If you walk along Warwick Road onto Sir Matt Busby Way, the white cantilever trusses from Old Trafford poke into the skyline.
It’s the first hint of what lies ahead. The Trafford pub sits to the right, with the famous chippy owned by Lou Macari on the left.
There is often a whiff from a burger van drifting through the air, while merchandise sellers flog scarves, and dedicated supporters sell fanzines.
There is magic along Sir Matt Busby Way as Old Trafford draws closer, though the stadium’s scale only becomes apparent as fans walk onto the forecourt, where the United Trinity statue stands.
The statues of George Best, Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton look toward the venue where they rose to legendary status. It’s that history and tradition which means some Manchester United fans do not want to move to a new stadium.
“If it were up to me, we’d just stay where we are and just spend a bit of money doing it up, sort of thing,” Ed Ferguson, a season ticket holder in the Stretford End, told the Manchester Evening News.
“The impact on ticket prices is probably the biggest factor for me. We’ve seen examples before with, you know, Arsenal and other clubs where they’ve built a fancy new stadium and the ticket prices have exploded.
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“There’s no reason to believe that wouldn’t be the same with United. Once we’ve moved, how much is it going to cost? That’s going to influence whether I renew it in the future. There is probably a limit for me.
“It also ties into the matchday experience as well. Walking down Warwick Road, you’ve got the big stadium on the left. Just that walk and that view. You know, you’ve got all the chippies that have been there forever.
“It’s just going to be a completely different matchday experience. History is a big part of it. I don’t trust the club knows how to translate that into a new stadium. I just don’t think they understand that part of it.”
The MEN contacted United supporters for their views following the club’s announcement of the acquisition of a 25-acre plot of land located approximately 350 metres north-west of Old Trafford
United now own the majority of land required to build a 100,000-seater and can push ahead with their plans, which is good news for fans who believe the move is the right decision, and an exciting opportunity for the club.
“I’m fully for it as long as it is done with the right input from fans, and things like fan culture, atmosphere, and affordability are sort of key to the project,” Andrew Kilduff, co-founder of Stretford End Flags, said.
“I think most people’s big concern is, can they afford to go? That isn’t just an issue for a new build stadium, it’s an issue for football going forward, you know, affordability. But you’re hoping that, with an extra 25,000 seats and what a new stadium is going to bring, there’s an affordability aspect in there.
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“I hope they can keep the ticket prices down, particularly in the areas behind the goal, the areas where you want the atmosphere, so they’re affordable for kids. It will be tough to fill 100,000 against Burton in the League Cup on a Tuesday night, so pricing has to be right.
“I joked about maybe the Rovers (Coronation Street’s famous pub from the soap filmed in Media City) being the nearest pub to where the new stadium would be. We could end up with a stadium that could be on Salford Quays itself, depending on what other land they build on.
“I think from a sort of iconic point of view, having the ship canal on one side and the Bridgewater Canal on the other, gives you something a little bit different and something you can work with.
“Somebody said (Sir Jim) Ratcliffe likes the idea of it being visible on the waterfront. You could have your hotels opening and restaurants opening up onto the water as well.”
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John Baron, who has been going to Old Trafford since 1984, is another fan who is in favour of moving stadium, but also fears he will be priced out of going to games. “When I went to my first game, programmes were like 30p, and it cost a couple of quid to get in,” he said.
“I’m not expecting that, but I am concerned about being priced out. Otherwise, I’m broadly in favour of the new stadium. I think the club needs it to grow, it needs it to replace what sadly has become a very ageing and out-of-date structure with Old Trafford.
“I had a season ticket for about 20 years. I come across with the Leeds-Bradford branch of the Man United Supporters Club, and in the last few seasons, I’ve only been able to get across maybe half a dozen times a season.
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“I must admit, I have taken to going with my son to watch non-league football here in Leeds. And the reasons why I’ve done that are because we’ve priced out in terms of going regularly now, as it is at £66 a game.”
Baron added: “The position of the ground doesn’t really come into my thinking. It’s going to be five minutes away from where it is. If it were five miles away, I’d be concerned, but the small walk doesn’t really bother me.
