It has been confirmed this afternoon that Greater Manchester willmove into Tier 3 under the government’s new three tier coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions scheme.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the move a few with a £22 million support package.
Under Tier 3 rules, pubs and bars that do not serve “substantial” meals must close, with betting shops, casinos, bingo halls, adult gaming centres and soft play areas also required to close doors.
Different households will be banned from mixing indoors and outdoors, including in private gardens, and travel in/out the area is also advised against.
Gyms and certain fitness facilities have however been permitted to remain open.
The Tier 3 restrictions for the region will come into force from 00.01am on Friday 23rd October.
BREAKING: Greater Manchester will enter Tier 3 #coronavirus restrictions, Boris Johnson has confirmed.
The prime minister says the lockdown will come into force at midnight on Thursday.
With some confusion then arising surrounding the support package, Mr Johnson was asked in a follow-up question if he’s only offering £22m to Greater Manchester and retracting the tens of millions more reportedly offered? He says he regrets having to impose restrictions on people, but he has to look at the data and it shows “I have to act”.
The £22m is “additional to other support – we’re always happy to consider that”, he clarifies, without explicitly saying if he’s offering more or not, and further stated that “we wanted a deal” and “that was the best way forward”.
On the question of exactly how much money the region will get, he says he’s described “some of the funds already on the table”, but that “other discussions undoubtedly will continue”.
Mr Johnson closed out the press conference emphasising that “we’re walking a narrow path” to avoid a second national lockdown, but on a final note of hope, he says universities have “done a great job” of getting the virus under control.
He added: “The R is currently above 1 but it’s not that much above 1.
“If we all follow the guidance together… then I’ve no doubt that we can drive it down particularly in those badly affected areas.”
Greater Manchester now joins the Liverpool City Region under Tier 3 restrictions and the neighbouring county of Lancashire, which was also recategorised from Tier 2 to Tier 3 last Friday.
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Greater Manchester’s Tier 3 Saga: A Breakdown
This afternoon’s official announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that Greater Manchester is to enter Tier 3 restrictions concludes a lengthy saga surrounding the categorisation of the region, as local leaders have refused to accept Tier 3 status without improved financial support.
Yet another meeting earlier this week ended in a deadlock, with the government imposing a deadline on the region to strike a deal by midday on Tuesday.
According to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, last-gasp discussions to settle a deal broke down this afternoon.
Andy Burnham has repeatedly pushed back the government’s attempts to turn GM into a Tier 3 regionwithout “adequate support”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham addressed the people of Greater Manchester live just prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement, where he attacked the government for refusing to offer an extra £5 million in support to help the region through Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions.
He said the government “walked away” from negotiations about financial support, after refusing to offer enough money to “prevent a winter of real hardship” for the people of Greater Manchester.
He also emphasised that: “We took this stand for you. We will carry on fighting for you. We will carry on putting your health first, but health is more than the virus. We will support people’s health in the broadest possible sense.
“So tough days lay ahead [but] please, everybody, observe the law at all times and follow the public health advice.
“Above all else, please look out for each other, as I know you will.”
Entrance to Manchester Piccadilly Station – Gerald England / Geograph
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously warned that he would need to “intervene” if an agreement wasn’t reached, claiming tighter measures were needed to improve the “deteriorating” health situation in Manchester.
Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese have previously accused the government of using “selective” data to “raise public concern”, claiming that ICU’s in Manchester were not currently overwhelmed.
Last week, senior cabinet members Dominic Raab and Matt Hancock both made public appeals for Greater Manchester to work alongside the government to find a solution, with Raab accusing Burnham of holding ministers “over a barrel”.
Burnham maintained that getting a “fairer” deal was “about more than just Greater Manchester” – claiming many more regions would need better deals whenever they were upgraded to Tier 3; a development he considered “likely” ahead of winter.
Now, after much verbal sparring, it has been confirmed that Greater Manchester will be placed under the tightest restrictions as part of the ‘very high’ alert level.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Manchester City supporters groups call on club and fellow fans to ‘make their voices heard’
Danny Jones
A collection of Manchester City supporters groups has urged both the club and the fans themselves to “make [their] voice heard” this season, following this year’s protests over the new and “drastic” ticketing policy.
Man City fans gathered both before and after the game against Wolves back in April to make their feeling known regarding season ticket changes.
Appealing to manager Pep Guardiola directly, insisting that he needs their energy to get the kind of “alive” crowds he’s also called for in the past, ‘The 1984’ has now been joined by four other supporters trusts in reaffirming their aims for the new campaign.
Sharing a new joint statement on social media, the five fan groups say that “last season saw unprecedented off-pitch unrest among City fans in the post-Maine Road era”, and the only way to avoid further disruption is to listen and heed their warnings.
STATEMENT FROM CITY FAN GROUPS AS WE ENTER THE NEW SEASON
After last season's protests, 2025/26 sees the most drastic changes to season tickets we've ever had. We ask supporters to use their voices & the club to put fans first going forward.
