YOUNG people were transformed into their heroes for a special exhibition.
A group of nine children, aged nine to 16, were asked to choose their heroes and explain what they liked about them.
They chose a diverse range of people, from footballers to former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The young people chose photographs starring their idols and re-enacted them.
Their final pictures were put on display in the Market Place shopping centre on Thursday and will stay there for two weeks.
It was part of an eight-week project run by Targeted Youth Support, which is part of Bolton Council, to build the self-esteem of vulnerable young people.
Kane Williamson, aged 12, from Breightmet, chose Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney as his hero.
He said: “I like United and Wayne Rooney is a good player and a good dad to his kids.
“I like the picture, it’s really good.”
Also choosing a footballer was 11-year-old Toby Swanton, from Tonge Moor, whose hero is Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard.
His mum, Jean Swanton, said: “The pictures are really good. He is a
Liverpool supporter and he has always liked Gerrard. He’s his life-long
hero.
“The project has been absolutely brilliant. It’s been fabulous for Toby. He won an award for being the most improved.”
Lewis Miller, from Farnworth, re-enacted a photograph featuring rapper Eminem.
The 14-year-old said: “With everything that Eminem has gone through, he’s got himself back on his feet. He’s done really well.
”The picture looks really good. I wasn’t expecting it to be so realistic.”
History fan Steven Shaw, aged 13, from Farnworth, chose Winston Churchill as his hero.
He said: “He had good tactics and he helped us win the war. If he
didn’t love us that much, he would have just let us get bombed and lose
the war.”
Combined with a potentially
difficult away trip to Swansea on the opening day of the season, David
Moyes will have a tough start to his new job as United boss and will be
thrown right in at the deep end.
I don't want to use the phrase
'if he lasts that long', so I shall simply say "the silver lining is",
that the run-in is a pretty straightforward affair - Southampton
away on the last day of the season looks a bit of a tricky one, and
it'll be interesting to see if the game I always personally look for - Everton
- proves to be the usual massive stumbling block to our title
campaigns that it has been of late, since that's towards the end too.
Otherwise, save for hosting
Liverpool at Old Trafford with a few games to go, there's not much to
report about the finale. I'm not too pessimistic about our chances of
doing well at the start, but I am slightly concerned about how we'd
fare against your mid-table meat and potatoes fixtures should we have a
nightmare and drop points in three or four of that opening lot.
In order to balance out that
doomsaying, I will leave you with the thought that were these last
season's fixtures, we'd have been able to lift the league title with a
victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Fixtures announced : Moyes must hit the ground running :
Mike Hewitt
Is it a challenge or a nightmare? Either way, the David Moyes Era will be off to a bang this August.
This is not the start you wanted for Manchester United.
Facing your two biggest rivals and the old enemy, with a champion's
league qualifying game before one of those matches. While starting the
season under the spotlights at Wembley.
There's one line of thought
that says you've got to meet every team twice and the order doesn't
really matter. But with a new team, and with competition sniffing around
once the Great Man isn't at the dugout anymore, things couldn't have
gone much worse for the Red Devils. I'm sure we all wanted to ease Moyes
into the job, but with high-voltage fixtures like these, maintaining
objectivity is going to be a tough task.
In many ways, this makes our
transfer window that much more important. It is absolutely essential to
get world-class or thereabouts players and to get them early to
integrate them into the squad. July can't come fast enough for David Moyes, just as August can't come slow enough after today.
Swansea City's tough start against Manchester United is 'just perfect' says John Hartson
Wales legend Hartson reckons the Swans can thrive in such
circumstances, claiming the visit of United - quickly followed by a trip
to Tottenham and Gareth Bale before both Liverpool and Arsenal arrive
in South Wales in September - can be the spark for Swansea.
John Hartson has his say on Swansea City's Premier League fixtures
It’s as tough as it gets for Swansea City when they kick-off their
third term in the Barclays Premier League - but John Hartson reckons
that’s just perfect.