“It’s a relief [United securing land] to be honest with you because when you don’t hear about anything happening for so long, you start to worry that maybe nothing’s going to happen.
“I’m looking forward to them making some progress and actually creating a world-class stadium. The idea of having a canopy above it, and kind of covering, you know, the outside of the ground, I thought it was actually quite a neat idea.
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“I’m hoping that the concept art didn’t really do it justice. I think the reality of it could be quite impactful. I like the idea of essentially having a United District where you’ve got all your museums, shops, cafes, and other buildings and facilities around the site. I’m genuinely excited to see that.”
The proposed canopy would be visible from the outskirts of Liverpool. The three rods are intended to symbolise the trident from United’s crest, and lead architect Norman Foster said it was a nod to the club’s industrial history.
The canopy design split opinion, but Kilduff of Stretford End Flags believes it could look impressive. “I go to the Middle East quite a bit, and I stay at the racetrack at Abu Dhabi in the hotel there, and it’s done almost the same,” he said.
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“It looks really good. It can glow up and there are messages that can be LED, but trying to get that as a visual is very hard to do, and I think maybe the height of what they’ve put these sorts of three-structure pillars in makes it look a little bit more circus-like than what they would hope.
“I think the overall concept of it, where you’ve got an area around the stadium where it’s going to be undercover, is good. It would give somewhere dry to stand around, have a pint and have some entertainment.”
Kam Hosseini, a season ticket holder who also attends away games, feels conflicted about the move. “I started off very much against it, then as time has gone on, I’ve warmed to it a little bit, just because of the information I’ve heard about it, like more revenue for the club,” he said.
“I adore Old Trafford, I would love to stay there if possible, but there comes a point where some things you have to let go of. If it were down to me, I would love to stay at Old Trafford, but I’ve come around to the fact that is not going to happen, and I accepted that in my head.
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“It would be silly not to think that it’s going to hit supporters’ pockets in some way. I think that’s inevitable. It would be good if they were clear about how it will affect supporters.
“Communication is key. The one thing I will give to Ineos and the new regime is that communication has been a lot better. It’s not been perfect, but it’s been way better than what we’ve been used to.
“They’ve got to get this right. With the new site they’ve acquired, they somehow must incorporate bits around Old Trafford into it, places like Busby Way. I don’t know how it will be done, but I feel like they’ve got to, they’ve got to keep that link. For me, that’s imperative.
“They must keep the original fan culture and the places that people go. Whilst obviously there’s going to be new aspects to it, I feel like they’ve got to try and incorporate that. How they do it, I don’t know, but I think that’s key when it comes to new stadiums.”
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Alexander Donics is a United fan who is a native New Yorker. He has followed the club since 1998. “There weren’t too many teams that were actually being broadcast on TV from the Premier League back then,” he said.
“Due to United’s string of success, they were one of the teams that were frequently on TV, and that’s how I started to follow United. And it’s just been a team that I’ve followed since then, through all the ups and downs.
“I probably spend too much time thinking about it, to be honest, but that’s why I want to have this conversation with you, because I am a passionate supporter. When I was last there, it was for the Arsenal match at Old Trafford with Erik ten Hag in charge. I was having conversations with other supporters, many of who were lifelong season ticket holders, and I would say the majority of those fans said ‘it’s time to change this’ because there’s no denying that the stadium is in poor shape.
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“It’s also tough to compete as a business with that stadium, so that’s kind of the rational side of the argument, but I’m legitimately torn on the move.”
Donics is a lifelong New York Yankees fan, and the baseball team moved to a new stadium in 2009. “I can tell you that the new stadium, as amazing as it is, lacks that sense of nostalgia and that sense of history that the old stadium had,” he said.
“I suspect that the same will be true when United move. There’s so much history in that stadium that even if it was replaced with a world-class stadium, which I’m sure they’ll be able to do, something will be missing.
“Once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. So it really is something that, as a fan, I’m on the fence about. If you’ve seen the team succeed on the pitch or on the field, those memories can’t be replaced.
