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FA to speak with Manchester United following homophobic chanting

It is simply unacceptable.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 9th January 2023

The FA is set to speak with Manchester United following homophobic chanting heard during their 3-1 victory over Everton in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday.

The homophobic chant was directed at Everton manager Frank Lampard and revolved around his former club Chelsea. It is sadly a chant that has been rife in English football for some time.

Responding to reports, the Football Association said: “We strongly condemn the use of the term and we are determined to drive it out of our game.” As for United, they declared that the abuse simply “has no place in football”.

Rainbow Devils, United’s official LGBTQ+ Supporters Club, declared: “We strongly condemn the taunting of Frank Lampard with the illegal and homophobic chant from a section of our fans and call for the club to take action.

They went on to urge the club “to do everything in their power to identify the culprits and deal with them in the strongest possible manner.”

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The FA have also said they will speak to relevant authorities before deciding what course of action to take. They are also said to be investigating instances of the infamous chant allegedly being used during Manchester City’s game against Chelsea on Sunday.

Back in January 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service rightly categorised the chant as a homophobic slur and said fans caught singing it during matches will be prosecuted for committing a hate crime.

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Homophobic chanting relating to Chelsea has occurred numerous times this season and was also condemned by current boss Graham Potter and the United manager Erik ten Hag when the teams met in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.

There have also been complaints on social media after sections of the Old Trafford crowd were heard once again singing a racist chant regarding their own ex-player, Park Ji-sung, despite the South Korean imploring them to stop back in 2021.

An FA statement read: “We stand firmly against all forms of discrimination and we are striving to ensure our game is a safe environment for all, which truly embraces diversity and challenges hateful conduct both on and off the pitch.”

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Featured Image — Flickr/Creative Commons Zero – CC0/Everton

News

Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre

Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.

Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.

A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.

Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.

It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.

Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

News

Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.

As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.

Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.

The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.

Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.  

Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.

The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.

Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.

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“Help us be a lifeline to organisations on the frontline,” Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity urged in it’s public appeal for donations.

You can help make sure ‘A Bed Every Night’ is a reality for all by donating here.

Featured Image – EthelRedThePetrolHead (via Flickr)

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