Corrie vs Emmerdale

 

 

Coronation Street stars took to the court to win a close Netball tie against team Emmerdale for ITVs Text Santa charity at Wright Robinson College, Manchester.

North West Soap stars Charley Webb, Gaynor Faye and Charlotte Bellamy took on Alison King, Katy Cavanagh and Samia Ghadie in a sold out ITV Charity Netball Challenge.

From what started as an innocent tweet from Samia Ghadie to Charley Webb challenging the girls to a netball showdown soon became a highly anticipated event.

Team Coronation Street teamed with former Superleague champions Manchester Thunder whilst their rivals paired up with the Yorkshire Jets on court.

Head Coach, Tracey Neville backed her side and said: “I think it is going to be a tough one, strategic in how we place our players but I’m going to say we’ve been training longer so I’m going to go for black and yellow.”

Some players found it hard to stay on their feet throughout the whole sixty minutes but it was Emmerdale that started off in front and netted their first shot. Coronation Street stars soon fought back to lead 3-2 after Superleague shooter Kathryn Turner netted their third.

The home crowd then went wild as Goals Shooter, Alison King scored her first for Coronation Street and Emmerdale soon found themselves trailing 7-3.

The Woolpack squad soon levelled by end of the first quarter after scoring twice in the dying seconds to make it 9-9.

Superleague Goal shooter, Krista Enziano kept Coronation Street in the game scoring their first of the quarter. Poor shooting from Emmerdale’s Charley Webb meant her team were trailing 12-9.

Smooth passing from Coronation Street and several turnovers from Wing Attack Jane Danson  helped secure their lead. Crowd favourite King then netted another to make it 17-12 at half time.

Emmerdale hit back in the third quarter scoring three in a row to close Coronation Street lead to 17-15.

Yorkshire Jet’s Alex Kirk tightened the gap even further to make it 19-18. But the crowd spurred Coronation Street on as they scored three in succession to stay just one point in front at the end of the third quarter- 23-22.

Enziano and King made an excellent partnership in the fourth quarter as Coronation Street stars began to run away with game.

Despite some excellent passing from team Emmerdale Coronation Street secured the win to end 33-28.

The Soap stars were ecstatic as Captain, Katy Cavanagh raised the trophy aloft to a packed Manchester crowd.

All proceeds will go to charity ITV Text Santa which has raised £10m since it started in 2011. The annual charity raises money and awareness for six charities: Age UK, Barnados, Beat Bullying, British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargent and Help the Hospices.

Neville was pleased with her celebrity side’s performance and said: “It was absolutely amazing, such a great atmosphere.”

 

Lollipop’s deal of the night

Transfers are up. The most dramatic day of the Premier League season yet is up. But which team has made the best deal?

Former Tottenham player Gareth Bale completed a coveted world record move to Real Madrid for £85.3m and has taken most headlines.

Lollipop was gobsmacked by his £300,000 per week, six-year deal with Real on Sunday evening as the most expensive footballer ever is now a 24-year-old Welshman.

But Manchester United’s haphazard last-minute dealings and Arsene Wenger’s club record buy for Germany’s Mesut Ozil at £42.4m are also being watched with great anticipation.

Never has Lollipop seen such late possible dealings at Old Trafford. The clubs training ground is filled with photographers and fans.

The champions have gone through great change this season but is this how business will be done from now on at Manchester United?

If so new manager David Moyes who arrived at Carrington at half 9 this morning and has not seen to have left the grounds since will be tested.

Former United defender Gary Neville even tweeted: “What the transfer deadline gives you is a clear indication of which are the badly run football clubs.”

Arsenals signing of Real Madrid mid-fielder Mesut Ozil has to be one of the coups of the window.

With an equal number of league assists to Lionel Messi last season and an impressive 47 caps for Germany. Ozil looks like a dynamic move for Arsenal. But pundits are questioning the Gunner’s decision.

A possible deal for Chelsea striker Demba Ba collapsed after the Londoners said they would not sign the player to rival club.

Yet they recently agreed to  a season long loan for Victor Moses to head to Liverpool. Perhaps they do not see the current league leaders as competition.

So Arsenal need a back up plan striker. They can not put all their goal scoring hopes on star player Olivier Giroud.

Yes- their five-year deal for Ozil could be the signing of the transfer window but it is only one player. Arsenal fans are begging for more as the eight-year long wait for silverware continues.

Having won La Liga with the Spanish giants in the 2011/12 campaign Ozil could ultimately bring trophies to Arsenal.

And Lollipop believes the wait could soon be over as Wenger finally spends big. Real big.