The welcome news of a ceasefire in the Israeli-US war against Iran, for a two week period to open trade through the Persian Gulf while Iran’s regime reels from an onslaught that Donald Trump threatened would erase a civilization, suits one man – Vladimir Putin.
The rest of the world has been left reeling and impoverished by an illegal conflict.
America is weaker now than it has ever been and the ceasefire is a sign that Trump wants to get out of the Iran mess while that damage is “probable” and not certain.
Advertisement
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing indictments at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, has agreed to hold off on further bombing on Iran, for now.
From his perspective the war in Iran is not over. Israel’s far right government, which includes ministers who have made genocidal statements against the Palestinians of Gaza, wants to see the end of the Tehran regime and the rule of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
US President Donald Trump has agree a ceasefire after threatening the end of a civilization (PA Wire)
The IRGC has survived. The ayatollah’s remain in charge. And Iran’s insurgent-style “mosaic defence” system which delegates autonomy to low-level commanders, means its plans to survive political decapitation have worked.
But Israel and the US have certainly set back Iran’s missile programme. Its pre-war capacity revealed by attacks on Israel including with missiles delivering cluster bombs.
Netanyahu was able to convince Trump to join his war on Iran because, he claimed, that Tehran was weeks away from producing a nuclear weapon. That statement was a lie in February. Trump claimed that Iran’s nuclear capacity had been “obliterated” last summer. Still, it’s more obliterated now.
Advertisement
But Israel’s ultraviolet response to the October 7 atrocities committed by Hamas-led militants and others out of Gaza in 2023, with the killing of upwards of 70,000 people in the enclave and the total destruction of infrastructure for 2.2 million people there, shows that Israel believes it is safer to fight a forever war than seek peace.
So Israel has attacked Hezbollah, the vast Lebanese militia that is backed by Iran, in Lebanon. Hezbollah, the “Party of God” has no reason to exist in Lebanon except to fight Israel.
The Israel Defence Forces are forcing the population of southern Lebanon to flee their homes and are likely to return to a full time occupation of the south of the country. That will guarantee Hezbollah’s future raison d’etre.
Iran has a two week respite while negotiations take place (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Meanwhile Israel’s parliament has brought back the death penalty – for Palestinians who kill Jews. on the Israeli-occupied West Bank Palestinians are tried by Israeli military courts which have a conviction rate of about 99 per cent.
Which means that those accused of murder will almost certainly hang – a form of jurisprudence associated with despots not a country that pretends to be a democracy. (A democracy does not deny political rights or citizenship to five million people it has ruled for between 59 and 78 years based on their ethnicity).
Advertisement
America’s modern standing in the world reached it height in the single term administration of a Republican president, George HW Bush, Bush Senior.
He shepherded the world through the end of the Soviet Union, German reunification, the Start 1 nuclear treaty, built the coalition to kick Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait after the Iraqi dictator’s invasion, began the process that brought the North America Free Trade Area to the US and Mexico, disposed Manuel Noriega in Panama.
He also co-hosted, with Mikhail Gorbachov, the then Soviet leader, the Madrid Conference when he used US pressure to bring Arabs and Israelis to talks for the first time insisting that: “The time has come to put an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict”.
This led to the now dead peace Oslo process during which hope for a two-state solution for peaceful Israelis and Palestinians first bloomed then withered over decades.
Advertisement
Benjamin Netanyahu has stressed the ceasefire deal does not include Lebanon (Getty)
Above all he led a multinational United Nations sanctioned invasion of an entirely Muslim nation, Somalia, that put an end to the deliberate starvation of hundreds of thousands of people to death for profit by local warlords. It was a mission of noble intent that succeeded and which, by the way, the UK did not take part in on any level.
Since that Bush, the US reputation for trying to make the world a better more democratic place has declined through the Iraq war debacle and the Afghan fiasco but under Trump it has taken a cliff dive.
Trump has invaded Venezuela and has boasted he did so for profit. He has backed Netanyahu in Gaza and even endorsed proposal to forcible remove most of the population to third countries in an act that would be a crime against humanity.
