The organisers of the MK Pride rally have announced Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle will be a performer at this year’s event.

Coyle will perform at the event in Campbell Park in Central Milton Keynes on 13 September 2025, with the organisers confirming the Northern Irish singer as a headline act.

The MK Pride event is free for all to attend, which saw over 16,000 people attend in 2024. It is organised by volunteers and is intended to run from 12pm to 10:30pm on the day in question.

Coyle earned a breakthrough in the formation of Girls Aloud, which she joined in the early 2000s when it was put together by ITV show PopStars. The girl group would enjoy success, releasing 5 albums as well as 12 singles that charted in the top 3 of the UK singles chart. The group also had a successful reunion tour last year, selling out arenas across the UK.

She has also released a solo album and an EP, and toured as a solo artist.

As part of their set-up, the Pride festival will include additional musical performers and a stand-up comedy tent. Further details of performers will be announced in due course.

Alongside the entertainment, the festival also features a Community Stage that will discuss LGBTQ+ issues and highlight stories from the community at large.

The organisers said, “This stage features prominent LGBTQ+ advocates and gives our sponsors and partners the opportunity to directly connect with festival-goers. Through Q&A panels, talks, and discussions, our sponsors and partners can share their work, values, and commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community.”

A long time ago, MK Dons were seen by pundits as set for a 2024/25 season to remember.

It’s safe to say it was a memorable campaign at Stadium MK, but not in the way that fans were hoping for. A finish of 19th position in League Two is the Dons’ lowest finish in the fourth tier, with it coming at the end of a pretty turbulent campaign.

This was a season that featured five different permanent and caretaker managers and some true lowlights but at least avoided what would’ve been a true nadir of falling into the National League.

Many connected with MK Dons will want to move on to next season quickly, but plenty will also wonder exactly how a team seen as promotion candidates wound up hitting reverse gear.

At the start of the campaign, there were plus points in the Dons’ favour. Although the play-off implosion ended the previous season on a bum note, MK Dons still had shown great form to recover from a slow start to be the closest challenger to strong Stockport, Wrexham and Mansfield side that took the automatic promotion places.

Mike Williamson still had some credit in the bank for the turnaround over the 2023/24 season, and he was backed in the market. While losing top scorer Max Dean was a concern, a new look squad swelled by several players who’d won promotion with other League 2 clubs or challenged for promotion meant many felt they were in a prime position to challenge.

In many respects, it was set to be a new start at MK Dons with the surprise announcement the day before the opening game that Pete Winkelman had sold up, selling the club to a Kuwaiti consortium. They have begun to have an effect over the season, with a new structure, new communication philosophy and tweaks to ticket pricing.

As for the on-pitch product, however, the Dons made a pretty poor start, with Williamson’s side losing 4 of their first 6. The last of those – a 3-0 loss to AFC Wimbledon – seemed to be the moment where fan irritation at Williamson that had began simmering with multiple defensive collapses at the end of the previous season truly began to boil over with calls for a change.

A change would come, but not in the way many expected, with the pivotal moment that ended Williamson’s tenure at MK Dons being one of his final wins.

A 3-0 win for the Dons at home to Carlisle United impressed the Cumbrians’ owner Tom Piatak, and a few weeks later, Piatak was unveiling Williamson as the new boss at Brunton Park.

Williamson’s move created a three-hander of manager transfers, with MK Dons moving quickly to sign Scott Lindsey from Crawley and the Sussex club turning to Rob Elliot, who had succeeded his former Newcastle teammate Williamson at Gateshead when Williamson moved to Milton Keynes in 2023.

Ultimately, however, no part of this manager triangle worked. Williamson was a disaster at Carlisle, sacked after only winning 5 from 25 games and blamed by many Carlisle fans for their second relegation in a row. Meanwhile, Elliot struggled to adapt from managing Gateshead in the National League to Crawley in League One and would leave after winning 6 of 33 games.

The fact Lindsey ended up returning to Crawley as Elliot’s successor in an ultimately doomed attempt to keep them up, meanwhile, tells you all you need to know about how well it went for Lindsey in MK.

Lindsey had been on MK Dons’ radar for his emphatic play-off win against them in 2024, backed up by winning the play-off final and making a reasonable start in the third tier despite Crawley losing more or less their entire squad over the summer.

Initially, things looked promising. Five goals in his first win hinted that there was a decent team in development, and a run of six straight wins between late October and early December backed this up as the Dons, much as they had the previous season, jumped up the league table.

