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Manchester United to debut first ‘tifo’ banner before Lyon game

The advent is yet to really take off in English football. Could this be part of the start?

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 16th April 2025

Manchester United is set to debut its first-ever ‘tifo’ banner ahead of their big game against Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday night.

The Red Devils are staring down their biggest moment of the season – arguably one of their biggest in some time – as they must beat Lyon in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final to advance in the competition, which is their only chance of silverware this year.

It’s been a tough start for new manager Ruben Amorim since he arrived at Old Trafford, with Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS ownership group having been amidst turbulent times pretty much ever since they took up a minority stake in the club.

All that being said, and with Man United’s financial obstacles now well-publicised by the co-owner himself, winning the tournament and therefore securing a shot at Champions League football next season is crucial to how their ambitious rebuild and, notably, stadium redevelopment plans pan out.

With that in mind, the club are looking to be bolder than ever when it comes to creating an atmosphere for the crucial knockout fixture, announcing that a tifo banner will be unveiled inside the stadium for the first time in the club’s history.

For any of those still unclear on what a tifo is, they are large, colourful, choreographed displays typically organised by the supporters themselves, which spotlight things like club badges, legendary players, insignias, messages and more.

Popular in various other parts of the continent and beyond, especially in the likes of Italy (where the trend first started) and Germany, as well as southern and eastern Europe, this particular part of global football fan culture hasn’t really made it over to the Premier League just yet.

Not too far away from the kinds of big banners that are commonplace throughout most football, only even more massive and usually much intricate in shape, design and detail, the club has confirmed their inaugural attempt at a United tifo will be shown in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.

As for what it’s going to look like, the specifics are being kept under wraps for now, but the club are said to have worked with fan representatives closely on the project before being shared with captain Bruno Fernandes to get his seal of approval. 

man united tifo design
The flag shown during this year’s Munich Disaster memorial observation. (Credit: The Manc Group)

For now, the only details revealed are that “the ‘tifo’ will be raised from the ground to the roof, in front of the halfway line, creating a spectacular moment ahead of kick-off in M16.”

There have been plenty of big banner moments – both in protest and to mark important memorials – already this season, but this promises to be a whole different kettle of fish for the club.

During their most recent Europa League fixture, those up in the stands even got to witness Old Trafford putting on pyrotechnics for the first time, though it’s safe to say they didn’t quite nail the concept.

In fact, it looks like the club itself would be the first to admit it, as they also confirmed that the pre-match pageantry will include “red-and-white pyrotechnics will also appear adjacent to the banner, in a larger display than the one seen before the win over Real Sociedad in the previous round.”

Tifos are all well and good, but they need backing up with results, and it goes without saying that this match could define not just Man United‘s season but work wonders for Amorim’s future moving forward. This is the sort of standard they’re up against…

Ultras do not mess about when it comes to this kind of stuff.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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Aldi’s ‘superfan’ card is back to give someone FREE shopping for a year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Aldi’s is looking to give one lucky person free shopping for a full year as its ‘superfan card’ competition returns.

Did you know that, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average UK household now spends, on average, £4,124 on groceries annually? For many families, that figure could be even higher too, unfortunately.

But for one lucky Aldi shopper, they soon won’t have to part ways with a single penny for 12 whole months.

That’s because the budget supermarket retailer has announced the return of its ‘superfan card’ after it proved to be a huge success last year, and wants to celebrate its most loyal customer by offering them a year’s-worth of groceries for free.

Only one shopper will be able to claim the exclusive new card.

Aldi outside
Aldi’s ‘superfan’ card is back to give someone free shopping for a year / Credit: Aldi UK

While Aldi is the UK’s cheapest supermarket, which tends to mean customers spend less groceries overall anyway, the wide selection of seasonal Specialbuys on offer in the fan-favourite ‘middle aisle’ can often mean shoppers end up spending more.

Which is why Aldi’s Superfan Card will be worth £5,000 so the winner can bag all the exciting extras as well as the essentials.

Last year, it was actually Charlotte Mellor from Oldham who bagged the first-ever Superfan Card offering a year’s worth of free groceries, so will Greater Manchester be lucky enough to go again for a second year? Only time will tell.

All bargain-lovers need to do to be in with the chance of winning the card is explain to Aldi judges – who will carefully review all submissions – in no more than 250 words they are the company‘s biggest fan and deserve to win a year’s worth of free shopping.

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You just need to be over 18, and to email your name, age, hometown, and your entry to [email protected], before the deadline on Thursday 18 September at 11:59pm.

The winner will be contacted by Wednesday 1 October 2025.

Featured Image – Aldi

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Drama Call drop latest limited edition Manchester United collection

Danny Jones Danny Jones Latest Man United Drama Call collab drop location

Viral Manchester streetwear brand Drama Call has finally revealed its latest limited edition Man United collection, and it’s gone down an instant hit with fashionistas and football fans alike.

Better yet, they’re hosting a special pop-up store right outside Old Trafford, so expect massive queues.

Led by a special white jersey inspired by United‘s 1991 anniversary away shirt, the extremely anticipated release is the third they’ve done in tandem with the club, with the Manc company’s reputation having grown significantly over the years.

Now worn by stars such as Aitch, who models as the cover star of the campaign, these drops see hundreds, if not thousands, flock to get their hands on the casualwear – and this newest batch is set to be no different.

As you can see, while the new Drama Call x Man United collection would no doubt sell out online, the local label sticks to keeping the buzz with in-person pop-ups and often surprise locations in and around Greater Manchester.

In this instance, the usual crowds that surround the Drama Call van will be gathering right outside the official Manchester United Megastore for one day only this week.

Oh, and in case you didn’t already guess, it’s first-come, first-served and yes, you have to be very quick.

Besides the twist on the classic and already highly collectable kit design, the collection features a retro ’90s style track jacket, black pullover hoody, and two Drama Call stamped MUFC t-shirts – one black, one white and both with the iconic striped Adidas sleeves.

This isn’t the only big crossover they’ve unveiled in 2025, either, having teamed up with Adidas earlier this year for a very cool sneaker drop.

Once again, the Drama Call x Man United pop-up shop will be opening from 7pm this Thursday only and trust us, the stock won’t last for long.

There may be an opportunity to cop some clobber at a future date, but for now, this is your only opportunity for early access if you’re a big fan of their stuff or just a dyed-in-the-wool Red who fills their wardrobe with pretty much anything Man United.

We expect there’ll be a few going for that kit.

Limited edition footy shirts are all the rage at the moment, especially in the music world, but there’s also a rugby jersey that’s caught our eye recently.

Sale Sharks drop Haçienda-inspired away kit for the 2025/26 season
It features a few cool nods.

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Featured Images — Manchester United/Drama Call (press shots)

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