AO Thunder Men’s and Mixed Programme Proud to Support Thunder’s Grand Final Journey
As AO Manchester Thunder prepare for the Grand Final on Saturday 20 June, there is a real sense of pride across the whole Thunder family.
For the Men’s and Mixed programme, the last few weeks have been incredibly special. We have been fortunate enough to play in two curtain raisers ahead of two of the biggest home fixtures of the season, and those opportunities have given our players memories that will stay with them for a long time.
The first came ahead of AO Manchester Thunder’s huge fixture against Loughborough Lightning, with top spot in the Netball Super League table within reach. Before that game, AO Manchester Thunder Men took on London Giants in the Men’s Super League as part of a brilliant double-header matchday.
A week later, we were invited by AO Manchester Thunder to play again, this time against the England Men’s and Mixed Netball Association Men’s Invitational Team. To be given that platform twice, in front of the Thunder crowd, was something we were incredibly grateful for.
These moments are about much more than the games themselves. They show how far the Men’s and Mixed programme has come since becoming part of the AO Manchester Thunder franchise. The visibility of the programme has grown significantly, more players are joining the squad, and more people are seeing the standard, intensity and excitement that Men’s and Mixed netball can bring.
That growth has also been felt within the training environment. Throughout the season, more Thunder Men’s players have had the opportunity to train regularly with the AO Manchester Thunder NSL squad, learning from one of the strongest teams in the country and experiencing the standards required at the top level of the sport.
That connection has meant a huge amount to the players.
Jay Power, Thunder Mixed Captain, added:
“It is no surprise that the Thunder girls have made it to the Grand Final. I’ve been fortunate enough to train with them quite a lot throughout the season and they’ve been brilliant week in, week out. Thank you to Karen Greig and the players for having us in training and supporting us when we were playing in the first game of the double headers. Having them cheering for intercepts, goals and plays is awesome.”
Mark Hope, Thunder Men’s and Mixed player and former England Mixed player, said:
“It was wonderful to be a part of the experience over the past two game day weekends. Seeing both sides thrive under the velodrome lights was exceptional and being able to share moments of history with the girls was next level.”
Speaking to Ryan Allan, President of England Men’s and Mixed Netball Association and London Giants legend, after the events, he commented:
“What an incredible opportunity to showcase Men’s Super League netball alongside the Netball Super League as part of a double-header event. The atmosphere was fantastic, with the Thunder crowd enjoying a highly competitive match where the lead changed every quarter with both teams leaving everything out on court.
The support from fans was brilliant and demonstrated the growing appetite for men’s netball. We hope this is the first of many opportunities to stage double headers with the NSL, giving supporters even more netball to enjoy and creating a great day out for fans of the sport.”
The support from AO Manchester Thunder, the players, coaches, staff and fans has been massive. For many of our Men’s and Mixed players, running out before a Thunder home crowd is something that would not have felt possible a few years ago. Now, it is becoming part of the matchday experience.
Commercially, the growth has also been clear. Crowds for Men’s and Mixed games have increased throughout the EMMNA League season, and the curtain raisers before NSL fixtures have brought even more people to the game. What used to be fewer than 100 spectators has now grown into multiple hundreds, with attendances close to 1,000 at arena fixtures.
That matters. Every person who watches, cheers, asks questions, brings someone along, or follows the team afterwards helps push the game forward.
As a Men’s and Mixed programme, we are incredibly proud to sit under the Thunder banner. We are proud of the players who have represented the franchise this season, proud of the growth of the programme, and proud to play even a small part in the wider Thunder story.
Most importantly, we are proud of the AO Manchester Thunder squad for reaching the Grand Final.
The Grand Final coming to Manchester for the first time is a huge moment for the sport, for the city, and for everyone connected to Thunder. The players have inspired so many people across the season, including those of us within the Men’s and Mixed programme who have been lucky enough to train alongside them, share matchdays with them, and see first-hand the standards they set.
On 20 June, AO Manchester Thunder will take to the court with the support of the whole Thunder family behind them.
From the Men’s and Mixed programme: thank you for the opportunities, thank you for the support, and congratulations on an incredible season. One more game! Let’s go, Thunder. Let’s go.
We’ll be cheering every pass, every intercept, every goal and every moment.
