Greater Manchester Police has confirmed the launch of an investigation into the racist comments sent to a number of Manchester United players over social media.
The force confirmed the intervention in an official statement released yesterday.
It comes as after a number of prominent Premier League players revealed that they have received racist abuse in the past seven days, with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial having all been targeted, alongside Romaine Sawyers of West Bromwich Albion, and Chelsea’s Reece James.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed it was aware of a number of incidents having occurred on social media between Wednesday 27th – Saturday 30th January.
The statement read: “We are aware of a number of Manchester United football players suffering abuse on social media accounts between [Wednesday and Saturday]. Nobody should be subject to such abuse and it is deeply upsetting not only to those who suffer it, but to all those who come across this awful language too.
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“These hateful words have no place anywhere in our society whether online or otherwise.
“A number of these comments have been reported to us and we are liaising with those involved to provide support and we will be investigating these crimes thoroughly.”
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#STATEMENT | GMP statement regarding a number of hate comments made online towards football players. We will continue to take all reports of this nature incredibly seriously. pic.twitter.com/j6hSvjkBGR
In a series of tweets on Saturday night, 22-year-old Wythenshawe-born Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford – who was last year awarded an MBE for his ongoing work fighting child food poverty – revealed that he had been the target of racial abuse, but had chosen not to share its contents.
They were sent to the England striker following Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal, and the striker responded describing the comments as “humanity and social media at its worst”.
He continued: “Yes I’m a black man and I live every day proud that I am.
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“No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different, so sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you’re just simply not going to get it here”.
Humanity and social media at its worst. Yes I’m a black man and I live every day proud that I am. No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different. So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you’re just simply not going to get it here 👊🏾
In a follow-up tweet, Rashford stated that he would not be posting / linking to examples of the racial abuse he had received, adding that: “It would be irresponsible to do so and as you can imagine there’s nothing original in them”.
He continued: “I have beautiful children of all colours following me and they don’t need to read it. Beautiful colours that should only be celebrated”.
The official statement issued by Greater Manchester Police joins statements released by several other authorities and governing bodies, including the FA (Football Association), which had reiterated its commitment to clamping down on discrimination of all kinds earlier on Saturday.
An FA statement read: “We are united with all of football in our abhorrence of any racist abuse,
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“This is not acceptable in any part of society.
“We will continue to work with the rest of the game, the government and social media platforms to remove this – and all elements of – discrimination from our sport.”
Earlier in the week, Manchester United released an official statement addressing racial abuse received by players following a Premier League fixture against Sheffield United on Wednesday 27th January, which read: “Everyone at Manchester United is disgusted by the racial abuse received by players via social media after last night’s game.
“We utterly condemn it and it is encouraging to see other fans condemn this on social media also.
“Manchester United has zero tolerance of any form of racism or discrimination and a long-standing commitment to campaigning against it through our All Red All Equal initiative.
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“Identifying these anonymous mindless idiots remains problematic.
“We urge social media platforms and regulatory authorities to strengthen measures to prevent this kind of behaviour.“
Addressing the recent incidents, a spokesperson for Facebook – which also owns Instagram – said: “There is no place for racism on Facebook and Instagram and we are committed to removing it when we find it. We know there is more to do and we will continue to work closely with clubs, players and football authorities to investigate instances of discrimination and collectively tackle this issue.”
A statement released by Twitter read: “Racist behaviour has no place on our service and when we identify accounts that violate any of the Twitter Rules, we take enforcement action.
“We have proactively engaged and continue to collaborate with our valued partners in football to identify ways to tackle this issue collectively and will continue to play our part in curbing this unacceptable behaviour – both online and offline.”
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The incidents also come after it was confirmed that the UK government last week held a meeting with several leading black figures within the game to discuss the problem of online abuse, and they are expected to present a new online harms bill before parliament this year.
The government says this bill will “require tech firms to take action so that what is unacceptable in the street and in stands is unacceptable online too”.
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Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
One of the 2020’s leading female artists, Doja Cat, is heading to the UK for a stop on her newest tour and has chosen to host it at Co-op Live in Manchester.
