The Stockport Spider-Man has raised a whopping £14,000 and counting for suicide prevention charities after tackling three marathons in 24 hours this past weekend.
We mean it both figuratively and literally when we say that that Jason Baird has become somewhat of a local superhero since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic first hit back in March of last year, as alongside his friend Andrew Baldock, he has proudly become one half of the now-famous Stockport Spider-Men and has been donning his spidey suit to weave a web of joy throughout the community while out on his daily jogs for the past 12 months.
The dad-of-two and martial arts instructor has backflipped his way through three lockdowns, and has earned himself international recognition and tens of thousands of fans in the process.
Spotting spidey on his travels has become a popular activity for the people of Stockport, with children making special ‘stop here’ signs for their front windows, dressing up in masks and spider suits themselves to join in on the fun, and just generally looking forward to his arrival.
While putting smiles on faces at a time when it’s needed more than ever has ultimately been Jason’s goal over this past year, the character’s most-famous quote has remained firmly in his mind.
It was these important words that inspired Jason to not just make a positive change through his actions, but to create a lasting legacy with them.
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A lasting legacy that first saw him complete an ultramarathon – equivalent to 50 miles – by making his way across the entire Greater Manchester borough and raising over £8,000 in the process last month, before tackling his greatest mission yet over the weekend and attempting to complete four marathons / 105 miles in 24 hours.
And with a lot of training, a little help from his superhero friends along the way, and the support of the entire Stockport community behind him, Jason achieved what he set out to do.
While he ultimately made the decision to stop at just three marathons in the name of health and safety – after experiencing symptoms of exhaustion and dehydration – as well as adverse weather conditions, Jason still managed to complete an impressive 78 miles in the allotted time, and most-importantly, raise thousands of pounds for an extremely worthy cause.
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This is all despite it admittedly being “the hardest thing [he’s] ever done”.
The organisation most-significantly benefitting from Jason’s achievements this past weekend is youth suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS – a cause that is very close to his heart, especially after admitting that he has struggled with his own mental health in recent months, and has sadly lost a friend to suicide during the first lockdown.
The charity says that suicide is the biggest killer of under 35’s in the UK, and it’s believed that around 200 school-aged children take their own lives each year.
Jason’s latest challenge has now seen his JustGiving fundraising page clock in at over £14,690 for PAPYRUS, and that’s on top of the £75,000+ he’s already raised for a collection of charities within the last 12 months alone.
The ultimate goal is to raise £100,000 for PAPYRUS – and Greater Manchester’s with him every step of the way.
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If you’ve been inspired by Jason’s story and his outstanding achievements over this past year, you can show your support for an extremely worthy cause by contributing to the goal of raising £100,000 for PAPYRUS via his JustGiving page.
You can also follow along with the Stockport Spider-Men adventures here.
And don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled and stay tuned for more Stockport Spider-Men missions coming in 2021 too.
Oldham Athletic’s next game postponed amid red weather warnings
Danny Jones
Oldham Athletic FC’s next game has been postponed amid red weather warnings, with a frozen pitch having already set in.
We suspect they won’t be the only ones either…
Oldham Athletic were set to take on Notts County FC at home this weekend, with the upcoming fixture set for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday, 10 January, but the state of the Boundary Park stadium’s playing surface has already been declared unfit for use.
Informing the fans of the unfortunate decision, the rescheduled date and time for the match remain yet to be confirmed.
Saturday's home fixture against Notts County has been postponed due to a frozen pitch. #oafc
Addressing supporters online, OAFC wrote: “An inspection took place on Thursday afternoon with the pitch frozen following persistent freezing temperatures since our last home game on New Year’s Day and further adverse weather forecast.
“The inspection was called due to persistent freezing temperatures and in anticipation of further adverse weather between now and kick-off. Tickets will remain valid for the rearranged date, and refunds can be claimed after the new date is confirmed.”
As for Notts County, they have also updated their fans on social media.
They have assured that “tickets purchased for this fixture will [also] be valid for the rearranged date” and that “supporters who require a refund will be able to do so after the date for the rearranged fixture is announced.”
Postponement comes amid parts of Oldham, Greater Manchester and other areas across the country being hit with severe weather warnings, which have now been upgraded from an initial yellow rating.
2026’s first named storm, the weather event dubbed by Goretti by the French meteorological service, is set to bring further frosty conditions and blustery winds to us Brits.
The UK received its first snowfall of the year earlier this month, but this next pattern of cold air is set to see even more arrive, with the forecast potentially running into next week.
As for the Latics, the 15th-placed League Two team will have to wait until their ground thaws out to try and make up ground between them and the play-off spots.
Worth keeping an eye on the Met Office if you were planning a trip to the footy over the next few days.
Manchester City look set to steal transfer target away from Liverpool
Danny Jones
Manchester City could be about to steal away a key transfer target right from underneath Liverpool’s noses, as the club is reportedly eyeing up a swoop for Marc Guehi.
Were it to happen, it could be a decisive move not only in January but could really prove instrumental in how the rest of their season plays out.
The Crystal Palace defender and England international looked pretty much all set for a Merseyside switch, with prior reports claiming that he was heading for Anfield before the deadline day in the previous summer window.
However, the latest rumours – which seem to have ramped up over the past week or so – are that Man City could snatch him from the grasp of Liverpool as Pep Guardiola looks to reinforce his defensive line.
As per the latest from the likes of Fabrizio Romano, fellow journalist Jeremy Cross and other alternative football outlets like indykaila News, not only is the door now open for Marc Guehi to leave the South London club, but the Etihad Stadium seems an increasingly likely destination.
Speaking in a recent press conference, Palace boss (who has also now been linked to the Man United manager’s job) Oliver Glasner added fuel to the fire.
Admitting that while everyone at the club wants him to say, “On the other side, there’s the situation that the contract ends in the summer, and if somebody is coming, there will be a moment when the club says, ‘Now the financial issue is more important than the sport issue’…”
“There will be a threshold where the club has to say [sell] … If the player says: ‘I want to leave’ and the money is above the threshold, it will happen. I’m not so naive [as] not to know that if a massive offer comes from City and Marc wants to do it, it will happen.”
Yes, name-checking the East Manchester outfit specifically, as opposed to Arne Slot’s somewhat faltering side, Romano has since insisted that “Man City want to reach an agreement now after their CBs emergency”; they have already recalled one centre-half from his loan move who impressed on debut.
Aside from a few OOP actions early on, M. Alleyne was top. Composed, progressive and confident stepping beyond the first line.
He doesn’t recycle — he dictates. Being a build-up reference already at senior level speaks volumes.
Many fans have already made it clear that they back and believe Max Alleyne (seen above) and fellow youngster Abdukodir Khusanov to deputise and be further blooded into the first team moving forward, especially following their performance against Brighton and amid the limited options.
On the other hand, City have always benefited from their strength in depth, and while the soon-to-be-confirmed Antoine Semenyo will no doubt be an exciting addition, finding cover for Ruben Dias and Joško Gvardiol appears to be a bigger priority.
Meanwhile, not only is it said that Guehi would love the opportunity to the Catalan coach and serial winner, but Liverpool have
Regardless, there is always the risk of a player getting lost in a potentially bloated squad as and when those players return to the starting lineup; it’s up to the 25-year-old Premier League-proven centre-back to decide whether he can not just take on the challenge but keep that place.
Emily Sergeant -
29th March 2021 