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“I spent a lot of time growing up going to Yankee Stadium and, you know, I’ll never get that back, right? The new stadium, as much as I like it, don’t get me wrong it’s a great stadium, it’s just that chapter of my kind of sports affinity has been closed.
“The team tried to do a good job at replicating the look and feel of old Yankee Stadium. There are certainly some design elements they tried to honour. And that’s great, but it still feels a little bit cold.”
Donics added: “The biggest risk that I see is that United prioritise the development of the stadium over the next five to eight years, and don’t reinvest in the team. As fans, we want to see United win the Premier League and compete for the Champions League.
“It feels like the club is making the stadium the priority. I think we can all get on board with the business rationale for it, but until we start to see the results on the pitch and an ownership team that, you know, is reinvesting in the squad, moving stadium will feel like a pure money grab.”
Magnolia coach LA Tenorio reacts during a game against Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Governors’ Cup.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Containing Barangay Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos was a big part of Magnolia’s defensive game plan on Sunday night.
And while limiting the production of a crafty and explosive scorer is a difficult task for other teams, the Hotshots made it look easy thanks to their head coach’s familiarity with Abarrientos.
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“If there was anyone who knew RJ best on that court earlier, it was me,” said LA Tenorio, who was a former teammate of Abarrientos at Ginebra before being appointed as Magnolia mentor.
Barangay Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos shoots during a game against Magnolia.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“RJ is a superstar, we can’t just play him straight or normal. We treated him like an import. I have so much respect for RJ. I know him. That was our plan.”
Tenorio played 13 seasons with the Gin Kings, helping the club win seven championships. His final season with Ginebra was also Abarrientos’ first, and the battle-tested veteran made sure to take the promising rookie under his wing during that time.
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Sticking to their defensive strategy from the opening tip to the final buzzer, the Hotshots not only held Abarrientos to six points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field, they also made it tough for Gin Kings import Riley Grigsby.
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Grigsby also struggled with 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting from the field in close to 46 minutes of action.
“I have to go back to the whole team. We were very disciplined with our game plan,” lauded Tenorio.
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Former Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho pulled no punches at former club Chelsea after leaving the club for Aston Villa
16:59, 02 Aug 2026Updated 17:01, 02 Aug 2026
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Former Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has taken aim at Chelsea after leaving for Aston Villa. The Argentinian fired a dig at his former employers, claiming that he was ‘enjoying football again’ after making his first appearance since joining the Europa League holders on loan.
Garnacho’s time at Stamford Bridge came to an abrupt end after new manager Xabi Alonso deemed the winger as surplus to requirements. As a result, the 22-year-old joined forces with Unai Emery on a temporary deal with a conditional obligation to buy.
The forward saw his time at Old Trafford end on a sour note after his initial move to Stamford Bridge didn’t materialise in January 2025. Garnacho fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim and was exiled from the squad for the win over Manchester City, while the Europa League final starting line-up omission sparked an outburst post-match.
After leaving one club unceremoniously, Garnacho appears to have left another negatively. Taking to social media after their 3-1 win over Indonesia All Stars, Garnacho said: “First start after three months.
“Happy to be enjoying football again. One percent every day. Thanks Indonesia.”
United will be watching on with intent as Garnacho prepares for his first season in the West Midlands.
Michael Carrick’s side would be due 10 per cent of any future transfer fee for the 22-year-old and if the buyout clause is triggered, Villa will be forced to pay £43million for his services.
Garnacho endured a difficult debut season in the capital, in what was a turbulent spell for the Londoners that saw a turnover of managers.
Enzo Maresca had set his sights on signing the United man but left the club in January after 18 months in charge. Liam Rosenior was then installed as his successor, but his tenure was short-lived as he was axed after just 106 days at the club.
Alonso was made permanent manager this summer after Calum McFarlane took the reins on a temporary basis. But in the Spaniards’ first act in charge at Stamford Bridge, he bombed out the Argentine.
Emery will be tasked with getting Garnacho’s career on track after hardship with both United and Chelsea. The Europa League-winning tactician said “We are delighted with Alejandro. He is so talented, young and he showed us his wish to help our project. We are really happy.”
Countdown to Kickoff: The Ultimate 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle
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Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season with more than 1,400 live games across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.
