It’s the FA Cup final again this weekend and, in case you somehow didn’t get the memo, it’s also another Manchester derby, so the hordes of Mancs who can’t make it to Wembley are obviously trying to figure out the best places to watch it.
Not only a back-to-back meeting between the two teams but just the second time in history that the iconic rivalry has been played out in the final, it’s safe to say it’s going to be a momentous occasion.
While tens of thousands of Mancs are set to descend upon the capital this Saturday, 25 May, we can’t all fit in there, so fans of both sides will be out in full force to watch the big fixture.
So, with that in mind, we thought we’d put together a dozen of the best places in town where you can watch the 2024 FA Cup final right here in Manchester. Let’s start with a few places for each fan base:
Man United pubs in the city centre
1. The Old Nag’s Head
David Dixon (via Geograph)MUSC Nottingham (via Twitter)The best place for any United fan to watch the game, let alone an FA Cup final.
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, is 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.
2. The Waldorf
Right near the train station too. (The Waldorf via Instagram)
As for closer to 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.
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 up your own minds 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 sports 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 the 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 for whenever you fancy great food and retro videogames.
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4. 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.
Next up, it’s a mainstay on the ever-growing list of Manc sports bars for good reason: it’s a solid pub with great grub, lots on tap and, most importantly, lots of tellies. Big sharing platters, a pool table and a nice central location that’s easy for even out-of-towners to find, you won’t go far wrong with Directors Box
Last but not least, we’ve picked Gasworks over on First Street, in part because lots of people don’t realise they show live sport – but having spent many a final, Euros and World Cup match in here, we can confirm they drum up a great atmosphere.
Nice and neutral, not to mention with darts and shuffleboard to keep you busy, you’ll find plenty of footy fans and those just coming along for the day out gathering around the big projector in here come Saturday, 25 May.
A severely underrated spot when it comes to live sport, in our opinion. (Gasworks via IG)
This is, of course, by no means an exhaustive list but there are plenty more pubs and bars that will welcome any football fan ahead of the big fixture.
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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 two seasons or are Pep’s Premier League champions going defend another third of the treble and manage a domestic double?
Featured Image — David Dixon/Calcio/Mary D’s Beamish Bar
Sport
Manchester City auctioning off exclusive ‘artefacts’ from Pep Guardiola’s office
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to auction off a limited number of used and/or signed items previously owned by legendary football manager Pep Guardiola himself.
The iconic Catalan head coach may have now left the club, but it’s fair to say that supporters are still grieving the bittersweet goodbye – and if you’re one of them, then this might be a good way of clinging on to him and the memories.
Teaming up with MatchWornShirt, an authentic collectables company that deals in memorabilia used by the sporting stars themselves, fans will soon be able to own a ‘piece of Pep’ if they so wish as part of this very special merchandise dump.
So, if you’re a collector of signed or match-worn merch, here’s a taster of what’s up for grabs:
Several items from @PepTeam's office are up for auction 🤝
Yes, should they be willing to put in the winning bid, Blues can genuinely own some of Guardiola‘s office knick-nacks, a tactics board and notes scribed on by the man himself, as well as his actual chair and even his whistle.
Does that count as kissing him? That’s not for us to say…
There is more standard fare, of course, such as worn training kits, photo frames, programmes and other printed media – almost all of which are signed by the 55-year-old.
On the other hand, if you’re so inclined to go for the super rare stuff, you can even buy his desk lamp and go-to coffee cups; whatever floats your boat.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss left Etihad Stadium this summer after 10 years as a Cityzen – with the club even releasing a dedicated ‘Decade Collection’ in his honour – and it now looks as though he could be set for his next job.
His former assistant turned replacement and ex-U23s/Elite Development Squad (EDS), Enzo Maresca, is now in place and making his first impressions on the City squad; safe to say it’ll take some work to leave the same lasting legacy as his mentor.
As for the auction, the club have labelled these exclusive trinkets as “artefacts”, promising that you won’t get many other opportunities, if any, to claim this kind of ‘KeePepsake’.
Meanwhile, in other MCFC news, the City Football Group (CFG) are taking steps to ensure local fans have easier access to matchday tickets with a new postcode lottery, of sorts.