— MCFC Fans Foodbank Support (@MCFCfoodbank) August 21, 2025
Writing on behalf of the aforementioned 1894 group, Canal Street Blues, MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, Solid Citizens, Trade Union Blues and nearly 700 official members, as you can see, they penned a lengthy open letter to the club and the City Football Group (CFG).
“Despite recent success on the field,” they say, “two major in-stadium protests took place, with an estimated 16,000+ fans delaying their entry at the Leicester and Wolves games, and thousands more joining silent protests.
“The triggers were rising ticket prices, season ticket availability, poor supporter engagement (including the Club refusing to meet City Matters on ticket prices for months), and away fans in home sections – often linked to third-party resellers like Viagogo, whose new partnership with the Club proved the breaking point.”
They also conceded that the freeze in the cost of a full season ticket and reduced matchday prices were a welcome breath of fresh air and stirred hope for better fan engagement moving forward.
However, as the statement continues, “Unfortunately, the Club has instead introduced sweeping changes to season ticket terms and conditions, hitting some of our most loyal supporters and damaging long-standing fan culture.”
You can see all of the new and almost universally opposed ticket changes listed in full via bullet points above, but standouts include an unprecedented ’10-game personal attendance policy’ – the first of its kind in English football – stricter ticket transfer rules, and even new facial recognition scanners.
We completely agree. No warning in the middle of summer, communicated by one email on the same day that it was announced? Horrendous.
— MCFC Fans Foodbank Support (@MCFCfoodbank) August 21, 2025
Fan reaction online has been as you would expect; most City supporters are in almost overwhelming agreement with the concerns raised in the latest communication, particularly in the minimum attendance and transfer rules, adding: “the latter directly undermines the stated aim of ‘keeping the stadium full.'”
“There are also fears some of these rules won’t apply equally to hospitality season ticket holders, introducing worries of inequality between fans,” the statement continues.
“These changes create unnecessary workload for ticket office staff, introduce barriers for digitally excluded fans, force some into paid memberships, and erode supporter culture.
“All [the] while, City Matters, our elected Fan Advisory Board, has repeatedly faced delays and broken deadlines for meeting minutes, with the most recent minutes now 59 days overdue from the June meeting. No one wants constant conflict with the Club, but when official channels fail, protest becomes the only option. Last season proved that fan action can drive change.”
“We call on all Blues to:
Track and record if and how these changes affect you.
Make your voice heard – online, via City Matters, and through fan groups.
Join fan groups such as 1894, the Disabled Supporters Association, Canal Street Blues, Trade Union Blues, and your local OSC branch to discuss issues with fellow Blues.”
Lastly, they have called on the club to rethink their current policies surrounding personal attendance and ticket transfers, “take a ‘fans first’ approach when it comes to all future policies affecting supporters, engaging in meaningful consultation with fan representatives,” and publish fan meetings “on time.”
What do you make of the supporter groups’ statement and, more importantly, how do you feel about recent changes to season tickets and matchday admission, City fans?
Manchester’s newest bowling venue Wynwood Lanes is giving away 100 FREE sessions on opening week
Emily Sergeant
An exciting new bowling venue is opening in Manchester this week, and they’re giving away 100 free bowling sessions to celebrate.
Manchester get ready, as Wynwood Lanes is taking over the legendary Dog Bowl site and giving it a full Miami makeover.
Think five upgraded bowling lanes, pool tables, basketball hoops, sun drenched tunes, poolside cocktails, smoke machines, and a brunch menu from Kong’s NQ that’ll have you salivating before you’ve even sat down.
Wynwood Lanes will be running on a ‘unique’ day-mode and night-mode model.
This means that by day, guests can expect fresh brunch dishes and low-fi tunes, with children welcome until 7pm, and then when it’s in night mode, the Miami heat is turned up with party beats, celebratory smoke machines, late night snacks, and bar games.
Manchester’s newest bowling venue Wynwood Lanes is giving away 100 free sessions on its opening week / Credit: PICRYL | Supplied
As mentioned, fuel for the fun comes from Manchester legends Kong’s NQ, but this time with a Miami twist, so expect Cuban sandwiches, lime chicken avo arepas, tacos galore, and Miami-style brunch plates.
A boozy bottomless brunch will also take every Saturday and Sunday from next Saturday 30 August, with 90 minutes of Miami plates and free-flowing cocktails from £39.50 per person – with the option to upgrade to bowling for just a tenner
With the grand opening date just days away now, Wynwood Lanes wants to start things off with a bang… or you know, a strike.
In a bid to do this, they’ll be giving away free bowling sessions to the first 100 people through the doors on bank holiday Monday (25 August) from midday through to 11pm – with up to six players allowed per group.
Wynwood Lanes is open from 4pm tomorrow (Friday 22 August).
Bowling prices will start at £9 (or totally free if you’re one of the first 100 to book for opening weekend), so follow this link to grab access to bowling booking slots when they’re released, and secure your lane before they’re gone.
The Manc -
20th October 2020 