Every subscription now comes with 135 channels alongside free subscriptions to HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu.
Perhaps the defining component of J.J. McCarthy‘s NFL career has been injury. That central facet of his pro career has contributed to a pile of issues, inconsistent play foremost among them.
Is that going to change? The Vikings certainly hope so.
Sometimes, the focus within the conversation surrounding McCarthy has been reasonably general in its assessment of the kid’s health problems. He’s just injury prone. Taking a step back to get a tiny bit more specific can be helpful. Scroll down to see a goofy visual to offer a reminder of what he hurt, where he got hurt, and the time missed.
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The J.J. McCarthy Injuries Across 2024 & 2025
Get right into it. The visual made by yours truly:
Allow me to begin by talking directly to all medical doctors, those with computer skills, and none other than J.J. McCarthy: I send an apology for this visual. The point above is to function as a reminder of what his injuries have been alongside the time missed.
In particular, that right side has been a problem. Nobody wants any other injuries to arise for the Michigan man. If they do, the first question will be if it’s along the right side of his body.
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Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) talks with a referee before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
A sneaky detail to remember is that he has had the first normal offseason for the first time in a couple years.
Turning the clock back to 2024 would mean recognizing that he was preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft. The Combine isn’t totally detached from real football but it’s not the same. Worse, he had the knee injury after impressing in his debut NFL preseason game.
Last year, McCarthy was coming off that injury. He was also being tasked with fixing his wonky mechanics. And then Week 2 arrived. He missed practice time due to the birth of his child — reasonable — and then got walloped in that Falcons game. His ankle sprain led to missing five games afterwards.
His two full seasons in the NFL should have involved thirty-four games. He has played in just ten, missing time within some of those ten games.
Chelsea have completed the signing of Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco on a seven-year deal.
The 21-year-old becomes Chelsea‘s sixth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra.
The midfielder will join the remainder of Chelsea‘s pre-season tour, with the Blues set to face Italian side Juventus in Hong Kong on 5 August.
Lonnie Andrews III was gearing up to push for his third straight championship at the helm of Oscar Smith High School (Chesapeake, VA). Now, the Tigers will have to play without the three-star quarterback, as the Virginian-Pilot reported that Andrews will miss his entire senior season due to an injury.
Over the last two years, Oscar Smith has gone a combined 30-1 behind Andrews. As a sophomore, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 17-0 season, and last year, they repeated as champions as Andrews threw for about 3,300 yards and 43 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, according to the Virginian-Pilot. As a dual-threat quarterback, he also rushed for over 550 yards, he posted to social media platform X.
With a number of graduations, the injury to Andrews, and the transfer of three-star defensive lineman Lincoln Halliday to IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL), assistant coach Jahvoni Simmons told the Virginian-Pilot that the team is going “back to the drawing board.”
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“It’s put us back at the rebuilding stage. But the goal is still going to be the goal, regardless,” he said to the outlet. “I believe in my guys and I believe in our coaches. It’s going to be a journey ahead of us. We might take some lumps here and there, but the goal is still the same.”
The injury was not disclosed to the Virginian-Pilot.
Andrews, a Virginia commit, is ranked the No. 19 player in Virginia and No. 48 quarterback in the class of 2027, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is listed at 6-foot tall and 180 pounds. He’ll graduate as a highly accomplished high school quarterback, going the last two seasons with just one loss.
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In his place at quarterback is expected to be incoming freshman Justice Culler, who Simmons said has “a big arm and has some speed.”
Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia (29) swings for the ball during an NCAA Baseball Regional game between Southern Miss and Virginia at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
AJ Gracia, the Atlanta Braves’ top pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, underwent labrum surgery and will miss seven to 10 months, The Athletic reported Sunday.
An outfielder, he was the No. 9 overall pick of the draft out of college at Virginia. The 21-year signed with the Braves for just under $4 million, well below the slot value of nearly $6.7 million.
Gracia hit .354 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs in his only season with the Cavaliers. He is known for his exceptional eye at the plate.
In 176 college games split between Duke (2024-25) and Virginia (2026), he walked 152 times compared to 129 strikeouts.
