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.
Manchester City’s Stadium Tours are back for the summer and bigger than ever
Danny Jones
Manchester City stadium tours are back for summer 2026, with more to see from the home of the Blues than ever, and with 15% off all tickets until the end of August, too.
It’s safe to say that Man City are going through a HUGE period of change right now: embarking on a new era under Enzo Maresca following the dynasty of Pep Guardiola, vast redevelopments of the wider Etihad Campus, a new club hotel, and the expansion of the North Stand – now named after said Catalan coach.
With that in mind, there’s so much new stuff going on over in East Manchester and arguably more of it all happening in one place than we can recall in recent memory, making it the perfect time for Cityzens to return to the famous home ground – indeed, your Etihad debut if you haven’t made one already.
Giving you greater access to areas usually reserved for players and staff only than ever, this exclusive, interactive and virtual tour will take you through the very bones of the storied sporting arena, all the way through to pitchside.
Fans can explore the dressing room and follow in the footsteps of their favourite City players as they walk through the iconic glass players’ tunnel, before walking out into the open air and sitting in the dugout to take in that incredible view.
You can also try out the latest ‘Beyond the Blue Moon’ experience – an immersive VR adventure that sees supporters journey through Manchester City’s past, present, and future.
Following on from Pep lending his likeness, using innovative technology, you can now even have the chance to put your questions to Erling Haaland in the Press Conference Room.
There aren’t many teams on the planet that offer this level of stadium tour, let alone just here in the UK, so it’s no wonder they remain award-winning almost every single year.
Whether you’re a lifelong City fan, a football lover or visiting this wonderful place we call Manchester for the very first time, there’s something for everyone.
For instance, with The Medlock Hotel and accompanying Medlock Square already lining up its maiden events, the City Football Group (CFG) are once again committing to make the wider Etihad Campus an all-year-round entertainment destination.
That being said, plenty of people online have been generating a lot of buzz about the aforementioned Medlock’s new stadium-view rooms since clips appeared on social media.
Pitch view rooms coming to the Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel at #ManCity’s Etihad Stadium. 🤯
As for the tickets themselves, the club have also taken steps to keep the cost affordable.
Standard prices start from just £32 for adults and only £20 for under-16s, with larger family packages available from £60.
BUT, with the 15% discount mentioned earlier, adults currently cost just £27; kids go for just £17, and those family passes start from just £51.
You can find all the options when it comes to stadium tour passes and grab the type of admission that suits you right HERE.
Speaking of tickets, City have also been met with praise for the introduction of new discounted seats for local residents; find out all the details below.
René Meulensteen names the ‘ideal’ signing that Man United appear to be overlooking
Danny Jones
Ex-Manchester United coach René Meulensteen has named the one key signing that he feels the Red Devils are missing out on by not pursuing this summer.
The former Man United assistant, who served under Sir Alex and has recently returned to the backrooms of the English football pyramid, has given his verdict on what he thinks his old club still needs in terms of reinforcements.
Chatting with TipmanTips, the 62-year-old identified the backline as a persisting problem area for now full-time manager Michael Carrick, insisting that they could do with another central defender.
The footballer in question is his fellow countryman, Micky van de Ven – fresh from a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur – who has surprised many by not securing his next big-money move so far in the transfer window.
We are delighted to announce that Micky van de Ven has signed a new contract with the Club!
Speaking in an exclusive interview, he said his Dutch compatriot wouldn’t just be a great rotation player but a starter coming into the 2026/26 season.
“I still think they’re vulnerable at the back”, says Meulensteen, “and that’s one thing Michael is going to have to sort out as soon as possible when the season starts. Finding a centre-back partnership that works and getting some consistency in the back line will be key.
“Harry Maguire is coming off a good end to last season, but he needs some complementary centre-backs next to him, and then also on the right-hand side next to him with Mazraoui and Dalot not really doing anything.”
“I would have been looking at Micky van de Ven from Spurs before he signed a new deal. He’s powerful, he’s quick, he’s got great experience in playing as a left centre back in the Premier League, and he would have given United a very different dynamic in their defence.
He rounded off the recommendation, however late, by arguing that were Maguire to be a mainstay first-choice centre-half for Carrick this season, “van de Ven would’ve meant you wouldn’t have to worry about his lack of pace in behind, as he can cover so much ground recovering.”
As for who they have brought in so far, they’ve managed a well-balanced, albeit limited number of young and experienced talents, including the surprise return of greatest-ever goalscorers (currently 13th on the all-time list at still just 28) in Marcus Rashford.
While he did go on to cite the likes of Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke as a viable alternative, it’s fair to say he would be high up on the shortlist of many fans – and not just United.
On the other hand, we’d once again reiterate that we include ourselves among those stunned that he hasn’t had more suitors floating around of late, especially given he was one of the few bright lights among a side that nearly got relegated last term.
Would you have him as another CB option, Reds?
As for the one-time United assistant, he has recently been introduced to Stockport County FC supporters as the latest addition to the technical staff in an admittedly curious new position…
Emily Sergeant -
29th March 2021 
