Daniel Harvie will leave MK Dons to sign for League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers.
Harvie joins the Chairboys for an undisclosed fee and has signed a contract of undisclosed length with the side who finished 10th in League One last season.
The 25-year-old is one of three signings confirmed by Wycombe this week, alongside midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson and striker Daniel Udoh.
Harvie leaves MK Dons after 4 years playing for the club. He moved to Stadium MK in 2020, having joined the Dons from Scottish side Ayr United.
He made 166 appearances in all competitions in his time with the club, scoring ten goals. 43 of these came last season, where he predominantly played either as a left-back or as a left-sided centre-back.
The Scot’s contract had initially been extended by a year after the Dons took an option for a further year up, but a quick deal means Harvie will instead now leave MK Dons altogether.
Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield told the club’s official site, “Dan’s an excellent addition to our squad and we’re thrilled that he’s decided to make the move to Wycombe and be part of what we’re building here.
“He was one of the best left-backs and wing-backs in League 1 for a couple of years and has also shown he can play wide of a back three.
“The data tells us that playing as a full-back will complement his strengths as well, so having someone who can play in a few positions will give us another dimension on the left side.
“The squad is taking shape really nicely ahead of the season, which is testament to the hard work of everybody behind the scenes, and we’re excited to combine these new faces with the quality we’ve already got in the squad and make sure we’re as strong as we can possibly be when the season kicks off next month.”
Sportswear brand Castore have opened a store at the centre:mk shopping centre in Milton Keynes.
The British sportswear and athletic clothing manufacturer have opened their first shop in the local region on Silbury Arcade inside the centre:mk.
As a regional flagship, the shop will feature the entire mainline selection of Castore’s selection of womenswear, menswear, and junior collection as well as brand team items from a selection of Castore clients.
Listed items on launch included from F1, with Castore being the clothing provider for the Milton Keynes-based Red Bull Racing F1 team and their current on-track rivals McLaren.
In March, Castore announced their collaboration with Umbro, giving them exclusive rights to work and collaborate with their English Premier League team partnership, expanding their current list of brands, athletes, and teams, which include Milton Keynes’ very own MK Dons, the England cricket team and tennis star Andy Murray.
The brand had been the kit maker for Premier League sides Newcastle, Aston Villa and Wolves, and from next season will take over as kit makers for Everton and Burnley, while they also make kits for Glasgow Rangers, German champions Bayer Leverkusen and regular Europa League winners Sevilla among others.
centre:mk’s Centre Director, Kevin Duffy said, “Pushing the boundaries in sportswear innovation, Castore is a natural addition to centre:mk’s city centre location – situated in one of the fastest growing and most innovative cities in the country.”
Co-Founder of Castore, Tom Beahon, added, “As the dominant pitch in the region, paired with our ties to Milton Keynes’ racing and football teams, centre:mk was the ideal destination to launch Castore in the South East.”
This latest opening is the first of many planned by centre:mk for 2024, with Mint Velvet planned to open this Autumn. The opening follows a number of openings and upsizes experienced at the destination throughout 2023, with leading retail brands Mango, REISS, H&M and Phase Eight opening new doors at centre:mk.
Ross Barkley has left Luton Town to sign for Aston Villa.
The 30-year-old midfielder will move back to Villa Park, having previously played for the Birmingham-based club on loan in the 2020/21 season.
Barkley has signed a deal of undisclosed length with the Villains, who will be competing in the Champions League next season.
Former Everton and Chelsea man Barkley had joined Luton a year ago after being released by French side Nice. He made 37 appearances for Luton in all competitions, scoring five goals and contributing six assists.
For his work, Barkley won the Loyal Luton and Luton Town Supporter’s Trust Player of the Year prizes.
Before joining Luton, Barkley had made 33 international appearances for the England team.
In a goodbye message on his social media, Barkley thanked Luton for his time with the club.
He said, “Thank you Luton Town.
“I’m extremely grateful to Rob & his staff for believing in me & giving me the opportunity to play for such a special football club.
“I can’t thank the fans enough for the support you have shown me. I’ll genuinely miss playing at the Kenny with that atmosphere you create!
“I wish you all the very best in the future, fingers crossed you bounce straight back!”
Luton Town CEO Gary Sweet told the club’s official website that he pleased with Barkley for joining the club and wished him well.
He said, “To have a player of Ross Barkley’s stature and class grace the Kenilworth Road pitch has been an absolute joy to watch for all of us Luton Town supporters.
“To be able to give him a home for a season and a haven for the rest of his career – he knows he can always lean on us – is an absolute win-win situation for both parties.
“Ross came here and bought into everything that Luton Town is about. He’s loved his time at the club and of course, every single one of us would choose Champions League football over the Championship, so no-one should ever question his decision to want to rejoin Aston Villa.
“We thank him for his service to the football club in the short time he has been here, and wish him every success at Villa Park and in the future.”
Milton Keynes Theatre have announced performances of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang this week have been cancelled.
The theatre had been scheduled to host a week of performances based on the 1968 movie, which would’ve run through from today (02/07) to Sunday (07/07).
However, earlier today, Milton Keynes Theatre revealed that intended performances had been pulled after stage props had been damaged while in transit from the production’s last shows in Bromley in South East London.
MK Theatre said that the venue will explore options, including offering tickets to other venues or refunds.
The venue said, “Following severe damage to the intricate Chitty car mechanism in the move from Bromley to Milton Keynes, the producers of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have been forced to make the unavoidable and incredibly difficult decision to cancel all performances of the show in Milton Keynes this week. They apologise for the huge disappointment and inconvenience this will undoubtedly cause.
“Please bear with us whilst we try to explore options. In the event we cannot deliver the show to Milton Keynes at another time, patrons will be contacted and offered transfers to another venue (if feasible) and/or refunds.”
The plot of the musical is described as centring around, “absent-minded inventor Caractacus Potts, who restores a broken-down old racing car with the help of his children Jemima and Jeremy. Soon the family discover the car has magical powers, and along with the delectable Truly Scrumptious, the family end up on a hilarious fantastical adventure to far-off lands.”
The centre:mk shopping centre has announced the return of the Middleton Hall beach for 2024.
The indoor beach will return at the Milton Keynes-based shopping centre from 19th July 2024, and will be in place until 1st September.
Multiple attractions will take place as part of the beach’s return, including a variety of fair rides to keep the whole family entertained from Bungees and Helter Skelter, and the ever-popular shark Roller Coaster.
Free activities are also planned for visitors, including a Punch & Judy show on every Tuesday throughout the Summer Holidays from 11pm, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm. There will also be Face Painting on every Thursday throughout the Summer Holidays at 12pm to 3pm.
Visitors are advised to note this is a free activity which is subject to change without prior notice.
Visitors are also advised to note restrictions may apply on rides, and that adults may need to accompany children on rides and will need to purchase tokens accordingly. All access to rides is at the discretion of the operator.
