Anyone who’s been lucky enough to spend a match day in the city centre could probably tell you this, but now it’s official.
Manchester has been named the best place in the UK to watch Euro 2020.
After a year of postponement due to the pandemic, European football’s flagship tournament finally kicked off last month with 24 countries going head to head in a battle to take home the coveted trophy – and now, nearly four weeks later, just three teams remain.
Italy booked their spot in Sunday’s final after beating Spain in a close call that went all the way to penalties last night, and this evening, England look to do the same.
All eyes will be on Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad at 8pm as they take on Denmark in the second semi-final at Wembley.
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But until that result’s decided, Manchester has claimed a victory of its own.
Thanks to timely research led by mobile reseller Buymobiles, 28 of the UK’s major cities have been ranked based on a number of different factors, including the average cost of a pint, venue ratings, and a ‘footy-mad’ score determined by Google Trends – and Manchester has unsurprisingly clinched the top spot.
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Top 10 Places to Watch Euro 2020 in the UK
Manchester
Liverpool
Edinburgh
Newcastle
Glasgow
Leeds
Belfast
Southampton
Aberdeen
Sheffield
28 of the UK’s major cities have been ranked based on a number of different factors / Credit: Buymobiles
Overall, the North West proved to the best region to watch this summer’s championships, with Liverpool taking the second spot just behind Manchester.
Scotland also proved extremely successful based on the metrics measured, boasting two cities in the top five and three in the top ten, and with Newcastle, Leeds, Belfast, Southampton and Sheffield all making up the rest of the top ten, there seems to be quite an even split geographically throughout the UK, which means you’re never too far away from a great Euro 2020 experience.
But if there’s anywhere you’d want to be, it’s in Manchester.
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Manchester is a city that’s obsessed with football and it’s a sport that’s so ingrained in our culture, so it’s not hard to see why we’ve taken this title.
As you’d expect, there’s plenty of venues that have been going all out for the Euros this year.
There’s plenty of venues that have been going all out for the Euros this year / Credit: Oast House | Euro 2020
The semi-finals and grand finale of Euro 2020 may be being held at English football’s home ground of Wembley Stadium in London, but if you’re not able to make the trip down south, there’s certainly no shortage of pubs and bars in Manchester city centre that are putting on a good show.
Whether England make it to their first final of a major tournament since 1966, or they bow out at the final hurdle, you won’t want to miss Euro 2020 drawing to a close.
Looking for somewhere to cheer on the Three Lions last minute?
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We’ve picked out 20 of the best spots to watch Euro 2020 in Manchester city centre here.
Featured Image – 4theFans
UK News
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
UK News
A rare piglet born at Chester Zoo could help save an entire species from extinction
Danny Jones
A very cute and rare new arrival at Chester Zoo could potentially save the animal’s future, and she might just be one of the cutest little piglets we’ve ever seen.
Say hello to Rana.
A tiny ‘babirusa’ – also sometimes referred to as the ‘pig-deer’ – Rana is an indigenous species found on just four small Indonesian islands, and one which is sadly on the verge of extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Part of the threat to the population is due to African Swine Fever (not to be confused with swine flu), which reached these islands around half a decade ago and could see these precious little pigs considered ‘critically endangered’ very soon. But Chester Zoo are working hard to prevent this outcome.
Born this summer, Rana is the baby of mother babirusa Matano, who was herself born at Chester Zoo over a decade ago.
Fast forward 11 years, and she has descendants living in zoos all across Europe, as well as a whole new generation of children here in the UK.
However, she is the first one born in some time, with this particular phylum only ever birthing one or two kids at a time as opposed to a litter like most other pigs.
Described as being like grapefruit “only with legs”, she may be small for now, but she’s growing fast and carries the weight of big hopes and expectations for the rest of her kind.
Chester Zoo conservationists are currently working with partners to protect wild babirusa populations through Action Indonesia‘s Global Species Management Plans.
Helping design camera-trapping projects to monitor babirusas on Sulawesi, and working with other organisations to locate and protect surviving numbers, the aim is to share conservation breeding expertise, with results so far having bred at least 17 babirusas towards national cooperative targets.
For context, only on two occasions were babirusas photographed in the wild during the entirety of 2023-24, hence why efforts have been ramped up even further over the past year or so.
Amy Humphreys, a conservationist at the zoo who is working with Action Indonesia, the country’s government and other groups to combat their decline and rescue this species, says we are in “a race against time” to save these omnivorous, ‘charismatic’ and intelligent pigs.
She goes on to add that “babirusas are important to island ecosystems as they drop seeds as they forage, helping forest regeneration, and they are a key indicator species for overall environmental health, but their situation is bleak.
“We risk losing a truly unique species, one that’s an important part of Indonesia’s cultural and natural heritage and one of the oldest pig species still living […] Rana’s arrival is worth celebrating; her birth is a chance to shine a light on babirusas and show people why they deserve protection.”
It’s uplifting and inspiring stories like this that constantly remind us why we’re fortunate we are to have the award-winning zoo and conservation centre in our region; and if you were wondering whether we’ll be booking a trip soon just in hopes of seeing little Rana running around, you’d be absolutely right.
Emily Sergeant -
7th July 2021 