On Iran he threatened that “A whole civilization will die tonight” and his “secretary of war” has issued orders that are outright incitements to war crimes.
“We will keep pressing we will keep pushing, keep advancing. No quarter, no mercy, for our enemies,” said Pete Hegseth as the Iranian campaign got underway.
Advertisement
Key to proving genocide is malice aforethought – a plan, not an outcome, is key to the charge. Trump and Hegseth demonstrated the intent to erase a civilization and order troops to violate the Laws of War (“no quarter” means take no prisoners nor any surrender). That means they’re open to charges of war crimes and worse.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued in the hours after the deal was announced (REUTERS)
All this is clear to America’s Nato allies who are now bracing for the time when Trump leaves the organization. Many may feel that their nations are far better off standing apart from the madness that has gripped the Oval Office.
America’s Gulf allies now see Washington as a liability. They’re under fire because they have enormous US military bases on their turf across the Persian, or Arabian, Gulf from Iran and whatever the outcome of the ceasefire they won’t be thanking Trump for starting a war in their manor.
Which leaves Russia. An initial oil price hike bonanza netted the Kremlin an extra $7-10 billion in revenues. By now that figure is likely to be around $15-25 billion by my calculations.
Putin sees the biggest threat to him to be Nato. His invasion of Ukraine backfired when Finland and Sweden joined the alliance.
Advertisement
Now he’s sitting in the Kremlin relishing the threats trump has made to invade Canada and Greenland (both part of Nato) and to quit the alliance because its members see no point to his war in Iran.
The ceasefire in Iran offers a respite, but not a cure for the end of reason.
The couple have been engaged since a trip to Sorrento in 2024
Emmerdale star Bradley Riches tied the knot with his now-husband Scott Johnston as the pair were flooded with love and support.
Advertisement
Bradley Riches made his Emmerdale debut last year as Lewis Barton, son of Emma Barton and newcomer Kev Townsend. During his time in the village, not only has he built up a relationship with older brother Ross Barton, but romance has blossomed between him and Vinny Dingle.
Away from the Dales, Bradley has been counting down the days until he can say “I do”. The actor got engaged to his partner Scott Johnston during a romantic getaway to Sorrento, Italy, in April 2024, which came shortly after Bradley’s stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
Bradley then shared at the end of last year that they’ll be getting married in April 2026 as he wrote on social media: “4 months until we say ‘I do’” back in December.
Advertisement
As 2025 came to a close, Bradley shared the video of his proposal once more and added: “2020 was my favourite yet but… 2026 gonna be even better as I get to marry my best friend”.
On Thursday (April 9), Bradley took to his Instagram with a gorgeous photo of himself and now-husband Scott sharing a kiss on their wedding day.
He gushed: “Mr & Mr Johnston-Riches (white heart emoji) 08.04.26”. His comments were filled with congratulations, as his co-stars sent him love and support.
Katie Hill penned: “Omg can’t cope love you guys congratulations” and Lisa Riley added: “We love you so so so so much…can’t wait to celebrate when we are home CONGRATULATIONS you belters”.
Advertisement
With his day filled with love and support, just a few days before his wedding Bradley shared the sad news that his Nan had passed away.
Sharing a snap of younger him and his Nan, he wrote: “Never did I think I would be saying goodbye to my Nan just days before my wedding Before my nan passed, she told me she’d be with me on my big day… and I know she will be.
“She loved Scott so much- never questioned us, just loved us fully. I will miss you every day. See ya later love you xxx”.
Advertisement
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
The motorcyclist, a 53-year-old man from March, died at the scene. He has been named as Napoleon Georgoulias.
Napoleon’s family said: “Napoleon Georgoulias, affectionately known as Naps to his friends and family, sadly passed away following a road traffic collision on Tuesday, March 31.
“He was a deeply loved son, brother, uncle, partner and a loving father to two wonderful children. Naps had a personality that was truly unforgettable. Once you met him, you never forgot him. His larger than life character and his warm spirit touched everyone that knew him.