The Swans face five of the top-flight’s
traditional big guns in the space of the season’s first two months
following the big reveal of the 2013/ 14 fixtures yesterday.
Most
notably it includes an opening day visit of the champions as Manchester
United begin their title defence at the Liberty Stadium.
Having
been the opponents for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Old Trafford farewell in May,
Swansea will stand against United in the first post-Fergie league game
as the David Moyes era begins in South Wales.
It is a game that
will surely attract the attention of broadcasters, the eyes of the world
set to be fixed on how former Everton boss Moyes fares in his Premier
bow.
And yet none of that will be of interest to Swansea whose
aims of staying in the mid-table position of the last two years will
again be tested by the bigger spenders of the division and the extra
commitment of a Europa League campaign.
Still, Wales legend
Hartson reckons the Swans can thrive in such circumstances, claiming the
visit of United - quickly followed by a trip to Tottenham and Gareth
Bale before both Liverpool and Arsenal arrive in South Wales in
September - can be the spark for Swansea.
And he adds the glamour
of playing against Robin van Persie and Ryan Giggs in that first game
can aid perfect preparation for another season in the big time.
“For
me it’s a great start,” said Swansea-born Hartson, a Barclays Premier
League veteran from time at Arsenal, West Ham, Wimbledon and Coventry.
“Yes, it’s a tough two months with some of the big sides in there, but
you have to say Swansea have a good record against the bigger teams
since they’ve come into the Premier League.
“And you cannot say
that any game is easy - just look at last year when Liverpool went to
West Brom with everyone expecting them to win and they lost 3-0.
“You
can look at every team’s fixtures and say they’ve got difficult games
here or there or a difficult run of games; it just shows that every game
is challenging at this level.
“And for me - thinking as a player
and a manager - would be that I’d rather start against Manchester United
at home than go to Norwich or Sunderland or West Brom.
“A trip to
Carrow Road is as tough as a game against the big sides, as Swansea
have seen themselves, so why not play the champions in that first game.
“There
is a little bit of a sense of getting it out of the way, but also that
you know your players are going to be very sharp and right up for it. It
has all the ingredients: a boiling hot day, huge excitement in the city
and the chance to catch United on an off day. Manchester United boss David Moyes
“Because the pressure will all be on them. Moyes is under
massive pressure where I think they have to win the Premier League with
the way Sir Alex Ferguson has left them with a fantastic position in
terms of squad and the money for a big marquee signing like Robert
Lewandowski or Marouane Fellaini. Gone are the days where it’s
comfortable finishing fifth or sixth - he’s at one of the few clubs in
the world where finishing third can get you the sack.
“So we will have to see how he handles all that and it starts at Swansea.
“It’s
great for the Swans because the manager knows his players will be
busting a gut to be in the side come the start of the season, even more
so with this game.
“No-one outside of Swansea will give them much
of a chance and no-one should expect a result - but if they can grab one
all of the sudden the momentum from that can really you carry you on.”
Yet
just as important as the stellar fixtures will be the rip to a West
Brom side that finished one spot above ninth-placed Swansea last year
and newboys Crystal Palace in that two month spell, ones Michael Laudrup
are likely to be identified by Michael Laudrup as games results are
needed from as the slog for 40 points begins again.
Both fixtures
are of a number that could yet be affected by Swansea’s potential Europa
League progression, fixtures normally played on a Sunday when European
games are played on the previous Thursday.
Other eye-catching
fixtures include the visit of Roberto Martinez with his new club Everton
in the final fixture before Christmas on December 21. It is a visit to
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea on Boxing, the Special One coming to South Wales
on April 12. Manchester City are the first opponents of 2014 with a New
Year’s Day Liberty date with a visit to Old Trafford ten days later and
the long trips to the North East saved for the end of the season,
including a final day trip to Sunderland.
But, of course, it is
the South Wales derby that will have been picked out by many as November
2 and February 8 ushers in a renewal of rivalries.
“What an occasion for the two clubs,” Hartson said. “I enjoyed my career but I wish I’d featured in one of these derbies.”
