A family dog lost her eye when three men forced their way into a home in Altrincham and held a father at gunpoint.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Jack Golding, his fiancée and their six-month-old son, were at home at around 12.30am on Wednesday (August 25) when three masked men broke into their home.
One man was carrying a gun, one had a machete and a third man carried a ratchet into the flat on Lloyds Gardens.
In the flat, Jack, in an attempt to protect himself and his family, says he struck one of the burglars with a baseball bat before retreating to block the pathway to his partner and child – meanwhile, Cilla, the family dog, was attacked so badly by the gang she eventually lost her eye.
CCTV footage provided to Manchester Evening News by Jack Golding
However, despite her injuries, which consisted of deep wounds to her head and direct damage to her eye, Cilla retreated to the bathroom to sit in front of Jack’s baby in an attempt to protect him from the intruders.
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Speaking to the MEN, Jack said: “Last night at 12.30am we were at home on the first floor and we were burgled.
“They came in with a machete, a ratchet and a firearm.
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“I managed to strike one of them with a bat and then they basically chased me down the hallway.
“They cut my dog. She lost her left eye, but she managed to pull through somehow.
“He came towards the baby-gate where me and my fiance and baby had gone and put a gun to my head and said to give him jewellery and cash, I didn’t have anything there.
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“They took a fake Rolex and £30 off the side and then left. It was in and out, around eight minutes – but the amount of significant wounds it left Cilla with [was awful].
Cilla the dog in the aftermath of the attack // Jack Golding
“We’ve had to leave the area, we’ve got nowhere to live. We’re still in shock.
“It’s happened before and I was more scared then and was kind of prepared for this. It’s my fiance more, and my baby was traumatised.
“But Cilla, my dog, she’s never been aggressive, just a standard pet, always been a family pet.
“Even when she was cut she came back into the bedroom and sat with the baby to protect him.
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“I don’t know how she survived.”
Anyone with information, including dashcam or CCTV footage from the area, should contact police on 0161 856 7587 or via LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk quoting incident 80-250821.
Alternatively, details can be passed on anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
News
Ticket requests are now officially open for Harry Styles’ one-night-only Manchester gig
Emily Sergeant
The time has come – the ticket request system for Harry Styles’ one-night-only gig in Manchester is now live.
In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced on Wednesday evening after much speculation that Harry Styles would be making a return home to Manchester for a one-night-only ‘intimate’ gig at Co-op Live to celebrate the release of his fourth studio album next month.
Styles is set to share Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally with the world on Friday 6 March – and it’s that very same night he’ll be taking to the stage in Manchester.
Although little is known about what to expect at the gig, the poster for the event does state that there’ll be a ‘special performance of the album’, so it seems fair to say that Manchester will be the first to hear the new set of songs in full live.
And if all of that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the tickets are only £20 per person.
But, of course, there is a bit of a catch, as this isn’t your regular online queuing up for tickets scenario, this is a ‘ticket request’ system instead.
So, like us – and literally every other fan in the vicinity of Greater Manchester and beyond this week – you’re probably wondering what a ‘ticket request’ system is… what does it look like? How does it work? Basically, what the heck is it? Well, we’ve done a bit of digging around to get to the bottom of it so you’re not left too much in the dark.
According to Ticketmaster’s website, if an artist is running a ticket request, they’ll invite fans to request tickets so you don’t have to compete in a first-come, first-served sale.
This means you can take your time to review the available options and request the right tickets for you.
All you need to do is tell Ticketmaster which shows you’re interested in, the type of ticket you want, and your payment details. Then, if the tickets you request can be fulfilled, your card will be charged and you’ll get emailed instructions to access them in the Ticketmaster App.
Unfortunately, as much as we’d love it to be the case for everyone, submitting a request doesn’t guarantee you tickets – it really is just luck of the draw.
To request tickets, you’ll need to follow these three simple steps:
Select which shows you’re interested in and the type of ticket you want
Add your payment details
Harry Styles ticket requests are now live / Credit: Johnny Dufort (Publicity Picture)
Ticketmaster will then send you a summary email that details the tickets you’ve requested. Your card won’t be charged at this time, but they may charge a temporary £1 authorisation to your card to validate your request.
A maximum of two tickets per person can be requested, which has been set to allow for as many fans as possible to get tickets.
Now, here’s the crucial part – you will need to submit your request for tickets while the window is open until Sunday 8 February at 11pm GMT. After the request window closes, you’ll get a second email by 11:59pm GMT on Tuesday 10 February confirming whether or not your request has been fulfilled.
All that’s left to do now is provide you with the link here and send you on your way… oh, and may the odds be ever in your favour.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Oldham RLFC chairman to step aside following ‘stadium ban’ and winding-up petition
Danny Jones
Oldham Rugby League Football Club chairman Bill Quinn has said he is stepping down from his role at the organisation following a reported club-wide stadium ban and an HMRC winding-up petition earlier this month.
Quinn has now claimed that the petition, which requires a company to appear in court over debts, has since been resolved, but the 59-year-old is still set to leave the local outfit.
Mirroring the concerning circumstances that nearly saw Salford Red Devils disappear completely last year, before a former player’s investment rescued the sporting institute in the eleventh hour, Oldham RLFC looked to be staring down a deeply concerning period of uncertainty.
Speaking directly to Roughyeds fans in a lengthy video share on social media, Quinn said that while he disagreed with many of the comments left by supporters online over the last few weeks, he understands their frustration and right to know what’s going on in and around Boundary Park.
Reiterating that he’s “more than happy” to answer reasonable questions levelled by Oldham residents and matchgoers, he said that he denies allegations made by fellow native club, Oldham Athletic, stating that they are “totally unfounded and untrue”.
The Latics are currently refusing the rugby league side from using their usual home ground, with the football team also serving as landlords and raising concerns over unpaid taxes and outstanding funds still owed to debtors – including OAFC themselves.
You can read their most recent public statement in full HERE.
However, Quinn claims that both entities claim the other one owes them money, and the situation looks to be unfortunately heading towards formal litigation.
Nevertheless, while Chorley-based businessmen say the club is prepared to settle their monetary differences if arrears prove to be the case on their part, he has still said that he will soon be quitting.
As you can see, despite plenty of support and sympathy from the faithful fan base, the process looks to already be in motion, and many are being urged to provide their feedback on what should happen next.
"Trust between a club and its supporters relies on openness and communication — both of which currently feel lacking. This open letter is not written in a spirit of hostility, but out of genuine concern for the future of Oldham RLFC".
Despite Quinn’s insistence that “everyone will be paid”, the spectre of possible liquidation has still caused plenty of concern among the community.
In the case of Salford RLFC, they were fortunate enough to have ex-winger Mason Caton-Brown step in as part of a consortium – you can read our full interview with him HERE – but as the weeks and months of that saga proved, a lot can change even day to day.
As for the coaching front, Alan Kilshaw has been confirmed as the new boss of the Roughyeds following director of rugby Mike Ford and his assistant Callum Irving leaving last week.
While winding-up summons obviously still loom large over the club at the moment, Oldham fans do at least have games to look forward to, with the Greater Manchester Championship club set to face off against Dewsbury Rams in the third round of the Challenge Cup this Sunday, 8 February (3pm).
The Manc -
27th August 2021 
