An England fan who travelled to Naples to watch their game against Italy had his ticket ripped up by the FA and is now facing death threats for his offensive flag mocking the death of Diego Maradona.
The Three Lions supporter, whose identity has not been confirmed for his own safety, travelled to the Italian city rich in football heritage ahead of England‘s Euro 2024 qualifier and following an image that appeared on social media prior to the match, has been slammed for “vile” behaviour.
As depicted in several photos, the fan brought a custom flag featuring the St George’s Cross and the words “Diego’s in a box” split across the four white quadrants. Maradona is regularly the subject of England chants due to his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal in the 1986 World Cup.
Following its circulation online, not only did the Football Association swiftly decide to cancel the man’s ticket but perhaps most concerningly, Napoli and Italy fans have been threatening him and trying to locate his whereabouts, with some even going so far as to seemingly place a bounty on his head.
The middle caption roughly translates to: ‘1000 euros for this c***’s life’
England and the FA have slammed the fan and warned that further punishment is being considered as part of the investigation into the incident, including a potential permanent ban.
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Speaking in a statement, they wrote: “We strongly condemn the actions of the individual who travelled to Naples with a flag that had a highly offensive message on it. We immediately took steps to have their tickets cancelled before the match. The matter will be reviewed further when we return to England.”
The love for Maradona in Italy and Naples, specifically, is beyond measure — akin to his and Messi’s legacy in their home country of Argentina, having helped football club Napoli to their two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia trophy, an Italian Super Cup and their only European honour (UEFA Cup) from 1984 to 1991.
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A god across the region, his contribution to the club and local culture was so massive that they went on to retire his number 10 shirt, so the offensiveness of his flag mocking Maradona’s death in 2020 goes without saying. It also left a stain on what was a historic night for England and their captain, in particular.
The Three Lions won in Italy for the first time since 1961 and @HKane further cemented himself in the annals of English football history. 🙌⚽️https://t.co/DHl2iTba2x
Tickets go live as opening date is announced for Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience
Emily Sergeant
Tickets to visit Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience have officially gone live ahead of the grand opening.
Set to open in the heart of the £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus next month, the Manchester City Museum Experience will be spread across 10 distinctive spaces – with visitors invited to take a trip down memory lane with nostalgic environments from throughout the club’s history.
Fans will also be able to take part in interactive media experiences, like posing with all 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams or trying their hand at football punditry.
The experience will combine the latest immersive technology with physical memorabilia drawn from across the club’s history to do this.
Hidden details and surprising ‘did you know’ facts are set to be embedded across the experience, so that even the most devoted Man City fans will have the chance to discover something new about the club they love.
By combining interactive environments, technology, and authentic artefacts, the experience is aiming to appeal to a wide audience – from lifelong Manchester City supporters, to families and those with a broader interest in football, culture, and the city of Manchester.
“The Museum Experience has been designed as a destination that goes beyond just the pitch,” commented Jeremy Maxton, who is the Director of Visitor Attractions at Manchester City Football Club.
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of its new ‘immersive’ museum / Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
“Whether you’re a lifelong supporter, visiting Manchester for a weekend, or simply looking for a unique day out, we’ve created an experience that offers something for everyone.
“From the recreated environments and original memorabilia to the interactive elements, there are different ways into the Club’s history throughout the Museum.
“We’ve also built in space for new stories to be added over time, so the experience can continue to evolve. It’s been a huge project to bring together and we’re looking forward to people seeing it for themselves later this year.”
The Manchester City Museum Experience officially opens on 14 December, and you can now book tickets to visit from that date here.
Featured Image – Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
News
TfGM apologises after two weeks of major tram disruption across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Trams have finally resumed running in Greater Manchester following two weeks of major disruption across the Metrolink network.
Tram services have resumed across the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this morning (Monday 2 November) following the completion of major track replacement work between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, while maintenance and renewal work also took place on the Eccles line and in the city centre during the planned closure.
Engineers replaced around 4km of track on what is said to be one of the ‘busiest and most complex’ sections of the Metrolink network.
The new track will allow further speed restrictions to be lifted, as according to TfGM, around 100,000 journeys are already benefiting from journey time improvements delivered through previous phases of work every day.
It all forms part of the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network in a bid to make it ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
✅ This morning, tram services have resumed on the Altrincham, East Didsbury, Eccles, Manchester Airport and Trafford Park lines.
We thank customers for their patience and understanding while these works took place.
↪️ A small service change remains in place through the city centre until the end of service on Wednesday 4 November.
Until then, trams on the Bury – Altrincham, and Victoria – Manchester Airport lines will divert via Exchange Square. Customers may need to change trams to reach Shudehill or Market Street.
👉 Find out more: https://t.co/Vm08ZEDUq4
With services now back up and running, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued a statement apologising for disruption.
Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, commented: “This was an essential piece of engineering work on one of the busiest parts of our tram network and will help keep services safe, reliable and fit for the future.
“We’re sorry for the disruption and I’d like to thank passengers, residents, and businesses for their patience while we got on with the job.
“The upgrades mean customers will benefit from smoother journeys and allow us to lift further speed restrictions on this section of the network. It will help speed up our journeys and improve reliability for everyone who uses our network.
“Completing work of this scale on time is a significant achievement and I’d like to thank everyone involved for getting it done safely and efficiently.”
Danny Jones -
24th March 2023 