American recording artist Doja Cat is making her long-awaited return to Manchester and an arena debut, with this artist’s first and only visit to the city being back in 2024, headlining Parklife.
Heading to the UK as part of her Ma Vie World Tour, the California-born star is recognised for her spellbinding performances, extravagant outfits and array of UK Top 40 hits.
Not afraid to blend genres, Amala Dlamini, better known by artist moniker Doja Cat, has lent her voice to rap, hip-hop, pop, R’n’B, and now 80’s synths on her newest LP, Vie.
Gig guide | Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doja Cat is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester for one night of her Ma Vie Tour / Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
Doja Cat UK tour dates
Sat 23 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tues 26 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 29 May – London, UK – The O2
Are there any tickets left for Doja Cat at Co-op Live?
Do you ‘Need to Know’ about grabbing tickets to see this multi-hyphenate performer live? Well, you’re in luck…
After seeing this iconic ‘Woman’ live on stage in Manchester? Well, if I’ve got your ‘Attention’, you can find tickets and more info HERE.
All you ‘Need to Know’ about Doja Cat’s Ma Vie World Tour in Manchester / Credit: Greg Swales (Supplied) / The Manc Group
Doja Cat setlist for 2026 UK tour
Lipstain
Cards
Get Into It (Yuh)
Kiss Me More
Gorgeous
Couples Therapy
Take Me Dancing
Woman
Acts of Service
Agora Hills
Make It Up
All Mine
Ain’t Sh*t
Paint the Town Red
Silly! Fun!
Juicy
Need to Know
Streets
Wet Vagina
WYM Freestyle
Demons
Tia Tamera
AAAHH MEN!
Boss B*tch
Stranger
Happy
One More Time
Say So
Jealous Type
What are the stage times for Doja Cat in Manchester?
Doors for Doja Cat’s Ma Vie Tour at Co-op Live in Manchester are set to open from 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 7pm from one very good warm-up act.
Supporting the rapper and performer on her UK and EU leg of the tour is alternative-r&b artist Naomi Sharon with singles like ‘Better Days’ and ‘Bittersweet’.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Beloved Greater Manchester-born presenter Judith Chalmers has died at 90
Danny Jones
Well-known Greater Manchester native and beloved British TV presenter Judith Chalmers has sadly died at 90 years old.
The former Wish You Were Here…? host was known not only for the once smash-hit travel programme, which ran for the best part of three decades, but she also enjoyed a spot on BBC Radio 2, along with the Strictly forerunner, Come Dancing, among many other guest appearances over the decades.
Judith Rosemary Locke Chalmers OBE, to use her full title, was born in Stockport back in 1935 and is said to have passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening, 21 May.
The tributes to the broadcasting legend are continuing to pour in online.
A familiar Northern face, Chalmers presented the primetime show from its inception in 1974 until 2003, and was made an OBE for her services to broadcasting in 1994.
The proud Gatley girl enjoyed a long and successful stint on screen before having to step away from her various duties in her later years due to declining health.
She leaves behind her husband, Neil Durden-Smith – himself a former sports commentator – along with two children, including Mark Durden-Smith, who has also gone on to a career in presenting
Unfortunately, Chalmers was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, meaning she gradually withdrew from the public eye even further; those around her have done plenty of important fundraising for the cause ever since.
Stopfordians have also been honouring the local lass’ legacy and much-admired reputation.
I met legendary broadcaster Judith Chalmers, who has died aged 90, when as a boy I won a competition to be VIP guest at a celebrity cricket match played at @StockportCounty Judith, who hosted the event, was happy to be home as she was raised in Gatley #SCFC#StockportCountypic.twitter.com/58pcm39y3V
In a statement issued to ITV (once her long-time employers), her family said: “After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless adventures all over the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering with Alzheimer’s for some years.
“We will miss her greatly, but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest of memories.”
Our thoughts are with her family, friends and long-established fan base up and down the country at this difficult time.
The Manc -
1st February 2021 