“His passing has left an immeasurable void in the lives of his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be forever missed and always loved.”
Advertisement
The driver of the tractor involved in the crash, a 16-year-old boy from Haddenham, was interviewed at the scene of the crash and is helping officers with enquiries. Debris from the crash struck another car, which was a Volkswagen Polo. The driver was uninjured.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “An investigation has been launched and officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed either the motorbike or tractor before the collision, those with relevant dash cam footage, or with any information about the collision.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101 and quote Operation Juniper or incident 485 of March 31.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is tasking the member of his inner circle who has seemed to be the most reluctant defender of the conflict with Iran to now find a resolution to the war that began six weeks ago and stave off the U.S. president’s astonishing threat to wipe out its “whole civilization.”
Vice President JD Vance, who has long been skeptical of foreign military interventions and outspoken about the prospect of sending troops into open-ended conflicts, sets off Friday to lead mediated talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
It comes as a tenuous, temporary ceasefire appears to be on the precipice of collapsing. The chasm between Iran’s public demands and those from the U.S. and its partner Israel seem irreconcilable. And in the U.S., where Vance might ask voters in two years’ time to make him the next president, there is growing political and economic pressure to wrap it up.
Vance is joined by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who took part in three rounds of indirect talks with Iranian negotiators aimed at settling U.S. concerns about Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic weapons programs and its support for armed proxy groups in the Middle East before Trump and Israel launched the Feb. 28 war against Iran.
Advertisement
The White House has provided scant detail about the format of the talks — whether they will be direct or indirect — and has not provided specific expectations for the meeting.
But the arrival of Vance for negotiations marks a rare moment of high-level U.S. government engagement with the Iranian government. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the most direct contact had been when President Barack Obama in September 2013 called newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
The two sides face a steep climb in making headway
Almost immediately after the White House and Iran announced a temporary ceasefire Tuesday evening, the sides found themselves at odds over terms of the truce.
Iran insisted that an end to the Israeli war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said the truce did not cover Lebanon and the Israeli operations there continued.
Advertisement
The U.S., meanwhile, demanded that Iran make good on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic had closed the critical shipping waterway in response to Israel’s intensifying attacks against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
Trump on Thursday night said Iran was “doing a very poor job” of allowing oil tankers to pass through, writing on social media, “That is not the agreement we have!”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Vance, Witkoff, Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “have always been collaborating on these discussions” and said Trump was optimistic that a lasting deal can be reached during the two-week ceasefire. “President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United States and the American people, and he will only accept one that puts America first,” Kelly said.
Advertisement
Sign up for Morning Wire:
Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.
Advertisement
High stakes for peace — and for politics
It’s the highest-stakes moment thus far for Vance, who spent much of last year as more of a background player in the Trump White House, especially as others like Elon Musk and Rubio took turns as ever-present advisers for the president.
But Vance’s portfolio is fattening fast, first with a mission to root out fraud in government programs at home and now to help solve a U.S. war in the Middle East, where complicated doesn’t even begin to describe things.
Vance, who served in the Iraq War while in the Marines, spent two years as a U.S. senator and a little more than one as vice president, has little diplomatic experience.
Advertisement
On Wednesday, he dismissed speculation that the Iranians requested that he join the talks, telling reporters: “I don’t know that. I would be surprised if that was true. But, you know, I wanted to be involved because I thought I could make a difference.”
Jonathan Schanzer, a former Treasury Department official who is now executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank, said Vance, with little experience on Iran policy, is an interesting choice to lead the delegation.
Trump has noted his vice president was “less enthusiastic” than other top senior officials in the Republican administration, making Vance an intriguing interlocutor for the Iranian side, Schanzer said.
“I think they probably prefer him knowing that his perspective on foreign intervention is one of skepticism,” Schanzer said of the Iranians. “I do think that he’s going to need some help. I don’t think he’s ever been engaged in negotiations with this kind of weight, this kind of seriousness. This is as serious as it gets.”
Advertisement
The White House has not detailed who will be in the negotiations besides Vance, Witkoff and Kushner, but Kelly said officials from the National Security Council, State Department and Pentagon “will also play a supportive role.”