Featured Images — Manchester City Football Club (supplied)
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Manchester United fan groups issue urgent joint letter as thousands could lose season tickets
Danny Jones
Man United fan groups have banded together to issue a joint statement as they look to urgently rectify thousands of loyal supporters having their season tickets taken away by the club.
The backlash to the confusing cancellations has been huge, and Man United themselves are yet to issue an official response or carry out the mass revocation.
More than 5,000 matchgoers are said to have received emails from MUFC informing them that their season tickets are set to be cancelled due to alleged ‘breaches of their ticket-sharing policies’. This comes as part of a wider attempt at cracking down on touts.
Manchester United’s official Supporters Trust (MUST) has joined forces with the other major fan groups to sign an urgent letter demanding not only answers but a halting of the current process and correction of what looks to be countless mistakes when it comes to ticketing decisions.
2/ The recent actions of Manchester United have finally achieved what those efforts could not: a unanimous, historic and unprecedented unification of
— MUST | Manchester United Supporters Trust (@MU_ST) July 21, 2026
The joint plea comes not only from MUST but also from fellow vocal organisations such as The Red Army (TRA), The 1958, and the Manchester United Youth Supporters Club, all of whom represent some of the most passionate and die-hard fans who travel far and wide to see their team week in and week out.
It goes on to detail that all relevant Fans’ Forum representatives, more than 100 different and crucially official supporters clubs, as well as the notable fanzine, United We Stand, have all signed the document.
The full statement goes on to read: “Earlier today, a message was sent to Manchester United emphasising full support for the Fans’ Forum’s recent letter relating to the premature suspension of Season Ticket Holders without required evidence.
“In summary, we have reiterated the demands made by the FF: immediately halt the ongoing suspension process, immediately retract all unproven suspensions, confirm the current number of season tickets; explain its apparent policy of reducing the number of STs, and confirm that all reclaimed STs are reissued to supporters on the waiting list.”
Here’s just a small taste of what fans are reporting online – including claims of local rivals Manchester City carrying out similarly brutal broad-strokes culling of the core match-going base…
Disgraceful how United are treating their most loyal supporters. The club is completely out of touch with the supporters who have been the lifeblood of the club for years. https://t.co/snM7tgVYmy
Can't even take the piss because this is coming to all Premier League clubs at some stage, including us. They don't want the legacy fans, they want the tourists https://t.co/fkg911xr3y
Many are already turning wherever they can for advice and help over the deeply troubling matter, with the consensus seeming to be that the parameters for these new measures have failed to target the right kind of touting, which does remain a problem throughout football at large.
One person claimed that “the club is targeting ‘super-users’ who log into multiple accounts from the same network or device to submit away applications, handle renewals, check ballot results, etc.”
Passing on tickets when you can’t make matches isn’t just inevitable: it’s been part and parcel of the game since forever and is also an effort to ensure that the person taking your place isn’t just any old fan but an active supporter; i.e. there’s meaning behind that word – it’s not just a noun but a verb.
That being said, it isn’t these people who should be punished but those genuinely trying to scam the system and take already expensive tickets out of real fans’ hands.
In perhaps one of the most heartbreaking posts shared on social media, another X user wrote: “Just back from holiday to discover family and friends have had their season tickets suspended.
“I’ve been offline for the past week and had no idea how widely the club had cast its net – or how many innocent Reds have been caught up in this. My uncle is 82 years old. A lifelong Red. Potentially banned because his son (also facing ban) helps him manage an app he struggles to use.” Simply gutting.
While they are still waiting for direct communication from the club on the matter, MUST have promised to share the reaction publicly “in the interests of transparency and fairness”, along with any and all “potential consequences” as a consequence of what they ultimately decide.
For anyone deliberating over just how important these tickets are not only to people who spend their hard-earned money and downtime following their club, just think of howmany rely on going to the game as a crucial social outlet.
It’s more than just watching a bunch of blokes kicking a ball around.
My heart goes out to everyone battling against the club right now. Whatever has gone on, losing your season ticket, or even the threat of it, is the worst. Seen people who have been all around watching this team for decades who are now being told they can’t go anymore. Horrible.
Danny Jones -
23rd May 2024 
