Meet Pete Sibley: the man who draws cursed cartoons of famous footballers that you’ll never see the same way again
Social media can often be a two-sided coin: sometimes you see humanity at its absolute best, other times less so. This is neither of those — we just can't stop laughing.
While scrolling aimlessly through Twitter over the last few days, we looked beyond all the worthwhile news stories and cutting-edge journalism and, instead, we chose to spend hours looking at daft, cartoon-based portraits of some of football’s most recognisable faces.
Caricatures of footballers are nothing new — they spark memories of walking down the beachfront on holiday and eyeing up fake Real Madrid shirts and so on — but these comedic little cartoons are like the kind you’re used to seeing.
Drawn by artist Pete Sibley, whose popularity online is growing with each comical even if admittedly cursed cartoon, he depicts footballers, managers and in a simple but ever-surreal style.
Regularly fusing two individuals’ likenesses together in an almost uncanny valley-esque manner, some are more exaggerated and silly than others, but one thing’s for sure: you’ll struggle to look at these people the same way ever again.
‘Guardihaaland’‘ten Hagrid’This one doesn’t have a title, it’s just terrifying.
We’re not joking when we say he’s got literally dozens of these creepy combinations across his social media channels: 71 and counting, as far as we’re aware.
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In fact, we know it’s at least 71 because you can literally buy Pete’s sketchbook which is filled with copies of his humorous drawings, not to mention individual prints if you want to gift someone perhaps the most unique and inexplicable kinds of artwork on the market.
These faces might be something, but we’d love to see the kind you get when your friend or loved one opens up one of these bad boys.
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Here are some of his most random examples of late:
‘Carnacho’‘Paul Frogba‘‘Kevin de Bacon’
And just in case you were wondering, he doesn’t just focus solely on Man United and City figures either — though he certainly seems to have a knack for capturing their essence whilst also making them absolutely ridiculous.
Pete sketches players, managers and more from across all the football leagues, each just as hilarious ad confounding as the last.
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When we asked him for a bit of background about himself and what his inspiration was, he simply said: “I just thought maybe somebody else would also find them funny.”
You were absolutely right, Pete.
‘Harry Quagmire’‘Barteta’‘Moe Salah’He does a lot of amusing animation-based ones but that Salah one is straight-up nightmare fuel
To be honest, we think we like him staying somewhat of an enigma. On the one hand, it adds to his reputation (move over Banksy) and on the other, we’re not sure we want to dive too far into the mind that conjures up these absolutely wonderful but often unsettling sketches.
We’ll warn you that once you start going down the Pete Sibley rabbit hole, you won’t be coming back any time soon: we literally looked back through every single caricature we could find and still couldn’t pick a favourite.
As if this artistic series wasn’t weird enough, Pete isn’t the only person painting and drawing utterly cursed cartoons at the minute either…
Manchester’s big wheel is returning to Exchange Square for the summer… sort of
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is set to reach new heights, as the big wheel that once stood proudly in the city centre is making a comeback this summer.
Well… sort of.
That’s because it’s not quite the same big wheel that many will remember from its glory days in locations like Piccadilly Gardens and Exchange Square throughout the 2000s, and more recently Albert Square during last year’s Manchester Christmas Markets – but it is a big wheel and it’s a big wheel that you’ll be able to hop on for a ride.
Celebrating the launch of its new Cloud Frappuccino blended drinks range, Starbucks’ Summer in the Clouds arrives in Exchange Square next Friday and Saturday (24 and 25 July), inviting people to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy panoramic views of the city below from a big Ferris wheel.
The two-day takeover will give customers the chance to unlock a ride on the big wheel with the purchase of any Grande or Venti iced drink from participating Manchester city centre Starbucks stores.
Both in participating stores – which in Manchester are Starbucks stores in the Arndale, City Tower Offices, on Market Street and on Fennel Street – and at the Ferris wheel itself in Exchange Square, you can expect complimentary Cloud Frappuccino-inspired candy floss, live music from DJ and presenter Ethan Porte, and a free photobooth with digital and printed photos.
Alongside the big wheel ride, there’ll also be the chance for members to win exclusive Starbucks merchandise across the two days too.
A limited number of additional ferris wheel ride tokens will also be available to win via the fairground-style Plinko game on site.
The new Starbucks Cloud Frappuccino blended drinks range includes a range of bespoke creations like the Strawberry Matcha Cloud Frappuccino, the Brown Sugar Cloud Frappuccino, and the Caramel Mocha Cloud Frappuccino.
With skyline views and summer sips, Starbucks says its Summer in the Clouds is set to be one of Manchester’s must-visit experiences this month.
Starbucks’ Summer in the Clouds arrives in Exchange Square next Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July.
Featured Image – Cédric Dhaenens (via Unsplash)
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Liam Fray says ‘yes’ to Courteeners supporting Oasis on tour amid rumoured 2027 dates
Danny Jones
Liam Fray has said that the Courteeners are ready to “answer the call” if/when it comes to supporting Oasis on their next big live tour, with rumours of dates for shows in 2027 ramping up.
The fellow Manc favourites were heavily suggested as potential support acts for the Live ’25 reunion gigs, but Cast and Richard Ashcroft were ultimately selected as the warm-ups for the world tour.
With that in mind, when asked if Courteeners would be ready to open up for Oasis on their still only hypothetical tour next year, Fray had a very quick answer:
Not to speak for the Middleton musician, but it’s a bit of a no-brainer, really.
As you can see, in a recent interview with Radio X host Johnny Vaughan promoting the indie rockers’ new single, ‘Plus One Forever’, the 41-year-old frontman made it clear that he and his bandmates would bite hands off if the other Liam and/or his brother Noel offered a slot to them.
The younger Gallagher brother definitely had plenty of fun teasing supports last time around, before making some fairly more obvious posts and then seemingly just announcing them on social media according to his own timeline.
LG does what he wants, after all.
As for the supposed ’12 nights at the Etihad Stadium’ reported recently, not to mention all the other sets across the country that would no doubt follow should they come to fruition, Fray could say little else other than simply “Yes” to the prospect.
Joking, “Well, it is from me – I don’t know if someone else has said no!”, there have been no other indications on this front, but it’s safe to say it’d be a huge booking for everyone involved and a HUGE crowd-pleaser; Liam looks to be working on one of his own, elsewhere, too…
The two lead singers have both graced the stage of the Emirates Old Trafford stadium at Lancashire County Cricket Club, as well as Heaton Park, respectively.
Liam noted that he was at Heaton Park himself for that unforgettable summer last year, and also praised Wigan’s very own Ashcroft for being “unbelievable” when he caught him at Wembley. Big shoes to fill. The question is, who would you like to see supporting Oasis on their possible tour dates in the future?
In the meantime, we’ll have to be satisfied with gearing up for the release of the highly-anticipated reunion documentary, with the title and a first trailer now revealed.
Danny Jones -
15th February 2023 
