Premier League champions Manchester City will hope to have the beating of Hearts of Midlothian FC in a specially-arranged pre-season commemorative match in Edinburgh next month.

The pair nicknamed Phil Jagishellka and Danny Shellbeck were filmed knocking a ball about in the water at Manchester’s Sea Life Centre.

Reports of domestic abuse in on England’s opening weekend in Greater Manchester jumped nearly 30 per cent compared to the same period during the last World Cup.

Frank Lampard believes the fear of having to fly home early will motivate England in their crunch clash with Uruguay in Sao Paulo.

Roy Hodgson believes he has got the ‘weapons’ to still cause some damage at this World Cup.

The arrival of Dutchman Louis van Gaal at Manchester United has forced countryman Alexander Buttner to leave the club – as he feels the new manager doesn’t rate him.

The fixtures were released at 9am, giving football fans across the region an ideal view of their post-World Cup hangover cure

The National Football Museum is giving fans the chance to become curators and exhibit their own World Cup memorabilia

Danny Welbeck has scored eight goals in 24 international appearances but ex-Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand believes that record should be even better as England prepare for Uruguay showdown.

Grammy-nominated Manchester illustrator Stanley Chow has his exhibition ‘The Takeaway’ at Manchester’s Centre For Chinese Contemporary Art

Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Louis Walsh and Mel B will take the places behind the judging panel