*John
Hartson was speaking at the launch of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier
League fixtures. To hear John plus Phil Neville, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
and Ray Parlour preview the new fixtures, download the exclusive
podcast at: bit.ly/BPLfixtures
Technically, the
headline is a lie. David de Gea actually told Thiago, by signing it on
the match-ball awarded to the midfielder after his hat-trick heroics
in Spain's European Under-21 Championship final, that he would "Nos
vemos en Manchester" -- which translates in English to "see you in
Manchester." Oh Dave, you cheeky Red Devil, you.
Since the start of the Euro
2012 Championship, de Gea has reportedly been trying to recruit the
talented Barcelona midfielder to Old Trafford since there's been a
plethora of reports that the 22-year-old is keen for a move away from
Camp Nou. In Israel, the Under-21 Spain captain shined in midfield as
his talent was clear for all to see. He's arguably on his way to
becoming one of the best midfielders in Europe, however, he's blocked in
the Barcelona midfield by the world-class likes of Xavi, Andres
Iniesta, Alex SongSergio Busquets, and Cesc Fabregas. At Manchester United,
Thiago would almost certainly be given 40+ games next season -- if he
stayed fit, of course -- because no midfielder on the current squad not
named Michael Carrick is anywhere close to his prodigious level. Hopefully recent reports
are true that the La Masia raised player has insisted to Barcelona that
he's leaving them and that United have already put in a bid for him.
Crystal Palace officials would 'love' to have former star Wilfried Zaha
back on loan next season but concede that any deal is in the hands of
Zaha's new club, Manchester United.
Zaha has already completed one loan deal with his former club, helping
the Eagles back into the Premier League, after signing for the Red
Devils in January. But Palace chief executive Phil Alexander hoped the
20-year-old could be a future option for the club.
"It's another option, clearly that's up to Manchester United. He's their
player now. Will we be asking? We'll probably ask in passing but it's
really down to them," he explained to Sky Sports News.
"Would we love to see Wilfried back? Of course we would but he's got a
career at Manchester United and, after a few training sessions up there,
I'm not sure they'll be willing to let him out on loan."
However, should the Eagles miss out on the England international,
Alexander is confident the current squad can keep the club in the
Premier League. But he did not rule out the club from signing a number
of new players.
"We're really fortunate - we're coming up with a real good squad," he
said. "Most of our squad from last year is signed up, they're obviously
used to playing with each other, they've got great team spirit and we
will be adding to the squad.
"There's a number of names on the list but we've already got the basis
of the squad already there. It's difficult to say in terms of numbers -
we have got some key areas.
"We did have an injury to Glenn Murray at the back end of last season
and he was our top goalscorer so it's pretty clear that we need a
centre-forward and probably two or three more to add to the squad.
"We're in no major rush, we've got some good targets, Ian's done a lot
of homework in terms of what players are available and we're now talking
to various agents, talking to other clubs and going through that
process.
"We've got a budget in mind, it would be daft to give out numbers but we've worked out the budget.
"We've looked at the income streams and we'll manage the club the best we can, going forward without taking any risks."
And one player that the club are looking to sign is play-off final hero, Kevin Phillips.
"Ian's [Holloway] keen to keep him, there's discussions to be had with
Kevin," Alexander said. "Even at 40, I still think he could do a job in
the Premier League from being part of the team. He's a great guy to have
around.
"Could he come on and do a job in the last five, 10, 15 minutes of a game? I'm sure he could.
"Those discussions will be had and I'll be hopeful that he'll sign a contract with us."
Champion
Manchester United will travel to Swansea City for its first English
Premier League match under new manager David Moyes, while Manuel
Pellegrini's Manchester City is at home to Newcastle United on August
17.
United, kicking off its league campaign
without Alex Ferguson in charge for the first time since 1986, was
handed a tricky opening five matches in fixture lists published
yesterday.
It hosts Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho
back in charge for the second time, on August 24 before Moyes makes a
return to Merseyside with a game at Anfield against old foe Liverpool on
August 31.
