In a win that goes far beyond the 2023 Women's World Cup, Nike has finally agreed to sell Mary Earps' Lionesses shirt and a few other selectedwomen's goalkeeper kits following massive backlash all across the sport.
The Lionesses and Manchester United Women's keeper has been leading the charge in demanding Nike reverse their decision not to sell female goalkeeper kits for this year's tournament and after weeks of uproar from the general public, the sports brand has finally buckled.
Following Earps' iconic penalty save moment in the World Cup final against Spain, the public outcry for the company to produce replicas of her England shirt grew even louder, with more than 150,000 people signing a petition to sell the kit.
As a result, the petition was officially submitted to UK Parliament and Nike has now confirmed they will finally manufacture and sell Mary Earps' Lionesses shirts. Hallelujah!
Issuing a statement to The New York Times on Wednesday night, 23 August, a spokesperson said: "Nike has secured limited quantities of goalkeeper jerseys for England, U.S., France and the Netherlands to be sold through the federation websites over the coming days, and we are also in conversations with our other federation partners".
As per The Manc, they went on to assure, "We've seen and share the unprecedented passion and interest in women’s football this year and remain committed to playing our part by offering the best products and services to athletes and fans.
"We invested more in this year’s WCthan any other global tournament to date... We recognize that during the tournament we didn’t serve those fans who wished to show their passion and support to the squad's goalkeepers. We are committed to retailing women’s goalkeeping jerseys for major tournaments in the future."
While the female keeper kits will only be available in "limited qualities" for the four nations, the U-turn is a watermark moment in the women's and serves as a brilliant moment in which the general public notched a huge win against a global corporation.
Speaking when the controversy first came into the public eye, the 30-year-old England women's keeper said, "I can’t really sugar-coat this in any way, so I am not going to try. It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful... What you’re saying is that goalkeeping isn’t important but you can be a striker if you want."
The support from her teammates, across the nation and throughout football in general has been nothing short of incredible and after she once again called out the giant sporting fashion franchise for what many labelled a bit of non-statement, it's clear that the fan pressure and public sentiment won out in the end.
A truly massive and well-deserved moment for Mary Earps and all her fellow women goalkeepers.
We knew she was going to win this one the second she saved that pen.
The world's biggest podcast festival, Crossed Wires, continues its magnificent rise in just its third year.
It's safe to say that the festival has had its landmark year, with this year's independent economic assessment confirming the 2026 festival generated £6.65 million in total economic impact.
After doubling footfall to a whopping 50,000 attendees in 2026, the festival has further cemented its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing cultural festivals.
Alongside its strong local community roots, it may come as a surprise that just over half (52%) of festivalgoers travelled from outside of South Yorkshire, with 40% outside the UK North and Midlands.
Image: Supplied
It's amazing news for the festival which launched just three years ago and has rapidly evolved from an ambitious start-up festival into a nationally significant event.
South Yorkshire's Mayor, Oliver Coppard said: "When we backed Crossed Wires in its early days, we knew South Yorkshire had the talent, creativity and ambition to make something truly special. What's happened since has been incredible.
"Tens of thousands of people have come to our region, filling venues, supporting local businesses and bringing millions of pounds into our economy. That's good news for Sheffield and for our communities right across South Yorkshire."
Images: Supplied
Co-Founder Dino Sofos, said: “We’re delighted to see Crossed Wires become one of South Yorkshire’s biggest cultural events in just three years. There’s a real buzz around the festival, and reaching 50,000 attendees while generating over £6million for the local economy this year shows the scale of what we’ve created - and its potential to grow even further."
We can't wait to see the future of Crossed Wires festival, and we're already looking forward to the next instalment taking place from 1 - 4 July 2027. We'll see you there.
Cult burger brand Burgerism opens takeaway outside of Manchester in a Leeds suburb
Clementine Hall
The North West’s most ordered burger has landed in Leeds, and it’s easy to see why it’s loved by so many.
If you don't know about Burgerism, then get to know.
The iconic burger brand, which started life as a dark kitchen off an industrial estate in Salford, is now almost ready to welcome fans into its first Leeds location.
Set to open tomorrow – Wednesday 23 September – Burgerism will be serving up their signature smash burgers from a new site over in Meanwood.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The site sits right next to The Meadwood Tavern on Meanwood Road, the perfect location for if you're out and about and looking for a bit of grub after a few pints.
The interior is sporting the bright Burgerism orange, and although it is mainly a takeaway restaurant there are a few seats for sit-in.
You’ll be able to order your food at the counter, via self-service kiosks, or through click-and-collect on the Burgerism website.
Images: The Hoot leeds
Highlights on the menu will, as always, include the fan-favourite Cheesed (two smashed patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and the brand’s signature sauce, served in a seeded brioche bun), as well as a range of chicken burgers, fries, and wings.
Everything is made fresh to order, and even their sauces and dips are made entirely in-house.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And the good stuff doesn't stop there, as to celebrate the grand opening they'll be giving away the first 100 customers from 5pm a 'Comeback Card' where you'll eat on them during your next visit. So get there early if you don't want to miss out
The Meanwood site will be the sixth Burgerism site following its five openings elsewhere in Greater Manchester.
Danny Jones -
24th August 2023 
