The first-ever Manchester Derby FA Cup final in the history of the competition is just around the corner and while not everyone is able to be there at Wembley for the momentous occasion, it’s still a massive day for the city and fans will be out in full-force to watch the big fixture.
That being said, derby day is always an interesting one and while plenty of you will be watching it at home, town is going to be absolutely buzzing with big game atmosphere, not to mention everyone else out enjoying a weekend full of sun.
So, if you are wanting to go out and watch it in the pub, it’s worth having an idea of where you’re going rather than just rocking up half an hour before kick-off.
With that in mind, we thought we’d put together a list of the 10 best places where to watch the 2023 FA Cup final in Manchester. We thought we’d start with a few places for each fan base.
United pubs in Manchester city centre
The Old Nag’s Head
If you’re a Red, there isn’t any other place to start than The Old Nag’s Head, without a doubt the most popular pub for Man United fans in the city. Spread across multiple floors, with plenty of screens, karaoke and a rooftop terrace to boot, it’s arguably the best place to be when you’re not at the game.
Next up is the Sir Ralph Abercromby, literally located just a street over from the Nag and equally packed with United fans on matchdays. With Class of ’92 members often spotted here, a massive beer garden with outdoor screens and even a fast food truck around the back, this place has everything you need to enjoy the game.
And thirdly we have Mulligans of Deansgate: a Manchester institution and home of the best pint of Guinness you’ll find in 0161. This Irish bar is heaving every weekend regardless, but it’s also a second home for lifelong Reds and has live music on every night. You’re sure to be chanting your head off in here if United win.
Now, as for Manchester City pubs, there isn’t any more famous than Mary D’s. The Beamish Bar, to give it its full title, it’s wall-to-wall with Blues before and after every matchday. Literally on the doorstep of the Etihad Stadium, it has a floor-to-ceiling painting of the old Maine Road ground and boasts affordable pints, live music and ‘the fastest service’ around. A Man City mecca, if you will.
As for closer into the city centre, you don’t get much more convenient than The Waldorf. Though it often has other fans come through its doors, you can make no mistake about which fan base dominates this pub come a City matchday. Located little just down the steps from Piccadilly Station, it’s always full of Blues before, during and after games — it’s got a great selection of beer and food too.
The Townley
As for our third and final pick for you Blues, The Townley is another one that is just a stone’s throw away from the Etihad — we’re talking only a couple of minutes. With a beer garden out front and in the back, not to mention still family-friendly enough to take the kids, it’s always a good vibe over here.
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Sports bars in Manchester
Now, we obviously need a list of neutral places for people to go along to watch the game and while there are a hundred and one places that are perfect to watch the footy with a pint, but we just thought we’d pick out a few of our recent favourites to get you started.
These are in no particular order, either, we love them all too much to play favourites so you’ll just have to make your own minds up on this one.
First on the list is BOX bar on Deansgate, which has quickly become not only one of the best places to watch sport in Manchester but one of the busiest bars in town full stop. Spread across two floors with screens on virtually every wall (including a massive jumbotron) not to mention shuffleboard, live music and massive pitchers of beer and cocktails, you can see why people pack this place out every weekend.
Next up is Tib Street Tavern which has remained a go-to for anyone wanting to watch sport in town for years and for good reason. With massive wall-sized screens, quality food, big booths for you to book with you and your mates, as well as great deals on booze, you have to be quick to get in here.
Another one of our personal faves is Calcio! over in Northern Quarter. A relative newcomer to the Manchester sports bar scene, the Italian football-themed watering hole is a great place not only to watch this year’s Manchester Derby FA Cup final but if you fancy juicy burgers and retro videogames.
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The Brotherhood
Last but not least, we have The Brotherhood Of Pursuits And Pastimes, to give it its full name. This Manc institution remains one of the best places to watch sport in town. Also boasting two floors with dozens of screens, pool tables, darts, table tennis and more, including a great food menu, it’s a regular haunt for post-work pints and matchday fans. Just look at how buzzing it was back in December — can’t go wrong.
This is, of course, by no means an exhaustive list but for a few more options you can always check out our list of the best places to watch the World Cup, which has plenty more pubs and bars that will welcome any football fan ahead of the big fixture.
Regardless of who comes out on top, it’s going to be a massive day for the city and United and City fans everywhere, just make sure you look after each other and enjoy yourselves.
So, who do we reckon is winning it then? Is ten Hag going to make it two domestic cups in his first season or are Pep’s Premier League champions going to do the treble?
Featured Image — David Dixon/Calcio/Mary D’s Beamish Bar
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The player celebrations from Stockport County’s League Two trophy presentation are glorious
Danny Jones
If you’re a Stockport County fan, you’ve had a very good year as the Hatters have just been crowned League Two champions and will be back in the English third tier next season – safe to say they’ve been making most of the trophy celebrations.
Players and staff very much included.
Edgeley was filled with flares and even people climbing on rooftops when they officially secured promotion back to League One for the first time in 12 years – the second time they’ve managed to go up in three seasons – and there was a great attendance in Stockport town centre for the bus parade.
