validate the purchase and then select your desired club via email to book your kids onto the free football days. You can see the T&Cs HERE.
As it happens, they aren’t the only food brand offering similar sporting freebies this year:
Featured Images — Supplied/Bolton Wanders FC (via X)
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Wes Brown urges Manchester United to give Erik ten Hag at least ‘one more season’
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend Wes Brown has come out to recommend Erik ten Hag be given at least “one more season” as the discussion surrounding his future at Old Trafford continues to ramp up.
With Man United still underperforming in the league and very hot and cold in terms of overall form, to say the least, many fans are now wondering how long ten Hag has left in the job as the new owners continue to rebuild the club.
As the 54-year-old heads into an FA Cup semi-final this Sunday – United‘s only shot at winning silverware this season and arguably the only potential mark of tangible success this year as the sizeable between the European place remains – some supporters seem to already consider this as his only chance of avoiding the sack.
Despite winning the Carabao Cup in his first campaign last season, we all know how ruthless football management can be, but Wes Brown has now urged the administration not to be rash in any decision-making regardless of whether there’s a trophy at the end of the tunnel this May.
Wes Brown believes Erik ten Hag deserves to be given more time. (Credit: In The Zone via YouTube)
Speaking to BBC and Premier League presenter Manish Banish on the In The Zone podcast, the double Champions League winner said United shouldn’t be looking to change managers again any time soon, insisting “they should have a respectful three or four years to get what they want done”.
“They have to give him one more season, it’s simple”, says Brown, adding: “I think the manager has done enough in the first two seasons to secure another season.”
Still an ambassador at United and regular on MUTV, the 44-year-old ex-defender was highly vocal and full of praise in his support of ten Hag last year, stating that he believes the Dutchman brought a “change in attitude” to the set-up and has been good at ensuring there is “no messing about“.
However, things have been far from straightforward for the former Ajax coach this time around, as the Red Devils have struggled for consistency in the league and been left blighted by injuries. The unfortunate records this season certainly haven’t helped either.
Nevertheless, the five-time Premier League champion went on to remind that, “United have had big-name managers in and it’s all been the same, so something is not right somewhere. You have to give the manager time because if you want to kick on and injuries have stopped him doing what he’s wanted to do this year.
“[Lisandro] Martinez is a big miss, he changed things a little bit for United; he brings power to the defensive line – just like [Raphael] Varane.
He did admit that “this season is a tough watch” and it’s not a great time to be a Red in Manchester but did reiterate the good work and progress made by the manager last year: “a good league finish and two finals and a cup – this is where they want to be.”
Brown also argued that, at many stages during the current campaign, United simply haven’t looked like a team and rather just a “bunch of individuals”, noting that the aforementioned injury crisis has only compounded the failure to properly “gel” as a unit as he notes the top three clearly are.
Ultimately, he said that it just boils down to the squad being too mercurial and really living up to the ‘game of two halves’ footballing stereotype; “We can be really good and exciting and then really poor at the same time” – especially in the league, as he sees it.
As Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the growing number of new INEOS-backed executives continue to be appointed to the board, the likes of Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, the ex-Seagulls coach Graham Potter, Thomas Tuchel and even Gareth Southgate have all been floated as potential replacements.
What do you think, Reds: would you give ten Hag more time or is beating Coventry City this weekend and going on to win the FA Cup a must for the Man United manager?
You can watch Wes Brown’s take on Erik ten Hag’s future, what needs to happen at the club and more in full down below:
Wes Brown talks about his career, Fergie and the ‘hairdryer’; ten Hag, United’s new co-owners and more.
The Manc -
8th September 2021 
