It is much more than a seasonal pipe opener for the Elite League Aces against their traditional rivals who now race in the Premier League.

The slimmed down 21-year-old looked impressive at Huddersfield Sports Centre on Friday and his power punching was a sight to behold.

Ex-Accrington striker Leighton McGivern was Martyrs’ four-goal hero as they avenged last season’s semi-final defeat to Langley by beating the Middleton big guns 4-2 to book a quarter-final trip to Oldham League champs Chaddy End.

Ethiopian long distance legend Haile Gebrselassie (pictured right) will chase a hat-trick of wins in the Bupa Great Manchester Run on May 16.

The National Cycling Centre has won the right to host the fourth and final meeting from February 18-20, 2011.

The competition, which is played on the big board, starts at 1.15pm and strike-out is at 1pm.

The early Clayton pressure paid off as Connor Kelly chased a scuffed clearance and calmly lobbed the outcoming keeper to go ahead. Jayden Pollard then finished off a nice through pass to double the lead.

The World famous Aces have been in secret negotiations for two years to make a move just 100 metres along Kirkmanshulme Lane in Gorton.

Now secret negotiations designed to give the World famous club a big-time international future have been revealed.

The final against the Manchester Amateur League champions will take on Sunday 28 March, time to be confirmed.

Prior to the festival, the foundation had been working within St Peters feeder primary schools, delivering tag rugby coaching sessions and introducing the children to the sport of rugby league, culminating in over 120 Year Five and Year Six pupils participating in the festival.

Other close matches saw the Joiners beat the Gardeners Arms 4-3, the score by which the Lancashire Fold won at the Millbeck.

After a lively start, the Rebels took the lead with a fine goal from Morgan Clarke but Macabbi soon equalised.

Griffiths was told she would be on the plane bound for the Doha event this week but was off-colour at Lee Valley – ending third in the 400m behind winner Meghan Beesley and Laura Wake.

Four-time Olympic champion Hoy produced some stunning rides to win the men's sprint, including a sub 10 secs 200m qualification ride.

Indeed, there is a day long programme of events at the Sportcity Velodrome, including the National Madison Championships and the last Revolution meeting of the season.

In the first leg, after a thorougly entertaining game, a draw was the right result because no side deserved to lose.

Warren Maloney, who included a 121 checkout, gained the early success while other wins came via Dave Skelton, Mark Holden, Dave Cullen, John Downs and Peter Ward.

The youngsters, aged five-16-years-old, play three matches of four-a-side in the Abraham Moss Warriors successful in-house league.

The Red team totally out-passed Unsworth Juniors in a 10-1 victory with goalscorers Ryan Beard (two), Jimmy Barlow-Merrik (two), Riley Smith (two) and Mark Pearson (four).

The 16-year old was spotted playing for Abraham Moss Warriors as a 14-year-old and has just signed a full-time deal at Ewood Park.

Manchester, founded in 1860 and one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world, was financially crippled by last season’s relegation and the subsequent loss of funding from the RFU.

The competition is the culmination of the National League that takes place from September to January each year and offers the top teams a chance to play against each other in a competitive environment.

The Woodman, who completed their season a week earlier by losing 4-3 to the Woodside, finished as runners-up.

The Lads piled on the pressure from the whistle and the first goal came with Declan Hopkins netting following a good move.

The 20-year-old, from Queensland, will act as cover for the Autogate Aces in the event of injury while spending his third season with Premier League Glasgow.

They will be known as the Belle Vue Autogate Aces after the company’s managing director and speedway fan Mark Hennessey stepped up his backing from last season.

The Salisbury man’s 30-yarder put paid to the Langley Boys aspirations of a quarter-final national cup tie in Newcastle.

Carys Malone, aged eight, and Elidia Sowerby, seven, are classmates who share a talent for gymnastics, and the friends will now get the chance to perform at the Warrington event taking place at the end this month.

The walk started at Old Trafford, home to Manchester United, and proceeded to the City of Manchester Stadium, the home of their great rivals Manchester City.

It reduces the competition to nine teams and it leaves Boarshaw Working Men’s Club out on their own in the title race.

The 15-year-old lanky lad with a head for heights has just been crowned northern pole vaulting champion at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield after leaping almost 15ft into the air – despite being the youngest competitor in his class.