During early rounds of indirect nuclear talks with the Iranians before the war, Democrats and some nuclear experts questioned whether Kushner and Witkoff had enough technical knowledge. The White House has not said whether the pair, whom Trump has entrusted with some of his most difficult negotiations since returning to office, had a nuclear expert with them for those talks.
Negotiating peace is a tall order for any vice president
It’s not unusual for vice presidents to take on important negotiating roles for the president, said Joel Goldstein, a professor of law at Saint Louis University who is an expert on the history of the vice presidency.
But, he said, “I don’t recall a situation where a vice president has been sent to negotiate a ceasefire or peace in connection with a war the United States was involved with.”
Advertisement
Vance and Rubio are seen as the Republican Party’s strongest potential 2028 presidential contenders, though neither has given a clear answer about whether he intends to run.
The vice president’s team is not thinking about the negotiations with an eye to future political considerations, according to a person familiar with discussions who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
As vice president, Vance inherently would carry any baggage of the administration if he eventually does run for president, Goldstein said. But stepping in to lead negotiations even further identifies him with the conflict.
“The fact that he’s involved in the negotiations in a very visible way, that means that, if things go south, that people will be pointing fingers at him,” Goldstein said.
Advertisement
At the same time, Goldstein said, “If things go well, then it will be something that he could point to.”
A person was struck by a train earlier this morning causing a shutdown of some of the country’s major lines.
09:45, 10 Apr 2026Updated 09:52, 10 Apr 2026
All ScotRail services have been cancelled on the Aberdeen to Inverness line after a personal was reportedly hit by a train.
The incident happened between Elgin and Nairn and was shared on the transport body’s social media at around 7.45am on Friday, April 10.
It is understood emergency services, including Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service, rushed to the scene and remain on site.
Advertisement
The incident means all services between the Highland capital and the Granite City have been axed, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 10am this morning with ScotRail saying they are working closely with crews during this time.
The ScotRail JourneyCheck website confirmed: “Due to a person being hit by a train between Nairn and Elgin, the line is closed. Disruption is expected until 10am. Train services between Aberdeen and Inverness will be cancelled, delayed or revised.”
A ScotRail spokesman added: “Due to the emergency services responding to an incident between Nairn and Elgin, the line is closed.”
Advertisement
The three services that are cancelled so far are the 09:46 Inverness to Elgin, the 10.51 Elgin to Inverness, and the 11:11 Aberdeen to Inverurie.
In the meantime, ScotRail has arranged for passengers’ rail tickets to be accepted on local bus routes at no extra cost with Stagecoach North. Travellers should be aware that Insch is not covered by local bus agreements.
The alternative buses in place are as follows:
1 x bus at Forres ETA 09:30/09:45 – D&E all stops to Aberdeen
1 x bus at Elgin ETA 10:00/10:15 – D&E all stops to Inverness
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 07:36 to attend an incident near Brodie. We dispatched one ambulance to the scene.”
British Transport Police has been contacted for comment.
Advertisement
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.
Carl Webster’s days of causing chaos on Coronation Street may be numbered as Jonathan Howard, drops a huge hint about leaving the soap after being accused of ‘spoiling’ their upcoming murder mystery.
The actor, who has played the conniving Corrie baddie since last Spring 2025, has teased that he is filming his final scenes.
He took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal that he is wrapping up filming on the Cobbles before jetting off to America.
The photo featured a beaming Jonathan with a film crew in the background, including the caption ‘Last few days on #Corrie before flying back to the States’
Jonathan seemed to suggest that he was exiting Corrie. (Picture: Instagram)
The caption read “Sun finally came out to say hello on the cobbles today…”
While the pic might have seemed innocent enough, fans soon put two and two together in the comments and wondered that if Carl Webster is one of the potential murder victims, why is Jonathan still filming?
Advertisement
One fan joked: “Well, I’m guessing Carl doesn’t die!! Spoiler alert lol.”
“Either he doesn’t die or he does but is throwing us off the scent,” said another.
Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source
As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.
Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.
Now you can ensure you never miss a story from the Soaps team
Jonathan replied: “Maybe some goodbye photos.”
Carl is not exactly Mister Popular in Weatherfield. (Picture: ITV)
Since arriving in Weatherfield last year, Carl has quickly become one of the soap’s most insidious love-to-hate villains.
Greatest hits include seducing his brother Kevin’s wife Abi Webster (Sally Carman-Duttine) only to do the dirty on her with James Bailey(Jason Callender), putting Tyrone Dobbs in a wheelchair with a reckless hit-and-run, and worst of all, causing the Corriedale crash which killed Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) then gaslighting Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) into taking the blame.
Advertisement
With a list of enemies longer than your arm, Carl may seem like a prime target for murder. Would anyone miss him if he was bumped off? Despite his many evil deeds, Coronation Street bosses have attempted to explain Carl’s behaviour and even redeem him by his relationship with Debbie – the woman he thought was his sister, who was later revealed to be his mum.
Carl and Debbie have a complicated mother/son relationship. (Picture: ITV)
Even though he takes advantage of her and uses her like a human piggy bank, Carl genuinely cares for Debbie and recent episodes have seen the two grow closer after she was released from prison.
If actor Jonathan Howard is trading Weatherfield for the US of A, it wouldn’t be the first time the actor has jetted across the pond in search of stardom.
Before coming to Corrie, Jonathan starred in Hollywood shows for a decade. In the drama series Kingdom, Jonathan played Nick Jonas’ love interest – and they had a steamy snog. He also featured in the SyFy drama Dominion played a soldier fighting against an army of angels.
Is Hollywood calling Jonathan once more? Is it curtains for Carl?
Anthony Bucknell, 35, attacked the woman at his home in Brown Street, Shotts, on Christmas Day last year.
A serial domestic abuser has been jailed for two years for another assault on his partner.
Advertisement
Anthony Bucknell attacked the woman at his home in Brown Street, Shotts, on Christmas Day last year.
Bucknell, 35, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted the assault as well as breaching bail conditions by being in the female’s company that day.
He had been bailed at the same court in August and warned to stay away from her.
The court heard the woman phoned the police shortly after 10pm on December 25 to say Bucknell had assaulted her.
Advertisement
When police officers went to the house they saw “significant” swelling to the side of her face.
She said Bucknell had punched her twice but she refused to go to hospital.
Beyond Paradise star Kris Marshall has opened up about being fired from Iceland and working odd jobs in a toothpaste factory before finding fame
Abbie Bray Deputy Editor for Screen Time
09:37, 10 Apr 2026
Beyond Paradise actor Kris Marshall has revealed details about being dismissed from employment before achieving fame as a performer. Despite also not passing his school examinations, the Humphrey Goodman star has featured in My Family, Love Actually, and Death in Paradise.
During an interview from the previous year, Kris discussed his journey to stardom and how the path wasn’t always straightforward. Following his expulsion from school, Kris explained he faced two choices: either to resit the examinations or to pursue acting as a career.
Advertisement
Kris, who presently portrays Detective Humphrey Goodman in Beyond Paradise, previously told the Guardian, “The only problem was, I had no idea how to get into the industry. Instead, I worked the odd, crazy job to make ends meet – doing shifts in a toothpaste factory or in the laundry of an abattoir.
“That one was pretty grim – the smell will never leave me. I was once fired from Iceland for wearing blue sunglasses on the till, and for a while, I knocked on the doors of people who hadn’t paid their TV licences.”
The Love Actually performer seemed to secure his breakthrough while working in a pub after an encounter with someone in the television industry, reports the Express.
“I went from hiding under my bed from the landlord because I couldn’t pay my rent, to flying over to the Toronto film festival to promote my first lead role in a film 18 months later,” he continued.
Kris began to gain recognition after securing roles in Love Actually and the comedy series My Family. He is also renowned for his portrayal of Humphrey Goodman in both Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise.
He shared, “I would get recognised daily. Since then, it hasn’t stopped, but I don’t mind – it’s a small price to pay for what is a wonderful job.”
