A massive Rick and Morty mural is being erected on the stadium front of Old Trafford and people online have been scratching their heads as to the reason why.
Pictures of the large multi-panel banner being assembled outside the East Stand, hanging just above the United Store entrance, began circulating on social media on Tuesday, 28 September.
What's this about, Rick from Rick and Morty on a massive banner outside Old Trafford…spot the broken window! pic.twitter.com/rOUdPEmgDQ
But even before then, single posters of the titular characters were spotted flanking either side of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
Given how many people travel past this iconic landmark every day, seeing two giant images of arguably the most popular cartoon characters in the world right now is sure to have caused a few double-takes.
Erm, just walking within eyesight of Old Trafford and there’s massive banners of Rick and Morty up on the Sir Alex Ferguson stand… pic.twitter.com/BHsIASuscd
Manchester United fans and tourists are more than used to seeing the latest United campaign, player collage or special poster – the latest being the tribute to Queen Elizabeth II – but it isn’t often you’ll see an external brand take up this kind of wall space. Well, ad space.
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As many of you may have guessed already, the Rick and Morty poster outside Old Trafford is, of course, another marketing idea and although the Red Devils don’t have a sponsorship deal with Adult Swim or Netflix, they do have one with Adidas.
It may have slipped past you over recent months, but the hit animation has recently partnered with the sportswear brand for a number of adverts such as promoting their new X Speedportal football boots.
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Official Adidas athletes like Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Arsenal Women’s Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema both starred as their animated selves for a fictionalised game. However, the ad campaign clearly hasn’t stopped there.
Like Miedema herself, Arsenal have been an official Adidas partnered club since 2018 and they too helped promote what the show describes as their “living” episode, ‘Wormageddon’ to celebrate the launch of the sixth season. This involved a number of statues dotted around the Emirates Stadium:
With that in mind, while we ascertain the exact nature of this Rick and Morty x Adidas x Manchester United ad, if you look closely at what portions of the posters have already gone up, there’s a clear hint at what the club are getting out of it.
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Besides wearing the Adidas mentioned above, if you closely at the image of main character Rick, you can see he is wearing what looks to be United’s recently released third kit under his trademark lab coat:
So there you have it; it might have looked a bit of an odd sight at first glance but there’s actually a very logical explanation.
At the end of the day, United have so many commercial partners at this point, we wouldn’t put it past them to secure a direct partnership with Rick and Morty somehow. They did one with Deadpool after all.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
28th September 2022 