Ryan was challenged by Chris Jenkinson of Castle Hill police club in Bolton.

Ipswich-based Lanham, the British Under-21 champion in 1997, spent much of his career in the Elite League before joining Premier League Newport last season.

However, Boarshaw Working Men’s Club top the crib table with 34 points, one ahead of the Lancashire Fold.

A coach will leave the Woodman at 11.30am. For further information contact Steve Horan on 07958 937190.

The switch to Hyde’s Ewen Fields ground gives local supporters a chance to see the best in local Sunday football.

The team, assembled from local club players, was formed after it was revealed that the region was conspicuous by its absence in the county competition.

There were 180s from Mark Smith and Andy Gourlay, while Middleton teenager, Joe Thompson, also supplied a maximum. Other wins came from Warren Maloney, Dave Skelton, Anthony Cooper and Gary Bentley.

The pair have been teammates with top Swedish League club Dackarna for six years and Karlsson feels their knowledge of each other’s racing styles will prove invaluable.

Holden celebrated a 3-0 final victory over Martyn Northall of the Altrincham and Sale League last Sunday at the Lightbowne Club in Moston.

The Longsight school beat renowned Warrington school William Beaumont 26-10 and will now face last year’s semi-finalists, St John Fisher in the next round.

This is set to take place at the Our Lady’s RC School in Blackley on Monday evenings, between 7pm and 9pm.

On paper, Costigan, pictured right, was up against it in only his fourth bout, which took place at Cedar Mount High School Sports Hall, Matthews Lane, Gorton.

Barker had the better of the first two rounds before Hanna, entering the ring for the 125th came back and had a strong last round. Barker was awarded the win 39-38.BC.

With his fighting plans still up in the air ahead of a decision next month, the Hitman has gone into detail about the various strands that make up his business life.

Their winners were Eric Quinn, Mark Driver, Brian McLoughlin, John Downs, Steve Studley and Andy Gourlay.

Golf Guru Karl Morris will be presenting ‘The Mind Factor’ on Tuesday, January 26 at the Success to the Plough pub in Bolton Road.

And entries are now being taken for the August event.

These include basketball, Trigolf, extreme golf, handball, street cheer, orienteering, Frisbee, first aid, dodgeball, skateboarding, safeguarding and protecting children and positive behaviour in sports management.

She has been invited to take part in the annual Future Stars Foundation pro-am at Errol Estate Country Club, Florida in February.

On Sunday, they play away to Oldham champions Chaddy End in the first leg of the Manchester Champions Shield at Mable Road, Failsworth (2pm kick off) and two weeks later they play the return leg at North Manchester High School, 10.30am kick off.

Tony Cooper picked up the match award with a commendable 80.52 average.

The MDLGA is now well past its centenary year and with nearly 90 clubs involved in its activities, including all of our local clubs, is probably the biggest of its kind for lady club golfers in the world.

They progressed to the last 16 of the FA Carlsberg National Cup with a 1-0 win over former winners Lobster FC from Liverpool.

The 27-year-old will continue to ride in the Premier League for his parent club, Sheffield, while racing in the Elite League for the Aces.

Amanda Cooper and Stevie Smethurst are members of Our Lady’s RC Sports College in Blackley and were entering a competition for the first time with 138 competitors vying for medals at different weights.

A first half hat-trick from Justin Johnson and a thunderbolt from Tom Scullion saw them go in at the interval 4-2 up.

First to box was Macaulay Archer of Middleton against J Warburton of Ardwick ABC.

The local club took part in an exhibition match at Manchester’s Triangle Shopping Centre against St Margaret’s School in Liverpool and then got to meet members of Team England who were also promoting the championships.

He follows Danish World Cup captain Hans Andersen into the Kirkmanshulme Lane team to leave the club with only the two bottom places in the side to be sorted out.

But standing in their way are one of the country’s best Sunday league teams - Lobster FC from Liverpool, who are previous winners.

After all the bad weather this match really deserved a better pitch but it was playable and the same for both teams.

However, they won only two further legs – Terry Birkett and John Pickering – as their Oldham visitors ran out 6-5 winners. The Oldham men will visit the Openshaw League in the first round proper.

And the victory of the Blakeley Scout group in the National Scout Car championships has earned Manchester the right to to host the championships next year on 3 July.

He will spearhead the bid by the One51 Aces to restore their fortunes as one of British speedway's big hitters.