Advertisement
However, Kris has faced other setbacks in his career, such as when Sanditon was cancelled before eventually being revived.
Sanditon, based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, returned for a second series in July 2022 after being dropped following its failure to engage viewers.
“It is the first show I’ve been on that has been cancelled and then reinstated,” Kris revealed in a previous conversation with Radio Times.
Advertisement
“The fans did that after it took off in America, organising an incredible campaign to bring the show back.”
Bernie Winter thinks her troubles are over (Picture: ITV)
The following article contains spoilers from the episode of Coronation Street dated April 10. It hasn’t aired on ITV1 yet, but can be viewed on ITVX and YouTube.
Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) believes her nightmare with Mal Roper (Tim Treloar) is over in Coronation Street – but it’s really only just beginning.
Bernie met Mal at a hotel earlier this year. At the time, she was grieving for Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank), who died during Corriedale. She got drunk with Mal and took drugs, but nothing sexual happened between them.
Despite this, Mal convinced himself that he had a romantic connection with Bernie, and did not leave her alone.
Advertisement
Mal believed that he was destined to be with Bernie (Picture: ITV)
He secured some electrician work at Roy Cropper’s (David Neilson) café to remain close to Bernie, and proceeded to make comments about how they’re meant to be together.
This week, Bernie was surprised to learn from Roy that Mal had left Manchester for Inverness. She also discovered that Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown) had been putting a great deal of effort into leaving bad reviews on Mal’s website.
What else has Mal got planned? (Picture: ITV)
Bernie and Jodie aren’t exactly mates, but she was willing to ignore the somewhat bizarre move from her due to the fact it really did seem like ‘headcase’ Mal had gone.
That afternoon though, Bernie waved Roy and Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher) off on their trip, and failed to spot Mal watching her from a distance.
Bernie told Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) earlier in the episode that she hopes Mal doesn’t think she left the bad reviews on his website – but maybe this was Jodie’s plan all along?
Advertisement
Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source
As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.
Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.
Now you can ensure you never miss a story from the Soaps team
Advertisement
Let’s not forget Jodie broke into Bernie and Dev Alahan’s (Jimmi Harkishin) house and cut Bernie’s face out of their wedding photos just to cause more drama with Mal.
The Bulls Disabled Sports Club, which has been running since 1982, has launched an ambitious new sponsorship campaign aimed at rebuilding the club after years of financial challenges.
The charity, based in Bolton, brings together disabled and non-disabled players and has seen athletes go on to represent Great Britain internationally.
DSC Bulls in action (Image: Hannah Tyler)
However, rising costs forced the club out of the National League seven years ago, while a lack of funding has also left it unable to replace vital equipment such as specialist basketball wheelchairs, which can cost more than £5,000 each.
Now, the club is hoping to turn things around with its new “Join the Herd” initiative.
Advertisement
The campaign is inviting 50 local businesses to sponsor them (Image: Hannah Tyler)
The campaign is inviting 50 local businesses to sponsor the team, with each company receiving branding on match-day kits as part of a wider business network.
Sponsorship packages start from £250 and include advertising opportunities, networking events and corporate experiences, with higher tiers offering additional benefits such as wheelchair basketball sessions and professional photoshoots.
John Caunce, chairperson of The Bulls Disabled Sports Club, said the scheme is about building partnerships rather than simply seeking donations.
He said: “We’re not asking for charity, we’re offering a genuine business partnership.
Advertisement
“Every sponsor joins a network of 50 local businesses, gets their name on the kit, and becomes part of something that’s been part of Greater Manchester for over forty years.
“Now we’re ready to grow again.”
The club has already taken steps towards that growth, recently launching its first-ever women’s team, which competed in the UK Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Cup in 2026.
(Image: Hannah Tyler)
Over the next three years, The Bulls hopes to establish a women’s side in the national league, develop a junior pathway, and return its senior team to the British Wheelchair Basketball National League.
Advertisement
Businesses interested in supporting the club can find out more at thebulls.org.uk.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login