Major ‘plan ahead’ warning issued before Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Manchester Marathon new community fund Trafford MCR Active

A major ‘plan ahead’ warning for the weekend has been issued ahead of what is set to be Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far.

Heading into the city centre this weekend? Yeah… you and everyone else by the sounds of it, as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is encouraging people to plan their journeys ahead of a ‘Super Sunday’ that sees the return of the Manchester Marathon, while Manchester City also take on rivals Arsenal at the Etihad.

More than 40,000 runners and countless supporters will arrive in Greater Manchester for the marathon on Sunday 19 April.

Runners will set off from the Trafford Arch, near Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium from 8:55am until 11:30am, with the 26.2 mile route covering areas such as Deansgate, Stretford, Sale, Chorlton, and Altrincham, before finishing outside the University of Manchester (UoM) on Oxford Road.

As has already been announced, there will be several road closures, traffic and parking suspensions in Manchester and Trafford to enable the marathon to take place.

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A Metrolink tram in Manchester city centre
Manchester Marathon
A major ‘plan ahead’ warning has been issued ahead of Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far / Credit: Janus Boye | Supplied

These are likely to cause congestion and delays in the affected areas, TfGM has confirmed, and there will be ‘widespread’ bus diversions.

Elsewhere in the city, Manchester City’s Premier League clash with fellow title-chasers Arsenal kicks off at 4:30pm – with 55,000 fans set to be making their way to the match.

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Due to both of these major events taking place on the same day, Bee Network trams and dedicated matchday buses are being touted as the best ways to get around.

It’s predicted that the Altrincham and East Didsbury lines will be ‘very busy’ on the day, and people may have to wait to board a tram so should allow at least 30-minutes extra time for travel, with the quickest way to pay being the contactless ‘tap and go’ payments, where fares are, of course, capped and automatically calculated based on the number of zones you travel through.

Those travelling by bus over the weekend should do so at quieter times where possible, and are advised to check the Bee Network travel alerts hub for any diversions on their route.

Match day buses will still run, but fans should expect some route changes due to the marathon road closures.

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People are being ‘strongly advised’ by TfGM not to drive – but for those that need to, using a park and ride site and continuing the journey by tram is a ‘quick and easy’ way to travel into the city centre, and is also free with a valid Metrolink ticket.

Further information for runners, spectators, and match-goers, as well as those making other journeys on Sunday, can be found on the dedicated Bee Network webpage here.

Featured Image – Manchester Marathon

Michael Carrick brands Lisandro Martinez’s red card as ‘one of the worst’ decisions he’s ever seen

Danny Jones Danny Jones Carrick says Martinez red card is one of the worst decision he's ever seen

Michael Carrick has dubbed the red card shown to Lisando Martinez on Monday night “one of the worst I’ve seen”.

In case you missed it, Martinez’s sending off proved to be the decisive moment in Manchester United’s sour defeat to old rivals Leeds.

Despite pulling one back through another Bruno Fernandes assist and another Casemiro header from a set-piece, Man United went on to lose 2-1 in what was Leeds’ first win at Old Trafford since 1981.

A night to remember for the Whites and one that Reds, equally and ironically, won’t soon forget either, with the Argentinian being dismissed for what the referees deemed ‘violent conduct’. For those who haven’t seen it, here’s the incident in question:

While there is a noticeable grabbing of the hair, Carrick and many others are understandably questioning the perceived ‘force’ that influenced Paul Tierney’s final ruling.

Put simply, many have put it down to whether or not it’s a hair pull/grab and how much of a tug the opponent felt.

Yorkshire-born striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin said in an interview after the whistle: “I don’t make the rules. I told the referee that my hair was pulled.”

Clearly, Carrick is far from the only one who thinks it was a “shocking” call from the officials, either.

Several pundits argued that it was “harsh” to send off ‘Licha’, with even old foes like former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher stating live on Sky Sports’ MNF analysis of the game: “I think everybody in the game is looking at that and thinking, ‘Oh, come on. That is not a red card. Behave yourself!

As the current interim Man United boss – on whom it remains to be seen whether or not he will get the job full-time – he was left visibly frustrated in his own post-match pressers, highlighting that there were other moments in the game that the referees missed or simply overlooked.

The Stretford finally saw their interim head coach make his emotions plain to see.

Fans online have cited other recent examples, such as Man City’s Antoine Semenyo having his hair pulled against Fulham just a couple of months ago, which went unpunished, as well as David Brooks getting away with only a booking for something similar on Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella back in January.

The general consensus in the stands on the night at Old Trafford, on social media in the aftermath, and indeed throughout the Premier League, is that supporters simply want more consistency when it comes to stuff like this.

Rule books change and get more complicated all the time; that’s just football, but if that is the way it will continue going, arbitrators like the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) have to uphold their own standards.

Now slapped with a three-match ban, Martinez had only just returned to the fold but will now be missing once again. Another absentee whose presence was clearly missed on the night was midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, though United fans will at least be relieved to hear his injury is nothing serious.

And that’s not the only positive update regarding the homegrown young star, either…

Kobbie Mainoo’s new Manchester United contract is edging closer

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Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshots via YouTube)

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