The awesome octet were Steve Hargreaves, Eric Calvert, Paul O’Neill, Ricky Salmon, Steve Hardy, Chris McAllister, Paul Robson and Billy Ogden.

Four months after taking Matthew Hall’s British light-middleweight title from him in his own backyard at the MEN Arena, motor-mouthed Small sent McDonagh’s dreams crashing in front of his own fans.

In the North West Regional finals, super-heavyweight John Ndjebayi beat Ryan Kay of Rumworth and Hulton by unaminous decision.

The under nines won their battle with a gutsy 2-0 victory over a hard battling Moston Brook side.

Million Dollar Crolla stopped the former WBF featherweight champion in three rounds in an impressive display.

Million Dollar Crolla stopped the former WBF featherweight champion in the third round of only his second fight after more than four years away from the ring.

The pair clash in an eagerly awaited all-Manchester bout at Wigan’s Robin Park Arena tomorrow, when Crolla insists admiration for Brodie will give way to professionalism.

The Openshaw men take the trip to play the South Manchester League while Ardwick entertain the Oldham Red Rose League in matches which must be played by December 6.

The opening exchanges were dominated by North due to the hard work by the forwards and well worked moves by a strong back line.

First half goals from Johnson (2), Scullion and Whyte saw them go in at the interval four nil up against a shell shocked Manchester Unified.

Dynamo’s are the only team to get anything out of the Lads this season – a 1-1 draw on the opening day. Since then the lads have convincingly won five league and two cup games.

Jack Rogers struck what was to be the winning goal in the first half after good work from Bailey Moth.

The Blues displayed a fighting spirit throughout and were rewarded when a Sam Fitzpatrick volley hit the back of the net in the first half.

Barrow Amateur Boxing Club hosted the event in which two Middleton Select ABC boxers fought. - representing their club were Connor Williams and Liam Taylor.

Blackley’s McDonagh (28) knows the tough task that lies in front of him but has trained like a Trojan.

The weather hindered both teams who are fighting for points to ensure a top four placing going into December in the Division Five East of the Miller Homes League.

The Under nines A beat Moston Brook 2-1 with Player of the Match Teigan Floyd while the Under nine B lost 7-1 to Boundary Park A.

Anthony Cooper, Jason Green, Alan Cleworth, who struck a 180, and Peter Ward were the home team’s winners.

Meghan Stevenson and Rebekah Sullivan scored for Angels securing third place in the table after a well fought game. Mica Reynolds picked up Girl of the Match.

Lapses in concentration led to the visitors gaining an early converted try. North’s youthful pack dominated in the scrum but had no answer for the Blackpool defence and despite repeated attempts to break the line the first half ended without the hosts making an impact on the scoreboard.

Organisers have been inundated with inquiries from clubs with Romiley the first to officially submit their application.

Matthew competed in the Under 18, under 65Kg full contact events and the under 18 forms category which involves performing a set of traditional Karate moves where scoring is based on technique and accuracy of movements.

He enjoyed a convincing semi-final win against Brendan White (Birkenhead Services BC), claiming a 12-7 victory in Teeside.

He will remain as a shareholder and director after recent discussions with his co-directors, David Gordon and Chris Morton.

Thirteen-year-old Joe Thompson picked up the match award with an 81.98 average and he gained winning support from Dave Skelton (180), Andy Gourlay, Mark Smith and Anthony Cooper.

The Tour – known as ‘the road to the LPGA – prepares young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour.

Both sides were eager to establish themselves as leaders early on, but the young backs of North Manchester were on form and scored two fantastic tries within the first 20 minutes of the local derby encounter.

It’s Ardwick Lads up against a Yorkshire select side and there will be 15 bouts.

There is also a special 1k junior Santa Dash and runners of all ages and abilities are welcome to enter as individuals or in groups.

The Town Hall ceremony, to honour 37 Olympic and Paralympic stars, was a fitting way to end a memorable three days of World Cup competition at the National Cycling Centre.

Jennings was meant to fight Sheffield’s Brook on Friday but Brook was suffering from a viral infection and so Laszlo Komjathi was a late call up at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

A side which looked well balanced and full of potential before the season began last March never really got past the starting gate.

They hold a two point advantage at the head of affairs over the Lord Nelson A, who defeated the same pub’s B team 4-3.