The champion then takes on promoted
Crystal Palace before making the short journey to the Etihad Stadium for
the first Manchester derby against last year's runner-up with its new
Chilean manager on September 22.
The return Manchester derby at Old Trafford is scheduled for March 21.
"Lively start to the season! Let us at them," declared United defender Rio Ferdinand on Twitter.
Chelsea, third last season behind the
Manchester clubs, starts at Stamford Bridge against newly promoted Hull
City with Frank Lampard hoping to make a record 18th appearance in an
opening fixture of a Premier League season.
The west Londoners then host Aston Villa after their trip north to United.
Everton, with Roberto Martinez stepping
into Moyes's shoes, starts out at Norwich City before hosting Chelsea as
its fourth match. It visits United on December 3.
Liverpool starts the season at home to
Stoke City, now under the leadership of Mark Hughes, while Arsene
Wenger's Arsenal is at home to Villa at the Emirates.
Promoted Cardiff City travels to West
Ham United while Crystal Palace marks its return to the top flight with a
home match against Tottenham Hotspur.
The first Welsh Premier league derby
between Cardiff City and Swansea is due on November 2 at the Cardiff
City Stadium with the return fixture on February 8.
The season ends on May 11, when United
is at Southampton, Chelsea travels to Cardiff, Arsenal visits Norwich,
and City hosts West Ham.
The FA Cup final has been moved back to after the end of the league season with the match scheduled for May 17.
Since 2010, the traditional finale to
the season has had to share the spotlight with a weekend of league
fixtures and last year's winner, Wigan Athletic, still had a relegation
battle to fight.
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has issued a glowing
endorsement to new boss David Moyes and suggested the Scot can build a
new dynasty at Old Trafford as he follows in the footsteps of Sir Alex
Ferguson.
GettyImagesRio Ferdinand is ready for another season at Old Trafford
Ferdinand
believes "stability and longevity" were the chief criteria considered
by United officials before then named Moyes as the club's next manager
last month, with the former England centre-back convinced the new man
ticks both boxes.
"I think the appointment of David Moyes signals longevity," said Ferdinand in a Daily Mirror
interview. "More than anything, I think the club wanted a manager who
was going to be here for a long period of time and try and emulate what
Sir Alex did.
"The new boss will have his own ways and his
own style of management, but there are elements of Sir Alex in him. He
always produced competitive teams at Everton, with very little
resources. Now he will have those resources, hopefully we'll see the
fruits of that with our team.
"David Moyes is determined,
he's winner and you can see that his teams have a real identity about
them in terms of the way they play. There's also an intensity about the
way he is as a person. Whenever I've met him I've been struck by that
and I think he'll be a great addition to the club."
Moyes
has already made his mark at United by shaking up the club's coaching
staff, while there are suggestions that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo
and Cesc Fabregas may be on his list of transfer targets this summer,
but Ferdinand is not expecting radical changes at Old Trafford.
"Obviously
we'll still be doing a lot of things we've done in the past that have
brought us success," said Ferdinand. "It would be naïve to think the new
manager will come in and everything will change dramatically in one
fell swoop.
"He'll change things over the course of time
and a club like United has a proven history of giving managers a chance
to do that. I've not seen anyone in the past be successful at a club by
coming in and changing everything completely on day one.
"There's
nothing to suggest that will happen. The manager will come in with new
ideas and will want to implement new things. I know that the players
we've got within our changing room will embrace that completely and give
everything for him.
"It will be different at first, but I
can't wait to get back in again and start training under the new manager
and his staff. I've spoken to the new boss a few times and what's
pleasing is that he's a football man through and through.
"You
could sit and talk to him for ages about the game, and he wants to know
everything about the club. He's coming in with his eyes and ears wide
open to learn everything there is about the club and hopefully continue
the success we have had.
"You want to be a part of
something new and exciting, and this is just that. It's a great
opportunity to write another chapter in the club's amazing history."