There were some warning signs – not least the fact only one of these games saw MK Dons keep a clean sheet, including conceding in the opening minute at home to Swindon and being 2-0 down at home to Cheltenham after 13 minutes.

But it seemed as though Lindsey had got the Dons into a groove, with the team sat in the top 3 after a polished 3-0 win over Chesterfield in early December.

Things then very quickly went into reverse. Getting sucker punched by Gillingham was one way to end the unbeaten run, but following that up by conceding 6 at Newport really was the start of a collapse in form.

A truly abysmal run of 2 wins in 17 games truly blew up any pretensions the Dons had of making the play-offs, with multiple matches seeing MK Dons dominate possession then run out of ideas when confronted with a low block.

Lindsey was backed in January, with MK Dons signing 7 new players, including more former Crawley players in Jay Williams and Danilo Orsi, joining summer arrivals Liam Kelly and Laurence Maguire, along with a highly regarded League One level defender in Nathan Thompson, a replacement for Thompson after he got a season-ending injury in his second game, and Dan Crowley, who’d been man of the match when MK Dons lost to Notts County on Boxing Day.

But nothing clicked. A winless February truly saw the Dons’ promotion hopes slide out of view and things ultimately became untenable, with Lindsey shown the door in March after a 1-0 loss at home to Colchester in a game where Jack Payne’s first return to MK saw him deliver the final insult.

MK Dons turned to Ben Gladwin, a former Dons midfielder who had previously succeeded Lindsey as an interim at Crawley. But after two promising results early on in beating Morecambe and Cheltenham, things slumped again, with a truly miserable week that saw the Dons concede 10 goals in losing to Fleetwood, Notts County and Barrow perhaps being a rock bottom moment for season and club.

It all means that for MK Dons, the upcoming summer means this will have to be a time when they have to go away and dream it all up again. Near the end of the season, they found the man they want to lead the rebuild.

In something of a coup, the Dons were able to land Paul Warne, last seen taking Derby County into the Championship. Warne’s four games feel almost disconnected from the rest of the season, with a more defensively solid Dons keeping 4 clean sheets in a row, having only kept 5 clean sheets in the entire remainder of the season before that.

One of those was the grand farewell to Dean Lewington, who at age 40 has opted to hang up his boots and means that next season will be the strange new world that is a Dons without Dean, who’d played in every campaign since the formation of the club in 2004. Such was the affection shown his way in his final home game that many appreciate the gravity of such a scene change.

Going forward, Warne’s task will now be to mould what he has into something better. There are certainly players with potential to launch a promotion push, and indeed players who can call upon the experience they previously showed in promotions with others, so transfer work will presumably be underway to find those who can elevate the squad to the next level.

It looks as though Warne’s philosophy will move on from the pass-heavy MK Way philosophy, which many MK Dons fans seem perfectly content with given how that approach seemed to break down this season.

Several games seemed to fit a continual loop of MK Dons being unable to break down a low block and struggle to create chances, nevermind goals, so it makes sense that having run out of road, it’s time for something else.

If the 2024/25 season is anything, it’s that MK Dons at least avoided a total nadir in falling into the National League, with a Morecambe team beset by off-pitch problems and the aforementioned Carlisle sliding out instead.

If nothing else, MK Dons can be content the season cleared that low bar, but a ton of work is required to sculpt a squad that can be competitive at the other end of the table and prove lessons have been learned from what we’ve just seen them do.

Police are appealing for information as part of an investigation into the murder of Sabrina Brett in Milton Keynes in 1995.

Sabrina was just 17-years-old when she was tragically murdered. Her body was found in the Grand Union Canal at Three Locks, Stoke Hammond, by a member of the public on 11 May 1995.

A post mortem revealed that Sabrina had died a number of days before her body was found. She also had sustained injuries to her head, face and neck.

On the 30 year anniversary of the case, Thames Valley Police said that they were seeking further information to uncover the truth on what happened.

Head of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Investigation Review Team, Principal Investigator Peter Beirne said, “It is now thirty years since the tragic death of Sabrina Brett.

“We know that in the months leading up to her murder, she was the subject of child sexual exploitation.

“On this, the anniversary of her death, I am appealing for help in identifying who was responsible for both her death and her exploitation.

“I would urge anyone that has information to please contact us, either by visiting your local police station, calling 101, or via our website, quoting crime reference number 1745 (6/5).

“In particular, I would like friends of Sabrina to contact us, so that we can build up a picture of her life, in the weeks leading up to her death.