But it was last week’s trophy presentation back at the stadium that produced some of the most memorable scenes, with County topping off a season of impressive and often high-scoring performances on the pitch with plenty more pageantry. Cue the music.
— Stockport (C)ounty (@StockportCounty) May 3, 2024
No one ever takes those pitch invasion ‘warnings’ seriously – not even the players.
We still haven’t stopped laughing at Kyle Knoyle.
From bringing Isaac Olaofe’s ‘Tanto’s on fire!’ chant to life to hammering home puns on names like Fraser Horsfall, no matter how obvious, these are the kind of deeply unserious celebrations we expect from a trophy presentation.
County fan or not, you’ve got to admit it looks like a good party.
It’s moments like these that players, fans and staff work hard all season for; to prat around like muppets in front of their adoring supporters. They even got assistant coach, Clint Hill, in the mix and, as it turns out, he proved to be one of the biggest ring-leaders.
We sincerely hope the Hatters keep trickling out more of these party scenes as we know there’s plenty more that fans would love to watch back.
We’re still yet to see captain Paddy Madden, who won Player of the Month for April, and the gaffer himself, Dave Challinor, who has comfortably secured his legacy as one of the club’s all-time greats.
Challinor and the club have made no secret of seriously eyeing up the Championship and who knows what else at County’s momentum continues to build, especially with a huge stadium redevelopment kicking off soon.
What do you reckon, Hatters – do you reckon a third promotion could be on the cards?
Erik ten Hag opens up on Man United’s failed Harry Kane and Frenkie de Jong transfers
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has shed more light on his club’s failure to sign two key transfer targets in previous transfer windows, Harry Kane and Frenkie de Jong.
With Man United‘s interest in the proven Premier League star and England captain along with the former Ajax star turned Barcelona midfielder having been widely publicised last year, it was no secret that they were top of the wish list at Old Trafford but nothing concrete ever came of it.
Now, addressing the Kane and de Jong transfers directly for the first time, ten Hag not only admitted that he wanted to sign them but that he wasn’t given the full backing of the board to do so, suggesting that his squad therefore missed out two key talents that he hoped to build the playing style around.
Speaking to club legend Gary Neville in a Sky Sports exclusive, the 54-year-old was careful not to outwardly criticise the previous executives – the majority of whom have now departed – but confessed that they weren’t able to get either deal across the line.
"I can see a striker who already proved it, who we wanted to sign" 🗣
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag speaks to Gary Neville about wanting to sign Harry Kane 👀 pic.twitter.com/oPSqQAxXNM
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 3, 2024
As you can see, ten Hag revealed that he quickly identified Kane as the ‘proven’ striker who could have brought “30 goals” to the team but that they simply couldn’t get him, presumably down to the potential transfer fee and wage expectations.
The 30-year-old striker obviously went on to sign for German giants Bayern Munich and has now broken the record for the most goals in a debut Bundesliga season, not mention being on the verge of surpassing the highest-ever tally in a single campaign, held by Robert Lewandowski (41).
He went on to express that he has every faith in the striker they did manage to sign, insisting that 21-year-old Rasmus Højlund “will get there [to that level] but needs time” and was offered some of “the biggest potential” on the market when they snapped him up.
As for his fellow Dutchman, de Jong – who he previously coached as part of the hugely talented Ajax which impressed so many in 2018/19 – ten Hag hinted at the failure to sign him as being a key factor in why he couldn’t implement his tactics at United, telling Neville: “you have to bring in [the right] players”.
The three-time Eredivisie winner went on to explain, “You need the player with those typical assets and you can’t bring a player, say, here who has a [certain] style of play I don’t want to change his nature.”
With Neville naming de Jong specifically, ten Hag confirmed the name by adding that he envisioned a partnership between him and Casemiro or, indeed, Kobbie Mainoo eventually, adding: “They would have been really complimentary with each other, absolutely. That is the [type of player you need] if you want to play the Ajax style.
However, despite having reportedly agreed on a sizeable fee with Barcelona (the number of which has been much disputed), it came to be that de Jong seemingly didn’t want the move and preferred to stay with the Catalan club.
As a result, this meant that United had to continue experimenting with different midfield combinations and signing alternatives like Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount, who perhaps weren’t as high up on the list of transfer targets or as well suited to ten Hag’s desired approach on the pitch.
ten Hag ultimately went on to add that a laundry list of injury problems this season has also derailed the progress of his squad as a unit, with the Red Devils having been forced to utilise 31 different back-four combinations so far.
There have been some rumblings that de Jong could be open to another potential move elsewhere again this summer, but it’s fair to say that even if they were in the running it will take more than one player to get his side back on track.
You can watch the interview with Gary Neville in full HERE.
It remains to be seen how well ten Hag will be backed by the new footballing administration this summer but it is said United are willing to consider serious offers for several members of their first-team squad as they look to raise funds for any prospective incomings.