England’s next World Cup match will take place this Saturday – but clashes with some huge gigs taking place in Manchester.
Thankfully, fans with tickets for either Blossoms or Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott will now be able to watch the game in a massive setting.
Arrangements have been made to show the quarter final game at theAO Arena and at the O2 Apollo – and Paul Heaton’s even gone a step further for fans who don’t actually like football.
He’s said that the group have arranged to have some live entertainment in the arena concourse, and are hoping to serve free mulled wine to those who don’t want to watch England vs France.
Kick off is around 7pm on Saturday, leaving many fans facing missing the start of the gigs to go and watch the action in nearby pubs and bars.
And it’s full steam ahead, with a statement confirming a new running order for Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott at the AO Arena.
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He wrote in a statement: “Following some lengthy thought and discussion, we have decided that we will now be showing the England v France match on the screens at AO Arena Manchester on Saturday evening.
“The venue have kindly agreed to open doors from 5pm so that you can all get in on time to see the fantastic Billy Bragg who has also shown great sportsmanship by agreeing to take to the stage at the earlier time of 6:15pm. This means the match can then be shown on the screens from 7pm.
“We are mindful that there will be people that won’t be keen on watching the match (we did, unsuccessfully, look at alternative entertainment within the arena itself) and also worried about transport home, but we assure you that Paul & Jacqui will still take to the stage by 9pm, meaning the show will finish around 10:40/45pm.
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Following some lengthy thought and discussion, we have decided that we will now be showing the England v France match on the screens at the @AOArena Manchester on Saturday evening. For full information please read the attached statement… pic.twitter.com/rg6T00hCF5
“This does mean we won’t be showing any extra time if that occurs, but if it does Paul and Jacqui will be very keen to keep you updated from the stage. With the right result this could be a great night!
“Times for the evening are as follows: 5pm Doors open, 6:15pm Billy Bragg, 7pm England v France game on the Arena screens, 9pm Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott.”
Blossoms have made similar moves, and will be showing England vs France over at the O2 Apollo.
An email circulated to ticket-holders said: “The England v France FIFA World Cup quarter final match will be shown live on the big screen prior to Blossoms’ performance at O2 Apollo Manchester on Saturday 10th December.
“Doors: 17:00. Brooke Combe: 18:10. England v France: 19:00 kick off Blossoms: 21:15*
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“*In the event of extra time/penalties, times will be adjusted accordingly.”
One person tweeted Paul Heaton to say: “I’m unfortunately not going but I think what you have done is brilliant – ensuring that given the occasion people can still watch the match and watch you at the agreed time as well. As usual, you put the fans first.”
Featured image: Publicity pictures
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Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It's the funeral of Mani of the Stone Roses on the 22nd. He lived locally. This poster is asking people to line the route of his funeral cortege to "show that he truly was adored". pic.twitter.com/X0DYHl10Hp
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Daisy Jackson -
8th December 2022 