“You can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

“A reward up to £20,000 has been offered by Crimestoppers for information given directly to the charity which leads directly to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Sabrina’s murder.”

Sabrina Brett’s brother Joseph added, “Sabrina was just 17 years old when she was brutally murdered and taken from us in the most horrific way back in 1995. She was so bright and cheeky and full of life. She had an infectious energy that could fill a room and light it up from corner to corner. She had the kindest of hearts and always put others first, and like any teenager, still figuring out who she was. Sabrina was a daughter, a sister, a young girl who never got the future she deserved.

“Sabrina had been exposed to things no child should ever have to face. Sabrina was a victim of sexual exploitation and heartbreakingly, taken advantage of at such a young age. She deserved care, not cruelty.

“Nearly 30 years have passed, and the person who did this to her has never been brought to justice. We can’t describe the pain of living all these years without answers.

“What is even more painful is knowing that our mum passed away recently, heartbroken, knowing that the person who killed Sabrina is still out there and walking free. She died carrying that grief and that grief weighed on her heart every single day of her life.

“We are speaking out now because someone out there knows something. Maybe you’ve held it in for years. Maybe you were afraid back then. But time has passed, and now is the time to do what’s right.

“Please — if you know anything, even the smallest detail, we’re begging you to come forward. Maybe you saw something, heard a name, heard a story, maybe you’ve carried a piece of this puzzle for years. It’s not too late. We’re pleading with you: please come forward.

“Please help us get justice for Sabrina and bring peace to our family. A very dangerous person, or people, are still on the loose and could commit further crimes against other women or girls if they are not caught.

“If you know anything at all, no matter how small it might seem, please come forward. 

“Your courage could finally give Sabrina the justice she was denied.”

MK Dons have confirmed there will be a restructuring of their women’s first team, which will now be directly run by MK Dons itself.

Since 2009, the Women’s First Team had been run by the Milton Keynes Dons Sports & Education Trust, but the club have now confirmed that they will be incorporated into the operations of MK Dons as a whole from July 1st.

MK Dons made the move after a difficult season for the women’s team in the 2024/25 season. After a mass exodus of players and coaches in the summer of 2024, the Dons’ women’s team picked up a return of just one single point from 22 games, with no wins, 21 defeats and a final goal difference of -114.

The club said, “After a difficult 24/25 season, it’s our hope this strategic move will increase the visibility of Women’s football in Milton Keynes while also improving infrastructure for players, coaches and staff.

“The move will also give the club the opportunity to sustainably market women’s football, leading to increased opportunities for investment via commercial sponsorships and improved attendance on matchdays.”

The restructure will see the club appoint a new first team manager and head coach for it’s women’s set-up as they seek to rebuild in the fourth tier of women’s football.

The club’s CEO Neil Hart told the official website that he was happy to achieve plans for the integration process.

He said, “The integration of the Women’s First Team has been a goal for the new ownership group and myself since they acquired MK Dons last summer, so we’re delighted to announce this exciting development just nine months later.

“We’re very ambitious for the team and what the move represents for women and girls in Milton Keynes. In the short term, the aim is to semi-professionalise the squad before delivering pragmatic growth over the coming years, which will include the appointment of a full-time women’s first team manager.

“MK Dons and MK Dons Women have been separate for too long, and we’re so pleased this will now change, allowing for better integration between the sides as one club.

“I’d like to thank everyone at MK Dons SET, as well as players, coaches and staff, for their tireless work over the years. You’ve made the difference, and we’re so excited to build on your fantastic work. As ever, we’d also like to thank the MK Dons Supporters’ Board for their invaluable feedback.”

MK Dons’ Chairman Fahad Al Ghanim added that he was also pleased to make the move happen.

He said, “This is a proud moment for us all as we look to offer women and girls in Milton Keynes a fantastic football club to play for, support and champion!

“As anyone who lives in MK will know, we’re a one-city club. We’re delighted that any women and girls interested in participating in the sport will now directly benefit from a fantastic ‘semi-professional’ team that represents them, as well as a clear development pathway underneath it.

“This is a clear statement of intent from MK Dons, myself and the Board of directors, as well as everyone who works at Stadium MK.

“We’re at a pivotal moment for women’s sport, this is the right thing to do, and we’re thrilled to re-establish and support its continued development.

“With many incredible women already working at MK Dons, we’re delighted this move will create even more opportunities and see even more inspiring and ambitious staff welcomed into the club.”