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Per The Athletic, the surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
The Braves have not announced the procedure yet.
A left-handed hitter, Gracia has compared his playing style to Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees.
Jockey Tim Clark celebrated his birthday with a memorable performance at Rosehill, clinching a riding treble and taking an early lead in the Sydney jockeys’ premiership.
His earlier wins aboard Funshow and Steel Strike preceded a polished ride on Carbonados to secure victory in the NSW Jockeys Association Handicap (1300m).
Clark had to exercise patience, finding himself momentarily held up behind the leaders before seizing an opportunity in the straight.
“Carbonados travelled up well,” Clark said. “But then coming into the straight I had to figure out how well the horse (Gatsby’s) was going outside the leader. It looked like the leader was going better so I was happy to stay where I was. I had the horse to make a run when the slightest of gaps appeared and he was able to push his way through and won well.”
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The $15 outsider then burst through to win by 1¼ lengths from the fast-finishing Althoff ($9.50), with the favourite Fire Star ($4.60) taking third.
This win marked a significant turnaround for Carbonados, who had struggled in his previous three starts, finishing poorly.
“Carbonados has been a little hit and miss and hard to catch but the switching of states, changing things up for him worked well,” Clark added.
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Carbonados, from the Flemington stable, now has seven wins from 22 starts, with career earnings nearing $400,000.
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The Lindsay Park stable also had a successful raid on Rosehill, with Run Harry Run contributing to their stable’s double for the day.
These results place Team Hayes in a tie for the lead in the early Sydney trainers’ premiership, alongside Richard and Will Freedman, whose runners Attractiveness and Horizons also saluted on the opening day of the new season.
Meanwhile, defending champion trainer Chris Waller endured a rare winless Saturday at his home track as he begins his quest for a 17th consecutive Sydney trainers’ premiership.
India’s athletics contingent delivered one of its finest-ever performances at the Commonwealth Games 2026, finishing with a record 16 medals to spearhead the country’s memorable campaign in Glasgow.
After collecting eight medals at the Birmingham 2022 Games, India doubled its athletics tally to 16 medals, marking a remarkable 100 per cent improvement. The haul included 10 medals in athletics and six medals in para athletics, highlighting the growing strength and depth of Indian track and field across both disciplines.
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Gulveer Singh headlines historic campaign
The standout performer of India’s athletics team was undoubtedly Gulveer Singh.
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The distance runner etched his name into the record books by becoming the first Indian man to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the men’s 10,000m, where he claimed silver.
He followed it up with bronze in the men’s 5,000m, becoming the first Indian athlete to win two track medals at the same edition of the Commonwealth Games.
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His double podium finish was among the defining moments of India’s Glasgow campaign and firmly established him as the country’s leading distance runner.
Para athletics delivers breakthrough performances
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India’s para athletes also enjoyed their most successful Commonwealth Games in recent memory.
Sharmila became the first Indian para athlete to win Commonwealth Games gold in the women’s F57 Shot Put, creating history with a sensational performance.
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India also secured a memorable double podium in the event as Shilpa Shyla added the bronze medal.
The success continued in the men’s F57 Shot Put, where Soman Rana clinched gold while Shubham Juyal took silver, giving India another one-two finish.
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The six para athletics medals underlined India’s rapid rise in disability sport on the international stage.
Triple jump duo recreate Birmingham success
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India once again dominated the men’s triple jump.
Praveen Chithravel claimed the silver medal while Selva Prabhu Thirumaran secured bronze, recreating India’s double podium finish from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
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Their performances reaffirmed India’s growing consistency in the horizontal jumps.
Athletics becomes India’s biggest success story
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The athletics team’s performances reflected years of steady progress.
While India has traditionally relied on sports such as wrestling, weightlifting and boxing at multi-sport events, Glasgow 2026 showcased the country’s emergence as a genuine athletics force.
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From Gulveer Singh’s historic double to multiple podium finishes in field events and the outstanding contribution from para athletes, athletics proved to be one of India’s defining sports at the Games.
India’s athletics medal winners – Commonwealth Games 2026
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